Fixing Up Apple's Last Compact Mac

[@ukozi]

$80?!!? You lucky, lucky man. Honestly, though, I'm happy it found a home with someone that will take care of it. Great video, and I'm really happy this didn't turn into another walkman saga.

[@waterbears9874]

Actually such a cheap price for such a rare retro PC

[@alextirrellRI]

The shipping was probably somewhat pricy from Japan, especially with the repack, but surely much less than you'd find on eBay. That said, there's so much artificial pricing on eBay these days in general.

[@Josh.Davidson]

Great video. I would recommend using a larger nozzle on the hot air to remove caps.

[@GeekmanCA]

We had the Colour Classic II up here in Canada, and I remember how much I coveted it when I saw it in our school's computer lab. Most of the machines had monochrome displays, so its compact Trinitron really stood out. Glad you managed to find such a deal on this one!

[@volvo09]

I have never been a Mac guy, so I really enjoy these videos. You showcase an entire class of computers I didn't know about.

[@fryke]

I've always been a Mac guy and also really enjoy these videos. :) I bought a used Color Classic in '94 or '95. Later on my sister used it primarily. I later got it back, but over the years and through various moves, I lost sight of it. I hope it's doing well somewhere.

[@justinedge5081]

@@fryke I really like his 90s tech videos

[@miskokelko]

It is great I ❤ these videos

[@xanthrax6179]

I love old Macs they have such a nostalgia factor to me and a lot of others

[@dmnddog7417]

Completely agree with your statements on the Color Classic. I had to use one when I did my internship at a magazine in the late 90's and it was a horrible experience. Apart from the "cuteness" of the case, there wasn't much to love about it. If it had been a CC2, I would probably have fonder memories of that form factor.

[@kennixox262]

Thanks for the memories. My first Mac was a Centris 650 with System 7.1. That was in the deep dark days of Apple to where finding a good retailer was difficult. Thanks MicroCenter of Atlanta.

[@richardthunderbay8364]

When you said that people were passing up the Classic to buy multimedia Macs, that described me exactly. Back in 1993, I looked at the Classic, and was impressed by the Sony Trinitron display, but decided to go for a model that had a built in CDROM, a Mac IIvi. That was my first Mac.

[@vitesse_arnhem]

Performas had the same stigma as LC series units or the late Apple //e, and later, the eMac - that they were weak education units

[@CornGuo]

The Japanese auction pages says it cannot be powered on and without HDD and I think it was sold as nonoperational state, that explains its low price. Lucky you got a working machine!

[@PotatoFi]

Wow, awesome find! I’m absolutely thrilled for you man! Thanks for sharing the journey with us.

[@captaincrazy5075]

It always brings joy to my heart to see how much care you take on handling these old machines. Thank you for doing what you do! Greetings from Austria Thomas

[@MacinMindSoftware]

I acquired my Color Classic about 20 years ago. Knowing about the rare CCII, I found a Sonnet Presto LC 040 upgrade card in my collection which brought it close. But it now needs attention as it won't boot and the PRAM battery is not the issue. Thanks for reigniting my ideas to do something soon.

[@OneSmallStepWeb]

Wow. Just wow. What a great find and price. Get it recapped ASAP! AND, when a machine is yellowing evenly and fully retromodded / restored internally i love to see it bear its age well, a sleeper, if you will, but if the sticker mark is a deal breaker for you, you do you. I'm here regardless of your choice. Love your content.

[@ozzyp97]

Agreed. Personally I'd never retrobright anything unless it's absolutely hideous, nothing wrong with a bit of yellowing on decades old hardware.

[@MaxOakland]

Wow! You got so lucky. Low price and in great shape. Probably one of the best people to get it since you love them and know how to take care of them

[@SuperNicktendo]

That's a fantastic find. I finally found a new in box Cinema display for my G4 cube and now I can focus on updating that machine. I was never a Mac guy growing up so it's fun to see all the different computers. It's like I'm discovering them for the first time.

[@godzzwrath]

thats so cool! i'm the same way :) i never really cared for apple growing up but now im like wow!!

[@JasonsLabVideos]

Colin, a quick tip to removing SMD caps, if you wiggle them side to side till the legs break off, you can use Wick to remove the broken leg & clean the pad. NO need for Hot air. I was taught this from a good friend that repairs small electronics with SMD components. Hope it helps !

