• Tag Archives Power PC
  • MacAddict (May 1997)

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    Source: MacAddict – Issue Number 9 – May 1997

    1997 was arguably the year Apple started to turn things around. Their marketshare had been fading for a while (not that it was every particularly high back in those days) but Steve Jobs was back. The iMac would be introduced later in the year and the PowerBook was becoming something special (if absurdly expensive).

    MacAddict was an enthusiasts magazine for the Macintosh. It was more or less equivalent to something like Maximum PC today but for the Mac. The May 1997 issue includes:

    Highlights

    • Super-Smart Desktops – No matter whether you’re a list maker or an unstoppable slob, we can help you get your desktop under control. Find out how to organize folders and files, manage menus, create cool desktop patterns, and more.
    • ICONtemplation – Believe it or not, there is an art to making beautiful icons. Our resident iconfabulator teaches you how to add perspective, eliminate jaggies, create shadows, and more.
    • Welcome to MacAddict Lab – It’s not your everyday lab. Nope, far from it. Take a behind-the scenes peek at how we really test products.
    • Ropin’ In Extensions – Ever opened that Extensions folder in your System Folder? Scared by what you saw? It has never beene asier to take control of those extensions, thanks to our hands-on guide.
    • This Old Mac – There’s a right way to upgrade and a wrong way. We show you the right way to upgrade a Mac IIci, IIcx, and IIsi.

    How To

    • Use MacBug – Learn eight things you can do with this underused utility, including recover from crashes, discover the meaning of error messages, and salvage files.
    • Put Up a Web Page Fast – The clock is ticking. You’ve got less than three minutes to put up a Web page. What do you do?

    Every Month

    • Editor’s Note – A warm, fuzzy missive on the most personal of computers – the Mac.
    • Letters – More madness from our readers, as well as a few sensible questions (and answers, too!).
    • Get Info – Introducing the Twentieth Anniversary Mac, a contest for winning an Epson color printer, five browser plug-ins that you must have, more on Java, and our Pick-a-Steve survey.
    • Cravings – Slurp ’em up! Six superhot products that will make you pant.
    • Reviews – All new stuff! The MessagePad 2000, Mah Jong Parlour, Lightwave, Rama, Fetch, and more!
    • Ask Us – Defragmenting your hard drive, icons gone wacko, understanding IDE drives, and other techie questions answered.
    • PowerPlay – Get the hard facts on how MacSoft will affect the future of Mac gaming.
    • Shut Down – Oddball clippings from the bizarre world of computers.

    The Disc

    • Thousands of desktop patterns, icons, and customization utilities jampacked onto The Disc. Plus, a contest to win Command & Conquer, original music, and a new interface!

    Online

    • Get your daily fill of Mac stuff on our Web site. We’ve got hot news from Apple; we’ve got areas of interest for gamers, artists, Mac aficianados, Net survers, and productivity Mavens; we’ve got just tons of Mac regalia!

    ..and more!


  • Digital Archaeology – Expedition #5 – iMac G3 266 (Tangerine)

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    This expedition took me out into the wilds of a community garage sale. It was, in fact, my own community and this is an event in which multiple households sell arcane artifacts of often dubious value out of their garage, or more often, their driveway or yard. As I picked through the corpses of a couple of CRT televisions at one such establishment, I discovered a tangerine colored curiosity that looked much like one of the above mentioned televisions but was actually something more. I asked the proprietor if it was in working condition and received an acknowledgement that it was in fact fully operational. At an asking price of $5 I did not even attempt to bargain lower. I grabbed it and awkwardly trudged a quarter of a mile back home with the iMac (including keyboard and mouse) that I had just discovered (along with my bike). If nothing else, the weight promised something wonderful…

    I knew I was dealing with an iMac with a PowerPC processor that was >= 10 years old but I was not terribly familiar with the various models that were available. Despite assurances, I was not even really certain that it would really work. It was no SX-64 or Commodore 65 prototype but it was in good physical condition and for $5 it seemed like a pretty good find. As soon as I arrived home I took it inside, plugged in in and pressed the power button to see what would happen…

    To my slight surprise it booted right up. It was running OS 8.5 and had a whopping 32 MB of RAM. After a little poking around I figured out it was an iMac 266 MHz G3 (Rev. C). Here are the stats from EveryMac:

    Introduction Date January 5, 1999
    Discontinued Date April 14, 1999
    Processor Speed 266 MHz
    Processor Type PowerPC 750 (G3)
    System Bus Speed 66 MHz
    Cache Bus Speed 133 MHz
    L1 Cache 64K
    L2/L3 Cache 512k (backside)
    RAM Type PC66 SDRAM Min. RAM Speed: 10 ns
    Details Uses 144-pin PC66 SO-DIMM memory modules.
    Standard RAM 32 MB
    Maximum RAM 512 MB*
    Details *Apple reports that this model can support a maximum of 128 MB of RAM. “Unofficially” this model can support 512 MB of RAM (two 256 MB modules).
    Motherboard RAM None
    RAM Slots 2
    Video Card Rage Pro Turbo
    VRAM Type SGRAM
    Details ATI Rage Pro Turbo video with 6 MB of VRAM.
    Standard VRAM 6 MB
    Maximum VRAM 6 MB
    Built-in Display 15.0″ (13.8″)
    Native Resolution 800×600*
    Details *15.0″ (13.8″ viewable area) display supports 640×480 at 117 Hz, 800×600 at 95 Hz, and 1024×768 at 75 Hz.
    Standard Hard Drive 6.0 GB Int. HD Interface: EIDE (ATA-3)
    Details This model does not support hard drives larger than 128 GB.
    Standard Optical 24X CD-ROM
    Standard Modem 56.6k (Internal)
    Standard Ethernet 10/100Base-T
    USB Ports 2 (1.1)
    Incl. Keyboard: Apple USB Keyboard
    Incl. Input: Apple USB Mouse
    Apple Order No M7345LL/A
    Apple Subfamily iMac – Fruit Colors
    Apple Model No M4984 (EMC None)
    Model ID iMac,1
    Battery Type 3.6V Lithium
    Pre-Installed MacOS 8.5.1
    Maximum MacOS X 10.3.9
    Dimensions 15.8 x 15.2 x 17.6
    Avg. Weight 38.1 lbs. (18.1 kg)
    Original Price (US) US$1199

    I performed the upgrades I thought were within reason. I upgraded it to 512 MB of RAM (which it unofficially supports) with some dirt cheap PC-100 256 MB SODIMMs i got off of eBay even though it is a bit of a pain since you have to essentially disassemble the thing to get to the RAM. I also upgraded the hard drive with an old 60 GB ATA Maxtor I happened to have lying around.  It’s not huge but it will give me a little more breathing room than the stock 6 GB drive. These upgrades made it reasonable to upgrade to OS X 10.3.9 (Panther). It really won’t be suitable for any significant internet browsing no matter what but OS X lets me run an older version of BOINC so I can generate a (very) few Gridcoin.

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