Got a Mac Here? Build a Mac There! - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Got a Mac Here? Build a Mac There!

My dual-headed B&W G3 400, sitting at home, doesn't leave me wanting for anything--at home. The office is another matter. I spend my time in the office behind a PC coding VBscript ASP's--no Macs there to speak of, and that is a sad thing. So, I thought to myself, "why not build one cheap?" So I have.


PowerMac 6100/66 (with CD-ROM, ethernet), OS 8.1, 24MB RAM, 500MB HD, 15" portrait display, Zip drive, external 400MB SCSI HD. For cheap! Between $100 in parts on eBay and what I had in the closet--it was simple. And with a $25 video board this thing will drive two monitors! 72-pin SIMMs are so cheap it'd be easy to top off the RAM, and as a bonus I've finally got a Mac floppy drive at my disposal. And it can be upgraded to a G3--quite fine!


It'd be a real voyage to the vintage to drop below PPC (anything less than a 6100), but even that might be worth it at the insanely low prices old machines can be snagged for. Is it worth $100 to have a PowerMac at your "other" location...?

Popular Stories

Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

12 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday June 18, 2026 2:17 am PDT by
We're only three months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a ...
Rivian Explains Why CarPlay Debate Will Become Completely Obsolete Feature

iOS 27 Adds Major New Feature to CarPlay

Wednesday June 17, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Last year, Apple revealed that it was planning to allow CarPlay users to watch video via AirPlay in their vehicles while they are not driving, and the company finally provided more specific details about this functionality at WWDC 2026. In a WWDC 2026 video aimed at developers, Apple said the CarPlay video feature is available in new vehicles that support it. When playing a video in an...
Apple Watch Ultra Orange Alpine Loop Action button 220907 big

Apple Explains Why watchOS 27 Drops Support for So Many Models

Friday June 19, 2026 6:07 am PDT by
Apple today detailed why five Apple Watch models will miss out on watchOS 27 and the new Siri AI features that come with it. The Apple Watch Series 6, 7, 8, SE 2, and the original Apple Watch Ultra will not receive watchOS 27, and will only get basic security updates going forward. With the update, Apple is effectively dropping three years' worth of device support in a single software...