"I just installed one of these bad boys yesterday and left a thread in the forum. Forgot to mention my experience with CVGS. It worked flawlessly for me with version 1.2 [patched] to use back-up games. I only played it for a couple minutes but seemed to work great. It did freeze up when I tried ejecting the disk but a force quit got me out of it.
Shawn"

The G4 Forum has a lot of discussions that might be of interest to readers. Shawn later added his comments on CVGS to his original post on the drive there. He noted the drive was louder than the original OEM drive in the Yikes.

Compaq's iMac Attempt: ZD/Net has an article titled Compaq hopes to follow the iMac that talks about their new PC that looks like a toaster (?).

G4 Tests - 1MB vs 2MB Backside Cache: I've posted a page with application and benchmark test results of the XLR8 G4/350 with 1MB and 2MB cache sizes. Application tests in Lightwave 3D, Photoshop 5.5, Virtual PC 3.0 and more as well as the usual MacBench tests. Memory benchmark results illustrate the effects of backside cache mode settings. The stock 9600/350 CPU's performance is also included for comparison.
[Update: There's a later review of a G4/450 2MB CPU upgrade from Metabox linked on the G4 reviews listing.]

Quake3 Arena Mac Demo: An updated (non-Test) playable demo of Mac Quake III arena is now available at http://www.quake3arena.com/demo/. (Thanks to Ted James for the heads-up).

DVD Screenshot Tips/Comments: Here's a sample of some of the mail from yesterday's reader request. First a PowerBook G3 (wallstreet) owner says he's able to grab screenshots of DVD fine (odd, since that's a hardware decoder and should use chroma keying):

" I do this all the time on my Powerbook G3 (Wall Street) using the old apple/command-shift-3 key combination. First, watch the movie at full screen presentation. Use the space bar to pause the picture and then hit apple/command-shift-3 key combination. It saves the picture to the hard drive. Pretty simple actually.
Barry Lander"

[Update- after asking him to verify the screenshot file actually showed the DVD movie image he noted:]

" Never mind my suggestion. Now I see problem. When I did the screen shots, the dvd was still in the drive. So when I launched Simple Text to look at the picture - it was till there - a nice still of the Frankenstein monster . Once the DVD is gone....the picture is gone too. "]

Another reader comment on the issue with hardware decoding (many readers wrote with this info) and notes the software decoding on iMac DVs and new G4s (AGP systems) allows screenshots:

"There is a two part answer to your question about DVD screen capture, depending on where the video stream is decoded:

Hardware: The ATI Rage 128 (and I assume other cards) with the DVD decoder does a chroma replacement when it puts the video on the monitor. This is done directly by the video card and never goes through the processor. The DVD player window simply shows a solid color (it's all you'll get if you do a screenshot) that is replaced by the video card as it is presenting the video to the display. So, if you use the hardware player then there is no way to do a screen capture without additional hardware (Mac->TV->Mac type conversion). [a Wired4DVD card owner outputs the video out to the video in on his Beige G3 to capture it he said-Mike]

Software: You're in luck if you have a new G4 or iMac DV. Your Mac uses software DVD decoding (rather poorly at this point). That means that you can do screenshots of your DVD. I tried Snapz Pro and trying to make a QuickTime movie of a playing DVD movie isn't a reality yet (on a 450MHz G4), but stills work fine.
Brett T Gross
Technology Guy, College of Arts & Architecture"

Another 12X Mac CDR: Mike Mihalik of Lacie responded to the reader report on the Smart and Friendly 12X CDR with SCSI card bundle in yesterday's news:

"LaCie 12x4x32x CD-RW for Mac will start appearing soon at most online and catalog resellers, and announcement at Macworld SFO in January. Shipments start Jan 1.

Bundled with Toast 4.0.1.1 Standard Edition (not Deluxe)
SRP is $459 without SCSI card.
So SAF is not the only one.
--
Mike Mihalik
http://www.lacie.com"

Sony FireWire Spressa Feedback: More comments on the Sony Firewire (Ilink) CDR drive mentioned in an iMac DV problem report in yesterday's news:

"We've actually found that the Sony iLink drive is not compatible with the new iMacDV's and the new G4's. Charismac (makers of the burning software) informed me that the Initio Firewire to IDE bridge they use in the iLink drives is not compatible, and may require the drive to be sent in to be fixed.

But, the easier solution is the Ricoh 6x4x24 from Fantom Drives (part #360106-FW-M). This drive we have found to work with the iMacDV's (not G4's yet), but you need the Sony CD-ROM/Hotplug extension version 1.40, and Discribe 2.75. You will need to contact Charismac to get the Discribe update. Once you get ahold of all the updated software, the last thing you'll need to do is disable the Quicktime Firewire extensions, for some reason they seem to be the cause of crashing in Discribe. Hope this helps
Jake Beck

You can grab the Sony CD-ROM/Hotplug extensions here:
ftp.charismac.com/pub/Discribe/cddriverupdate1.40.sea.hqx "

This owner says it has worked in his G3 and Yikes G4 machine:

"I have used the Sony Spressa 120 Firewire successfully on the G3 and G4 (old motherboard) without any problems. Even Toast 4.0 was able to use the Sony. When I switched to the G4/450 (new mother board) the drive started having big problems. Sony told me that the drive is not certified for the G4 and that I should give it back, which I did. Computer4sure was nice to help and to take it back without much discussion.
Sony told me that maybe one time they will be able to run the Spressa on the G4.
Mike Andre "

