Slow Networking Feedback: A reader replies to the earlier post on slow networking on a G3 with some tips:

"I had a major slowdown of this sort when my department moved to a new building and the newest networking equipment on our campus. There were two issues:

1. AppleTalk was not available until well after the Finder loaded (~30 sec after). Also problem with networked Epson inkjets in our labs.

2. Transfers from my ASIP server (a Server G3 with Zynx 10/100 card, on a switched 10/100 network) were excruciatingly slow, but uploads normal. (Transfers to a 8150 with 10/100 card were relatively normal.)

The solutions:

1. Disabled "tree spanning protocol" at the router/switch level, as it was unnecessary with our topology anyway. Fixed the computers and printers using AppleTalk.

2. Set the ports (not the cards) to autosense 10/100, rather than being fixed at 100 Mbps. The Zynx card (in my Server G3) and Asante 10/100 Nubus card (in my 8150) reacted much better afterwards. [some 10/100 hub brands have been blamed for the B&W G3 'losing' network connections as well-Mike]

I don't know if this helps the particular problem mentioned on your site, but it took me a LONG time to track down and was eventually something I had no control over. Had to have someone else fix it. ;)

Jeremy J. Reichman
Software Specialist (Mac OS)
ISC Client Support Services
Information and Technology Services
Rochester Institute of Technology"

Another reader noted that a clean OS install solved the problem on her TAM and PB 2400:

"I saw a similar problem between a 20th anniversary Mac, and my G3 upgraded Powerbook 2400. The solution was to do a clean system install on my 2400 (transferring over all my preferences, and extra stuff afterwards.) Fixed a PC Card problem I was having as well.
Kim"

Many B&W G3 owners reported networking issues right out of the box but on a system with some use, 3rd party software installs, etc. this could help I guess.

10,000 RPM UW SCSI Fujitsu Drives: A reader notes that Onsale's 'At Cost' store has Fujitsu 10,000 RPM drives for $350.42 - but they are out of stock currently. I didn't realize that Fujitsu made a 10K RPM drive. Anyone ever use these? If so please let me know how they performed.

Yamaha SX1000XG Mac Drivers! Thad Brown, author of the Mac Audio column here sent some exciting news for Mac Audio fans:

"Hey Mike, Here's some really exciting news - Yamaha has posted Mac drivers for their SX1000XG synth/recording card. It's a PCI card and includes 16 channels of external MIDI I/O, 32 channels internal, an MU100 synth, and some recording and f/x capability, and reportedly will work with the B&W G3. Let the people know -the info is at www.xgfactory.com. PC users have really liked this card, it's selling like hotcakes.
Thad Brown"

See the Drivers page for more info - the Mac 1.01 driver is only 221K. They have a page titled Important Info for (B&W G3) Owners. You can download the 556K ZIP file of the Manual (PDF format) to learn more about the card. A Mac FAQ (17K PDF) file is also available online.

The 3D Game News page has notes on MC's latest Game Wizard [card reviewed here last year] RAVE driver (& running them w/Dark Vengence), a great new downloadable WWII Map for MythII, the latest update to 3Dfx Descent, notes on CVGS CDrom compatiblity, Unreal 2.20 bugs/tips and many links on the latest 3D video card technology.

Another Reminder to those that submit an entry to the Rate Your G3 Card (also for Overclocking reports on Apple Beige, B&W G3, iMac) - if you don't enter a valid email address (used for verification-not displayed on searches), then the entry is deleted. I had to delete several today due to the fact email addresses were omitted. There are currently 976 entries in the database and growing every day.

