Speed Your Mac on the Internet
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Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core 8GB kit $232 / 4GB kit $116 / 2GB kit $72. New Macbook 2GB DDR3-$65. HARD DRIVES available -- Free shipping / LIfetime warranty.
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Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.
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- 2001.11.09
Perhaps your Mac is an older model, but it still functions perfectly for what you do - with one exception: the Internet. The Internet is slow, and it just seems to be impossible to speed things up. Closing all your other programs doesn't help, and adding RAM doesn't do a thing. What do you do, assuming you can't afford a new computer?
If you choose to upgrade the processor in your machine, there are a number of options available. NuBus Power Macs (the 6100, 7100, and 8100) can be upgraded to G3 for under $100. PCI Power Macs, like the 7600, can be upgraded to G3 or G4 for not much more. In fact, a 7600 with a G4 upgrade, a new hard drive, and plenty of RAM runs Mac OS X very nicely.
- If you have a pre-Power Mac, you still have some hope. Macintosh Quadra 610, 650, 800, 900, and 950 models are upgradeable to PowerPC using the Apple Power Mac Upgrade Card (40-66 MHz - twice the speed of the 68040 processor on the logic board), DayStar PowerPro 601 (60-100 MHz, up to 3x CPU speed depending on the version) or Sonnet Presto PPC 700 (up to 100 MHz). Performa 47x, 57x, 58x, 63x, 640, Quadra 605, and Quadra 630 are also upgradeable to PowerPC with Apple, Daystar, and Sonnet upgrade cards. However these cards are more difficult to find than the already hard to find PowerPC PDS upgrade cards for the NuBus 68040 Macs. All of these cards are long discontinued.
If your machine is a NuBus Power Mac or PCI Power Mac, you can upgrade it for very little money and get very respectable Internet performance from it. With that said, a 6100/60 with 8 MB of RAM does a fine job on the Internet as well. It's a matter of the software you have.
While you can run Mac OS 9.1 on a 6100, if it only has 8 MB of RAM, that would be impossible. Therefore, System 7.1.2 (which was essentially a mix of System 7.1 and 7.5 - a rush job which was made just so the Power Macs would be able to ship promptly) would be about the only useable choice for your machine. 8 MB is a pretty minimal amount of RAM, but can you believe that the 6100 was originally designed with a only 4 MB of memory? That is barely enough to run System 7.1.2 with no third party extensions!
If you have a minimal amount of RAM, you will also not want to run the latest software. Internet Explorer 2.1, or, if you prefer, Netscape 2.0 are about the best browsers you can use in this situation. If you use AOL, version 3.0 is the most recent version you can use on an 8 MB Mac.
With RAM cheap these days, there is little excuse not to buy more. You can upgrade your old 8 MB 6100 to 40 MB for under $15. 40 MB gives you a huge advantage in the software you can run. You go from a machine that can barely run System 7.1.2 and Internet Explorer 2.0 to a machine that has no problem running Mac OS 9.1 and Internet Explorer 5. [Editor's note: From experience, you really don't want to run anything later than Mac OS 8.1 on a 6100 unless you've accelerated it.]
However, you will find that the Internet is a bit slower with the newer software. Unless you absolutely need the features of Internet Explorer 5, use 4.0 and Mac OS 8.1 or 8.5.1 (I find that 8.6 acts more like Mac OS 9.1 in performance). If you don't need the features of an upgrade, you may not want to install it. I upgraded to Mac OS X because I was anxious to finally have preemptive multitasking and a much more stable OS overall. If you have no complaints about the multitasking in the Classic Mac OS and don't mind the occasional crash, don't upgrade to OS X quite yet. The same goes for browsers. I use IE 5 because I like the auction manager, a feature that previous versions didn't have. If you are using version 3 or 4 and have no complaints, don't install 5 (I dislike the buttons in IE 5, but there isn't a lot that I can do about that in the OS X version).
Another thing you can do to speed things up is empty the browser cache. This corrects a lot of problems that happen on specific websites (usually due to corrupt files) and reclaims space on your hard drive. You can also prevent the pictures, sounds, and animated GIFs from loading.
Notice how the above website looks with images and animated GIFs turned off. You don't get the background image (notice that some images do load, but the total time to load the page is significantly reduced) and the main logo does not flash as it normally would. All of these options (to turn images off and to empty the browser cache) are located in the preferences box.
Hopefully this information on how to upgrade your Mac, choose your Internet software, and optimize your browser for better performance will be of use in speeding up the Internet on your Mac. The key here is "don't upgrade unless you can use the features offered in the new version."
Recent Apple Archive articles
- iPods, notebooks, and other modern electronics more readily replaced than repaired, 12.07. Whether it's an intermittent failure or a broken display cable, more often than not it's cheaper to replace a broken electronics device than repair it.
- Options for replacing your older iPod, 11.19. Whether you've run out of space on your old iPod or want features it doesn't have, here are your options in new and used iPods.
- Could the $200 'green' PC with gOS Linux become a threat to Apple?, 11.14. The low cost, low power Everex desktop comes with a customized version of Ubuntu Linux, has a Mac-like Dock, and sells for $400 less than the Mac mini.
