MacintoshPC wrote:

I'm trying to get to the bottom of the best looking and oldest operating system able to connect to the internet and the best looking computer of that time.

That is somewhat subjective.

MacintoshPC wrote:

Date I want it to be around: 80's or core and early 90's.

Things I want it to have: An OS being able to connect to the internet and the computer must look pretty good.

I think the best one I found yet is the Macintosh Performa 6115CD, prove me wrong.

I have one of those. Yes a 6115CD (if you put MacOS 8 on it, it comes with 7 by default) looks good and can browse the internet. I managed to install Netscape Navigator and browse that way.

I am going to assume this is Mac centric so I am going to suggest one more that I think can match the above requirements:

Quadra (both desktop and towerstyles)

This forum is for the emulation of Macs, not real Mac hardware. Ask old hardware questions in Marvin.

NeXTcube. The first web computer. NeXTSTEP is a beautiful operating system for it's time

collector wrote:

This forum is for the emulation of Macs, not real Mac hardware. Ask old hardware questions in Marvin.

Moved!

MacintoshPC wrote:

I think the best one I found yet is the Macintosh Performa 6115CD, prove me wrong.

seeing as how looks are subjective..... i think the performa 6115cd looks boring , so there.... proven wrong.

this is like saying I think the best yellow fruit that tastes like a bannana is a bannana , prove me wrong.

By all means, the Macintosh line won't be the earliest computers to connect to the internet.

Now there is also the small matter of what do you call internet? Do you mean the common IP/TCP protocols connecting over the world wide network? There is also usenets and BBSs

Technically if you want to find the earliest computer to do anything related to the internet, find an Altair 8800 (Or clone) with a telephone MoDem in it.

Like wise get a Mac 128K with a modem installed, however even the Apple 1 could theoretically connect to some form of world wide communications if you hook up a modem with it.

If your talking about IP/TCP, then you have two routes, connect to the internet, but good luck finding a webpage that will work with that, or connect to the actual internet and browse modern webpages.

The first option, grab the earliest Ethernet card you can find, and the earliest Mac or PC that will accept it, and there you go. Second option, your looking at a late 68k or early POWER Mac, but those will have a hard time connecting to most websites, and you will never get youtube to work on them.

The first macs that will REASONABLY connect to the internet is the G3 series, but there are few browsers that will run on them. Your best bet would be a G4 or G5 machine, those could pull decent internet, and most of them look good.

As for looking good, that is a question best answered by yourself, we can't help you with that one, you'd just get opinions.

Personally, I think that all-in-one Macs look pretty cool. Such as this Performa 5200 I've recently seen on Reddit:

jheronimus wrote:

Personally, I think that all-in-one Macs look pretty cool. Such as this Performa 5200 I've recently seen on Reddit:

mVDFXaM.jpg

Agreed, I have the G3 Slot loading iMac and it is the most interesting machine in my collection, unless you want to count my overclocked 486.

Ampera wrote:

jheronimus wrote:

Personally, I think that all-in-one Macs look pretty cool. Such as this Performa 5200 I've recently seen on Reddit:

mVDFXaM.jpg

Agreed, I have the G3 Slot loading iMac and it is the most interesting machine in my collection, unless you want to count my overclocked 486.

I have a dead g3 tray loading 266. Sadly all it does is display a white screen when you try to boot it. I currently have the hard drive pulled. Wish it ran, it died before I had a chance to install the original OS (some idiot upgraded it it to OS X Tiger. So friggin slow).

My eMac on the other hand runs fine. It's also the opposite end of the spectrum with a 1.4ghz G4 proccesor, 768MB of RAM, and a Radeon 9600. Probably one of the last eMacs off the factory line. It access's the web fine and could probably be used for basic tasks like wikipedia or other light research.

jheronimus wrote:

Personally, I think that all-in-one Macs look pretty cool. Such as this Performa 5200 I've recently seen on Reddit:

It might look good on the outside, but it is objectively one of the worst Macs ever designed.
http://lowendmac.com/2014/power-mac-and-perfo … 00-road-apples/

TheAbandonwareGuy wrote:

I have a dead g3 tray loading 266. Sadly all it does is display a white screen when you try to boot it. I currently have the hard drive pulled. Wish it ran, it died before I had a chance to install the original OS (some idiot upgraded it it to OS X Tiger. So friggin slow)

The PRAM battery on those can burst and damage the motherboard. I lost one that way. I don't think it's a problem for machines that are regularly powered on, but if it's going into storage you should open it up and remove the battery.

Errius wrote:

TheAbandonwareGuy wrote:

I have a dead g3 tray loading 266. Sadly all it does is display a white screen when you try to boot it. I currently have the hard drive pulled. Wish it ran, it died before I had a chance to install the original OS (some idiot upgraded it it to OS X Tiger. So friggin slow)

The PRAM battery on those can burst and damage the motherboard. I lost one that way. I don't think it's a problem for machines that are regularly powered on, but if it's going into storage you should open it up and remove the battery.

I got it from a lady that afaik had let it set for years. The weird ass thing is, she showed it to me booted into OS X in the convenience store she met me at when I bought it. So something happened in between then and me getting it home. Mind you it was padded and seatbelted in and the ride home we hit no major bumps. I literally can't imagine what changed.

EDIT: It's my 200th post. I think this may be the longest I've been a member of a forum without receiving a ban!