Grappler/Magicscan G3 Update: Satoru Murata writes the Umax MagicScan G3 updater noted in Friday's news fixed the problems he had with a Umax 1220s scanner and Grappler SCSI card:

" Hi Mike,
I saw the post on the MagicScan updater and dowanloaded it right away. Result: complete fix. Although MagicScan 4.2 helped me once with my GrapplerSCSI 930U+UMAX Astra 1220S (after disabling 'multimounter' of DOSMounter98), it soon went back to the normal 'failed to communicate with scanner' condition. I don't know why. Anyway, I updated the driver, and it was fixed. I threw multimounter back in...still works. I then got rid of the 'GrapplerScanner' control panel...still works! So, that's it, I'm a VERY happy man now. Thanks to you and your wonderful site and, I must say this, the plethora of wonderful readers/contributors of your site, too. Now, if only I can get my gPort soon...
Sincerely,
Satoru Murata "

G3 Temps: A reader reports SpeedDoubler/Ramdoubler lowered his G3 CPU temperatures as reported by SpeedMeter 1.3:

" Mike,
Just something curious to share. Two weeks ago I installed SpeedDoubler 8.1.2 and RamDoubler 8.0.1 and I have consistently noticed that my temperatures (as reported by Powerlogix SpeedMeter 1.3) have dropped from 103 Celsius to 89-91 degrees Celsius A whopping 10 degrees celsius! Any idea why this drop in temperature would occur? I can only summize that it has something to do with the file mapping (ram is at its original state - I only use Ram Doubler for the File mapping)? Any one else report this to you?
thanks and keep up the great work on the site!
David Diokno "

More on OS X/G3 CPU Cards: - last week's news had several reports that reported OS X failed to boot with many G3 CPU cards due to too fast a cache speed (one reader said 1:1.5). A 220/110 G3 owner was able to boot by lowering the CPU speed to a point where this ratio resulted in a speed the cache could run reliably. I suggested to an owner that had lockups at boot to try lowering the card speed - he replied:

" Actually, Mike, that hint helped me "break the code." The key is the _bus multiplier_. On my particular system (7600, XLR8 233), OS X would not work at all if the bus multiplier was _greater_ than 5. Any combination of 4.5 or 5 worked; any combination using 5.5 (the default) or greater didn't, causing the above-referenced errors.
I wonder if your other readers will find this to be true.
Thanks!
Rick Zeman "

I welcome feedback on OS X installs on G3 CPU upgraded Macs. Remember to set the CPU speed so that a 1.5:1 cache ratio will result in a cache speed that is at or below the card's cache speed rating.

OS X/8.5.1 Dual Boot B&W G3: After a reader replied OS X would not install on the slave I suggested installing it on the master, with 8.5 on the slave drive (to allow booting with the previous OS). He replied this did work:

" I managed to install OS X on the master and 8.5 on the slave. I can boot without any problems with either disk.
Thanks for your input! "

Many companies (Apple incl.) say Slaves are not supported/don't work on the primary IDE bus of the B&W G3, but as over 100 readers who have followed my guide since it was posted in January know - it does work.

RagePro VR/B&W G3 Owners: Has any RagePro VR owner been able to get video capture to work in the Blue and White G3? (Capture from the VR's monitor, using the ATI util) If so please contact me with details.

$99 (after rebate) 8.4 GB IDE drive: Lee Eichelberger wrote on a Maxtor sale at his Cambridge, MA CompUSA store:

" This week CompUSA is selling these drives for $99! No limit!
The price is $149 - $50 rebate. Also they are advertised as "Re-manufactured" drives, however when I got to the store I found that they are actually new and carry a full Maxtor 3-year warranty!

Also better advertised - the box indicates a serial number from the 2160 family of drives - an older type of Drive that is UDMA but only supports 17 MB transfers. However the actual drive serial # indicates that it is from the 4320 Drive family, which is a much more recent, faster drive (supports 33 MB transfers). This drive only has a 256 kb cache, but the cache to disk ratio is the same as the 17 GB 4320 and should be equally fast, though a little slower than the 13 GB 4320.

