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01/21/99 - Friday's News:	Current News Page
Yosemite in Black: Don't like that Bondi Blue? Frank Bernier sent a URL to a page that shows how to paint your Yosemite Black. We both think it actually looks a lot better in black and gray (honest -take a look at the black and gray version). = 11:00 PM Update = My ISP has been upgrading/modifying servers lately so access to the site has been affected several times today. More Yosemite Networking Issues: Paul Constantine wrote that more info on networking problems with the Yosemite was posted at: http://www.maccentral.com/news/9901/21.network.shtml. One reader suggested that a different autoswitching hub might be needed to solve the ethernet problem mentioned earlier today: " Mike, I'd assume the problem has to do with the autoswitching (Full Nway or Half Duplex) nature of the G3 Yosemite (and iMac) ethernet and the brand of hub the reader is using. I had a similar problem with a DSL Modem and a 10/100 switch. Powering the switch on and off proved to be a solution for a couple of hours, but ultimately I had to swap it for a different model (an Asante FS4008E) which allowed certain ports to be locked down in a half-duplex 10 base-T mode. Of course this is the opposite of the reader's problem, but I think it's safe to say that it can be resolved with a newer auto-switching switch (or hub). Lewis Werner " = 4:00 PM Update = Vote for the Mac! Today's Unreal News update has a note on GameSpot's poll asking if the Mac is a viable gaming platform. Let's make the world aware that Mac gaming is alive and well. The poll is on the right side of the main GameSpot page (down a bit) at: http://www.gamespot.com/. Yosemite/Virtual PC: Connectix responded with an installation note on Yosemite machines: " Hi Mike-- Regarding your report from the Yosemite user trying to install Virtual PC: Our current electronic registration program is not compatible with the new Yosemite machines. The eReg program scans the SCSI bus to profile the system. Unfortunately, it doesn't properly handle the new machines without SCSI. The workaround: Yosemite users should turn off virtual memory before running the Virtual PC installer. When the eReg program appears hit "Cancel". Installation should then complete and VPC will function properly. Customers can send in the postage-paid registration card or register from our website: http://www.connectix.com/connect/N_reg.html This eReg program has been removed from new productions of Virtual PC. Best, Kathy Westergaard Product Manager, Virtual PC Connectix Corporation " I've added this information to the Yosemite Compatibility page for future reference. = 3:00 PM Update = Carmine's MiM News Feed (links may not work in the future) AppleTIL Updates (FRIDAY.01.22.99)  Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White): Imation SuperDisk Driver Compatibility  Apple/GV 56K Modem Updater Read Me  Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White): Certain Keyboards Disallow Open Firmware Booting  LaserWriter 8500 PPD 1.1: Read Me  Convert2DOS Read Me  iMac: Troubleshooting "No Dial Tone"  Display Enabler 2.4.1 Read Me  V.90 Protocol: Connectivity Discussion  Europe Adopts New Currency, the Euro  Apple Network Assistant 3.5: Description & Product Details  Network Assistant 3.5: Compatibility With Subsequently-Released Products  Network Assistant 3.5.2 Updater Read Me  Network Assistant 3.5.2 Updater: Read M Apple Comp to launch new iMacs in Japan on Sunday (Yahoo) Will Macs make a comeback because of the iMac's success? (ZDNet) Intel: We won't track ID chips (ZDNet) MS: Visual J++ complies with Java (ZDNet) Russia Readies for Year 2000 Bug (Yahoo) Cybertainment: Bytes Of Buzz From Sundance (Yahoo) = 2:00 PM Update = The folks that make OS Booster (http://www.cogco.u-net.com/OSBooster/) sent me a mail apologizing for the first tryout version being set to one launch (this may be why Frank was unable to get it to work with Unreal perhaps?). They say the current version 1.01 has this extended to 30 launches. They also commented on Frank's earlier report of Unreal problems: " Hi Mike, I've just read the comments from Frank Bernier on your site. This is not our experience at all. Our beta testers have reported meaningful improvements with both Myth I and Unreal. Note, if you have insufficient RAM to run Unreal, you must leave the memory control panel enabled with an appropriate VM setting. If Unreal is crashing, first ensure that there is enough logical memory. If that doesn't fix it, make the 'free