[@ronkemperful]

Great Video as always. Way back in 1993 I considered the original Color Classic, but it was just a little bit too expensive. So, I bought a Performa 405, which had the same motherboard hobbling as the original Color Classic as it only supported a max of 10mb of ram to which I upgraded. Still, these early Macs had an appeal that was lost in later Macs, with a simple 7.0 OS that still booted reasonably fast, was fun to play with, by removing/adding control panels and extensions; to give functionality and usability. The biggest limitation for me at the time was the tiny 80mb hard drive which could only hold about a third of my programs and data, forcing me to use an external Zip drive. I networked the computer with a daisy chain to a more modern PowerPC which I bought later and even played around with early emails and Faxing. I'm nostalgic for that computer, and for the simpler times that it represented.

[@Gelch01]

My dad bought of these (color classic II) in New Zealand in '93, and he paid alot for the best version. So many good memories on this Mac. Great times i will never forget. And frankly, more Doom 2 than was good for me. XD

[@user78405]

just love old quicktime logo ...it gives me the shivers back then

[@ravisriram6746]

Thank you. Brings back fond memories of my own experiences with Macs such as the Quadras and Performas. Also, some years ago at a church bazaar, I picked up both a Macintosh SE, and a StyleWriter printer for a bargain price. Mac booted up right away. The older Macs may be slow compared to the ones today, but the quality of these older machines is amazing.

[@prologik85]

This is that kind of video that makes me change the name of the channel, because this machine definitely "computes". Colin is incredibly lucky, congrats for the great video!

[@MatSpeedle]

I love finding bargains on Sendico and that was for sure a Sendico box unless other proxy places use that red tape, those guys always do an amazing job of packing things well. I've had great success with them over the years.

[@Link_240]

Looks like Buyee

[@eleventy-seven]

They used those in some of the computer labs in the High Schools where I did repairs. Problems were complicated by the combo and software compatibility made them go all PC a couple of years later.

[@TyParmenter]

It's amazing how easy some of those old macs were to open up and get into. Removing the board on this one looks like an absolute dream!

[@johnviolette5511]

I have a CC I bought used in the late ‘90’s. This video makes me rethink turning it on since it has been unused for 20 years.

[@matthew4501]

Fantastic contribution! Thank you for sharing it! I have been working on my CC Mystic this last week and doing some housekeeping on it, so this video was very timely. It's helpful to know about the BlueSCSI -- I'm still rocking a spinning drive in mine. Also, congrats on winning the bid for this machine

[@matthysloedolff]

I'm so happy for you that this project went incredibly smoothly as I know how much trouble you have had in the past with other machines.

[@bitdigital8052]

Loving the flow of this video and thanks for the great tip about soaking the mobo beforehand.

[@randallsmith2521]

Damn, I've seen pretty much every classic mac in person at some point, except this one. Nice find!

[@ACRPC-dot-NET]

I have had some Nichicon caps of this vintage ooze all their electrolyte out on a few vintage computers (from Toshiba and GRiD), so definitely watch those closely in the analog section. I built all my BlueSCSI's with the 90* angle SCSI connector, works great in these Macs, I have one in my LC575, which might actually be more rare these days than color classics, with how many 575's got cannibalized for "Mystic" upgrades, I am even guilty of it, I gutted and scrapped a 575 around 2000ish to build a Mystic, which I regrettably later sold.

[@dennisud]

This was my dream Classic Mac, until, I worked with an LC-550 and 575! Now, as I had those for my work as a teacher, I want one of those mostly for the expansion capabilities (I have a bunch of old Sys. 7.5 games) but also The larger Trinitron Monitor was a big plus! I'm still hunting for one in working shape!

[@rskeyesful]

What a deal. My first MAC was an SE and I've collected quit a few of that Form Factor over the years. I still use my Color Classic for recipes.

[@jonglass]

Ha. I'm one of those who bought the Performa 600CD instead of the Color Classic (II). :-) And I had no regrets, either. I later upgraded it to a Quadra 650 mobo, and maxed the RAM. That computer lasted (with my kids) until the early 2000s, before it was retired.

