A Use for Bad Memory
From Dan:
Hi Charles,
I guess this qualifies as a Miscellaneous Rambling dealing with
low-end Macs, so I thought I'd send it your way. Here's the
background:
A few years ago, I bought a 512 MB stick of memory for my TiBook 800 DVI off of
Craigslist. I knew that the memory was sold as-is, so I brought my
machine along with me.
So, with the seller watching, I inserted it into the memory slot,
booted it up, and I had a machine with more memory. I did a few test
program starts, etc. and everything seemed to check out. So I paid the
seller $75, a good price for a 512 PC133 SO-DIMM at the time.
Upon my arrival at home, though, I put it through a more thorough
stress test just to confirm, and that's when I discovered a
problem.
Somewhere in the upper registers of the memory was an error - and it
only showed up when the real memory was almost filled up, say the 500th
MB or so. Every time my real memory was filled up to that point, my
machine froze with a kernel panic, and just like that, I was out $75 -
but I rolled the dice, and I paid the price.
I tested it out in an IBM laptop, which wouldn't even boot with the
stick in.
Other Apple machines similarly confirmed this issue. I was rather
bummed, so it went into antistatic bag and my storage.
Fast forward to last night. I recently came into possession a
Lombard PowerBook that had
only 192 MB (128/64) of RAM. Just playing around with some memory
configs, I came across my bad memory (both literally and
figuratively!). For the fun of it, I inserted the bad 512 stick and
booted up. Not surprisingly, it booted up fine, but when I checked the
system profiler, it showed only 384 MB of RAM: 256 available from the
512 stick, and 128 from the 128. At first, I was disappointed that the
entire 512 MB couldn't be addressed by the Lombard's memory
controller.
But then I had a realization: Because the Lombard can't even address
anything beyond 256 MB on one memory stick, my bad memory's registers
will never hit the faulty section of memory! Has this memory finally
been redeemed? I ran the machine, started a bunch of apps, etc., and so
far so good! Over the next few days I'll burn it in to confirm my
findings....
Obviously, I wouldn't recommend doing this on a mission-critical
machine, but since this is just a backup machine - probably for my kids
to use - then I'm quite content that I've now spent $75 for a good 256
MB stick of RAM. It's better than a heart full of regret and nothing to
show for it!
It would probably be a good time to just remind people of the "buyer
beware" adage, as well as to fully test out memory before one goes
home! Thanks again for your great resource (actually, everybody's on
LEM). I hope this might come in handy for others who happen to read
this.
Blessings,
Dan
Hi Dan,
Thanks for the cautionary tale and tip. I agree that
this wouldn't be advisable for a mission-critical machine, although in
all probability it will continue to work just fine.
Charles
Tricking Out Your Notebook
From Elaine:
Hi Charles,
Re your piece, Tricking
Out Your Notebook for Superior Desktop Duty, here is what I'm
including in the next SMOG|alert:
"Tricking Out Your Notebook for Superior Desktop Duty"
See <http://lowendmac.com/ed/moore/08cwm/desktop-duty.html>.
07.29.08
/e/note: Normally I agree with Charles Moore (we have even owned the
same Macs over the years and replaced them about the same times) but I
don't agree with him about using external keyboards and mice with a
'Book. Whether on my lap or set at the right height and attached to a
dumb external monitor or HDTV, my 'Book keyboard and trackpad are
perfect for me so I have no use for another keyboard or input device,
although I've tried several. Maybe he has bigger hands...
Best regards,
Elaine Stannard aka /e/
SMOG* <http://www.ocmug.org/>
VP, Program Chair, and SMOG|alert editor
*Why we are SMOG:
S outhern California
M acintosh
O wners/users
G roup
(The name SMUG was already taken and our group has anything but that
attitude.)
Hi Elaine,
I do both. I'm afflicted with fibromyalgia and deal
with a fair bit of chronic pain, so computing in a reclined position
appeals, and I don't know what I would have done over the past seven
years or so without my Laptop Laidback,
which facilitates pretty much ideal posture when using a laptop -
elbows bent 90 degrees and resting on a support surface (bed or sofa),
display at eye-level thanks to the Laidback tray's incline, and I do
several hours in that mode each day for the past few years, mainly on
one or the other of my Pismos, which have an excellent and comfortable
keyboard.