...I am in Boston, MA and the CompUSA I went to is in Cambridge, MA.
Lee Eichelberger "

Slow Apple G3 Networking:

" Hi Mike,
I got a problem with G3 built-in ethernet. It takes more than 4 hours to send a 79.5 MB file to the Scitex RIP machine which is an AIX (UNIX) machine running AFP. But it only takes 6 minutes if I the same file from Scitex to G3. FYI, the Scitex is using 10/100Mbps autosensing ethernet card.

Here are some solutions to get it to work:
- Installing PCI ethernet card on the G3 instead of using the built-in one.
- using the autosensing 10/100Base-T hub in between instead of the slow hub.

Have you ever heard any similar problem to this, particularly for any G3 which connected to UNIX running AFP.
Thanks. Bui "

I've asked which mac model (Beige or B&W G3). If you've seen similar problems and know of a fix, please contact me. The B&W G3 Compatibility page has some reports of networking problems (network disappearing from the G3) and there have been several reports in the news (not consistent -seems to vary by hub used and one reader reported only one of his three B&W G3s had the problem).

iMac Overclocking: The latest iMac overclocking report in the Rate Your G3 Card database has a warning/note on why I don't recommend this mod for most owners, as like the Mach 5 Apple CPU card mods (see my Mach 5 Speed Settings article), the tiny resistors require a very experienced solderer to avoid damaging the circuit card.

Nubus SCSI/G3 Upgrade Issues: Here are reader responses to the news post on problems with SCSI cards/SCSI copying large files:

" I have been playing with a 7100 with the 240 Mhz. Sonnet G3 card and ATTO Silicon Express IV scsi card. I have also seen the lockups but don't want to point it to the SCSI card just yet. I want to reinstall the system software etc. first. I did swap the ATTO for a Jackhammer SCSI card and in the testing I did the ATTO is a faster card especially on writes 9MB Sustained compared to 6 on a Quantum Atlas II wide drive. I also wanted to see if the G3 increased SCSI performance with these cards. I would say that it was only slightly increased maybe 5 to 10%. Nubus slots are the bottleneck by far.
Brian "

The issue was that lockups occurred *after* adding a G3 upgrade. Bill Murray sent a copy of a mail from Sonnet indicating they are working on the incompatibility with the Jackhammer Nubus SCSI card:

" Reply to: RE: G3 Cards for NuBus Macs
William,
Our card will work with your Thunder card but it is not currently compatible with the FWB Jackhammer cards. They are currently under evaluation which really means we don't have a time frame as to when we'll be able to fix the problem. But we are working on it.

Keep an eye out on our website (particularly the tech support section) as we'll probably announce compatibility there with a new release of our software.
Thanks for your interest in Sonnet Technology,
Neal McAuley
Sonnet Technologies "

Another verification on the issue:

" Hi Mike Thanks again for the great work Please find enclosed two screen shots of a correspondence I exchanged with Jack hammer storage [indicating Newer Tech G3 compat. only-Mike] and sonnet [indicating incompat. at this time-Mike]. I do not have an ATTO SCSI card on my 8100/80, I do have a Jack hammer. I think there is a problem with Sonnet G3 upgrade with both (and only existing cards for Nubus) I finally decided not to upgrade my 8100/80.
Regards
Evan Iliadis "

I've added this info to the FAQ's SCSI, Older Mac and CPU Upgrades topic areas.

MacTell ZIF Upgrades for C600: The latest MacTell entry in the Rate Your G3 Card database notes a benefit to the ZIF vs L2 cache slot upgrade for the C600:

" I would highly reccommend this upgrade for all c500/c600 owners. This ZIF-socketed unit is perhaps the most elegant if not the fastest G3 upgrade available for these machines. The card replaces the stock processor rather than bypassing it and doesn't suffer from the double startup problem associated with the L2 cache variety. The card does run VERY hot however. The typical temperature is somewhere between 188†F-193†F. It has a rather small heatsink and no fan. Luckily, it is rated to 200†F, and can be (somewhat awkwardly) fitted with a standard 586 fan reducing the temperature by as much as 40 degrees F. MacBench on my system: CPU: 909, FPU: 1176
Christopher Clancy "

As noted in the sidebar of recent site features, a reader review of the MacTell PowerJolt upgrade for the Umax was posted here recently (another review of a C600 upgrade is linked on the CPU Cards page).

