Updated February 20, 2006

Jeepers, what a nerdy project. What I wanted to accomplish, was an elegant mp3 server and Internet radio station that I could hook up to the stereo system in my front room without having to have an entire clunky computer system on a shelf. Of course, considering an iTunes express base station gives you wireless access to your stereo system is a lot cheaper and easier does not deter the stubborn ScienceMan.

Success! After initial attmepts to add a PowerPC 5500 motherboard failed, I got ahold of a PowerPC 6500 motheboard, and everything fell into place! The Golden Color Classic now runs system 9.1 at 250 MHz!

This little beauty has been equipped and configured especially as a Internet music machine with the following features:

• Startech.com 10/100 PCI Ethernet Card.
• 10 GB ATA hard drive - for holding mp3s!
• Screen mod - 640x480 resolution.
• Specially wired to bypass keyboard startup - did not want a stinky keyboard on the shelf! Therefore flipping the switch at the back turns on the unit immediately. (Still works with a keyboard though).
• Beautiful golden finish, with a silver mouse to boot!
• Oh, and last but not least, a CD-ROM for playing traditional CDs! The case had to be altered a bit to accomodate the side-loading CD, but I think it looks pretty good:

Note that setting a machine up like this involves sacrifices - with a full sized hard drive and CD-ROM, there is no room for the floppy drive or an internal speaker. But in this case, both are unnecessary for the intended application. There is also no room for the double riser PCI card of the 6500, so I switched to the single riser from a 5500.