[@bad_collector]

Nice find! Congrats. It's hard to explain the joy of using a CC, especially one that is working properly. I'm glad you are taking such care to restore and appreciate this one

[@psyar7829]

I'm glad you are working without a heartache so far. After I learned about colour classic 2 I wanted one. I had the color classic 1 mackintosh apple

[@DCMacGuy]

I am beyond green with envy! My fully restored CC is sitting next to me and has a permanent space on my desk, with a lot of sentimental value. I have kept it completely stock (VRAM, FPU, 10MB RAM), aside from a SCSI2SD board. I am always on the hunt for a II/275 for more of a toy… I need to start digging through yahoo auctions it seems!

[@bryans8656]

My fascination (read: obsession) with computers started with the Apple IIe, my first true computer, and your videos bring back those good old days. Thanks for another great video.

[@CrustaceousB]

I'm early so ill make this fast. Lol Im not a technology junkie or electronics guru, but I really love your videos for your nice voice and because I get to see alot of interesting old tech I didn't know existed. Thank you for your work sir! 💜

[@1BitFeverDreams]

I also bought a CC from Japan and the description mentioned it wasn't sure if it had been upgraded to a LC550 logic board or not - turns out it was! Mine got the case cracked during shipping, but the damage was still minor and concentrated onto the top screw sockets and along one vertical edge in the front. After a full recap of both boards, I got a few days of working state, but moving the machine must have caused something to no longer energize the CRT properly. I'm still hopeful I can bring it back to stability but I keep putting it off. I've run mine without a battery just fine, they're not required.

[@GetJesse]

Wow really good find!

[@maskedmotorsdiy3575]

So educational, if you enjoy old things. Trying to remember the mid-1990's, think I upgraded a 68030 from 16 MHz to 33 MHz with an aftermarket DayStar, but the memory is wonky (mine, not the RAM). Along with the 32-bit patch of course.

[@markmanz8897]

Another awesome video. I love the “old tech” that you cover. My first Mac was a 512k that had an “upgrade” of an 800k disk drive. I spent the same amount to purchase an external 800k disk drive. Even more difficult to find than old hardware, is old software. I think it would be awesome for you to do a series of old software. MacPaint, Write, Draw… SuperPaint, ResEdit, NetTrek, NetBunny… not to mention Microsoft Word and Excel, etc. And the games. I bought my 512k from Macromind Software when they had a warehouse sale. I was hoping to get the latest C64 games for a great price. I was lucky enough to convince my dad to shell out $200 for the Mac. That was around 1990. The Mac I bought, was the one they used to develop and test their software.

[@MrLukealbanese]

Excellent video. For the recapping you might try the modern Chris Edwards style of cap removal, it's relatively safe, no hot air required.

[@codyisrude]

it's always those caps and the fact that they popped under heat it's good that you got those out

[@cristophersandate9325]

Thank you for telling us about this Mac and showing us this mac.

[@kjamison5951]

There was a time when I would have lived to own a CC2 but I almost settled for a CC instead. I have collected, repaired and refurbished some vintage Macintosh computers but that was years ago and I am still properly jealous that you snagged a CC2.

[@grumpyoldwizard]

I early adopted a 128K Mac back in 1984, when they first came out. I loved that thing. It was so unique at the time.

[@Lukeno52]

I've used Buyee a lot for Japanese imports into the UK, and I've literally only ever had one machine turn up damaged (although one I ordered was refunded under their warranty as it arrived at their warehouse trashed). They've all been laptops though, not this - but their protective shipping process is definitely impressive.

[@marcusdamberger]

Yup, Buyee generally really packs them well if you request. Often the item will be in the box it was shipped to Buyee in japan domestically and you can see the local seller only did an adequate job that was just good enough to ship the few days it took locally, but clearly would have never survived international shipping for any distance. So I've learned to always have them repack. Sometimes the level of layers they pack the item in amazes me, especially for the size of the item even when relatively small. In the past I've had items via eBay from Japan, and they did a piss poor job for a heavier items, with a corner cracked because there just wasn't enough packing..

[@PhillyMotoXTS]

I don't have the nerve to de/re-solder old caps like this, so I'll continue lively vicariously through these videos!

[@ChrisTheKid83]

Hi, there is a way to remove those surface caps, without using heat, you should consider. Use something to press firmly down on the top of the cap then twist. this will break the joint but not damage the pads.

[@THEDTSMAN]

I absolutely adore these videos, the time, care and attention to preserve old electronics is fantastic to watch. Great video.

[@coolhardware65]

I hold those pcs close to my heart there were a ton of em in my school in brooklyn.