Scrolling Wheel USB Mice: A reader wrote asking for info on these. Searching www.blol.com resulted in this page of USB mice. Both XLR8 and Logitech scrolling wheel models are listed. In the last week there was a report on the latest Logitech software and scrolling mouse as well. The latest USB Logitech mouse driver is linked in the sidebar as well.

Daevad sent a note of an Onstream 30GB SCSI drive for PCs starting at $299. Their FAQ indicates that a Mac external drive is planned for 1999. For more information on the drive see their product page.

The PB Zone has more info on the Ebay Mac (AMP?) box noted in yesterday's news. They call it The Lowdown on the Mac Thing. The traced the FCC ID and verified it was made by Apple. Top bid was $921 as of 2AM last night (up from $810 on Sunday).
[Update from PB Zone: "even more evidence has come in to the PB Zone. It's definately an apple machine. I have high detail pictures of the startup screen and all the ports along the back. As many of you will discover, the machine was part of a partnership with british telecom and Apple in 1994 to produce a interactive TV box. over 60 BT employees tested it, so that's where this machine came from. The system was quite complex, and had an infrastructure using a backend designed by ncube, a subsidiary of SGI. (www.ncube.com)"]

A reader reported that disabling Virtual Memory restored Rave mode operation to Virtual Game Station with the OpenGL drivers.

The Geek Radio Network has an interview with Scott Knaster, the Macintosh legend who joined Microsoft. Scott is the author of 'How to Write Macintosh Software' and 'Mac Programming Secrets.' Scott comments on Guy Kawasaki, Steve Jobs (including a great story) and Bill Gates. The interview is presented in Real Audio with text transcripts.

If you missed any recent daily news a summary is below (details on the past 2 days, and links to the last week). For a blast from the past, read what was on the news page here exactly a year ago.

Other Net Computer News:

• Apple Logos Postcards (the PowerBook ones are very cool :)
• Sod House Heaven (MacOpinion)
• The Y2K Blues - Or How I Learned to Love the (OS) Bomb (MacOpinion)
• ATI Rage128 Pro chips promise 50% faster 3D (PCWorld)
• Dell says PII is dead (News.com)
• MS/Intel outline Easy-PC initiative (PCWorld)
• Compaq revenues fall short (News.com)
• Linux knocked in OS Study (News.com)
• Best Sites for last-minute Tax filers (PCWorld)

Weekend News Summary

• Beta ROM for Orange Micro 930U SCSI card
• Sonnet/Nubus SCSI issues reported
• OpenGL drivers affected CDR burning
• Mystery Mac at Ebay
• MoluCad OpenGL app
• VillageTronic MP850/750 1.01 driver update
• Mp850 OpenGL driver notes
• 3D Game news page updated
• XLR8 G3/400 card runs 480Mhz in 7500
• Miles 1.08 update fixes B&W G3 IDE slave problem
• OpenGL drivers fix Canvas 5 problems
• Resizing partitions with HDT how-to
• Bottom Line ZIF G3 Upgrades Sale
• B&W G3/Cubase Authorization Tip
• Umax G3 updater works with OrangeMicro SCSI card
• Other Computer news

Friday's News Summary

• Umax Scanner Fix on FTP site
• Misinfo on ATI Rage128 release
• 2940U2W Speedflex works
• XLR8 Tech Note on 2940/Cache Cntl 1.3.1
• EZ230 drive mtg tip
• More OpenGL driver feedback/fixes
• Initio Bluenote beta rom feedback
• Comments on OpenGL for 3dfx owners
• ID Software's comments on MacOpengl/3dfx
• Dramatic Ram Price cuts on SDRAM
• Starcraft Action Figure offer for Macs
• Navcom Cache Control update
• OWC $449 366MHz/1MB ZIFs
• EZ230/OrangeMicro/B&W G3 working
• FAQ General Mac questions has Reliability tips
• G3 CPU Upgrade Ratings database updated
• 3Dfx Forums FutureCop bug report
• Other Net News

For other recent site news/features links, see the Sidebar to the right and the Recent Site Features page.

