This is How the Modern Internet Looks on a 27-Year-Old Mac

With a little help from Google.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Every year there are thousands of aging computers that get put into closets, garages, and storage rooms, to gather dust until someone decides to throw them out. 

Once these computers get replaced, rarely do they find new life again. But Jeff Keacher did just that with his 27-year-old Mac Plus, when he recently connected it to the modern Internet. He had his mother ship him the computer after it had been stored in their basement since the 90s. The 8 MHz CPU, 4 MB RAM, 50 MB hard drive, and 512 x 384 pixel screen all worked—with one hiccup: a filter cap on the external hard drive's power supply cracked, but he was able to get the situation under control. After some tinkering and help from his friend, the Mac Plus officially went online. "I set up my Raspberry Pi and ran some Cat-5 to it from the router," Keacher said. "Using a level shifter and a variety of old adapters, I managed to get a serial cable working between the Pi and the Mac. That took care of the hardware."

Check out how slow it loads in the video above. Here are some screenshots of the Mac Plus connecting to Wikipedia and YCombinator:

As Keacher said, "Reviving an old computer is like restoring a classic car: there’s a thrill from bringing the ancient into the modern world."

[via Keacher

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