This is more a look at what hardware can run on these boxes.
Pointing Devices:
I've tried many different combinations to find mice that work in NextStep.
Microsoft Optical Mouse Basic - Some Work
(I had a white version hooked up to a Microsoft branded USB - PS/2 dongle which worked, however at work the black version of the Basic mouse refused to work on the same machine.)
Microsoft Wireless Mouse (Model Unknown)
This older wireless mouse works. I'll write down the model number at work to add here.
Logitech Optical Mice - Unsupported
I've tried the Logitech optical mice, both USB versions and PS/2 versions and none seem to function in NexStep.
I'm unsure if this is a driver issue or if the HPPA series has a somewhat non-standard method of recognizing or supporting mice.
If you ever get stuck with a mouse that doesn't work and NextStep has loaded up, you can safely press the power button on your 712/60 and hit the centre enter key which will safely shut the machine off without forcing a disk check upon reboot.
Keyboards:
Most PS/2 keyboards should work. I haven't run across one that hasn't worked yet.
Hard Drives:
Seagate Baracuda 4GB SCSI (Model # to come soon)
Works but buggy - NextStep recognizes it as a 257MB drive. Despite this it does format the drive and installed NextStep without issue. After NextStep loads, it mentions the drive has aprox. 1.x GB free space.
Optical Drives:
Apple SCSI 4X CD-ROM - Not Supported
The drive can't read the disc while NextStep is trying to format or load files for copying.
Yamaha SCSI CD-RW - Supported
This drive works just fine. It needs to be set to ID 1 though, otherwise read errors will happen.
Notes: Installation or partitioning errors can be caused by a hard disk or CD-ROM that isn't supported. Before assuming iether one is dead, first choose one device and try a few replacements rather than replacing both devices only to have the same problem and no closer to a solution.
Floppy Drives:
I never got the floppy in my 712/60 to work. Perhaps it isn't supported.
Sound:
The LASO sound system is fully supported in NextStep. One thing to note is that even if you have speakers plugged in the sound will default to the internal speakers as well. I have not checked just yet to see if this can be disabled in software without unplugging the internal speakers.
Network:
The network card in the 712/60 is fully supported. Since NextStep is older, you might have to manually assign it's IP addressed as opposed to DHCP which did not ship with NextStep. Just be sure the IP you assign to a NextStep box is outside your router's DHCP table or collisions could happen. (Most routers allow you to specify a range of IP addresses a DHCP server can use. If you set the range to 192.168.50 - 192.168.1.100, you can assign a NextStep box any IP from 192.168.1.2 - 192.168.1.49. The first IP address of each subnet (ie; 192.168.1.xxx) is reserved for the router.)
Network Printers:
HP Printers are supported out of the box for most older yet common models. If you have a JetDirect card or box you simply enter it's IP address and NextStep will connect to it. Some HP printers share using IP/IPX so these need to be changed to TCP/IP before they can be used with NextStep.
If you have a newer printer on the network, you might be able to connect to it if it supports PostScript. Just experiment with printer profiles untill you find one that works.
`BoJ
Just wanted to reiterate what is said in the previous post. Have been banging my head against the wall for a few months trying to install NS3.3 on a 712/100 . Kept failing right after It starts the install before it lets me pick a disk to install on. Always hung after it found the CD-ROM drive. Finally found my way to this post, and it turns out I was using an Apple CD-ROM. It also turns out my Sun Ultra 80 had a Yamaha CD-RW! All is well :-)
:lol: