No USB 2 for iBooks, StarMax Questions, System 6 on a G3, PCs Faster than Macs, and More

• USB 2.0 For iBooks?
• WordPerfect 3.5e
• Power supply for Motorola StarMax 3000 MT
• StarMax 5500
• OS 6 on a G3
• Intel and AMD deliver better price performance for our scientific number crunching
• Saving Web Pages as Plain Text
  WannaBe
• POP3 free mail
• Using AppleWorks Word format for resumes

USB 2.0 For iBooks?

From: Sandy Mitchell

In your article about USB 2.0 for PowerBooks, there was no mention of iBooks - can they be adapted to 2.0?

Hi Sandy,

Unfortunately not. The iBook (as well as the new 12" PowerBook) has no PC Card slot, so there is no way to add USB 2.0 support.

Charles

WordPerfect 3.5e

From Laura Lichtey

Mr. Moore,

A couple of years ago you wrote an article about Corel's WordPerfect 3.5e. In updating my Mac, I lost my copy 3.5e and thought you might be able to help me find another copy. It is no longer offered at Corel's site, and I now have unreadable documents.

Please help.

Thanks,
Laura Lichtey

Hi,

You can't buy WordPerfect new anywhere. Corel has discontinued it. You might find a copy for sale at a flea market, yard sale, or on eBay.

Try here <http://acmfiles.csusb.edu/corel/wpmac.html> or here <http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~jdburto/wpmac35e.html>.

This page <http://www.deakin.edu.au/software/applications.php> still had it the last time I looked, but you need a student password to initiate the download.

Charles

Power supply for Motorola StarMax 3000 MT

From Hal Truitt

I think I need a power supply for a Motorola StarMax 3000 MT - is it a standard 200W AT/X power supply, or does this motherboard require a proprietary power supply?

Hal Truitt

Hi Hal,

I honestly don't know, but my best guess would be that any power supply of the proper voltage that is capable of supplying adequate current and would fit in the StarMax case would work. That's just a guess though.

Charles

Editor's note: Your best source for StarMax information is probably the community of StarMax users. I suggest joining the StarMax email list as a great way to plug into this community of helpful people. dk

StarMax 5500

From Sharon Schwab

I have a StarMax 5500 upgraded to a G3, 64 RAM, 1 GB hard drive, Zip drive, modem, HP printer, keyboard w. mouse, BTC monitor, running 8.1 and loaded w. software that I'm not sure how to remove (AppleWorks 6, Office 2001, Writer's Dream Kit, etc.). I am wanting to sell it (bought a new PowerBook G4). How much could I reasonably get for it? (It is a fantastic machine, and I would rather dump every PC in the house than part with it.)

I also have a Dell Laptop, 98 RAM, 6 GB, ethernet, and modem, running 98, and also loaded (includes Office 2000). I know you don't deal with Dells, but if you might know, I would appreciate your advice in selling it also. I'm clueless.

Thank you,
Sharon Schwab

Hi Sharon,

The 5500 is indeed a nice machine, and yours is well tricked-out, but these computers are essentially fully depreciated. A (very) ballpark estimate would be maybe $200-300, but that may be high. You might be better off keeping it around as a backup machine or giving it to a family member or a charity.

As for the Dell, I'm clueless too. ;-) Anything I might say would be pure speculation.

Charles

OS 6 on a G3

From Rob Clougherty

Hi Charles

Just a quick question, can OS 6 run on an early G3? I took a look at an early G3 at everymac.com. It says only 8.0 and up. A guy I know says he has one with OS 6 on it and now wants to run DSL on it. I can't find any info if this is possible.

Thanks,
Rob

BTW, I do enjoy your stories on Low End Mac. Sometimes I don't agree, but we do agree on free speech. Write on!

Hi Rob,

To the best of my knowledge, no. The first G3s came out in November 1997, and as I recall, OS 8 was the system of the day. As a rule, Macs won't boot into systems that predate their manufacture. I don't think System 6 would install on my 1993 LC 520, although I won't declare that there is absolutely no way it could be made to work. Likewise, I won't state categorically that it is impossible to make System 6 run on a G3, but I'm highly skeptical. Perhaps your friend is using some sort of emulator hack?

