ROM-inator Kit Build & Review [Mac 128K, 512K & Plus]

See how to build, install and use the original ROM-inator kit for the earliest compact Macs. BMOW offers the PCB Gerber files, ROM code, etc.: www.bigmessowires.com/mac-rom...
🙏 SPECIAL THANKS to Kay Koba in Tokyo who made this video possible.
Kay's Blog is here: ameblo.jp/keroxiee1016/entry-...
🔎 INDEX
0:00 - Intro
4:00 - Building
19:43 - Installing
30:06- Testing
49:17 - Closing Words
🛠️ THINGS TO BUY:
• ROM-inator Resurrections: bit.ly/3qQAKCE
• ROM Programmer (if your ROMs are blank): bit.ly/4cmF92V
• PRAM 4.5V Battery for 128K, 512K & Plus: amzn.to/3EzEiv4
• Fume Extractor: amzn.to/3XUsZKf
• 4.3" LCD Microscope: amzn.to/3uO9ao5
💁‍♂️TIP! For a nicer 7-inch LCD, at a correspondingly higher price, search Amazon for: 7" LCD Microscope.
• 10x Loupe: amzn.to/3tW1lf0
• 5x/11x Magnifier: amzn.to/3lGogXI
• Header & Jumper Kit: amzn.to/3tQoCi8
• Wire Kit: amzn.to/2ZaWOKi
• Hakko (Japanese) base-model ceramic-heater type Soldering Station: amzn.to/3ArxBJ6
• Hakko high-end Soldering Station (buy compatible tips separately!): amzn.to/3VWlLl8
• Hakko highest-end Soldering Station (expensive but amazing, tips not included!): amzn.to/3BAzbLk
IMPORTANT! The FX-951 is a wonderful soldering station, but it doesn't offer hot tweezers, should you ever need that. Only the 888D or FX-100 stations offer tweezers (FX-8804 or FX-1003) as a separate purchase.
or
• Chinese Soldering Station (cheaper): amzn.to/30g1Frt
• Solder (Leaded Rosin Core 1.6mm): amzn.to/3IGuxxm
• Solder (Leaded Rosin Core 0.82mm): amzn.to/3GzJbVl
• 2-spool Solder Holder: amzn.to/39hIMbt
• MG Chemicals FLUX: amzn.to/3kuAcsZ
(I didn't explain the need for flux in my video, but as you could see, flux makes solder FLOW!)
• Desoldering wick: amzn.to/3iMAnA5
• 99% ISO Alcohol (Spray Bottle!): amzn.to/3ae4fG6
• 99% ISO Alcohol: amzn.to/3NoFkxN
• 99% ISO Alcohol: amzn.to/2YsK8v3
💁‍♂️I gave you 3 alcohol choices above because it's often out of stock. 70% will work, 91% is better, but 99% is best for electronics cleaning (fast drying & no residue).
• Anti-static pad with Wrist Strap (16x24" / 41x61cm): amzn.to/3bfAE9Z
or
• Hi-temp Anti-static pad with Wrist Strap (16x12" / 41x30cm): amzn.to/2SOm1nK
• Wall socket Ground adapter for banana-jack Wrist Strap: amzn.to/2Yvq5ge
• Wire Nippers 4.5": amzn.to/2J4Wkdk
💵 NOTE: Your price on Amazon (US only) is the same even if you don't click the "amzn.to" Affiliate links above, but if you do kindly click and purchase within 24 hours, Amazon may pay me a small commission on all qualifying items in your Cart (even items not linked above).
OTHER BMOW PRODUCTS
• FloppyEMU (definitely buy this!!): www.bigmessowires.com/floppy-...
• There's a newer "ROM-inator II" kit for the Macintosh SE/30, IIx, IIcx, IIci, IIfx & IIsi: bit.ly/3j7xAkO
💾 Here's the DSK I created - similar to what's shown in the video, but with MacWrite 2.2 & Lode Runner: tinyurl.com/7c5thrht
🤖 Make your Mac speak with SmoothTalker: macintoshgarden.org/apps/smoo...
💾 Get more great software for your own ROM-inator kit here: macintoshgarden.org
💰SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL
www.paypal.me/supportJDW
🙏 I wish to HUMBLY THANK Steve Chamberlin (BMOW owner) & Rob Braun who made time to consult with me during the making of this video. Rob's website: www.synack.net/~bbraun/
🙏 SINCERE THANKS to these generous Paypal contributors (Aug~Sep 2021):
• Richard Milone (co-founder of CNX Corp.: www.cnxcorp.com )
• Mauro Acciaccaferri
• Jeff C. from Seattle
📺 SUBSCRIBE:
kzbin.info?sub_c...
🎬 MY VIDEOS
/ jdw26
#BMOW #ROMinator #MacHack #JDW

[@infinity5750]

Hi James , I wasn't thinking of selling this, but Steve said that if you or I sell, people would be happy. And you pushed me back that I should sell it! I'm working on distinguishing PCB silkscreen from BMOW. The kit will be reborn soon!

