Here's what I got: Bundle of goodies for both the #vintageapple and #vintagepc worlds
Picogus v2
4x coin cell batt holders with switch
2x neithernet for localtalk for macs
This Python script will convert an ImageWriter II data stream/capture into a TIFF file. This was incredibly handy for running multiple tests without needing to actually print it on the printer to see the results.
🛠️🍏 Next week, our volunteer Andrés will begin assembling a museum replica of the Apple I computer. It's an "open lab," so feel free to get hands-on, as it will take place in the classroom on the 1st floor. All are welcome!
So this #Newton MessagePad 130 showed up on PayPay Fleamarket for $45. Never seen a Newton go for this cheap in Japan (even with massive a black screen burn spot), and they're rare to show up to begin with.
The photos didn't show the screen, but revealed some bad battery leakage (which was also disclosed in the description), but I figured at least it could be used for parts (my pen on my 120 has lost it's end cap!)
I’ve been rebuilding a #RaspberryPi installation that supports my classic Mac habit 😄
I used to use the awesome #MacIPGW image which includes a ton of pre-configured software like #netatalk. But it hasn’t been updated in a while so I used it as excuse to start from scratch.
I used this Pi Zero W as my starting point. HDMI video stopped working on it for unknown reasons. I added an Ethernet/USB hub hat and a #TashTalk 2 hat for #LocalTalk devices.
One reason for rebuilding netatalk is I wanted to run TashRouter on the same machine. It’s doesn’t work right on the MacIPGW image because of the “split horizon” patch.
I can now freely use AppleTalk devices on EtherTalk, LocalTalk (PhoneNet!), and LToUDP (Mini VMac). This enables, for instance, printing to an ImageWriter II from my modern Mac running System 7.5 in Mini VMac! (There were lots of bugs to resolve to get the ImageWriter II working!)
One piece that's missing is AURP aka #GlobalTalk support. I'd like to avoid running a VM and have something more lightweight.
Luckily @DrJosh9000 has created jrouter which comes very close to accomplishing this! Remote zones are showing up but are all empty and not sure if my zone is visible outside. I need to play with some settings some more I think. But soooo close!
With netatalk, a TashTalk hat, TashRouter, and CUPS on the Raspberry Pi, we can do clever things like share a #ImageWriter II printer over #LocalTalk with an iPhone using AirPrint!
This screenshot was printed from my phone to the ImageWriter II.
Interestingly, this was just fixed in the latest netatalk 2.3.2!
In the interest of science, I did an ImageWriter II comparison print of CUPS vs the MacPalette driver for Classic. I think MacPalette wins here. There appears to be better color range and the text is a little sharper.
I lifted some halftone settings and stuffed them into the ImageWriter II foomatic PPD and did some test strip prints.
At both resolutions, the result seems to be the same? So maybe that’s not the setting I need. Maybe it can’t be changed? MacPalette II still wins here!
So I have a new MacOS 9.2.2 #AppleScript Folder Action attached to a network share via netatalk. It works only if these conditions are met:
The folder is open already in the Finder. If it’s closed, it never triggers.
The new item is added to the folder from the current machine. Items added remotely to the network share do not “refresh” therefore never trigger the action.
Ok, I've abandoned Folder Actions as it just doesn't seem to work. I've now gone with an always-running #AppleScript to scan the folder.
And.. it works! Almost? It seems that MacPalette II crashes (and takes Acrobat Reader with it) after it completes a print and there's a finder dialog that's proving difficult to dismiss in AppleScript.
A print is initiated from a device to the CUPS-PDF driver on my #netatalk Raspberry Pi.
The resulting PDF is placed in the AFP share of netatalk/afpd.
An emulated PPC Mac 9.2.2 running the #AppleScript below is watching for new files in that folder and will print them using Acrobat Reader to the #ImageWriterII via #LocalTalk using the MacPalette II driver.
It works, but crashes with dialog that I can't auto-dismiss.
Ok, so this centipede printer workflow isn’t really reliable so I dove into CUPS to try and see if there’s a way to alter the dithering.
I tried adding different settings to the PPD file but nothing produced any changes.
Until I added “DitherPPI” (a GS option) and it produced a result that was pretty good! I tried various values (30, 80, 120, 180) but they all looked identical. In any case, this is good enough for me!
As promised, I wrote a blog post about creating my own classic Mac support server using a Raspberry Pi Zero, a TashTalk 2 hat, netatalk, and a few other tools. It's very much like MacIPRpi with everything current.
This animation shows the simulated output of CUPS ImageWriter II DitherPPI setting approximately from 2 to 31. After that, it changes to a more posterized dither and is the same for any larger value. You can see the dithering dots start very large and shrink down with each new value.
The #PenPlotter was made for designs like this! I love recreating the original logo specifications. This is just an approximate as the original didn’t have dimensions but love the way it looks.