The Retro Reverend

Blogger and Apple retro computing enthusiast. Bringing long-form feature writing back in the age of Instagram and video shorts. And yes, I'm really a pastor.

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

Sixty machines should be enough - I’m putting that in writing so you can remind me later.
Here's the Workshop’s latest tech update and a peek at what I’m planning for 2027. My resolve will probably need a RAM upgrade at some point.
https://t.co/ewAN6LljrF

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

@IvanVHIS I would disagree, but I appreciate your thoughts. In my opinion, Apple was fantastic until the Intel transition then it was all downhill from there.

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

What if Apple had kept making colorful Power Macs? I had one built to find out. Explore the finished Blue & Graphite G4, then wander through the rest of the vintage Apple collection at the Retro Reverend’s Workshop.

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

@JorgeGPerezV Lately, I've been enjoying David Pogue's new(ish) book about the first 50 years of Apple. I'm a fairly avid reader, so there are many!

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

Boring old computer boxes? Hardly.
The Workshop is where rare Macs, clones, CPU upgrades, and forgotten Apple oddities come back to life.
I invite you to visit the collection and following along. News and updates every few days!

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

@Charlievetmex1 You'd need a big 3D printer for the pieces, but I imagine it is possible. This one is a highly modified G4 Sawtooth that uses the side graphite plastics from that machine and the blue Apple logo on the sides from the G3. The top, front, and back panels are all from a G3.

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

@Duende_Rilve I'm sorry you had that experience. I always enjoyed the G3!

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

@art_and_oil Nope. This is a modified G4 using the esthetics of the G3.

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

I said I didn't want a Molar Mac. Then my tech found one advertised "for parts and not working" for the price of a Goodwill pair of jeans.
https://t.co/PzQkgYSBO4

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

Ten machines in twelve occasional installments show the journey from an empty Apple I replica board to the Apple IIGS.
The Workshop’s most ambitious exhibit yet hopes to tell the Apple II story - including the clones Apple probably preferred not to discuss.
https://t.co/SMoahcgLGO

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

In his video, he shows the conversion process step by step (abbreviated). He also does heat tests and compares it side by side with a liquid cooled G5. I've been using it regularly since he did the conversion in 2025 and it has no heat issues at all. In fact, the temps are almost identical - and believe it or not, sometimes slightly lower - than when the cooling pump was installed.

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

How do you make a Power Macintosh G5 Quad relevant in 2026? Add 16 GB of RAM, the best video card possible, install PowerFox, and you're good to go.
Oh, and get rid of the liquid cooling system, too, and replace it with better heat sinks and an air-cooling conversion.
https://t.co/JNJSSJnJKL

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

Iomega released the "Clik!" drive right around the time they were being sued for the ZIP drive's infamous "Click of Death." Needless to say, they changed the name pretty quickly to "PocketZIP."
Who remembers and actually used one of these?
https://t.co/Lfr9EUGTwO

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

@RDKLInc I love it! I am not into the Amiga world just yet, but that looks fascinating.

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

Jeron Nickle runs CircuitSphere, and he's one of my go-to techs at the Workshop. Here's his step by step video of converting the Workshop's G5 Quad to air-cooling.
https://t.co/jY8tO8dzcv

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

I thought the Workshop's UMAX J700 history ended with the original box and a few brochures. Then I found the original 1997 FirstTech sales folder buried under the packing - complete with invoices, pricing, performance sheets, and a BeOS mystery that just got even stranger.
This may be the most thoroughly documented computer the Workshop has ever acquired.
https://t.co/ngyZHks9zO

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

@Hrutkay_Mods That would be recognized only when running Linux, though, wouldn't it? Not through Leopard or Sorbet, where there is a RAM ceiling...?

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

A vintage computer acquisition usually comes with nothing more than a serial number and somebody saying "this worked 20 years ago."
This UMAX J700 brought receipts: a trail from Fremont to Minnesota, Mac OS and BeOS in the same box - and a surprise 3dfx card inside.
https://t.co/JnvBCCpSIw

[The Retro Reverend @The_Retro_Rev]

I'm very pleased with this machine, and I'm starting to use it often. The more I play around with it, the more I appreciate OS 9 and Microsoft Word 2001.
Even with the bus limitations, it still screams compared to a stock G3 thanks to a Sonnet 1 GHz G4 CPU upgrade.
https://t.co/ukAAfFRSTt