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The Productive Mac

Would You Believe I Picked Up a Decent Old PowerBook for Just $26?

- 2006.02.21

A few weeks ago I received an email from a young family member. It said, "Thomas, do you know of any place where I could get an older laptop computer? Nothing too expensive, just something to play games on and use some old programs."

Well, I figured I'd be able to find something here in Kansas City. We have several computer recycling centers and discount shops. So I sent him a message back saying I'd be at the computer recycler sometime in the next couple of weeks. That Saturday I ended up going down.

It's usually hit-or-miss at these types of places - sometimes they have a whole ton of Apple items, and sometimes none at all. You have to keep in mind that everything there is donated by people because they no longer use it.

Well, when I got there, they didn't have quite what I was looking for in terms of older laptops, just some old Windows ones. They did have a 700 MHz eMac though, which was something very unusual.

I ended up buying a broken WallStreet PowerBook for $5. That wouldn't be suitable for him - it didn't work, and it's a bit overpowered for the type of things he wants to do.

After I left the recycling center empty-handed, I figured I'd turn to the Low End Mac Swap List. With the amount of people there, I knew I'd find something. I didn't even have to make a post saying what I wanted; I found something in someone's listing that day.

Blackbird It was a PowerBook 520c for $16 shipped. This was a great deal, and I bought the computer almost immediately. I purchased a power adapter for it and got it up and running. With a 25 MHz '040, 12 MB of RAM, and a 160 MB hard drive running Mac OS 7.6, it makes quite a good computer for a younger person. With built in ethernet, it also makes a good machine for Web browsing (not too much) and email.

The total amount I spent on the computer was $26, plus some other cash for a new keyboard. I'm sure it will pay for itself with all the usage it will get.

Recent Productive Mac articles

Why You Should Use Mac OS 7.6 to Get the Most Out of Vintage Macs, 01.29. Although you may be able to run OS 8 or 9 on your old Mac, you'll generally find better performance using Mac OS 7.6.
New homes for 3 WallStreet PowerBooks, 04.07. Although they may need a little restoration work, these are fine machines for using the classic Mac OS in the field.
Would you believe I picked up a decent old PowerBook for just $26?, 02.21. If you're looking for a low-cost, low-power laptop for light use, there are some real steals out there. Like this Powerbook 520c....
What's a good, inexpensive, useful, older Mac? The PowerBook 1400, 02.01. Relatively compact and not especially heavy, the PowerBook 1400 is a great low-cost way to run the classic Mac OS - and it's portable.
More in the Productive Mac index.

Links for the Day

Mac of the Day: 17" iMac G4/800 MHz, July 2002 - The iMac 'grows up' with a 17" 1440 x 900 display.
Group of the Day: LisaList supports Lisa users.
November 8 in LEM history: 99: OS 9: I think I like it - 01: The simplified Mac life - Soured on Windows - Flea market Mac - 02: Little room for improvement in new 'Books - Combo drive upgrade for iceBooks - 04: Re-Porter - 05: Fix the old iMac or buy a Mac mini? - Apple's Copland project - 06: MacBook Core 2 - MacBook value equation - Cheap is as cheap does - 07: Problems with Classic mode in Tiger - The G4 Power Mac that won't run Leopard

Recent Deals

Best Mac Pro Deals, 11.03. Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,300; 3.0 8-core. $2,299; refurb 2.66 4-core Nehalem, $2,149; 2.93, $2,549; 2.26 8-core, $2,799; 2.93, $4,999.
Best iPhone Deals, 11.03. New 8 GB iPhone 3G, $$99; refurb 16 GB 3GS, $149; new, $199; 32 GB, $299.
Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.03. Used 867 MHz SperDrive, $348; 1 GHz, $499; 1.33 Combo, $298; SD, $559; 1.5 Combo, $448; SuperDrive, $589.
Best Power Mac G3 and PCI Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used beige 300 MHz, $25; G4/366, $49; blue & white 350, $80; 400, $90; 450, $105; PCI video cards from $15; shipping additional.
Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used 400 MHz, $50; 733 MHz, $69; 933 MHz, $209; 1.25 GHz dual, $299.
Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 11.02. Used 2.0 GHz, $800; 2.2, $900; 2.4, $1,000; refurb 2.53, $1,449; 2.66, $1,699; 2.8, $1,949; 3.06, $2,169; new 2.53, $1,579; 2.66, $1,799; more.
Best Mac mini Deals, 10.30. Used 1.33 GHz G4 mini, $379; 1.42, $389; 1.5, $419; 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $350; Core 2, $439; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $770; Server, $990.
Best G4 iBook Deals, 10.30. Used 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $225; 1.33 GHz, $298; 14" 1 GHz, $349; 1.33 GHz, $398; 1.42 GHz SuperDrive, $498.
Best Classic Mac OS Deals, 10.30. System 6.0.8 floppies, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5, $20; 7.5 CD, $4; 7.6 $13; 8.1, $11; 8.5, $20; 8.6, $90; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $30.
More deals in our archive.

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