memory' value larger in OSBooster's config panel. The nature of the performance improvement is such that game players find the game more responsive to user input than witness gross improvements in frame rate (though there should be a small improvement). On the other hand, we quite clearly say on the website that the greatest improvements are with non-G3 machines with 64MB or less. Just a general point: We'd be the first to admit that buying a Voodoo II or a processor upgrade will do more to accelerate your mac than installing OSBooster. Nonetheless, there is a useful improvement in performance. -Simon" Frank later replied to my request for a retest: " I retried it earlier tonight with the previous version. I was able to get rid of the type 3 error by giving more memory in the allocation box at startup (gave 20000k). Unreal started to load (splash screen ) but after that it hanged. (saw the desktop). Normally, if you remember, after loading the files it Unreal needs, you hear a "click" indicating the monitor is changing resolution. It did not happen. I believe now that this app is also altering the resolutions . The splash screen when starting Unreal with the booster on , looked distorted. The edge of the screen also. I will try to dig more on that tomorrow but I am clueless at this point since I set Unreal to run at various screen refresh rates with no luck. Starting with the monitor in 640x480 (75 Hz) did not help either. Frank " Yosemite Ethernet Problems?: " Hi Mike We have been having a frequent intermittent problem with the ethernet on our new Yos G3 400. We have three Macs and one printer connected to a LAN with a 10baseT hub. A DSL line is also connected to the hub. Everything works fine, except that occasionaly (once a day average) the new G3 will behave as though it has no ethernet hardware. This has never happened while there was ethernet activity involving the Yos. When it is happening, no network connections are successful-- printer cant be found, Netscape cant get an IP number, ping fails, shared disks are unavailable,etc. The ethernet on the other two computers work fine during one of these events. During one of these events, I have taken the ethernet cable out of the Yos and put in in a lap top and sure enough, the connection is fine. So, the problem is downstream of the cable which is why I suspect the Yos ethernet hardware. We can not determine what kind of activity causes this (Firewire use for example), but a reboot or shutdown does not fix the problem. A long period shutdown "seems" to fix it however, I'm not sure of this. Have you had any other similar reports ? Can you suggest some way to further diagnose this problem ? Thanks, Dan Baldwin " Dan later noted no other PCI cards were installed, and only Premiere 5 extensions (other than Apple's) were loaded. [See updates above more for info/suggestions] If anyone has had similar problems or can offer tips on a solution please contact me. Yosemite Software Install Woes: I've installed Lightwave 5.6, Photoshop 5, Macbench, Unreal, Quake, TombRaider II so far with no problems but I don't run Conflict Catcher. He verified he did not have any antivirus programs or 'protect system folder' enabled [see the update below for VPC install solution]: " I got something strange going on and I wonder if you or any of the readers may be able to offer any assistance. My 350 Mhz PowerMac G3 Pro does something very strange. Installing certain software packages, including ones that do not place anything in the control panels or extensions folders of the System folder cause the ATI graphics accelerator extension to be Xed out on reboot and then it is impossible to change resultions without the machine hanging. Virtual PC 2.0 (Windows 95) is the biggest culprit but there are others. In fact, I can't get VPC to install at all. The installer hangs when the registration dialog comes up. I use conflict catcher 8+ so I created a super minimal set of the extensions and control panels for installation purposed and very with this the problem still occurs. Since I'm running only a few pure Apple distributed files there shouldn't be too much of a chance for a conflict. With the minimal set, the installer completes without error but attempting to run VPC results in a "VPC is not installed properly" message. Any ideas? mark " Solution: A reader later wrote that he had the same error message on a Yosemite until he applied the latest update (2.1.1) from Connectix's web site. Patrick Debaumarche commented that if you have to reinstall VPC over an existing installation, make sure