1998.12: If you surf the Mac sites, you’ve probably run across links to “Skin-Deep Beauty: The iMac’s Performance Doesn’t Live Up to Its Snappy Appearance” (no longer online) by John Breeden, published by The Washington Post on December 17. The article raises a few valid criticisms of the iMac, but also contains some inaccuracies.
Author Archives: Daniel Knight
1998 – JW writes: I have a Power Mac 7600/120 with 96 MB RAM and a 2 GB hard disk. I intend to upgrade it in order to use it as a video editing machine for freelance work. Is it worth it to upgrade at all? What kinds of upgrades are viable: graphic card, video card, […]
1998 – One reader asks whether it makes sense to try to overclock a Power Mac 8600, while another wonders whether a $530 repair to a Power Mac 8500 is justifiable.
1998 – JT writes: I have what I think is a simple question: Which (if any) hardware or software enhancements should I consider to improve the Internet performance of my Performa 5200 CD? The model I own came with an external modem – a 14.4 Global Village – and the computer has its originally installed […]
1998 – JF writes: I have a Performa 5400/160, a nice machine that I like a lot, but I’m getting the upgrade itch. I see Vimage has released a G3 upgrade via the Level 2 cache slot for my machine – which is great to see!
1998 – JF writes: I’m another Power Mac 6100 owner who wants a faster Mac. I primarily want the extra speed for Web surfing. I use a 6100 with 40 MB RAM, Apple 15″ monitor, 256 KB L2 cache, and Supra 28.8 modem. I see that I can get a 7×00 or 8×00 for $500-600, […]
1998 – TH writes: I have a Performa 6110 CD. It has the 60 MHz 601 processor, a 250 MB hard drive, and I just upgraded to 40 MB of RAM. I would like to get a new hard drive for this machine, perhaps as large as 2 GB, but I am unsure of where to […]
The following tips are especially aimed at the lowest low-end Macs, such as the Mac Plus, SE, Classic, LC, Mac II, SE/30, PowerBook 100, and other models with older, slower processors or limited memory. However, some of the hints will help anyone using a browser.
1998 – ABV writes: Which version of the Mac OS would you recommend running on the following Quadra 630? The system has 20 MB of RAM, a 250 MB hard drive, an external Chinon 2x CD-ROM drive, 14″ Apple Trinitron Monitor, 33.6 kbps Supra Faxmodem, and a StyleWriter II inkjet printer. I want a version […]
1998 – AH writes: G’day. I have a Performa 6220 CD, 32 MB RAM, 1 GB hard drive, 14.4 faxmodem, 603 processor (75 MHz), 17″ Sony screen, and System 7.5.5. I use it currently for Net surfing (exceedingly slow) and for various home projects (adequate). Is there anything to do to speed up Net travel?
1998 – JP writes: Thanks for reading my email. I have reached an interesting intersection. I want to be able to share data among my three Macs.
1998 – Damon writes: I was hoping you could help me with a couple of things. I wanted to know if the LC III can take the same type of 72-pin SIMM as your standard Intel machine? Also, can an LC III support more than 36 MB?
1998 – VZ writes: Thanks for your intelligent musings on all things Mac. My Mac obsession is flaring at the moment, and I wondered if you’d given some thought to my current dilemma. I just bought an iMac to replace a beloved Performa 638CD that I’d maxed out on RAM, processor upgrade, etc. The iMac […]
There are plenty of sites offering installation and troubleshooting advice for Mac OS 8.5 – at least for the Power Mac user. Since neither Apple Computer nor Umax Corporation provides any support for Mac OS 8.5 on SuperMacs, this page exists to cover problems specifically noted by users of the Umax SuperMac series of Macintosh […]
AH writes: Thank you for the reply to my questions about the Performa 6220; I appreciate your time. In your opinion, what would be the best refurbished Mac to upgrade to as far as future flexibility for upgrades
1998 – Rumors are that Apple will drop the Bondi bombshell’s price to $999 in February, simultaneously introducing a more powerful iMac at the $1,299 price point.
1998 – JF writes: I’ve got a Power Mac 6100/60av, and I’m getting a 7100/66 for free. I want to “gut” the 6100’s 1.2 gig hard drive, (2) 32 MB RAM modules, etc., and put them into the 7100.
1998.12.02 – GDF writes: I read your stuff regularly, and it seems that you both know your Macs and have common sense [thanks]. This is quite rare, so I’ll ask you what you think.
1998 – CF writes: I’ve got a few decisions to make in the next several months, and I’d like your two cents. Right now, my girlfriend and I have two Mac OS machines.
1998 – Two readers write in with questions about their Performa 6400/Power Mac 6500 G3 upgrade options.
The Umax SuperMac J700 was the first Power Mac clone that I benchmarked. My J700 shipped with a 180 MHz 604e CPU, and has 104 MB of memory and a Quantum Fireball 2110 hard drive installed. It shipped standard with an ixMicro Twin Turbo 128 video card, which I replaced with an ixMicro Ultimate Rez 3D […]
This article is dated November 26, 1998 – Thanksgiving Day here in the States and the start of a four-day weekend – but I wrote it in advance so I wouldn’t have to spend any time working on Thanksgiving Day.
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 […]
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 – Windows users not only put up with outrageously totalitarian behavior by Microsoft (as the DOJ hearings are making more obvious every day), but also actually love Microsoft for it.
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?
November 1998 – Steven Bauer sent the following letter about the York County, Virigina schools moving from an all Apple district (at least in grade school) to only Windows PCs.
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 […]
1998.11: Kudos to Apple for upgrading the iMac with Rage Pro graphics and 6 MB of VRAM. It gives us a hint at where Apple may be taking the iMac in the future. Already we’re hearing rumors about an iMac with DVD taking the $1,299 price point while the current iMac drops in price. It’s […]
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 […]
