[diveman]

Hello everyone,

I recently upgraded my mother-in-law to a 13" MBP from the one listed in the title. Major brownie point for me!

I need to transfer some of the information over to the new computer but can't for the life of me figure out how to do it. No airport, no USB, no firewire. It is a stock machine as listed here: Macintosh PowerBook 1400c/166: Technical Specifications

I would appreciate any information about how to transfer this information.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[eMacMan]

I am a bit surprised that this does not have an ethernet port.

Should have a floppy disk drive. Hopefully someone in your area has an USB floppy disk drive you can borrow and transfer things that way. You may need to track down something like Stuffit for the old computer to compress and segment the old files. If any of them are bigger than a floppy disk.

 

[Lawrence]

Does it have a PC Card slot in the side?

If it does, Then you can get an adapter that will hold a compact flash card that you can
insert into it and transfer all the hard drive information to by dragging and dropping it.
Then you can transfer all the info over with a flash card reader.

You should be able to buy the adapter, Do a search for one.
I had one from Staples, But I can't seem to see them there anymore.



Something like this:

 

[eMacMan]

Did not say if anything was ClarisWorks files. My experience is that AppleWorks 6.2.9 will not directly open ClarisWorks3 or older. I had to open them first in OS 9 using AppleWorks 6.2.8, then save them in that form in order for them to work in OS X.

 

[WCraig]

The optical drive will burn CDs, no?

Craig

 

[CanadaRAM]

The optical drive will burn CDs, no?

Craig

No

Does it have a PC Card slot in the side?

Another option is a PCMCIA card Ethernet adaptor.

Or you may be able to get ahold of a Localtalk-Ethernet adaptor. Asante made some.

 

[Lawrence]

I used a small 256 mb flash card in my adapter with my 540c Powerbook
(My 540c Powerbook had the optional PCMCIA drive bay installed)

The 1400 might not be able to read a really big flash card,
So I suggest you try a smaller card first.

 

[MacMagicianJunior]

Or you may be able to get ahold of a Localtalk-Ethernet adaptor. Asante made some.

The problem with some of the Asante adapters from back then is they needed to be connected to a 10Base-T only hub, even a 100Base-T that down-converts won't work (in certain models). So if you go this route make sure it's not one with this handicap. Another issue you're going to run into with most of these methods (with the exception of the USB floppy drive) is control and config software (drivers extensions etc...), depending on the OS the 1400 is running (shipped with 7.5.2).

The easiest options are:

- find somebody with (or buy) a USB Floppy to hook up to the Macbook and transfer that way (may take a while going floppy-by-floppy but it'll get done)

- pull the hd, get a USB to 2.5" ATA/IDE adapter and connect it to the Macbook directly and copy it over directly (quick but you'll need to take the computer apart)

- get somebody with a transitional machine like a Lombard (SCSI and USB) or Pismo (iRDa and USB/Firewire)

If you were closer I'd offer to do it for you using my Pismo as the intermediary, but K/W is a bit of a trip...

 

[pm-r]

Pulling the drive would be the fastest and possibly the cheapest method and using a USB 2.0 Universal Drive Adapter like the one at NewerTech USB 2.0 Universal Drive Adapter

I have one sitting on my desk, but that won't help you.

Maybe a shop will even lend you one or use a USB/FW external PATA IDE drive for 2.5" drives or a 3.5" enclosure with a 2.5" adapter. I have one on the shelf behind me, and I know that both methods will work.

Old Claris/AppleWorks files may need to be saved to another format as has been mentioned and obviously done before the drive is pulled.

 

[eMacMan]

This should give you a good idea of what is involved in pulling the HD. Much easier than some other macs I can name. Hopefully someone nearby will have an appropriate external enclosure you can borrow for the project. Otherwise they are not overpriced.

PowerBook 1400

 

[diveman]

All of these suggestions are great. I did consider pulling the drive and then getting an external housing for it. I didn't consider the PC Card. That might be a great route too.

I knew if I asked that you folks would have some great ideas. I will get on to this project this weekend and let you know back. I spoke with her today and she cannot believe the speed that her new computer works at. It helps that I also upgraded her internet connection from dial-up to high speed wifi!

Thanks,

Mike

 

[HowEver]

Is the 1400c the version with the active matrix display? I have that model. Bought new for what, $4K?

I found an ethernet PCMCIA card for this purpose that provides ethernet out. I'll see if I can dig it up and let you know the make and specs.

 

[pm-r]

... I spoke with her today and she cannot believe the speed that her new computer works at. It helps that I also upgraded her internet connection from dial-up to high speed wifi!
Thanks,
Mike

Keep that as your secret, as if you had much choice, and I don't believe Apple even sells their USB Ethernet dial-up adapter any longer, and just hope that she doesn't ask why she's missing all those nice dialup and connection tones she used to have. Just tell her they're now muted.

Well, I guess if she insists, you could always add a sound file to launch to mimic the dial-up connection tones when she does any 'net stuff. ;-)

 

[Lichen Software]

Ebay is your friend

The best way to do this is to get a PCMCIA WiFi card for the old computer. They are available on Ebay cheap.

lucent gold items - Get great deals on Networking Communications, Computer Components items on eBay.com!

The ones you want are Lucent silver or gold cards. They were marketed under a bunch of brands.

Once you get that, take a look at her operating system. If she is at OS 8.1 or greater ( I think) she needs ORiNOCO software. It is free but hard to find. Email me. I have it and can send it to you. [email protected]

If she is below System 8, she will need WaveLan software. It is a free download at System7today.com. I believe because the PB 1400 is a transitional machine with Nubus architecture, you have to use the 68xxx version not the Power PC version for it to work.

You cannot go with a Cardbus card. This machine only has a 16 Bit data path off the PCMCIA bus. Cardbus is 32 bit.

The PB 1400 will connect directly to the newer Mac up to OS X 10.4.x. If you are above that you will need an intermediary. You connect from the PB 1400 to the newer mac using chooser. It will not work the other way many times.

Alternate, if someone has it is a PCMCIA to Ethernet adaptor. I do not know what software is necessary for that.

Alternate to that, if you have an intermediary mac around is to attach it up with an old AppleTalk network and go that way.

Alternate to that if you have compact flash card capability in one of your machines is to get a pcmcia adaptor for CF and read the data off that way from machine to machine. The machine will read it as an IDE drive and read up to 128 Mb.

The hard drive is relatively easy to remove but remember that the machine is old and parts may be brittle. It is a basic laptop IDE drive but the screws are not in the same place as for more modern machines. You would probably need a jumper to put it into slave mode to read it off to another machine,

I am in Barrie. I have three of these and some older macs. I'll help you in any way I can.