Result
So, I had all the parts and I just needed to click them together. The PCB slots in the front of the
case, where a few clips hold it in. The usb-to-serial converter, used as an upload mechanism and a power supply,
slot into the back bit and is also held by a few clips. I forgot to make something to hold the speaker in, but
some superglue can easily affix it inside the case. Finally, the mouse is connected using a bundle of thin
wires. (And yes, they kind-of clash with the color scheme... as soon as I find a nicer, thin multi-core cable
I'll replace it with that.)
Now, when designing things on a computer in order to have them materialize in full later on, like what happens
when you finally receive those PCBs from the factory or when your 3d-printer finishes printing that design you
worked for weeks on, is the scale of the thing. Obviously, I knew that all sizes would be 1/6th of a real
Mac, but only when everything was put together and I saw the thing in real life, the implications of this
showed. The Mac truly is tiny!
And even with its minute size and lack of a keyboard, it does run most of the things the Mac is well-known for.
Here is a demonstration. The first 20 seconds are the memory test, and I know from experience the test lasting
this long is not a bug: it took our original Mac Plus that long to boot as well after we upgraded it.
So, what good is this Mac Plus in the end? Admittently, while I had a blast making it, without a keyboard
it can't really serve a real purpose. Also, it has no connectivity to speak of: I planned to make it do AppleTalk
over WiFi, but I failed because of some weirdnesses I couldn't emulate right in the serial controller chip of
the original Mac. Still, with the project finished in the state it is, I can finally live my lifelong dream
to have a Mac on my desk displaying the original After Dark flying toasters:
As always, this project is open-source, and the PCB artwork as well as the case design and the firmware are up on Github. Everything is licensed under the Beer-Ware license so you can mostly do with it what you want. If you ever use it in something, I'd really appreciate a note, however.
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12 commentsI built a Apple IIe emulator on STM32F4. I love to making emulators. Thanks for your work! I wish you have a wonderful every day!
i from china , i think this project is good ,but i hope you can vend it in taobao .
I realy want to copy this project but i am new in softwere, so it is a big challenge for me,i come from China and study in Soochow University.. so if more details is better for me to do the project..it is a magic project.
This is a amazing project. Thank you for your share. I tried to build one ,but I met a problem , the ReadMe says "run make menuconfig and under component config, Tiny Mac Emulator options",but I can't find the options, I almost download every version of ESP-IDF.Would you mind give me some advice ?
You'd make Steve Jobs proud!
Love it! Since you posted it, every now and then I've come back here to drool over your SE/arm "case mod"... It still kind of objectifies what I'd want to learn to do with electronics, and I wouldn't mind having this on my desk either! Please know that you truly inspire people out there, and I'm so happy that someone with the spirit and knowledge of how to make stuff like this, makes stuff like this and shares it with the rest of us :)
wow thats really cool. where can i buy it? ill send u my bitcoins
rscott: Look again: the 'firmware' directory is a full ESP-IDF project. The bulk of the code is under the 'components' directory there.
Cloned the Github repo above, but couldn't find any esp32 code - is this available in a different repo? Thanks!
A little Macintosh plus. Impressive that it is actually that small.
Sweet project. Steve has been doing work on cloning the Apple disk drive. Doesn't look like you need it for your project, but you may be interested in how it works https://www.bigmessowires.com/2018/01/31/yellowstone-cloning-the-apple-ii-liron/
amazing work... genius