[@JDW-]

I "pinned" your comment. Feel free to edit your comment with the sales web page URL whenever you are ready to sell, Kay!

[@drywinddotnet]

Great news @Kay Koba. Thank you for all your excellent work.

[@MacEffects88]

Kay Is great, glad he made a kit for everyone. Your 512k runs so FAST compared to booting from the Sony 400k. I really like the early ceramic 68000s they look so much cooler. Great video as always.

[@JDW-]

Thanks, Mark!

[@ActionRetro]

Thank you for this detailed video! Definitely something I want to try with my Plus.

[@JDW-]

Well worth the effort in building the kit. I highly recommend it!

[@ukmk3supra]

Great video James - I highly recommend the Amtech 559 flux for any kind of work - it's thinner, but flows solder better.

[@JDW-]

Thanks for the advice, Kai. Where do you personally buy the 559? Mouser doesn't carry it for some reason. EBAY? Also, how are you assured it is genuine, as opposed to a Chinese knock-off? (Or does that even matter?)

[@univon4892]

I enjoy watching you solder the circuit board and also the joints look amazing!

[@JDW-]

Thank you for watching and for your kind comment. Adding flux is the key. I could have done a similar job with normal solder (which has flux inside) but it would have taken much, much longer because in that case I would have needed to carefully solder each pin. When you add a good quality flux, you can then paint the solder on, almost like you were using a paintbrush, and most of the time there won't be any solder bridges between pins. You cannot do that if you don't add extra flux. Flux makes the solder flow!

[@StephenArsenault]

Another great video, James! Thanks for showing how easy it is to get started with the BMoW ROM-inator... now I'm going to have to get one :)

[@sungbyun3224]

great job on showing the detail work. I love your channel.

[@JDW-]

Thank you for your very kind words, Sung!

[@willsowerbutts]

Your voice is very soft and soothing. It reminds me of Bob Ross. Happy little ROMs.

[@amonster8mymother]

Kay Koba. 👍👍👍

[@igm]

Thank you for making this super clear, thorough, and awesome video, it has definitely encourage me to install this mod on my 512k. Action Retro was absolutely right recommending your channel. Subscribed! :)

[@JDW-]

Thank you very much for your kindness in subscribing! I can’t say enough good things about this fun mod. It’s not really that hard and it makes the machine more fun to use as well. After you finish the mud, please let me know your thoughts!

[@binaryguru]

That's a nice mod for macs without an internal disk. I have an old Mac SE, I think I could swap the internal disk for a flash card.

[@JDW-]

The ROM-inator shown in my video is most useful for storing only your most frequently used apps. The storage space is rather small so it’s not really a good substitute for another storage device like a FloppyEMU or BlueSCSI, both of which work just fine on the Macintosh SE.

[@BarwellTV]

Great video! Definitely made me want to invest in one of the earlier compact Macs for my next project!

[@JDW-]

That's great to hear, Philip. It's a fun project to be sure. I pinned Kay Koba's comment, so be sure to check that to see when he adds his official sales URL. You can build the project right now with the Gerber files from the BMOW website (details in the text description), but having a ready-to-assemble kit will be faster and less costly overall. Seems like Kay Koba will have that available soon.

[@ghost180sx]

so glad you posted this. this is on my top list of mods for my plus, now that i've 3d printed a replacement battery (3xLR44 converter). i'm doing this even before i do an internal SCSI2SD hack!

[@JDW-]

In some ways the ROM-inator may be even easier than a SCSI to SD install, although that depends on which SCSI device you choose. I have a video review of MacSD here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKjdZ6SDeJeNe5Y I am currently testing BlueSCSI right now, but as I show in my MacSD video, MacSD is indeed faster overall.

[@ghost180sx]

@@JDW- I think you're right. Wiring so many wires to the logic board to get internal SCSI is not looking like a very fun project. It's also risky. I think BlueSCSI is the best current option for price and for features. I'll have a look at MacSD!