DSL? I never figured out how to configure a dial-up connection in System 6, although I think that can be done.

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

Charles

Intel and AMD deliver better price performance for our scientific number crunching

From Richard Schwartz

Just thought I'd let you know why we use Intel and AMD boxes running [Windows] 2K, XP, and Linux to analyze HESSI. We have built software using IDL (portable across platforms even the for OS X now), and it just runs way faster on the Intel boxes. Even my cheap ass home computer with an Athlon 1900 runs rings around any Mac I can find. We have lots of other scientists buying Macs now, and they do love them. We love the concept of a friendly face on top of a Unix-like OS, but our Linux users get their work done w/o too much grief as well. Our work is floating point computationally intensive, multiplying and adding many billions of times to produce relatively simple images. For our work, a 3.06 GHz hyperthreaded P4 is four times faster than any Mac. And we can't buy a faster Mac. So, no, it's not because we're afraid to break away and look different that we don't have Macs; for us it's not a myth, Macs are slow.

And my Dell dual Xeon 1.7 GHz W[indows] 2K runs like a champ. It doesn't crash or hang - W[indows] 98 is dead and gone. Even my XP home on my Athlon 1900 is rock solid. We do dislike MSoft and their monopoly position, but we need to be able to use Word as MS intended to do our work. As long as MS can protect their API and prevent Open(Star)Office from working just like Word, MS is safe. But should that go, the walls would come down, and there would be a field of Linux everywhere.

Besides, every Mac mouse I ever touched felt like a carpal-tunnel inducing machine. Add that to the myths.

Hi Richard,

I won't argue with you. Apple does have a speed problem at the high-end, such as the sort of computing you describe. Hopefully the new IBM PPC chip much-rumored as powering the next generation of Power Macs will close the gap somewhat.

I also agree about Apple mice, which are IMHO horrible. Happily, there are gazillions of excellent alternatives available.

Charles

Re: Intel and AMD deliver better price performance for our scientific number crunching

From: Richard Schwartz

If they close the gap in speed, we won't care about the price.

Regards,
Richard

Saving Web Pages as Plain Text

From Michael Steinwede

Hi Charles,

I was interested in reading the Saving Web Pages as Plain Text article today. I immediately tried it, but when I try it, my Services/TextEdit/Open file and Open selection are all grayed out. It's grayed out in IE and Netscape. A friend of mine had downloaded the new Safari, and it works for him.

I was wondering what browser Peter (the fellow who gave the tip) used?

Michael.

Hi Michael,

Maybe he will tell us.

Charles

WannaBe

From Simon Magennis

Hi,

I too use WannaBe on a daily basis. Apart from using it to filter certain sites, I also put the WannaBe google.src shortcut into my apple menu (9.2.2) for fast Google searching.

Regards,
Simon Magennis

POP3 free mail

From Gerda Konings

Hello,

Your research for POP3 free mail on the Internet was a great help to me. But when I wanted to sign in with GMX (the German provider), I had to fill in the country and state, and the only possibilities were Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

I'm from the Netherlands and don't know what to fill in. Can you help me out??

Thanks so far.

Gerda Konings

Hi Gerda,

I just checked the GMX sign-in page, and you're right. Just Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. That is a change from when I signed up with GMX last year. A lot more countries were in the menu then, including Canada, and, presumably, the Netherlands.

I'm not sure why this is. GMX continues to work flawlessly for me.

Have you a friend in Germany whose address you could use to sign up?

Charles

Using AppleWorks Word format for resumes

From Alvin Chan

Thank you for you time, I hope everything is good for you. I would like to ask if it's reliable to attach the Word format (Word 97, 2000) in AppleWorks 6.2.3 for sending out resumes. Will it be 100% compatible with their Word on the PC, and will they be opened flawlessly. Suggestions are welcomed.

Take care and God bless,
Alvin

Hi Alvin,

I tried emailing an AppleWorks 6 document saved as Word 98 Mac to a machine with Office X installed, and it opened fine with formatting intact, but I can't say what the result would be on a PC. The best thing to do would be to do a trial run to a friend's PC before using this method for anything mission-critical.

Charles

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