More Turbomax/Softraid Comments: Although some Turbomax IDE card owners are running Softraid fine on IDE drives there have been mixed reports (see the IDE Raid Feedback page linked in the sidebar and SCSI/IDE/HD topics page). That page also has comments from Mark James of Softraid on troubleshooting tips. There have also been mixed reports on OS 9 compatibility with the Turbomax card over the last month or so (some are running fine, others have problems). This owner notes the card itself seems to have been incompatible in his setup:

" Just finished installing a new Raid last night using 2 x Atlas 10K drives and a Miles/2 controller for my beige G3 (Mac OS9). Formatted the Atlas drives with SoftRaid 2.21 and the system would hang upon re-boot. Formatted with Apple Drive setup and all went well. If I booted without the external raid on, I could later mount the SoftRaid formatted drives. Changing which slots the TurboMax & Miles cards were in mad no difference.

Pulled the TurboMax card, formatted the Atlas drives with SoftRaid (stripe 0) and it boots just fine.

Obviously I need to do more testing. I was wondering if anyone else has been down this road before and is successfully using the TurboMax card with the Miles/2 and SoftRaid.
-bob"

I asked Bob if he was using the latest Miles2 firmware update noted in yesterday's news software updates section.

Reader Request: Pioneer DVD/CVGS Compatibility If any readers that have the Pioneer DVD drive mentioned in the recent news could report if the drive will run Connectix's Virtual Game Station (Playstation Emulator) please contact me. (The Toshiba DVD ROM drive I reviewed in my Beige G3 does - see IDE articles page, CD/CDRW/DVD section for the review link.)

World's Smallest USB Scanner: Apple's latest Enews had a mention of a small portable USB scanner from NEC called Petiscan. Looks very interesting and truly portable. Specs: weights 1.3 lbs., USB bus powered (no external supply needed), 300x600 dpi resolution, 7.5ms/line scanning speed, max image size 5.6" x 3.9" (A6/Postcard size). Includes Presto PageManager (win/mac), Presto ImageStitching (mac) and Adobe Photodeluxe. Suggested list is $179.

DSL Info: Vicomsoft have an informative document about DSL which is interesting to both novice and advanced users alike at http://www.vicomsoft.com/knowledge/reference/xdsl1.html (link may have expired)

For a blast from the past see what was on the front page news here one year ago.

Thursday's News Summary

• Beige G3 7.5x and 8x Bus/CPU Ratio Jumper Settings
• $87 Pioneer 10X Slot Loading DVD Drive
• IBM ViaVoice for Mac Owner Report
• Reader Request: DVD Screen Capture
• Smart & Friendly 12X CDR report
• Sony Spressa Firewire CDR/iMac DV Problems
• Miles U2W firmware update for VM fix/G4 systems
• Toast 4 OEM version update
• Mac FLY! patch comments
• Sonnet Cresendo extension updated
• Other Net News

Wednesday's News Summary

• Database server down for software update
• OWC Notes on rev 1 Beige G3s and 466MHz ZIF upgrades - ROM update needed?
• MacGurus PowerForce Sale with reader discount
• Emagic Releases The First Altivec Enhanced Pro Audio App
• Lower Prices on Pioneer 10X DVD Drive
• Initio updates SCSI Card Firmware for OS 9/VM/G4 issues
• Sony Spressa USB CDR Tip - Toast4 extensions solve some compat. issues
• Older Macs and Audio Playback Fixes
• PCI Slot Tip for Starmax/USB card owners
• Software Updates: Virex, GameRanger, Soundjam MP, Ratoc Firewire PCMCIA drivers updated
• Other Net News

Tuesday's News Summary

• XLR8 (Technology Demo) 2MB Cache G4 Update
• PPC Checker/G4 Errata
• $1299 Yikes G4/350
• Pioneer 10X DVD Drive in G4
• HP9110i 8X CDR in Macs
• More Info on Sawtooth Rev 2 Motherboard Changes
• XLR8 Cuts Prices on G3 Upgrades
• iBook and USB CDROM Recorders
• CPU Review, Game Review and Game/Video Card Framerates databases updated.
• Rage128 PRO Game Performance
• Quake3 Arena Strategy Guide
• Intel Cuts PIII Prices again

Monday's News Summary

• Monitors & Picasso 3.1.1 update
• Sawtooth Rev 2 Motherboard Changes? No Intel Ethernet chip
• 2MB cache G4 upgrade followup
• Genesis system problematic with G4 upgrades
• Problems running VPC with TurboMax/TrueX CDROM/OS 9
• G4 Upgrade Virtual PC 3 Benchmarks
• Notes on Altivec Application Switching - registers must be saved/restored
• More Tech Info on AIWA Tape Drives for auction/'bare' drive owners
• $1499 Yikes G4/400 systems
• Yikes vs Sawtooth Pros/Cons listed in FAQ Apple G4 section and Dec 4th news page
• PPC Checker 1.3 now supports G4 CPUs.
• OWC says their PC100 RAM is 222
• Stories of mixed speed SDRAM problems in G4 Forum
• Y2K Software Updates special from Insider Software
• Other Net News

For links to older news pages see the Archives page.

The recent features page has a lists reviews/articles you may have missed.

For a guide to finding answers to questions - see my Site Guide page.

Considering a G3 Upgrade? Check the CPU Upgrade Owner's Survey results and search for owner reports by Mac model and/or card brand. Readers post new entries daily and the database is updated several times a week. 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) as in many cases problems are later found to be due to settings errors, slow L2 cache, etc.

-Freq Asked Questions