[@JDW-]

@@ghost180sx Since you have a Macintosh Plus with external SCSI, MacSD is not for you as that is an Internal-only solution that works well for Macs like the SE, SE/30 and newer which allow for internal SCSI drives. There are some models of SCSI2SD which are external and are solid state. The ROM-inator is a very different beast because it is ROM, not SCSI. The ROM-inator is faster than SCSI, actually. You get a bootable ROM disk that you can reprogram. And even though you need to solder a few wires, it's still a fun little project that can add some spice and excitement to a Mac Plus. The size is only slightly larger than an 800K floppy, so you can't put all your software on it, but as shown in my video you can use an older set of System Software and add MacPaint, MacWrite and a number of games to have some fun without any SCSI drives or floppies.

[@drywinddotnet]

What an epic vid! I like we saw first boots, not knowing the outcome. Thanks also for showing your soldering techniques, very helpful. My vote for another project: BMOW ROM-inator II SIMM programmer for us SE/30 owners!

[@JDW-]

I actually have a ROM-inator II for my SE/30. It's the 8MB "MEGA" version no longer sold. I also have the SIMM programmer, which tragically too is no longer sold. The great benefit of the original ROM-inator is that you don't need any kind of external programmer, unless you only have a 128K Mac. For 512K to the Plus, you can reprogram using the app I show in my video. But the ROM-inator II absolutely requires a programmer to change the contents. I also had an issue with the ROM-inator II in that the PCB is too thin, so it makes intermittent connects to my SE/30 Motherboard's ROM SIMM. I added solder to the SIMM's pins to fix that, but the solder flakes off over time and even causes solder bridges (shorts) from the flakes. The ROM-inator II is great when it works, and even better if you have the required programmer.

[@markcummings150]

Thanks for the detailed video. I wasn’t aware that there was a version of the ROMinator that ran on early Macs. I order pcbs as soon as I finished watching your video and checking the parts list so I can build my own. One thing I am concerned about is how high the board sits and the difficulty of installing the board. I will try and use lead-frame pins instead of SIL machine pins and hopefully the board will sit a lot lower in the socket.

[@JDW-]

The original ROM-inator was created by Steve C. at Big Mess of Wires (BMOW). He ended sales due to the lack of interest, but Kay Koba of Kero's Mac Mods resurrected it in 2021 with the blessing of Steve. The kit sold by Kay Koba is lower profile than the one I show in my video: www.kerosmm.com/白紙ページ-1 It can be made even lower profile if you solder the ROM chips instead of using sockets, but I would advise against that unless you have a spare pair of ROMs. Soldering won't damage the ROMs, but you want to be able to revert the machine back to the stock condition easily again, and that's really the main reason the sockets are there on the ROM-inator.

[@ScarletSwordfish]

Thanks for the video! I've been wondering what the deal with the ROMinator was. It looks like a pretty useful and fun mod. I also appreciate the brief SMD soldering demo, as I am going to be doing some of that very soon.

[@JDW-]

The key with SMD is to add a little flux. It really helps the solder flow and helps you get rid of solder bridges easily.

[@JDW-]

KZbin repeatedly deleted Kay Koba's new announcement here in the Comments, so I am reposting it for him as follows... We are pleased to inform you that the kit is now complete. The store needs to tweak the description a bit, which Steve Chamberlin supervises. www.kerosmm.com You can shop by clicking the ”store” from the menu. A big thank you to Steve Chamberlin and JDW. www.bigmessowires.com I have a deep understanding of Geeks who want to make PCBs themselves. If you have any questions, please post at Tinker Different. We will provide as much information as possible. tinkerdifferent.com

[@Coffeeology]

Hold up James-san, you're in Japan? I've been a sub for a while, and how am I just learning this now? すごい

[@JDW-]

Thank you for your sub! I've been living in Japan since 1994, actually. 🗾 That's longer than I lived in the US! 🙂

[@JDW-]

@@Coffeeology If you liked that Japanese clipart, you're sure to love this: macintoshgarden.org/apps/japanease-full-version-vol1-vol2

[@Coffeeology]

@@JDW- どうもありがとう

[@amonster8mymother]

Currently I am running Arkanoid as a screen saver.