[@JDW-]

Great video, Colin. I noticed your mention of using aluminum electrolytic caps because they have the stock look. While not necessary on the P275 board, using OS-CAN cans give you the stock look, yet offer much lower ESR. Low ESR has a huge impact when you use an LC575 motherboard to create a Color Classic Mystic. Low ESR caps allow you to overclock an 040 processor much higher. This has been confirmed by Kay Koba (creator of Spicy O'Clock) and others, so it's not just my speculation as an EE anymore. By the way, I live in Japan and keep my eye on the auctions here, and I must say you got that 275 machine for a great price. It's not often you find them that low, especially with that many bids. Congrats!

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

I’m likely going to switch to the OS-CON caps in the future anyway, but I don’t really have much aspiration for any of the Satanic Mac style mods - others have that pretty well covered ;-)

[@JamieBainbridge]

I only just noticed your gigantic Hokusai wall. That's so rad!

[@jaut-76]

I’ve had a shipping horror story once when I bought a DEC pdp-11/23 and the seller packed it so badly (literally in the cheapest box with no packaging) that it arrived all smashed up and the chassis was literally bent. Not a little bit but a lot

[@ps3customgamer]

300C is an okay temp on 858d. 375 can damage pads

[@sfneurosurgeon]

My last Mac was a Classic II which came a few years earlier than this one. Nice to see an old school Mac.

[@LightTheUnicorn]

What a rare beast! Glad to see it get a good new home and survive the overseas trip! Hope you have a ton of fun with it.

[@fredthemagnificent]

Great video,,, Interesting, I worked ‘with’ and ‘for’ Apple for nearly 20 years, 80’s onwards, from Apple I, II. I have a bunch of stuff in my garage, Quadra 950, LC’s, 10’ Apple Monitor, Apple Cd’s, cables power (New supplies and components, network and graphic cards for various modles), I even have the Apple 16/600 lazer printer and a bunch of other stuff including prototypes.. Never occurred to me to check component degradation (thank you for that). Great to see there is still a community out there. I am Apple L1/L2 qualified technician (1980 to 2000) from the good old days of the Apple and Mac, (who remembers the LC and the Apple Luggable?) repaired hundreds of 128K Mac up to the SE30’s,Vx and Vi, II, IIx, etc. Happy to help anyone if they have problems or questions. I still have the original software and TIL (technical information library. (On a Newton and disk) ‘somewhere’!!. Happy to try and help if you have problems or questions, just ask. The Performa was really crap as suggested in the video, but at the time it was an excellent office machine. It was sometimes fitted with a Sony 160MB HD, that would get stuck, you just had to give it a little push and off it went and you could recover the data and change the HD.

[@nathanbrown816]

You should archive a lot of your technical information, it would be useful for vintage Mac collectors.

[@fredthemagnificent]

@@nathanbrown816 good advice, will do and share.

[@ncmartinez_his]

Nice find! Thank you for sharing this with us. Have you considered posting a series of “How To” videos as a playlist? You could probably reuse content you’ve already made .

[@okonvick]

Very nice story. And your videos are always very relaxing to watch, thanks for making them :)

[@quetzalcueyat]

The first computer I ever used was a mac in the early 90s maybe 91 or 92. That thing was so cool. It was color, but I don't remember caring about its name so I don't know which one.

[@markredf150]

Perfect timing, this vid coming out on Feelin' Good Friday!🎉

[@middle_pickup]

That's a really cool piece. Nice score, man.

[@dukeseb]

i loved the colour classic.... and the keyboard it came with

[@mikewifak]

Do your hands shake when you try to hold them still? You are one of several people I have noticed recently whose hands seem to sort of vibrate when they are not in motion. It’s like you’re buzzing with energy! Cheers!

[@JokingJay]

Really glad such a find went to you since you've done it justice and shared the video with the world, but... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous!

[@davidAll5]

amazing job !!! well done i d love to get the same repair to the 2 Mac Classic i found years ago in the street ...

[@stratonarrow]

Wow that Foxconn sticker is cool. Wild to think how long they’ve been making Apple products and components.

[@rickkarrer8370]

Used one of these in school and loved them.

