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Author Topic: Browsing the World Wide Web on a Lisa  (Read 5000 times)

ried

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Browsing the World Wide Web on a Lisa
« on: September 04, 2024, 03:35:51 am »

Successfully browsed LisaList2 on my Lisa 8) Well, Macintosh XL to be precise. But this is something that should not happen on a 40-year-old machine, right?




The Mac XL is running System 7.5.5 and using the MacWeb 2.0 browser from 1996. The XLerator with 4MB of RAM and SCSI is what's making this possible, with a DaynaPORT SCSI/Link-M connected to the rear SCSI port (and a SCSI2SD v5.5 attached to that). A simple patch of MacTCP from 2.0.6 to 2.1 enables the Lisa to connect to the nearby router.

Thanks to everyone here for sharing the knowledge that makes these things possible. Cheers.
« Last Edit: September 04, 2024, 10:51:22 am by ried »
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anotherLISAguy

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Re: Browsing the World Wide Web on a Lisa
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2024, 11:31:29 am »

well done - it is interesting the roundabout approach to interacting with today's web (ethernet) - dialup made it easy to connect back then (do those even still exist?) - CompuServe, gopher, Bulletin Boards, and later Netscape - quite a time.


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AlexTheCat123

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Re: Browsing the World Wide Web on a Lisa
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2024, 03:26:38 pm »

Great work! Have you been successful in running anything other than MacWeb on your Lisa? Every other browser that I've tried crashes with a system error and I'm wondering if anyone else has had the same problem.
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ried

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Re: Browsing the World Wide Web on a Lisa
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2024, 12:00:13 am »

well done - it is interesting the roundabout approach to interacting with today's web (ethernet) - dialup made it easy to connect back then (do those even still exist?) - CompuServe, gopher, Bulletin Boards, and later Netscape - quite a time.

Funny enough, I still have POTS (plain old telephone service) to the house just so I can play with dial-up services once in a while. dialup4less.com is one such provider that still operates in my area, and works with both LisaTerminal and Apple Data Modem 2400. Ethernet is just so much easier and more practical, though - if that word can even apply here. "Set it and forget it," so to speak.

Great work! Have you been successful in running anything other than MacWeb on your Lisa? Every other browser that I've tried crashes with a system error and I'm wondering if anyone else has had the same problem.

I've only tried two web browsers so far and they both work! MacWeb 2.0 and NCSA Mosaic 1.0.3. Here's a screenshot of the latter:



Not sure what's going on with the GIF artifact there, but surprised that it's showing an image at all. MacWeb does not, at least in its default configuration. Edit: I know that MacWeb needs about 2MB of free RAM to run, which I can just barely pull off with 4MB total system memory under 7.5.5. Are you running out of memory?
« Last Edit: September 05, 2024, 12:17:11 am by ried »
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AlexTheCat123

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Re: Browsing the World Wide Web on a Lisa
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2024, 10:34:12 pm »

Quote
I know that MacWeb needs about 2MB of free RAM to run, which I can just barely pull off with 4MB total system memory under 7.5.5. Are you running out of memory?

I've got the 12MB RAM mod GAL on my XLerator with 4MB SIMMs installed in all four sockets, so unfortunately I don't think it's a memory problem! I wonder if I've just been downloading bad copies of browsers or something? And come to think of it, I'm not sure that I've ever tried Mosaic, so maybe it would work for me as well. I'll have to give it a shot next time I pull out an XLerator!
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ried

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Re: Browsing the World Wide Web on a Lisa
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2024, 11:59:48 pm »

I've got the 12MB RAM mod GAL on my XLerator with 4MB SIMMs installed in all four sockets...

 Holy... :o

That's the ultimate. Wow.
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