[@tekk9995]

What is your view on using the Rominator II and a SE/30 with the Bolle Carrera 040 card? Along with 128MB or ram?. I ordered it and have it here but some people convinced me not to used because of stability issues. And that the system32 (forgot the name of the extension) will solve the 32bit memory addressing issue anyway. Thanks :)

[@JDW-]

The Carrera 040 card has an audio problem when used in the SE/30. There is no problem when the Carrera is used in other Macs like the IIci. I know this because my friend Kay Koba demonstrated that problem to me and apparently there is no fix, at least none that Bolle knows of. Since audio is an important part of the Mac experience, it's some what of a deal-breaker to use that card on the SE/30. With that said, I have read that it boots in 030 mode which should make it compatible with non-stock ROMs like the ROM-inator II. But I do not own that card and have no practical experience with it. That's why I can only tell you what others who own the card have told me.

[@tekk9995]

@@JDW- Thanks for answering my question. Concerning the audio problem - unfortunately Bolle didn't tell me about the audio problem. Too bad or else I would have reconsidered. But what entails it exactly. Does the audio start to stutter or is it something else? ty

[@JDW-]

On the SE/30, audio screeches and is basically unusable. I believe Kay sent me a video about that or a link to a video. I can’t remember and I can’t find that video either. I searched for an hour but I couldn’t find it! Sorry. But if I suffice it to say you will discover that problem, unfortunately. It really does need to be made clear that problem exists on the SE/30. It doesn’t exist on other Macs, but it’s important for would-be buyers to know.

[@markcummings150]

where can I get the PRAM 2.0 control panel. my Mac Plus clock is stuck in 1922 and I need to patch something.

[@JDW-]

Version 5 works fine under System 3.2 and Finder 5.3 as I mention on the Macintosh Garden download page here: macintoshgarden.org/apps/pram-50

[@markcummings150]

@@JDW- I did a search on Macintosh Garden for PRAM and came up empty. hope it will work in MacOS 6.0.8 or 7.1 or later. I did find a patch program but I need to get something to unpack it because it’s a .sit file. I’m running a 500MB FloppyEMU HD drive on my Plus. Much more room to play with. Edit: maybe I searched for PRAM 2 OR PRAM2 because searching for PRAM worked the second time.

[@JDW-]

@@markcummings150 Version 5 does indeed work on System 6 & 7 too. So if you've not downloaded and tried that version yet from Macintosh Garden, you should definitely do so now because it will help you set the clock properly. I look forward to hearing the result of your testing.

[@compu85]

A normal AA 1.5v cell will work as a pram battery. It probably won’t last as long, but they’re readily available!

[@JDW-]

Considering that the appropriate battery is rated at 4.5 V, a 1.5 V battery would have a short life indeed. All said, the same company who sells the 4.5 V battery in the States needs to start selling it here in Japan!

[@compu85]

@@JDW- cool! I’ve had AAs last at least a year in my Mac Plus.

[@markcummings150]

@@JDW- you can make your own 4.5V PRAM battery using 3x LR50 Alkaline cells. place them in series a 50mm length of thin heatshrink (30mm wide) and apply gentle heat of about 150degC. make sure to mark the +ve and -ve end because the LR50 is backward to most other cells in that the button end is -ve, and the falt end is +ve. I just did this on my Mac Plus and it was relatively easy and much cheaper than the other option. be careful not to short out the LR50 cells while you build it because they can explode (ask me how I know).

[@JDW-]

@@markcummings150 I can only find one seller of the LR50 on Amazon Japan, sold in a set of 6 for a rather high price. (I live in Japan.) www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Batteries-LR50-A1PX-Vintage-Camera/dp/B002C8H7KY/

[@olepigeon]

Would it be possible to use those tiny IC hooks instead of soldering directly to the CPU?

[@JDW-]

Yes, and actually, that is how Steve Chamberlin did it in the early days of the ROM-inator. But over time those clips could oxidize. Then again, so could Killy Clips and yet we don't often hear of trouble with those after 30 years. Solder is best, gold-plated clips are 2nd best, and regular tinned clips are a close 3rd best. So long as the clips are small, you should be able to fit everything nicely, albeit, you won't be able to slide the motherboard in on the rails. You'll need to pry it in like shown in my video.

[@amonster8mymother]

I bought a BMOW rominator 2 and installed it in my SE/30 and I found it did some strange things. For 9ne thing it didn't let the apple menu items load and also I couldn't put a screen saver 9n the ROM it was too small. Also I have to press "a" every time it boots and it doesnt save mode 32 I did have to go 8nto the system preferences and turn that 9n and reboot every time. I think 8t may be a dead battery that is not saving the preference settings but I'm not sure??? So recently the HD died and I'm going to get scsi2sd. I can still get that???

