Although this may be old news to some, Steve Weisel sent a link to the free WordPerfect 3.5 enhancement pack offer for Mac owners. Corel notes that the free (less any download charges at your ISP) download consists of "the WordPerfect application and utilities only. Clipart, web art, sounds, templates and some fonts that are included with the full product will not be included in the downloadable package." For more information on the offer see their August 19th press release.

Thad Brown sent Issue 45 of our Mac Audio Column. The current issue and links to back issues are always at www.xlr8yourmac.com/audio/

Yesterday I tested the MAChCarrier 450 G3 card in the loaded Genesis which has 512MB of interleaved RAM. I was able to run 55MHz bus speeds reliably (as I could with the first CarrierZIF I reviewed) but the CPU does not seem to want to run at speeds much over the rated 450MHz. Note that the 10X G3 CPUs do not have any ratios between 8x and 10x (no 8.5x, 9x, 9.5x) as they had only one pin available to reuse for the 10X ratio I believe. Still, the 10X ratio will be an aid to higher CPU speeds on Macs that are bus speed limited (with a 10X G3 your CPU speed can be 10 times the bus speed). Previous G3 CPUs were limited to a maximum 8X ratio. I'll have more details and a full review after testing it in the PowerCenter Pro.

[Saturday's News update follows..]

MacGurus sent a note they have Aurora Design's new Igniter high end video capture card in stock.

A reader sent a note that CompUSA had the Sony USB CDR for under $300:

"Hi Mike,
Just wanted to drop you a quick note about the Sony Spressa USB CD burner. I got mine at Comp USA for $299.00. Great Price! Don't know if they still have them for that. Drive works flawlessly but I can't get audio discs to burn at faster than 2X. this should not be a limitation of USB but I have noticed that the Que! drive has the same problem.

I am not sure if I want to burn audio discs any faster anyway. all in all I am very happy with the perfomance of this product. Now, if Opcode would just get those damn USB drivers out for the DAT Port I would be happy.
John Cadwell"

See the summary news section below for links to previous news pages earlier this week that had more comments on USB CDR drives. As I commented in yesterday's news since many SCSI CDRs are $200 or so, if you have a SCSI-less B&W G3 adding an under $75 SCSI card (Initio Bluenote or Adaptec 2906) may be a better value overall as you'll not have any 4x buring issues normally and you'll be adding support for more SCSI devices (but using up a PCI slot).

Several readers wrote about Firewire CDRs (mentioned in the news recently but not available yet). Some things to remember:

1. In every case I know of the drive itself is the bottleneck - not the interface. Even ATA/33 is faster than any current single hard drive, let alone CDrom drive or recorder (even the fastest are 8X - only 1.2MB/sec). So you're not gaining any performance by using Firewire over SCSI or IDE. Even SCSI 1 (5MB/sec) is far faster than any CDRom recorder.

2. USB also has hot swap capability, but as noted here it is not a high performance interface and seems to have common problems burning even at 4x speeds in many cases (that's only 600KB/sec). Still if you want hot-swap capability the $299 Sony CDR mentioned above may be a good choice.

3. The premium on Firewire ($$) is not worth it for a CDR in my opinion. As with any new interface there is a rush to add devices that use it but I suggest you be objective and selective about what really benefits from Firewire (Digital camcorders, etc.). Don't pay twice the price just to be able to use that new interface.

In reply to the Wired4DVD review noted in yesterday's news this reader sent more info his fix for the popping audio problem:

"Hi. At first I was experiencing problems with popping noises when playing DVD's. Sometimes it was hardly noticeable, and others it was quite loud. The solution I found was turning off System Sounds in the Appearance control panel. Since I have done that, I have not had any problems. Let me know if this helps (I hope it does!)
Thanks,
Bryan C. Bailey "

The review's reader comments page noted that an equivalent PC Sigma decoder did not work with the Mac drivers (readers asked). Andy Watters wrote about the drop in image quality from the pass-through video connection in the first Mac DVD decoder (now obsolete), the CoolDVD:

"Mike,
Although I did not use the Wired4DVD kit in my (now sold) beige G3, I did have a chance to use CoolDVD. I noticed the comment in the review about pass-through cables, and I must agree that there is a distinct loss of video quality with these cables. On my Sony 200GS 17" VGA monitor, the pass through cable caused the entire picture to shimmer with severe moire. ... the pass-through performance of CoolDVD was irritating; its pink overlay always showed through the video, and it was incompatible with OS 8.5. Suffice to say, I got rid of that kit really fast!
- Andrew Watters"

