...and we're off! Let's see how long this will take.

The internal disk is the original Quantum Fireball SE that was likely installed at the factory, since it carries the E-Mu labels.

Moustache and mullet? Then it must be..

You can find older computers and their parts on eBay and such, but the prices can sometimes be quite high.

The best cases are when people you know have had some old hardware just sitting in their garage or closet for decades, and are happy to give it away as it frees up some space in their home.

Yeah, I wouldn't recommend it as a first printer unless you really have a well-defined use case for it. Makes a lot more sense to start out with a cheaper printer and then upgrade if you need more printing speed or the ability to print materials better suited for engineering applications.

My first printer was a fairly cheap one so there was definitely a learning experience. Lots of troubleshooting but I think I did benefit from having to do all that.

These days the offerings from Prusa and Bambu Lab are way easier to get into - my "daily driver" these days is a Bambu Lab X1C.

Yeah - didn't think I'd have too much use for it when I bought my first 3D printer and oh boy, was I wrong. :D

After desoldering the caps and cleaning up - yeah, those vias underneath are toast.