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Hugh

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 9, 2003
840
5
Erie, PA
Is this a prototype motherboard of the Quadra 605/LC475/Performa 475? If so what do you think I can get for it?

Thanks!

Quadra605Mobo2.jpg


Quadra605Stickerchips.jpg





-Hugh
 

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MacTech68

macrumors 68020
Mar 16, 2008
2,393
209
Australia, Perth
I don't believe so. I've seen quite a few with a ROM SIMM socket, reset button with mid 1993 dates.

I'm genuinely intrigued as to your theory?
 

Hugh

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 9, 2003
840
5
Erie, PA
Well to be honest, I do not know which is why I asked. What made me think it might be? Well you will notice in the on the pic of the serial number of the motherboard it says "PRIMUS" is this the code word used for this unit? I honestly don't know. Also the ROMs (They are the rams right?) have stickers over them that say "Hi" and "low" on them.. None of my machines have any of this (I have two other LC 475 and Performa 475 that do not say either one of these) also there is a guy on Ebay selling a Quadra 605 that doesn't say "Primus" on it.


Now those are just the cosmetics that make me wonder. Profile says serial number is UNKNOWN, Model UNKNOWN. Is there another until I should be able to use on this machine that might be able to detect these things.

Did I mention I got this form a Recycling place with a bunch of computer had I have gotten prototype machines from them in the past.

Right now I have a prototype of AppleWorkGroup Server Proto because it's in all black box and it's very very heavy. I wish I am able to test it, I don't have the key to the unit so I have no idea how to turn on the unit. :(. But that's for another tread..

-Hugh
 

pl1984

Suspended
Oct 31, 2017
2,230
2,645
Well to be honest, I do not know which is why I asked. What made me think it might be? Well you will notice in the on the pic of the serial number of the motherboard it says "PRIMUS" is this the code word used for this unit? I honestly don't know. Also the ROMs (They are the rams right?) have stickers over them that say "Hi" and "low" on them.. None of my machines have any of this (I have two other LC 475 and Performa 475 that do not say either one of these) also there is a guy on Ebay selling a Quadra 605 that doesn't say "Primus" on it.


Now those are just the cosmetics that make me wonder. Profile says serial number is UNKNOWN, Model UNKNOWN. Is there another until I should be able to use on this machine that might be able to detect these things.

Did I mention I got this form a Recycling place with a bunch of computer had I have gotten prototype machines from them in the past.

Right now I have a prototype of AppleWorkGroup Server Proto because it's in all black box and it's very very heavy. I wish I am able to test it, I don't have the key to the unit so I have no idea how to turn on the unit. :(. But that's for another tread..

-Hugh
Well start that other thread or at least post pics here :)
 

MacTech68

macrumors 68020
Mar 16, 2008
2,393
209
Australia, Perth
If you have a look at this page and click on the pic of the motherboard (for a larger version). you can see that by Week 46 (or perhaps earlier) the ROM socket is gone, the ROMs have the 341Sxxx part numbers printed directly on the IC's plastic and the reset button is no longer fitted.

Your ROMs appear to be NECs (mostly likely programmed blanks) whereas the later ones were made by SHARP.

Your board was serialized in Week 31. Both are from the same Singapore factory "E5" and both have the codename Primus, and also exhibit the same model (last characters of the board serial number) "1ABA", See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Apple_codenames#P

Most likely your board and others like it were a first production run.

LATE EDIT -
is it a prototype or dev machine? No
but it IS a very early Q605 motherboard. There are similar examples from as early as Week 30.

What I DO find interesting is how long these boards seem to have been waiting to be serialized. I can't read them all, but the date codes on many parts seem to be a week previous (which is fairly unusual for Apple who pioneered Just-In-Time-Inventory). A very in-focus pic of the board could reveal if there was one part (IC or connector) that was either late OR replaced by re-working a failed board.
 
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Hugh

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 9, 2003
840
5
Erie, PA
pl1984, as soon as I get the beta machine out I will start a new thread with photos. Maybe we can figure out how to power on the machine and see what's on that puppy. I want to say it had a 604 PPC on it, but I could be wrong.

MacTech, thank you for your research, I didn't want to say what it is, if it isn't.

Question though, both my LC 475 and Performa 475 have a reset button, are you saying later on they removed this button? I thought this was the PRAM Reset button. I never actually hit that button so I don't know.

Thanks! :)

-Hugh
 

MacTech68

macrumors 68020
Mar 16, 2008
2,393
209
Australia, Perth
...are you saying later on they removed this button? I thought this was the PRAM Reset button...

Yep - later production removed them. And yes, it resets PRAM AFAIK.

Oddly enough, the Q605/LC475 motherboard is a great one for corrupting PRAM when the battery goes flat to a point where it won't power up.
 
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