- Leopard different, a bit buggy, but worth the upgrade, 11.02. Leopard on a Power Mac G4 and a MacBook Pro: It runs well on both computers, but each has some odd bugs, and some of the changes are a step backwards.
- More in the Apple Archive index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: 'Sawtooth' Power Mac G4, Aug. 1999 - Available in speeds from 350-500 MHz, 'Sawtooth' introduced AGP video to the Mac.
- Group of the Day: G4 List is for those using Power Mac G4s or G4 upgrades.
- November 22 in LEM history: 99: Gradebooks - 00: Leveraging Apple design - Quadra 630 to Power Mac 5200 - 02: Laptop or desktop? - 04: SuperDuper: Quick, easy, efficient backup - Cross-platform programming for the rest of us - 05: Mac video surveillance on the cheap - Which OS is best for my vintage Mac? - No 'best browser' for the Mac - Sorry state of browsers for classic Macs - 06: Core 2 means cooler running 'Books - 2.0 GHz G4 upgrade
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- The Long Term Value of a High End Mac, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 11.21. Low-end Macs are more affordable up front, but the flexibility and upgrade options of a top-end Mac can make it the better value in the long run.
- iPhone #1 Worldwide, Google Voice Search for iPhone, iPhone 3G Battery Pack, and More, iNews Review, 11.21. Also British accents throw off Google voice search, lots of new iPhone apps, universal USB car charger, new protective cases, and more.
- 15 Reasons Macs Are Better, Quad-core iMac in January?, USB 3.0 Spec Finalized, and More, Mac News Review, 11.21. Also 25 years of Macs, 'Snow Leopard' in Q1?, SimpleTech's faster and greener hard drive, Hyperspaces, StarOffice for OS X, and more.
- DisplayPort Copy Protection, Trackpad Update, Netbooks Not to Be Taken Lightly, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.21. Also Apple set for record sales, 4-finger gestures on original MacBook Air, MacBook Apple's best consumer notebook to date, Cricket laptop stand, bargain 'Books from $490 to $2,299, and more.
- Virtualization Shootout: VMWare Fusion 2 vs. Parallels Desktop 4, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 11.20. Both programs do the same thing, but one runs Windows XP smoothly alongside Mac apps, while the other bogs down everything but Windows.
- Just Right: Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear MacBooks, Charles W. Moore, 'Book Value, 11.20. Some people like small and light notebooks, others prefer huge desktop replacements, but the best value tends to be in the middle.
- Apple Caves to Hollywood with DRM on iTunes Videos, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.20. HDCP on the new MacBooks means that you may never really own those videos you buy from the iTunes Store.
- Leopard Runs Very Nicely on PowerPC Macs, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 11.19. Some claim that Mac OS X 10.5 is so optimized for Intel Macs that it runs poorly on PowerPC hardware. That's simply not the case.
- No High Definition iTunes Video for You, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.19. The October 2008 MacBooks are preventing users from viewing some high-def iTunes content from being viewed on their external displays. Poor form!
- Every Working Computer Is Useful to Someone, Allison Payne, The Budget Mac, 11.19. Whether it's a PowerBook 1400, G3 iMac, or Power Mac G4, it could be all the computer someone needs.
- 3 WeatherBug Options for Apple Users, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.19. Have instant access to current local weather conditions with a Dashboard widget, iPhone app, or Firefox plugin.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.20. Used 400 MHz, $50; 733, $100; 800, $199; 1.25 GHz, $300; 800 MHz dual, $200, 867, $300; 1 GHz, $350; 1.42, $400.
- Best iBook G3 Deals, 11.20. Used 300 MHz clamshell, $150; 366, $199; 800 CD, $180; 600 CD-RW, $240; 700 Combo, $290; 900, $369; 14" 600, $360; 900, $449.
- Best Power Mac G3 and PCI Video Card Deals, 11.20. Used beige 300 MHz, $25; blue & white 350, $80; 400, $90; 450, $105; PCI video cards from $15; shipping additional.
- Best iMac G4 Deals, 11.18. Used 15" 700 MHz Combo, $243; 800 MHz, $280; 1 GHz, $380; 17" 1.25 GHz SuperDrive, $400; 20", $549.
- Best MacBook Air Deals, 11.18. New 1.6 80, $1,150 after rebate; 120, $1,744 a/r; 1.8 80, $1,794 a/r; 1.6 128 SSD, $2,150; used 1.8 64 SSD, $1,500; new, $2,200 a/r; 1.86, $2,398 a/r.
- Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals, 11.18. Mac OS X 10.0.3, $30; 10.1, $20; 10.2, $60; 10.3 CD, DVD, $100; CD, $119; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $58; 10.3 Server, unlimited, $150.
- Best iPod nano Deals, 11.17. Refurb 3G/4 GB, $79; new, $114; refurb 8 GB, $99; new, $125; 3G/8 GB, from $134; 16 GB, from $189. Prices include ground shipping.
- Best Titanium PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.17. Used 1 GHz with SuperDrive, $478 plus shipping.
- Best Xserve deals, 11.17. Used G4/1 GHz, $999; G5/2 GHz, $1,288; new 2.0 4-core Xeon, $1,900; refurb 3.0 4-core, $2,599; 2.8 GHz, $2,499; 3.0 8-core, $3,499.
- More deals in our archive.
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