[@RetroPC]

Another wonderful and educational video. Nice job, Colin. It's your videos over the years that have gotten me interested in retro Macs! Nothing better than waking up to a new TDNC video on a Saturday morning. ❤️

[@AureliusR]

Retrobriting has unknown long-term effects on plastics. I'm really surprised so many collectors have started doing it without having any idea how it might impact their collection long term. I recently started writing a paper about plastic yellowing, trying to learn the mechanism(s) of action and whether hydrogen peroxide is a good way to possibly reverse the effects.

[@rubin437]

Like Mr Carlson does, you can twist the caps off with pliers. Then desolder the legs. Works fine and less destructive.

[@FreezerBurn.]

I remember a thousand years ago constantly playing Scarab of Ra on one of these units at my best friends place. Black and white though! Ahh. The good old days!

[@babyboomertwerkteam5662]

That's such an awesome find! Congrats!

[@nevadaxelizabeth]

damn, and here i was thinking i was lucky for ordering an Apple LED Cinema Display from Canada to South America and having it arriving without damage. or travelling with it on a commercial airline again without damage. nice find Colin, the color classic is truly an iconic machine and to have the more rare Performa version is really a hit.

[@ได้เลยพี่]

I have seen foxconn sticker on mainboard. Amazing!!

[@johnlarro6872]

I seriously considered the original Color Classic as an upgrade from the original Classic. But ultimately went with the LCIII. Which was replaced by the LCIII (2), the LC475, the LC every-other-number that was the same price but better all in the space of about 12 months... The Color Classic was pretty... but that's about all.

[@sentimentalbloke185]

Have you done a video on cleaning up the plastic casing, would like to see the technique.

[@GoTeamScotch]

This story had a fairytale ending. Bravo and congrats on the score.

[@robertdemitro1520]

Good for you ! 👍🏻

[@just_passing_through]

What an incredibly beautiful machine. They just don’t design computers this beautiful anymore

[@MrMegaManFan]

I wish you lived anywhere near me Colin. I've got a couple of old Macs that I'd love to get fixed up but I don't know anyone locally who can do them and like you I'm deathly afraid to ship them.

[@a4e69636b]

This was a very nice and relaxing video. Thank you.

[@LordMondegrene]

I had an SE-30, and a 512K about 25 years ago(?) Gave them to a friend. They still worked.

[@RetroTechChris]

Wonderful! Thanks for showing this!

[@alexdhall]

9:18: Kitteh! 😻

[@rmcdudmk212]

Mac cat approves of this vid 🐈

[@gameplaygold286]

You rock man !!! the best method ever !! thanks for sharing !!

[@RacerX-]

Wow, that's fantastic, what a great buy. Nice work!

[@xxnoxx-xp5bl]

That's a hell of a score!

[@Markimark151]

I wish they made more of these Color Classic Macs, they were mostly made for schools. Also can you make a video about fixing the Mac Plus, because the one I have is no longer working and want to find adapters to work with newer keyboards and mice!

[@IkarusKommt]

No child deserves to be tortured by this tiny sub-VGA non-adjustable display.

[@Markimark151]

@@IkarusKommt it’s not about the display why that retro computer has a community. It’s the old software and all in one design that makes it unique!

[@xtninertwo8728]

Hey man, huge fan of your videos. Is there any way you can pass along the exact songs you used as ambient in this video? They just helped me relaxed so well after a hard day at work. Thank you and keep up the great work!

[@dominikm.1843]

Great computer and very good job. Nice film🙂

[@DanHendricks]

I used to want a Color Classic so bad when i was a kid. Ended up going into PCs for my first computer and the rest is history. Used both Mac and PC since 2002, though.

[@technocricket]

Nice Find

[@AmigaofRochester]

Another one saved! I just recently resurrected a Color Classic logic board. If anyone is interested in getting their's restored, reach out to us.

[@videobenny3]

Retrobrighting in Minnesota is insane outside of summer.

[@The-Cosmic-Hobo]

I remember going to the local Apple Centre and checking out the Color Classic, having become a first-time Mac owner the year before with a Mac Classic. Ultimately though I went with an LCIII with 14" display and Adjustable Keyboard (still have the keyboard). The Color Classic just didn't make sense...

[@brendanhoffmann8402]

Wow! Yeah, I remember these!

[@pavlosconstantinou9236]

keep up the good Work man. thanks for the videos

[@FalbertForester]

Very lucky find! I think I saw, while you were cleaning and upgrading, that there's an empty brown socket near the middle of the board. Is that for a math coprocessor upgrade?