I've updated the Rhapsody Tips page for new info on how to install DR2 on a unsupported machine.
I've got a lot of news to post, but will have do it tomorrow. Thanks to all of you that sent feedback today.
[7:00 PM Update]
I've really had a run of bad luck in the last two weeks. I've gotten the wrong checks from my bank (6 weeks late), wrong disk drives, wrong platform software, and a damaged computer. It all started after
Kay got sick. She must be my good luck charm. Thanks to all the readers who wrote to ask how she was doing - it made her smile and took the heat off me for spending so much time on the site. I've gotten
about 200 mails about her - it really shows the Mac community has a heart. She's doing better now, at least the knee has gone down, but her foot is still as bad as ever. 4 doctors now and many tests but still no answers. At least she can hobble around a bit now.
[7:00 PM Update]
Lots of readers are asking if the Mach 5 604E (form 8600/250-300 and 9600/300-350mhz) cards will run in other Macs. The answer is no - my 300mhz Mach 5 card collected dust here until I got the 8600/250. It would not even boot in the 8500. The inline cache cards (Mach 5) need a Kansas motherboard to work. Speaking of Kansas based systems - the 8600 has a "floor tray" that can be used to mount drives in the bottom
- below the PCI slots. I've got a Proline 4 drive mounting kit w/fans to do a tutorial - just don't have 4 drives to spare. I ordered 4 more for the Genesis to keep the external Raid case intact for use with tests on other systems
like the G3. I'll try to find 4 more low cost drives to do a piece on the 8600 as well, with a 3940UW dual channel
controller driving them.
[7:00 PM Update]
Eugene Shekhtman sends an update related to the IDE 7200 RPM drive post earlier today, saying he's decided to keep the Seagate drive and
that it runs fairly cool. MacBench performance was outstanding as well he says.
Just received a message from Dair Grant of Lightwork regarding a new version of Walker:
"
Hi,
Just thought I'd drop you a line and let you know that we've posted version 1.2
of Walker on our web site (http://www.lightwork.com/, the link is off the news page).
If you're using Walker to test QD3D cards, please download the update and use this version.
There's a list of changes in the readme file, but the most important fix is for a bug
which was causing problems with some ATI cards.
dair"
The ATI issue he speaks of was related to 16-bit Z-buffer artifacts, and should not affect scores run with the earlier version they tell me.
John Ryan sends more positive feedback on the Nubus
Sonnet Cresendo G3 CPU upgrade:
"
I have recently installed the Sonnet Crescendo G3 PDS card (240/1M) in my 6100,
and I would agree with the positive comments posted here a few days.
MacBench CPU score tops 850 (vs 140 with the 601 + 1MB L2 cache).
Bottom line: it feels much snappier with all my major apps, even the screen redraws
(always a weak point for the 6100s), although I'm not sure why this should improve.
The only one broken is MS Works for PPC 4.0b (anyone besides me still using this dinosaur?)
-- crashes at startup with a Type 3 error. Will try version 4.0c when it arrives from
Microsoft, an report back.
Regards,
John"
So far all feedback I've gotten has been 100% positive on the Sonnet Nubus upgrades.
Reader Request: James Kim is asking is any 7200 owners are using the Iomega JazJet SCSI card:
"
Hi Mike.
Back when you tested the UW-SCSI cards you tried out the Jaz Jet and it didn't work in your PowerComputing
[PowerCenter Pro-Mike] clone. You posted a message from I believe a Powercurve owner that it didn't work
in his computer either. I'm not sure about the Powercurve, but your PCC clone was a modified motherboard
running at 60 MHz, so I was wondering if that was why it didn't work. Do you remember if people wrote
in saying it worked fine in their computers? Specifically, I have a Powermac 7200/90 running 8.1.
I'm also curious if people have it running reliably in an Apple G3.
