1998 – NCS writes: I have a Quadra 650 running on System 7.5 with 56 MB RAM and a hard drive of 250 MB. I also have an external 3 GB hard drive. I use this machine at home, for surfing, and for administration purposes of my small business. I also use it to design Web […]
Category Archives: Mac Daniel
1998 – The following is from a dialogue on Macintosh TV. After letting ET know that there’s no way for Mac TV to handle more than 8 MB of memory and that upgrading the motherboard would lose the TV part of the computer, she sent the following.
1998 – SP writes: It has taken me a long time to find you, but you sound like the answer to my prayers! I have a Quadra 700, with 20 MB RAM, 12x CD-ROM, and a 1 GB hard drive running System 7.5.5. Should I upgrade or trade in?
1998 – G writes: I just got a cable modem to connect to the Internet. I was just wondering, I want to connect another Mac so I can share the modem with two computers. My family keeps fighting over the computer with the cable modem. None of us can stand dial-up anymore. Is there a […]
1998 – MJ writes: Long term(ish) I want to aim at a G3 something. But at the moment I’m just a hard-up student in New Zealand dreaming of the the day I win the lottery. But I figured why buy a new G3 machine when they are way out of my price range when I […]
1998 – DR writes: What kind of modem can I use with my Mac IIci? It has System 7.5.5 and a floppy disk drive (it’s a pretty much stock computer). I’d prefer a 56k modem, if possible. It will be primarily used for Internet access. I’ve had a tough time trying to buy a modem […]
1998 – TG writes: Current system: Motorola StarMax 3000 with 200 MHz 603e, 32 MB RAM, 4 MB VRAM onboard. Thinking: Vimage G3/240 processor upgrade, 32 MB more RAM, PCI video card with 2D-3D acceleration (total upwards of $700). Or buy an iMac. Whaddaya think? Mac Daniel writes: Let’s start with the iMac. The current […]
1998 – DB writes: Wow, and I thought I was running a low-end Apple orchard . . . have an Apple IIe, Classic II, LC, and IIcx. My boss wants me to buy his 630CD . . . admittedly, it’s more machine than I have now, but it doesn’t seem like a wise move . […]
1998 – PR writes: I need some serious help. I just obtained a position with an ad agency. They have a mix of PCs and Macs. I have no problem with the PCs. However, it has been a while since I worked with the Macs. The ones here are pretty behind the times. I would […]
1998 – GD writes: I am an end user and have been a dedicated Macintosh user ever since I knew what a computer was. In high school, I used an Apple IIe. In college, I used a Macintosh Plus, which I upgraded to a severe 2 MB RAM! WOW!
1998 – GHQ writes: What do you think of the Mac IIsi? Is it worth upgrading? At the MacWorks site, they were giving away older Macs as-is, untested, for the cost of shipping. So I sent off $50 and got a IIsi. Works great. Now . . . I’ve seen Sonnet upgrades for under $200. […]
1998 – MS writes: I own a Power Mac 7600/120 and am interested in boosting performance. I currently run on a 604 with 112 MB RAM and 1 M L2 cache. Would you recommend migrating to a G3 or a 604e?
1998 – TG writes: I’m in a weekly newspaper office that has a couple of Performa 6116s and Performa 636s doing essentially the same job: email with First Class, minimal word processing with Word 5.1, and mostly shared access to FileMaker database of some size. The files themselves are on a Power Mac 7200/120. The […]
1998 – CAR writes: I am the owner of three real old but still functioning Macs – a 512K Fat Mac, Mac IIcx, and Power Mac 7200.
1998 – GM writes: I have an old Mac IIci which I have already upgraded with a 2.1 GB hard drive, 32 MB RAM, and System 7.5.5. It however is too slow to support the graphics and word applications I’m using! Also most new programs now will not run on this 68030 processor!
1998 – Readers ask how they can upgrade their Power Mac 6100s.
1998 – Two readers ask about upgrades for their “Road Apple” Performa x200 models.
1998 – Does it make financial sense to upgrade a five-year-old Centris 650?
1998 – Today’s Mac Daniel column looks at upgrade options for the Power Mac 7200 and 7500.
1998 – Today’s MacDaniel column answers questions from two different readers asking about upgrading their Power Mac 7100s.
This was the first Mac Daniel column published – way back in October 1998.
Apple has done some remarkable things with its third generation Power Mac, the Beige G3s. (The first generation Power Macs used NuBus, and the second switched to PCI.) The motherboard is smaller than in earlier Power Macs, leaving room for one more drive in the same type of desktop case used for the 7200-7600.
1997: This is what we all want to do: Buy a new computer. The key is to remember that, compared with any 680×0-based Mac, the slowest PowerPC (PPC) Mac absolutely rocks.
You’ve decided to keep your old Mac and increase its capabilities. It’s users like you that keep the add-on manufacturers in business. Modems and CD-ROMs are usually external and can easily move from one Mac to another, so I won’t be addressing them.
Since you’re here, I’ll assume you have a low-end Mac (any Mac or clone that doesn’t have a G3). There are many factors to consider in deciding whether you’re better off upgrading your current Mac or buying a newer computer.