[@JDW-]

If your ROM-inator II purchase was recent, I'm guessing you have the Atom, which is 2MB. I have the MEGA version which is 8MB. I am not affiliated with BMOW, nor do I officially offer support for either ROM-inator product. The best I can do is offer my personal experience. What I can say is that the best part of the ROM-inator II is the Programmer. Sadly, that is no longer sold. Without the programmer, you are locked into whatever software the ROM-inator II ships with. Not so with the original ROM-inator because you can reprogram that on the fly, without removing the chips and without a programmer (except on the 128K Mac). Being able to reprogram the contents of your ROM disk is key to making it work the way you want it to work. I suspect your ROM disk is setup in a way that is giving you trouble. I myself have never had the same problems you described because I can reprogram my ROM-inator II. Furthermore, you need to remove your PRAM battery and check the voltage. If low, you need to replace it. If 5 years old or more, replace it. As to SCSI to SD solutions, keep in mind there are many. I describe some of those in my MacSD review here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKjdZ6SDeJeNe5Y

[@amonster8mymother]

@@JDW- yes I think you are right. 👍

[@colinhaines8612]

I tried uploading the Gerber file to OSH Park, but I get a error code that it couldn't find the board outline in the file. Do you have any ideas? This was a great video by the way and has inspired me to haul out my old Macs.

[@JDW-]

Thank you for the info, Colin. Because I bought my kit from Kay Koba, I don’t have.the answer. I contacted Kay and Steve about it and will reply back when one of them replies to me.

[@JDW-]

I still haven’t heard back from Steve, but Kay told me that he did not use that particular PCB maker. He said it really varies by PCB maker. So the suggestion is that you try a different company because you should be able to use those files on the BMOW website just as they are. Maybe try PCBway? I’m not affiliated with them, but it seems like every single soldering tech KZbinr out there is advertising for them. If they are as great as those KZbinrs say they are, they should be able to use the files without question. Please let me know your thoughts in light of this. Thanks.

[@colinhaines8612]

@@JDW- PCBWay worked well. I'm just a little cautious. Sometime the brokerage fees for duties and other fees can be quite expensive. I think I'll wait for Kay Koba to put a package together.

[@JDW-]

@@colinhaines8612 I received an email from Steve Chamberlin. Steve said the .GML file in his Zip archive is the board outline. He added that OSH Park may need to be told explicitly to use that GML file for the outline. Steve said you can also use the included Eagle files to re-export Gerbers in a different format if needed. Or just wait for the kit from Kay Koba! :-)

[@tappdarden]

If you install this into a 128k do you still need the board? ... That is, is the board simply for reprogramming the rom chips or does it also server another purpose ?

[@JDW-]

Patrick, if by the "board" you are referring to the red colored circuit "board" in my build, the answer is you absolutely need it for the 128K, 512K, 512Ke and Plus -- all 4 compatible machines. The difference with the 128K is that it lacks the required RAM to run the special app that Steve Chamberlin wrote to allow you to reprogram the ROMs the way I show in my video. On the 512K and higher, you can use that app to change boot chimes, ROM disk contents, icons, etc. But on the 128K, you can only preprogram the ROMs by physically removing the two chips from the sockets on the red "board" and put them into a special programmer (not shown in my video) and then using a modern Mac or PC to send the data you want to write to the programmer which in turn programs the ROMs. You then must put the ROM chips back into their sockets and reassemble. So the 128K is far more fiddly than the 512K~Plus. However, BMOW also sells a ROM-inator II for the SE/30, and that ROM cannot be re-programmed easily. In that case too, you must remove that ROM-inator II SIMM, put it in a special programmer (which very sadly is not longer sold by BMOW), reprogram it, then put it back. All said, if you have a 512K, 512Ke or Plus, the original ROM-inator is by far the easies and most enjoyable ROM replacement ROM disk out there. It still works on the 128K and is fun too, but reprogramming is more of a hassle.

