Last Millennium Computing

Every day is a surprise when walking San Diego alleys. Perhaps you remember the art gallery, big face clockfamily roomrustic mirror, rusty typewriter, Seventies stove, snowboarding boots, Victorian-style sofa, or Vitamaster Slendercycle, among many odd items left for scavengers. But today’s sighting flushed up memories. I owned one of these.

Apple released the PowerMac G3 (Blue and White) in 1999, which makes it oh-so last Century. Among the innovations: The side opened out, revealing the innards and opportunity to make modest upgrades (hey, emphasis modest because proprietary is the company’s calling card). In the Featured Image, and companion, the blue circle above the Apple logo is the release latch.

I was on iPhone 13 Pro—later used for both shots—listening to one of my daughter’s dramas. When isn’t there a crisis? As such, my time to take photos was brief, such that I didn’t look for exact model/configuration information on the back chassis or crack the case for a peak inside. However, I did return about 30 minutes later—only to find that someone had snatched up the classic computer, which already may be posted for resale on eBay or perhaps lovingly placed in a vintage Mac collection. I’ll never know.

Photo vitals: f/1.5, ISO 50, 1/4444 sec, 26mm; 11:19 a.m. PDT. Second shot is the same but 1/3968 sec.