you delete the preferences file first. Frank Bernier has another massive daily update of the latest Unreal and other gaming news along with a status update on Dave at the Unreal page. Bottom Line sent their latest list of Weekly Specials that includes new G3s and iMacs, CPU cards, CDRs, RAM and USB products. These specials are good until 1/28/99 or while supplies last. = 12:30 PM Update = The Yosemite Compatibility page has an update from a Media 100 owner with additional comments on compatibility issues with the new G3s. Hopefully these problems will be addressed in the future as he laments having to revert to a beige G3. The page also has an update from a reader on tests with a Sonorus audio card and Cubase. Frank Bernier sent a note that http://www.imacworld.com/mezzanine.html backs up the reader comments in yesterday's news on Formac's mezzanine slot kit for Rev C iMacs. Tim Jacobs also sent a URL to a Formac page with more info: Also the Formac page (in French) that has more information on their iMac products: http://www.Formac.com/francais/pages/cadrestockage.html Frank Bernier later wrote with of OS Booster tests with Myth II and Unreal: " Hi Mike, I quickly tried Os booster with Unreal and Myth II. With Myth II, I did n t see any improvement, not a single FPS boost with the Myth II fps toolkit (21 fps with Voodoo1 G3, 330,512k) With Unreal, it did not work. When starting, Unreal quit with a type 3 error. I had a resolution switching problem at first also, so I had to switch the monitor resolution to 640x480 before restarting with OSbooster. My impression on OSbooster is that it simply does what some games are already offering : Quitting the finder to speed up things a bit, deactivating all unnecessary extensions and automatically allocating the maximum RAM to an application. All in all, everything anyone can do manually (some freewares can also modify the finder and add a quit feature).I will try Quake tonight but I bet I won`t see any improvement. The best improvement could be seen with Virtual PC maybe but that remains to be confirmed. Frank Bernier http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/games/UNREAL/" Some games already 'take over' the system (limiting background processes) I think, so cases like that gains may be minimal. Frank's comment on Unreal does not match the initial report in yesterday's news but not sure what config/Unreal version the first report was using. Frank Sottile sent a URL to a very unusual hard disk heatsink/fan cooling system at http://www.macase.com.tw/ms-10.htm. Any japanese readers out there that have tried one? For those that wrote to ask about Dave, the latest word is he's out of ICU and actually walking a bit. Frank will have a full report in the Unreal news page later today. Yesterday's News Summary Carmine's TIL Updates and Net News Feed Formac Mezzanine slot kit for rev C iMacs? Pixel 3D free download OS Booster initial feedback in games Large update to Unreal News with status update on Dave's condition Comments on memory bandwidth tests with Yosemite G3 Modem kit rumors on new G3s Comments on USB Cable problems/damage Many comments on CD/removable disk pauses and possible aids to address it Note on "Calc Folder Sizes" OS Booster announced Peek-a-Boo util lets you tune CPU time allocated to processes More on slow CDrom mounting Yosemite Slave IDE drive (I was able to do it) Yosemmite compatibility page updated New Ethernet article posted Playstation emulator/MacMagic problem report More V.90 update feedback from beige G3 owner Audio News (Spacescape press release) Summary of prev. days news For other recent site news/features links, see the Recent Site Features page. Note: Before sending tech support related questions please check the Freq. Asked Questions, Site Contents, CPU Card reviews/articles, SCSI reviews articles, Graphics card reviews, Tips/Misc, Message Boards and Help pages - in many cases the answers to your questions are there and they have far more detail than I can list in an email. For Apple G3 system info - see the G3-ZONE. For links on recent articles, see the Recent Features page. Please try the Men in Mac Help page as an alternative on requests for tech support to help me be able to spend more time on reviews. Thanks. Make a Difference: Be the Difference Randy Mita, Brad Lau and I came up with a new slogan and theme for Mac advocacy - "Make a Difference: Be the Difference". We're asking that all Mac owners take advantage of every opportunity to let others know the Mac advantage. It's a grass-roots approach that will surely help.