[@tappdarden]

@@JDW- Thanks for the detailed reply. I understand the software requires 192k of ram to run and therefor wouldn't work on a 128k Mac. I guess what I was trying to ask is what exactly is the red board for. Is it only to allow reprogramming the ROMs on a comparable Mac (512k or above) or does it also adapt the rom's to fit and work in the machine. I guess I'm wondering, wouldn't it be easier for one to just go through the trouble of finding compatible EEPROM's and use those (or sourcing Mac plus roms)? because you can't reprogram them in the machine anyways. .. or is the other major feature of the ROM-inator is the ROM disk? and THAT requires the circuit board? What I'm getting at is I have an Intellectual curiosity of what the circuit board specifically does.

[@JDW-]

@@tappdarden The red circuit board shown in my video is merely a red variant of the original green version shown at BMOW. Without that circuit board, it would not be possible to insert new chips into the existing ROM sockets because you need more than just 2 ROMs to make this kit work. There is a small surface mount IC required too, as well as jumpers that are changed by whether you have a 128K/512K or Plus. In other words, the added circuitry required, over and above the ROMs themselves, is what you see in that red circuit board in my video. Simply buying spacious ROMs (the extra memory space of the replacement ROMs is where the ROM disk comes from), reprogramming them, and inserting them into stock motherboard sockets wouldn't work. That's why the red "daughter card" is required.

[@DatBlueHusky]

so when you boot from it, im guessing you cant save or delete files off the drive because its rom or is it flash?

[@JDW-]

Correct, but if you need to change files on the ROM disk, you can do that with the Flash Tool app shown in the video.

[@DatBlueHusky]

@@JDW- damn if only its a actual flash disk would have been great. Ill think about getting one later but for now I put plus roms in mines so i can boot off hd20 using the floppy emu from them. Still also wish someone made a modern ram or scsi upgrade for these systems since they are the first macs

[@JDW-]

@@DatBlueHusky The ROM-inator II kit for the SE/30 has the ability to press the A key at startup, which creates a RAM disk that allows temporary editing of files. The older Macs like the 512K don't have enough RAM to do that, which is why you only are able to press the R key at cold boot (for ROM disk). There were many SCSI upgrade boards sold back in the day which can still be found today. How well those work with modern SCSI to SD card solutions is something I've not tested because I don't have one of those SCSI boards for my Mac512. HyperDrive was an internal HDD kit sold back in the day for the Macintosh 512K. I have a video series on that. Anyway, someone at the 68kMLA forum made an SSD drive placement solution for it which is pretty neat: 68kmla.org/bb/index.php?threads/ssd-for-a-hyperdrive-a-mini-guide.36376/

[@DatBlueHusky]

@@JDW- well you see no one is selling those upgrade cards anywhere and theres some scalpers on ebay wanting $1000 for the hyperdrive. Other things like the hd20 is min $200-250 for one and thats external. Thats why i wish someone would work on a adapter board to make a scsi card and ram upgrade for these.

[@JDW-]

@@DatBlueHusky Kai Robinson at the TinkderDifferent forum, and Bolle at the 68kMLA have some amazing reverse engineering skills, but so far no one has stepped up to the plate to reproduce SCSI upgrades or Hyperdrive interfaces for the oldest Macs. Demand drives efforts like that, so I suspect a clone will eventually hit the market when some brilliant engineer who shares our hobby decides to tackle the task.

[@amonster8mymother]

How much memory can you get on the ROM?

[@JDW-]

As shown in my video, it's a bit larger than an 800K floppy. That may not sound like much, but please consider it goes a long way on a Macintosh 128K, 512K or Plus.

[@amonster8mymother]

@@JDW- that's not large enough to get all the apple icons and a screen saver.

[@JDW-]

@@amonster8mymother But 800K is better than nothing. That's really the point and purpose. It can be fun when one considers what will fit on an 800K floppy. It's not meant to replace a hard drive by any means.

[@amonster8mymother]

@@JDW- ok. I want it to run in mode32. To run clean and access the extra memory. So I can run turbo synth sound designer and alchemy and what about running a sequencer for the midi tracks I hear it can do that but I have not tried it??? I think a se30 can do much more. 😁😁😁

[@JDW-]

@@amonster8mymother Yes, you need an SE/30 for Mode32 and other things you want to do. The SE/30 can do more than a 512K, but an M1 Max can do even more than an SE/30. It really boils down to choosing the right machine for the job. The 512K serves its purpose well, and the ROM-inator makes it even more fun. Fun is what it's all about. Merry Christmas.

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

Burrell Smith, the original Mac board designer inhaled too many solder fumes and later went mad with pschziophrenia.

[@JDW-]

While I am aware of Burrell Smith's psychological issues, I don't believe the root cause stems from too much soldering. :-)