Accelerate Your Mac! - Railgun 466/233/1MB ZIF Review

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Review: BottomLine's Railgun G3/466/233/1MB ZIF
Published: 6/28/99

Documentation/Installation

Intro | Benchmarks | Appl. Tests | Software Controls | Docs/Installation | Specs/Design | Summary

Documentation/Installation

The Railgun ZIF comes with no printed documentation, but a CD contains the software installer and a Readme File and Acrobat PDF file Installation Manual (135K). The PDF file has no illustrations, unlike most manuals from XLR8, Newer Tech, Vimage, etc.. It has a step by step guide for installation and setting up the upgrade, but some may miss the illustrations. The other nit is the fact the manual uses a font called 'Sand' which was not installed on any of my Macs and results in a error message after loading the file that you have to dismiss. It does not affect reading the file however. I suggest printing out the PDF file, especially if you have only one Mac since you may need to refer to the manual for guidance or switch settings with the ZIF module out of the computer (preventing reading the PDF file).
The manual does have an overview and defines terms like bus speed, bus ratio, backside cache, etc. and has a clear table of switch settings for Beige and Blue and White G3s. Their non-toll free tech support number is also included. Since the Railgun is currently the lowest priced 466MHz ZIF on the market, you may have to decide if a better manual and toll free tech support number are worth paying more for similar hardware.

Total installation time was under 5 minutes, but if you want to experiment with faster than rated speeds you will need to adjust settings and then verify that the new speeds are reliable (I'd suggest at least 12 hours of heavy apps use to verify reliability). Should your system not boot double check the ratio (speed) setting. If using a carrierZIF card see my troubleshooting tips on the installation page of that card's review.

Documentation was adequate for installation but due to the lack of illustrations or a printed version, I rated it a 6.

The next page describes the hardware features and specifications of the card. Or you may use the links below to jump to a specific page.

Index of Railgun G3 466/233/1MB Review Pages
Intro | Benchmarks | Appl. Tests | Software Controls | Docs/Installation | Specs/Design | Summary

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Copyright © Mike, 1999.

No part of this sites content or images are to be reproduced or distributed in any form without written permission.
All brand or product names mentioned here are properties of their respective companies.
Users of the web site must read and are bound by the terms and conditions of use.

The Source for Mac Performance News and Reviews
Review: BottomLine's Railgun G3/466/233/1MB ZIF Published: 6/28/99
Documentation/Installation
Intro \| Benchmarks \| Appl. Tests \| Software Controls \| Docs/Installation \| Specs/Design \| Summary
Documentation/Installation
The Railgun ZIF comes with no printed documentation, but a CD contains the software installer and a Readme File and Acrobat PDF file Installation Manual (135K). The PDF file has no illustrations, unlike most manuals from XLR8, Newer Tech, Vimage, etc.. It has a step by step guide for installation and setting up the upgrade, but some may miss the illustrations. The other nit is the fact the manual uses a font called 'Sand' which was not installed on any of my Macs and results in a error message after loading the file that you have to dismiss. It does not affect reading the file however. I suggest printing out the PDF file, especially if you have only one Mac since you may need to refer to the manual for guidance or switch settings with the ZIF module out of the computer (preventing reading the PDF file). The manual does have an overview and defines terms like bus speed, bus ratio, backside cache, etc. and has a clear table of switch settings for Beige and Blue and White G3s. Their non-toll free tech support number is also included. Since the Railgun is currently the lowest priced 466MHz ZIF on the market, you may have to decide if a better manual and toll free tech support number are worth paying more for similar hardware. Total installation time was under 5 minutes, but if you want to experiment with faster than rated speeds you will need to adjust settings and then verify that the new speeds are reliable (I'd suggest at least 12 hours of heavy apps use to verify reliability). Should your system not boot double check the ratio (speed) setting. If using a carrierZIF card see my troubleshooting tips on the installation page of that card's review.
Documentation was adequate for installation but due to the lack of illustrations or a printed version, I rated it a 6.
The next page describes the hardware features and specifications of the card. Or you may use the links below to jump to a specific page.

Index of Railgun G3 466/233/1MB Review Pages Intro \| Benchmarks \| Appl. Tests \| Software Controls \| Docs/Installation \| Specs/Design \| Summary - or - Back to WWW.XLR8YOURMAC.COM
Copyright © Mike, 1999. No part of this sites content or images are to be reproduced or distributed in any form without written permission. All brand or product names mentioned here are properties of their respective companies. Users of the web site must read and are bound by the terms and conditions of use.