James"
There are several models of the JazJet (made by Advansys apparently), the one I have is the Ultra-SCSI model (all are narrow SCSI only). I've had reports that the card does work in some Mac models, but don't remember if a 7200 was one of them. If
you have run a Iomega JazJet SCSI card in your Mac, please contact me with details.
Thad Brown sent the latest issue of Bring in the Noise (Mac Audio Column).
Rhythmic Disk accessing Problems - More Feedback: James A. Ogle sends a note regarding a fix (for his machine) of the problem of rhythmic disk accessing
with the shared library manager extension active.
"
I'm not sure if it's the same beast, but I had an experience with rhythmic
disk access recently (the FreePPP, shared library manager mess). Well I
found the exact source of my problem and eliminated it easily (and it has
nothing to do with FreePPP or shared library manager) My specific symptom
was a tiny chirp (disk access) almost exactly every second. On closer
inspection, it was EXACTLY every second. So thinking of things that count
seconds, I went straight to the Date and Time Control Panel and set the
menu bar clock to a standard system font (I had recently set it to Century
Gothic) and Viola!... problem solved. (FYI: clean install of OS8.1, OT
1.3, OT-PPP 1.0.1, no FreePPP.)
"
Ansen Kwan reports that a suggested fix did not help:
"
the suggestion one of your readers sent in does not work, i have the "load
when needed" box check and i still have the annoying idle disk access.
here's the weird thing: i have two internal drives one ibm 2.1es and a
cuda4.3. only the cuda is exhibiting the random cyclic accesses. (i know
because i hot wired the LED wires so i can see them out side of my case)
running 8.1.
go figure. thanks!
ansen"
"
I have had a problem that sounds like the "rhythmic disk access". What
happens is that when I drop the PPPmenu menu and start to drag toward a
selection, the menu goes away and the computer endless loops on regular
accesses about 1/2 second every 2 seconds. Any window under the freePPP
(dropped) menu does not get updated and the mouse and keyboard are ignored.
The mac wait clock face flashes during the access.
It never happened until I got OS 8.1. It has only happened when accessing
PPPmenu. It has happened using PPP/OT and freePPP 2.6.2. The PPPmenu
version is 2.5. I like it and it the problem has occurred so infrequently
that I have not tried to track it down. I have not seen a reference to this
problem anywhere else so I thought it was just my setup. If I find anything
more I will send it in.
A. V. Pawlowski
"
I've always used OT/PPP, and FreePPP seems to be a common thread in most of the problem reports.
Diablo/G3 Net lag: Here's the latest feedback on the lag problem:
"
Just my 2 cents concerning Diablo Net lag w/G3 cpu :
I have no problems whatsoever with My 7500 G3 upgraded (PowerFroce
300/150) with MacOs8.1, 112Mb RAM, being the server or the client on
battle.net. I sometimes have moderate lag, but it's the typical stuff I've seen on
the internet. Nothing of the magnitude reported by some of your readers.
I'm running standard OS8.1 extensions, Quicktime 3.0, techtool
protection and a bunch of Microsoft extensions. I'm using OT/PPP for
connecting to the internet.
It could be an issue maybe with 3rd party extensions associated with
communication, like FreePPP for example, that for some reason don't like
the G3... Who knows ?
I think that the vast majority of Diablo-G3 users have no problem at
all, but it sure would be nice to know what's wrong.
Thanks for your wonderful work Mike and all my best wishes for your
wife.
Patrick Debaumarche"
"
I just bought a G3 233/MT and have played both Diablo and Myth on the
'Net.
I have had no problems with Diablo on the Net from this machine...it is
faster than my old 6200/75/64MB/4.3 GBs
I played Diablo for about eight hours this weekend.
Nothing is slow on this machine...
Wyatt Earp"
"
Mike... just a note
I have diablo on an IPX network between my mac and pc (10baseT). The
mac is very laggy (a powercenter with a powerlogix powerboost 233) and
just fine on my pc. I know it is not bandwidth...
