- 2000.04.06
I got such a large response to my article Picking an Older Power Mac that I decided to
write a follow-up. Thanks to several people, especially Paul
Linblad, for pointing out that the Power Macintosh 6100 actually uses up to
640 KB of DRAM for video, not 1 MB as I had mentioned earlier, and
that it is possible to install a G3 upgrade as well as another
video card. This adapter, however, does cost $100, and you cannot
put any other NuBus or PDS cards into it. This is usually a good
option if you already have a 6100 or are able to obtain one for a
very low price.
However, if you spend the extra $75-100 for a 7100, you will get better performance, as
well as more NuBus slots, a better internal speaker, an extra 5.25"
drive bay (if there is no CD-ROM installed), and soft power. If you
spend another $100 for an 8100, you
will get better performance yet, as well as two extra drive bays
(one if there is a CD-ROM installed), plus the advantage of a tower
case, which can be put under the your desk to save space.
Anyway, there are a number of upgrade cards available for the 6100,
7100 and 8100 series computers. It is nice to have a computer that
can be upgraded to a G3 or better, but don't buy it just because it
can be upgraded. Make sure it is a system you'll enjoy using. If
you expect to buy a new computer in 2 years, consider looking at a
machine with a little less upgrade capacity, because you will be
less likely to use them, and you can often save a lot of money by
buying a computer with fewer upgrade options.
If you need more speed, look at cards such as the Newer
Technologies MAXpowr G3 PDS with 1 MB of level 2 cache. Depending
on your machine's bus speed,* you can run the MAXpowr G3 at up to
300 MHz!
- * The original G3 processor can run at up to eight times bus
speed, which ranges from 30 to 40 MHz on the x100 models as
follows: 6100/60 = 30 MHz; 6100/66, 7100/66, and 8100/100 = 33 MHz;
7100/80 and 8100/80 = 40 MHz; 8100/110 = 36.6 MHz. Newer G3s can
run at ten times bus speed. This limits performance to 240 or 300
MHz on the 6100/60, 266 or 333 MHz on the 66 and 100 MHz models,
320 or 400 MHz on the 8100/80, and 293 or 366 MHz on the 8100/100.
The G4 is currently limited to nine times bus speed.
Other major cards include the Sonnet Technologies Crescendo
series of cards. These are the Crescendo G3 240-266 MHz with 512 KB
cache, G3 240-266 MHz with 1 MB cache, G3 300 MHz with 1 MB cache,
G3 400 MHz with 1 MB cache, and the newly released G4 (yes, G4!)
360 MHz with 1 MB cache. The 400 MHz G3 card only runs at 400 MHz
in the 80 MHz Power Macs, and the 360 MHz G4 card only runs at 360
MHz in the same machines. The rest of the G3 cards run at ten times
bus speed in all other Macs, and the G4 card runs at nine times bus
speed in all other Macs.
Before you rush out and buy a nice new G4 card, remember that a
lot of new USB and FireWire peripherals will not work on your newly
upgraded machine. If you plan to use new USB or FireWire devices,
consider buying a new computer, or a second hand or refurbished
Power Macintosh G3 Yosemite (the blue and white model) - or another
Mac OS computer with PCI slots that can accept USB and FireWire
cards.
Another thing to think about when buying a used computer is what
kind of monitor to buy. I won't cover this in detail, but I do
recommend looking at more than one brand of monitor. In terms of
monitor size, I recommend no less than 15" on your main computer,
and no less than 13" on a second computer.
When I bought my Power Macintosh 8100, I wanted to get a
matching Apple monitor. I looked at three: an AppleVision 1710, a
Multiple Scan 1705, and an AudioVision 14. I decided the picture
was bad on the 1710, the price was too high on the 1705, and the
screen was too small on the AudioVision. I was about to spend
almost $200 on the 1705 display when I saw a nice 17" NEC monitor
for over $100 less. I took one look at the picture, knew it was
better, and bought it without hesitation. I saved almost $150 with
that decision.
Sure, It is nice to have an Apple computer, an Apple monitor,
and an Apple keyboard and mouse, but you can often save a lot of
money by compromising and getting a keyboard, mouse, or monitor
made by a different company. That is money you can use to buy more
memory or a bigger hard disk for your new computer.
Further Reading
Adam Robert Guha was brought up on a
Mac Plus, tested on a
Performa 5215 CD, and fine tuned on a
Power Mac G3/233 DT. He has worked with
the Mac II series, as well as LCs and early Power Macs, such as the
6100. He currently own several 68030
machines, including some interesting models like the
Colour Classic. At school, many of the
Mac-owning teachers ask him for assistance. He has upgraded and
reinstalled software on 15 computers at school - and counting
(mostly late 68K Macs and early Power Macs).
