Getting Online with a PowerBook Duo

1999 – I just purchased a PowerBook Duo 270c from a friend of mine for $100. I am able to network it with my newer computer, but I would like to get this PowerBook online on its own. What kind of modem should I purchase? I also need an external floppy drive.

Is It Time to Buy an iMac?

1999 – I just read your advice about upgrading or replacing an older Mac, and my Performa 636CD works pretty well for my purposes (except no RealAudio). I had a logic board swap done about 1-1/2 years ago so I could add a 486 card for Windows 95 (it’s easier for me to adapt to […]

Getting an Old Mac Running

1999 – I’ve found/been given/bought on the cheap a 68030/68040 Macintosh. I’m a broke college student, and I need to set this machine up to do word processing and surf the Internet as cheaply as possible. What should I do? (A common question around here.)

Should I Get a Used Power Mac 7500 or a Beige G3?

1999 – JP writes: I just read a bunch of your articles, and I got a kick out of them. If I had more time for writing, I would focus in the same area. My experience is limited between 20 MHz 68030 to 33 MHz 68040, but I sure know just about everything in that […]

My Hard Drive Won’t Boot Inside My Mac

1999 – RR writes: First of all, I’d really like to thank you for the service you (and others, obviously) are performing for the Mac community. You are a tremendous asset, and Mac aficionados the world over owe you a debt of gratitude.

A New Type of G3 Daughter Card

1999 – With the Power Mac 7500, 8500, and 9500, Apple introduced a new way of upgrading their computers: the CPU daughter card. Prior to this, all of Apple’s upgrades (except for PPC upgrades to 68K Macs) meant changing the system board.

Why Am I Having Problems with My 1 MB L2 Cache?

1999 – It’s been three weeks since my last column, yet the email keeps pouring in. I hate to admit it, but I’m about two months behind on your letters, so I’ll be keeping a low profile on Mac Daniel (one or two columns a week) until I catch up.

What’s the Best G3 Daughter Card Upgrade?

1999 – KS writes: I’m considering upgrading my Umax J700/180 with one of the new cards from Vimage, Newer Technology, or PowerLogix. I upgraded my RAM to 96 MB when I bought the machine, but other than that I have not enhanced it in any way.

Where Are the G3 Upgrades for My Power Mac 5400?

1999 – KSJ writes: I was wondering if you could help me figure something out. I have a Power Mac 5400/120 that I bought a couple of years ago. I am looking into a PCI-based G3 upgrade, but no one seems to acknowledge the fact that my machine has a PCI slot (as evidenced by […]

Performa 6360 Upgrade Options

1999 – No, the Performa 6360 (also sold as the Power Mac 6300/160) isn’t part of the dreaded x200 family. It uses the same improved system board architecture that later made their way into the 6400 and 6500.

Connecting to a Shared Internet Connection via Modem

1999 – GA writes: I read this article (Using a IIcx for Shared Internet Access) and liked it. I use IPNetRouter at my wife’s office (I guess that means she used it) for five Macs sharing a DSL line. Here in USWest-land, you must use the DSL modem/bridge they provide or they won’t support you. […]

Upgrading a Quadra 610

1999 – RK writes: I just got this old Quadra 610, and the only way I am going to get rid of this wonderful box is if somebody pries my cold lifeless fingers off of it’s case. :)

Upgrades for a Performa or Quadra 630

1999 – ABV writes: Please give pros and cons for the upgrading my current Performa 630 CD. I have System 7.5, 8 MB of RAM plus RAM Doubler, the TV and video tuner, a 250 MB internal hard drive, a 500 MB external drive, and an HP DeskWriter 550C. I’m trying to upgrade the system to […]