If you own a G3/300 or faster Mac, make you get our PPC Checker utility that will report if your CPU is copper or aluminum based.

Considering a G3 Upgrade? Check the CPU Upgrade Owner's Survey results and search for owner reports by Mac model and/or card brand. The database is being updated daily for new reports. Also make sure you ask your dealer about any issues with current builds of some models (ie PF G3) as I have gotten several reports of issues with certain mac models in the last few months (Mach 5, PowerBase, 7300). I urge any owners that have had problems to report this via the Survey Form. Always give the most weight to recent owner reports (dated in the listing).

-Show All Topics-

B&W G3 Related:

-MagicScan G3 Updater
(912K G3/Scanner Fix)
OpenGl Drivers
FireWire 2.0
[File Download]
OEM B&W Ultra2 SCSI
[File Download]
Miles/MilesU2 Updates
ATTO ExpressPCI 1.3.4
(U2 & UW cards)
Rage128 Update 1.0 (485K bin)
or Binhex (660K)
ATTO ExpressPro-Tools [2.1.1]
3940UW v4.1b1 ROM
(Get the 4.0 control below as well)
2940UW v4.1 ROM &
2940UW Control 4.0
Formac PowerRaid Updates
[get hqx version]
Jackammer v1.4 Update
VirtualGameStation 1.1
Plaintalk Enabler
[For B&W/iMac]
Fuse Drivers

Other G3 Models:
-Umax MagicScan v4 (912K)
(G3/Scanner Fix)
OrangeMicro 930U Beta
PPC Checker
Int. Modem Scripts
Apple Modem Update
[File Download]
PB G3 Modem 1.0.2
G3 Modem Update (V.90/56Flex)
See VersionTracker's G3 page for others...

G3 CPU Cards:
Vimage PB1400/2400
Vimage G3/240
(Vimage Update Info)
MacTell G3 Cntl
XLR8 Cache Cntl v1.3 [628KB]
PowerLogix SW
 -Cache Cntl 1.5.1
 -Speedmeter 1.3
 -GuardBit 1.0b2
  (Retrospect fix)
MAXpowr G3 1.3.7
XLR8 Cache Cntl 1.2

Misc/General:
OrangeMicro 930U Beta
MP850 v1.01 update (2.8MB)
ATI OpenGl Drvrs
Office98 GUID Patch
Fuse v1.8
Java Runtime 2.1.1
Drive Setup 1.7.2
USB Overdrive
Mac Mesa OpenGL
USB Drivers
Blue Label Update 1
Mouseworks 5.20 (1.5M)
Inspire 3D 1.0C (7.2MB)
NavCom Cache Cntl 1.3
Logitech MouseWare USB
Yamaha CRW4416 ROM v1.0f
(See Mac Update Utility page)
Apple Displays Software 1.7.1
GV V.90 Flex Preferred Script
IE 4.5 Plug-in Updater
Farallon NIC Update
Lightwave 5.6D GL Update
(7.9MB Download)
MacTell Vision3D Pro/Lite 5.4.0
(ROM update also)

Formac GA 5.4.0
(Graphics Card Driver)
Virtual PC 2.1.2
Stuffit Expander 5.1

Games Related:
Unreal 2.20 B3
MacMame(emulator)
3Dfx Checker Util
Descent 3Dfx 1.14
FutureCop 101A
MP850 Glide Drivers
CVGS v1.2
T.Raider2 Update

OS 8.5 Related
Check VersionTracker
for other updates.

See also Apple's Software Updates

Apple TIL Updates

Check here for cool Sherlock Plugins