I keep getting mails asking if the OEM Rage128 will work in std (33MHz) PCI slots. As noted early in the year here in the B&W G3 info page the card is slotted for 66MHz and 33MHz slots. As I've mentioned before, I used an OEM Rage128 in the 9600 and other macs fine. You have to 'force' an install of the drivers with ATI's universal 4.x installer (see ATI Mac drivers page) as it will not detect OEM cards and you'll not be able to use the ATI Control panels (which never has worked for OEM or onboard ATI video cards). See the ATI Rage128 FAQ (sidebar link under video related), Video cards page and Frequently Asked Questions video card areas for more information.

Speaking of the Rage128, still no word on when the fix will be released for 44/54/64/6500/starmax,etc. owners. As noted here earlier in the week Chris at ATI says it should be soon.

Erik sent an update on his TrueX SCSI report (his original impressions were posted on Wednesday):

"Hi Mike,
I've completed Round II of testing the SCSI TrueX drive in my 9600/350, and once again it's a mixed bag.

As one of your readers noted this morning, the OS 8.5 CD doesn't have any trouble mounting (presumably because it includes a universal driver). Unfortunately, the TrueX's compatibility with other disks/drivers can best be described as "spotty".

I tried the "Apple CD-ROM 5.3.1" driver from System 7.6 as recommended yesterday. On the plus side, it did mount CD-ROMs successfully (and disk reads are blazingly fast). On the minus side, Audio CD support was quite shaky - the "Play" function worked, but skipping tracks, jumping to tracks, fast forward, etc didn't work. The system also complained several times that there was no Audio CD inserted. [My TrueX IDE review noted that even on the B&W G3, the control strip player worked but the CD player didn't as far as advancing tracks when one was playing, etc.-Mike]

Although I didn't have Intech's SpeedTools, I checked out their site (www.intechusa.com) and figured that $29.95 was worth the gamble. Unfortunately, CD-ROM SpeedTools does not recognize the Kenwood drive at all. However, it's good to read that they are working on adding support for the TrueX.

I also tested with System 8.6's CD/DVD driver (v1.2.2). Results were the same as with the 8.5 driver - nothing. However, once I applied the hack to "genericize" the driver, the drive began to work - sort of. Running the hacked driver, the startup process freezes. However, if I manually open the CD-ROM tray, the startup process then completes normally, and the Kenwood then functions as a normal CD-ROM drive! (I'm at a loss as to why) Audio CD support with the hacked driver is comparable to the 5.3.1 extension - the disk can play, but that's about it. However, it's sufficient for my purposes until Intech or Apple can come up with a better solution.

In summary, the SCSI TrueX doesn't seem quite ready for the Mac (or perhaps vice versa ;) but if you don't mind the cost and you're willing to put up with some nagging compatibility issues, it might be worth a look. No real complaints here - I knew the risks, and the drive does what I need it to do.

As always, thanks for your dedication to Mac users everywhere!
--Erik Giberson "

I've not used DirectCD on the Mac but perhaps some readers that have can offer some tips or comments on the following reported issue:

" I suspect DirectCD is incompatible with the G3.
I made several CDRWs via a Yamaha 4416s using a Mac with system 8.1 and DirectCD 1.04. When I attached the Yamaha 4416s to a G3 with system 8.6 and DirectCD 1.04, I encountered the following:

1. The Mac wants to initialize the disk.
2. The Mac reads the disk very slowly after rebuilding the CDRW's desktop."

Perhaps this is an OS issue not a Mac model issue. Reader comments/tips are welcome.

Jeremy writes that the RAVE game Bugdom does work with the Voodoo3:

"Mike,
I noticed you added my Bugdom review to the database [games review database-Mike], but in case you didn't read the body of it, Bugdom does work with the Voodoo3 card as long as you don't use the Voodoo2 RAVE extension. This way it seems to run under software rendering and it works just fine - see the review for more details. Thanks for an awesome site!
Jeremy Hansen
High Speed Logic Design
Applied Micro Circuits Corp "

Site sponsor Bottom Line sent their latest list of weekly specials on CPU upgrades, iMacs and B&W G3s.

