I appreciate that this is a forum for Apple enthusiasts, but as someone who is not particularly enthusiastic about any big tech company but loves Jon Stewart, I consider this good news. Hopefully he’ll keep it going somewhere else.

Let’s look at the track record.

Backwards compatible handhelds:

• GameBoy Colour (to GB)
• Gameboy Advance (to GBC)
• Nintendo DS (to GBA)
• Nintendo 3DS (to DS)

Home consoles:

• Wii (to GC)
• Wii U (to Wii)

Not backwards compatible:

• SNES
• VirtualBoy
• Nintendo 64
• GameCube
• Switch

Lack of backwards compatibility to the previous generation has usually followed from a change in media format, and even then there has been a willingness to make an effort (the DS with its two slots being the prime example). Backwards compatibility seems to be a good way to ensure a wide selection of games at launch, and the negative aspect (not being able to sell the re-releases of the same games yet again to those desperate enough) seems to be outweighed by the positive (availability of games at launch; maintained interest in games from previous generation).

There’s no real reason for Switch cartridges to grow any smaller, and I doubt they’ll go back to discs. So I would say there’s a pretty good chance of backward compatibility.

I really hate this art style with a passion. It’s fine for random people making no-budget flash animations in the mid-2000s, but really a waste of potential for a company (and IP holder) like Disney.

They have the perfect expressive 2D friendly art style already made for them in Steamboat Willie - channeling that style instead could make for a very charming artstyle at a low budget. If not, Cuphead has proven that postwar cartoon style can work incredibly well for 2D performers.

Then again, I guess I’m not the targeted audience. I’m sure this style is popular with the kids, and it’s not like I would buy a Disney product anyway.

It is indeed a tiny proprietary 7+17 pin SSD, which only existed in 2012 and early 2013 Macbook Pros with Retina displays (and possibly some other models of desktop Mac computers, I’m not sure). Thankfully mine seems to be intact. :)

Finding an external box for it is a pain, but I am amazed by how far ahead of its time this computer was.

Thank you!

It seems you’re right. Thank you!

Thank you! I will make sure to be careful.

I doubt FileVault is enabled, as the owner is very tech illiterate and hasn’t even updated the computer in a long time. If it is that’s very useful information though - hopefully the potential key would be connected to her Mac user and not Apple ID (as I interpreted elsewhere), as that would be seemingly impossible to retrieve.

Also good to know there are options even in the worst case scenario, if that is applicable to SSDs as well. I’m crossing my fingers it won’t come to that though.

This is wonderfully helpful - thank you so much!

That is very good news. I am hoping it is not encrypted, as the owner seems to have no idea how to access how to access her apple account (which is another issue entirely and one I hope not to be involved with).

Thank you!

Thank you so much! It seems like reading these file systems shouldn’t be a problem, so that’s comforting. So this is making me feel hopeful. :)

That’s wonderful, thank you. I’m too illiterate on my own to understand which parts of the harddrive/enclosure description that’s the relevant information, so that’s particularly helpful.

Regarding recognizing the HDD, I’m mostly afraid there’s some strange encryption going on - doing the same with a Linux system I would be entirely comfortable. But probably there’s no black magic involved.

Will get the tools - and excellent point about it not being very valuable as an external hard drive.

Thank you so much!!

“My sex life is private; I don’t even share it with my wife”