I find the trackpad tolerable and use it when I'm
laptopping hands-on rather than hooking up a mouse, but I do prefer a
mouse for pointing and dragging.
I wouldn't necessarily say my "laptop desktop"
workstation is any more comfortable than that, and definitely less
relaxing, but I find using an external keyboard with a full complement
of dedicated keys that don't require the fn modifier with a mouse on a
super-slick and low-friction SteelPad mouse pad (designed for gaming
but superb for general computing as well) more efficient, and I get
more done faster that way. The
Kensington SlimType keyboard is a pleasure, perhaps not quite up to
the Pismo 'board's standard for comfort and feel, but it's close, and I
definitely like it better than the 'boards in my aluminum PowerBook and
iBook.
My hands are not exceptionally big, but I do have long
fingers and prefer relatively large mice.
Different strokes.... ;-)
Charles
WiFi Security for Mac OS 9?
From Seth:
Dear Charles Moore,
Recently my mom wanted a laptop. She was looking at a Sony Vaio, and
I steered her away from it because one Windows computer is enough to
handle. let alone two with a user that isn't exactly experienced. So I
mentioned a G3 iBook (500
MHz) and up would be a great choice, because they are reliable and
easy to use, I used to use a G3 iMac years ago, but some things changed
and I needed to go Windows.
But I've heard Mac OS 9's WiFi can be a little tricky with security.
I use WEP security on a B/G router - can OS 9 handle it ? All she
needs is light Web browsing, iTunes, and email, and that's it. Also
I've read the Compleat Guide to Mac
OS 9, the 2008 edition, and I was wondering: Would you
recommend Internet Explorer or iCab or a mix of both ?
-Seth
Hi Seth,
My experience with OS 9 and WiFi is zero. I was well
into the OS X era when I got my first AirPort-equipped Mac.
Perhaps someone in Mailbag readerland will be able to advise.
As for your browser quandary, my browser of choice for
using with OS 9 is neither IE nor iCab, but Netscape 7.02, which
you can still get here <http://sillydog.org/narchive/>
or here <http://browser.netscape.com/releases>.
Some folks also like the WaMCom Mozilla 1.3 hack, which would be my
second-choice. (Download
WaMCom here.) I love iCab 4 for OS X but am not smitten with iCab
3.
Charles
Belkin Also Makes a Portable Power Outlet with
USB
From Albert:
Hello Charles,
I come across with this product similar to the Kensington one:
Belkin Mini Surge 3OUT Wall Mount $75K 918J with USB Charger.
The only thing I don't like about it is the plug can't be
hidden.
Albert
Hi Albert,
That's a slick and very compact unit. Belkin stuff is
usually pretty good, and that Amazon.com price is friendly.
Thanks for the info and link.
Charles
Editor's note: We covered the Belkin Mini Surge Protector with USB
Charger in our March 14 'Book Review. dk
Steve Jobs' Health
From Ryan:
Hi Charles,
I am sure you have noticed and read over the Web . . .
Steve's weight as seen at the last WWDC was horrifically low. Not only
does he look very frail, but he sounds very weak too. He even looked
and sounded weak at the D4 with Gates 1 year ago, but his frailness has
gotten much worse since then. I just can't seem to accept that it is
simply a consequence of his cancer operation: from what I understand
one can maintain their weight with a special diet.
So either Steve is not on a special diet and simply losing weight
because of his operation in 2004, or maybe he has cancer again and it
has spread throughout his body....
Other explanations could be advanced, but he really does look
sick.
Ryan
Hi Ryan,
I expect you have probably seen this
column by the New York Times' Joe Nocera by now. The closest
thing I've seen to a "horses' mouth" explanation.
Charles
Upgrading to Mac OS X 10.2
From Alan, following up on Web Browser and
USB Adapter for WallStreet:
Actually, we're running OS 9.x for software, but OS X for web
browsing. I have OS X 10.2 on my WallStreet and Becky has
OS X 10.1 on hers - and we are looking for an installer to upgrade
it to 10.2. (I can't remember where I got the 10.2 on my
WallStreet).
We are using an older Firefox on hers and can probably get a later
version once we have her system upgraded.
Thanks.
Alan
Hi Alan,
Amazon.com has OS X 10.2 install CDs from $59.99.
Charles
Editor's note: Also see our Best Mac OS X 10.0 - 10.3
Prices. OS X 10.2 upgrade CDs start at $9.99. dk
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