Thanks
Charles Archer
"
Not sure what the problem really is, but several readers have reported severe lags with G3 machines in the last few days news. One reported swapping the old 604E card back in solved the problem. If anyone knows the real source of the problem, please contact me.
The latest Apple InfoAlley
has new articles on LocalTalkPCI Extension: LocalTalk Printing Difficulties, 5500/6500 L2 Cache Disable Extension and Workgroup Server 9650: Clean Install & JackHammer Card
Myth 1.3 is said to be in beta testing now and will add the capability to allow users to customize
the game (design your own levels, unit types, physics models, etc.). Total conversions are said to be
possible as well. Watch http://www.bungie.com for a release date.
Bill Hill sends some comments on Apple service and on the drive accessing issues reported here recently:
"
Hi Mike,
Hope Kay gets well soon.
a couple of items I've noticed in the past couple of days on your page.
1. Apple Warranties:
I purchased a Grey Market 8600/200 from MacMarket. when it arrived the
plastic bag had been opened and the seal broken. I was suspect of this but the machine
booted up fine. Then my floppy went out, well I figured that I would give fate a try and
called Apple, 2 days later a Tech was at my house with a new floppy drive, I was happy.
Then I got the click of death from my internal zip, again I called Apple, It
was replaced. This was all within two weeks
of delivery.
2. I use a Micropolis A/V 2.1Gig as a second drive. I sometimes heard the
disk searching randomly,
it drove me crazy for a while. Then I noticed that it would only do it after
I optimized it.
I also use free ppp 2.6.2.
Bill Hill
"
IXmicro sent word of a new rebate coming soon on the TurboTV:
"
Ixmicro announces a hot-summer special!
Starting June 1st, TurboTV will offer a $20 rebate from the
manufacturer. There will be a coupon in the box to be filled out by the
end-user. If there is no coupon in the box, please refer customers to
www.ixmicro.com for a downloadable coupon. Please begin advertising
TurboTV with this $20 rebate in mind. This offer is only good in the
United States and is limited to one rebate per household or company.
Customers must provide a copy of their receipt dated no earlier than
June 1, 1998."
The next driver version (expected June 15th) is supposed to restore 320x240 video capture that is disabled in the current beta I'm told.
7200 RPM IDE Drives: In the Feb 27 news I mentioned the new fluid bearing 7200 RPM Medalist Pro Seagate drives. Eugene Shekhtman sent word he's returning a new IDE 7200 RPM Seagate Medalist Pro due to reports that the drive runs very hot. According to StorageReview, the drive may exceed the specified maximum operating temperature if not cooled with a fan. See their review for more detail.
Performance was outstanding however and the 9.1 GB model is
selling for as low as $339.99 at Insight. Although StorageReview is totally PC oriented (all tests done on
a PC), the site has a nice feature of allowing selectable comparisons of drives. While on the subject, I wish Adaptec would create a Mac version of their Threadmark disk benchmark, which also shows CPU usage as well as transfer rates.
Reader Requests: Tobias Jachmann asks for feedback on Firewire.
"
Hi Mike,
I have some questions about FireWire. Maybe you can post the following, I think it is of interest for all DV users. You can also post my e-mail address for feedback:
There are several FireWire cards for the Mac out there right know. They range from around $270 to over $3000. But the question is, is there any difference between them ? I do not talk about analog video onboard, SCSI, or their software, only the FireWire itself.
My goal is to buy a cheap FireWire card at $300 or less and a Sony TRV9 DV cam ($1450 in Japan, or $2000 here in germany) . It is said that it has analog inputs too ! So Iīll get a fully digital editing studio, which can also in/out analog for very low money. No need for expensive analog boards, no more mega-bucks DV recorders and no more wrestling with various software. Since it is only a hobby, I will not /cannot spend 10k for it. More info about DV cams at www.supervideo.com
The question is:
Can you use a cheap Radius PhotoDV or Apple FireWire card and run it with other software ? For example the Radius PhotoDV with the EditDV software ? Are there hardware differences between the cards, so that special features really need a specific card ? I do not intend to do anything illegal, I just want to know where the real differences between the cards are. From the logical point of view, all cards should be basically the same.