Recent updates to Apple's TILs included an update to TIL #24965 titled 'Mac OS: Matching Mac OS ROM File To Mac OS Version'. (Now if they would just release one that removes the B&W G3 G4 CPU check ;-)

According to a press release Orange Micro is working on a Firewire/SCSI adapter:

"Howdy Mike,
I don't recall seeing this product mentioned on your site yet, but apparently Orange Micro has a Firewire/SCSI converter under development:
http://www.orangemicro.com/pr992506.html

Pricing is not shown, but I assume it'd have to be cheaper than a cheap SCSI card ($49 for Orange's 10MB/sec offering) or else it just wouldn't be worth it. I was poking around for just such a product when I was looking for a CD burner, and opted for a USB burner instead (didn't feel like trying to hook up a CD burner to my Ultra-Wide SCSI card, which will migrate to any new machine I buy...)

The press release is dated some time near end of June, but it seems to have gotten buried. I didn't see anything of the sort at the MWNY booth.
-- Ed "

The adapter is listed on their Firewire page, but no pricing or availability. I've written them asking for more details.

If you don't check every day's daily news (updated several times a day normally) you might miss something valuable. Check the summary list below for highlights of the last few day's news and the archives page for older new page links. For a blast from the past, read what was on the news page here exactly a year ago.

Other Net News:

• Bare Feats Orb review (Bare Feats)
• Intel slashes Pentium III prices- pressured from AMD's Athlon, up to 41% price cuts due Monday (News.com)
• AOL's high speed challenge (News.com)
• Student draws first Net piracy conviction (News.com)
• Officials fight public panic over Y2K (News.com)
• eBay users miffed over new fees (News.com)

Friday's News Summary

• Bottom Line CPU card sale
• Reader review of Wired4DVD PCI decoder card
• New Mac MP3 encoder software available
• XLR8 MAChCarrier 450 arrives
• XLR8 reduces prices on Performance Package
• MAChcarrier/CarrierZIF excluded from free Perf. Pkg offer
• Latest TrueX SCSI Feedback with IntechUSA drivers
• OS X Server running on G3 upgraded 7300 w/Voodoo3
• Unreal 224 Beta6 comments, troubleshooting page and framerate tests
• Rage128 Nexus/VR features and performance clarification
• Apple Sues over eOne
• MicroSoft USB Keyboard on Lombard
• Voodoo2 Coolers
• More on USB/Firewire CDRs
• Mac Game Framerates database updated
• Rate Your G3 Upgrade database updated
• Rate Your Mac Games database

Thursday's News Summary

• Dangers of Overclocking
• reader report of PB1400 w/G3 upgrade cdrom problems
• 8100/G3 Upgraded reader tip regarding Spigot Power AV Card cable
• More Kenwood TrueX SCSI cdrom drive feedback
• Intechusa rumored to support Kenwood SCSI drive soon
• List of OS X server supported graphics and scsi cards
• Unreal 224 Beta 6 released
• Other World Computing Norton 4/AfterLife/Full Throttle $49.95 bundle
• Prototype B&W G3s had IR port?
• QT 4.0 Pro free upgrade for Qt3 Pro owners (reader rant)
• More Lombard USB Feedback
• More reader feedback on USB to SCSI adapters
• Reader comments on Sony USB CDR
• Game News page updated
• MAC3dfx.com updated
• New Mac Game Performance (framerates) database updated
• Rate Your G3 Upgrade database updated
• Rate Your Mac Games database updated
• Other Net News

Wednesday's News Summary

• Westlake updates Unreal for higher resolutions for Glide
• Reader suggestions for CDROM extensions to try with Kenwood TrueX SCSI
• More reader feedback on USB to SCSI adapters
• Reader tale of woe with Lomboard PB G3 USB compatibility
• Reader review of Carmageddon 2
• Reader report on Kenwood TrueX SCSI drive
• Reader Report on QUE USB CDRom recorder
• Proformance III owner notes updated ROM/Control panel improves Rave games
• Reader comment on Newer USB to SCSI adapter
• Game News page updated (part 2 of 3D card summary and more)
• MAC3dfx.com updated
• Mac Game FPS database updated
• Rate Your Mac Games database updated
• Rate Your G3 Upgrade database updated
• 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, you might want to 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 your particular mac model as I have gotten several reports of issues with certain G3 upgrades in some Mac models (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).

-Freq Asked Questions