PC companies like Dell or Compaq say that FireWire onboard is about $9 cost only ! They surely wonīt add that to a $499 PC, but it shows us that FireWire is cheap. So why spend $1000 or so for nothing ? Lets assume that such a PCI card is worth $50, the software then isnīt worth $950, or is it ?
I donīt want to to spend big money on such a cheap product, so I might take the Apple card, which is $300 or less. It comes with video editing software.
There is also a big chance that 3rd party dev. or shareware programmers write some cool stuff soon, which can run with all FireWire cards. It would be stupid if every card needs its own software.
I also found out some info that there are software tools (for the PC) which can access the internal codes on a DV cam to unlock some features, like DV-in (its locked by default here in europe for tax reasons), or NTSC to PAL, or bigger dig. Zooms or whatever. Thereīs no longer a need for the original RM95 remote control for Sony DV cams, which is hard to get.
I know of the following cards for the Mac, if you know more, let me know:
-Adaptec Hotconnect/Ultra 8920/8945
-Apple FireWire card with video editing software (RadiusClone/License?)
-Radius PhotoDV / MotoDV / EditDV
-Miro DV300
-Octopus editing system (with analog board)
-it might be even possible to use a PC card in a Mac ? anybody tried it ?
There is no info on the net about it and since it seems that nobody has ever tried it yet, its time now. Please send me your feedback !"
Please send any comments you have to Tobias at: tobias.jachmann@privat.kkf.net
There are rumors that Insignia will be releasing a SoftWindows 95 for Unix soon.
Net News:
3D Column Logo Contest: I've gotten about 7 offers so far, but I'm still asking for all 3D artists out there to submit their creations for our new 3D Column Logo/Banner.
The winner (and any other interesting entries) is also invited to write an article
(complete w/screen captures if poss.) showing how it was done. I'd like to have all entries by June 15. Resolution should be
200H x 500W (Maximum size - smaller is fine). GIF (animated OK, but try to keep file sizes small) or JPEG format for the final image.
If you'd like to submit a 3D Logo design (full credit given of course), please contact me.
If you missed this yesterday's news here's a summary:
Wednesday's News:
- Netscape version 5
- NewTek's Inspire 3D arrives
- More on shared lib extension/disk accessing
- More on Diablo Net lag issues
- Apple service report
- Appletalk and Photoshop color conversion tables rebuilding
- Tips page on Rhapsody install problems
- Mac OS 8.5 features movie
- MacGurus Ram Guide pages
The Site T-Shirts arrived and they are being shipped starting tomorrow to the 50 winners. For a picture of Kay with one on, click here.
Please check your bookmarks - make sure you are using www.xlr8yourmac.com.
We need your G3 info! Reader "Oz" has offered to help with collecting data on Apple G3 system compatibility issues (hardware and software) of all types. Please send him any Apple G3 system compatibility info/issues you have
or are aware of at: oz@bbdoperu.com
Search Tip! For searches on product names with mixed capitalization, use keywords like PowerBoost Pro (not Powerboost Pro or powerboost pro) and MaxPowr (vs maxpowr or Maxpowr). It seems that capitalization within the word on the site pages is throwing off the engine. Keep that in mind when searching for some of the odd product names.
Need Help? Before you send email for tech support, please check the Troubleshooting page or try searching the site (use quotes for exact matches! i.e. "mach 5" vs mach 5 which will match machine, 5, etc.) and to check the FAQ, Performance Basics, Links, and Forums for solutions to your problems or answers to tech support questions. They have a lot of good info and are a great source of help.
Yesterday's News
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