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01/26/99 - Tuesday's News:	Current News Page
Yosemite IDE Slave Upgrade: [Update: See the notes in the article about data corruption with the rev 1 IDE chip with slave drives and also reported with other modern IDE drives when used alone. The rev 2 B&W G3 has a revised IDE chip that adds official slave drive support and solves this issue.] I've posted the Yosemite IDE Slave Upgrade article. It's necessarily a little image heavy until I can break the pages up by steps. This will be linked in Wednesday's news as well (in process now). = [6:45 AM (Wed) Update] = Yosmite Modems: Thomas Andre sent a URL to a Global Village B&W G3 internal modem product page. When I called I was told the internal version was scheduled to ship in March and an external version in April. CDW.com wrote earlier today they expected Apple modem kits to arrive in 5-10 days (estimate) for $95 (plus shipping). = [6:45 PM Update] = My ISP says a Sprint line was disconnected today, causing a lack of access to the site. Carmine's MiM News Feed (links may not be valid in the future) AppleTIL Updates (TUESDAY.01.26.99)  NEW 24793 Modem Troubleshooting: Cannot Load Web Pages After Connecting  MOD 30633 PlainTalk Speech Recognition 1.5: iMac And DVD Personality Card Not Supported  MOD 20684 CFM-68K Runtime Enabler Extension: Stability Issue  MOD 30307 Power Macintosh G3: Using PlainTalk Speech Recognition v1.5  MOD 30073 Workgroup Server 7350/9650 Read Me File  MOD 24784 iMac: World Book Encyclopedia Serial Number  MOD 46018 Workgroup Server 9650: Read Me  MOD 30312 Mac OS: Runtime for Java (MRJ) v 1.5.1  MOD 16723 AWS 95 Tune-Up 2.0 Read Me  MOD 58205 Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White): Which SCSI Card to Use with Slower SCSI Devices  NEW 58260 Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White): Read Me  NEW 58261 Macintosh Server G3: Read Me  NEW 24791 Mac OS: Maximum Number Of Items In The Fonts Folder?  NEW 24792 CyberDog: Articles Moved To TIL Archive  MOD 58259 Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White): Apple 56K V.90 Internal Modem Info  MOD 17523 Power Macintosh: System 7.5 Update 1.0 and APD 1.1 Issue  MOD 18316 Power Macintosh 7500/8500: ReadMe File  MOD 18001 Power Macintosh 9500 Series: Read Me  MOD 18586 Power Macintosh 9500: CD 2.0 Contents  MOD 56760 About ClarisDraw Version 1.0 Windows, Read Me  MOD 20222 PC Compatibility Card: PC CD-ROM Discs Aren't Recognized  MOD 18889 PowerBook 190 Series: Read Me  MOD 15724 Remote Access MultiPort Server:Quadra 840av Needs 2.0.1  MOD 14991 QuickTake 100: Power Macintosh Compatible  MOD 58255 Network Assistant 3.5.2 Updater: Read Me  MOD 20621 PowerPC Interrupt Extension: Read Me  MOD 11094 Apple Software: System 7.5.3 rev 2 Compatibility  MOD 19010 QuickDraw GX 1.1.3: Urgent Read Me  MOD 18230 PowerBook Modem & Telecom: Frequently Asked Questions iMac Firmware Update 1.0 (Apple) FTC Orders Apple To Provide Free Technical Support (Yahoo) IMATEC Announces Discovery Conclusion in Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Apple (Yahoo) In Microsoft Battle, a Skirmish Over Apple (Yahoo) Mac-centric Internet Portal Created At MacConnect (Yahoo) Apple settles deceptive ads charge (News.Com) Will there be a Mac WordPerfect? (ZDNet) Apple settles with FTC (ZDNet) Micromat has a special offer on Teck Tool Pro (noted in the latest Evangelist). For Evangelistas they are offering the excellent troubleshooting utility and disk repair/optimizer for only $59.95 (plus shipping and any applicable taxes). That's an amazing value in my opinion. As I've stated here before, if I could own only one utility it would be Tech Tool Pro without a doubt. Its excellent RAM tests can pinpoint a bad DIMM that would be nearly impossible to find otherwise (often leading owners to blame problems on CPU cards, or other hardware). Freeware RAM tests can't compare and it has too many other tests to list (serial, CPU, cache, modem, system files...). My Norton Utils 4.0 Speeddisk may be faster at optimizing drives, but that CD is now used as a coaster after getting Tech Tool Pro. Micromat's long beta test program on v2.1 was a refreshing change in a market that seems to rush products out the door and then post patches later on the web. And to top it off, they provide a detailed printed users guide - a rare thing these days. It's a must have progam in your Mac Toolkit. 'Nuff said. The sale offer is only good direct from Micromat and is valid from 2/1/99 to 4/30/99. During that time they have the same price on a competitive upgrade from Norton Utils (no proof of purchase required according to the PR). Call 800-829-6227 or visit www.micromat.com for more details. Regarding today's post that the new XLR8 1.2 Cache control was rumored to fix the Adaptec/Wide SCSI drive issue a reader sent a URL to an XLR8 Press Release dated Jan 5th that says the new software does resolve the compatibility problem. I'd still like confirmation from owners in general. [Thanks to Aaron Ruby for the link] = 4:10 PM Update = Frank has included links to pictures of Dave and his wife and child in the latest Unreal news page update. As usual there is a lot of other game news besides Unreal. There's also a note that the "generic" voodoo2 drivers leaked to the web some time ago have image problems in the latest beta version of Unreal. Check it out. Readers reported the XLR8 control file was still corrupt, possibly due to the fact they had renamed the file (without notice to me) and my link below was incorrect (still had the previous filename). I've corrected the link below - get the file at: www.xlr8.com/Support/softlib/G3ControlV12.sit. I highly suggest they delete the old copy - it was still there as of 1PM today and could lead to more downloads of the corrupted version. = 12:30 PM Update = XLR8 replied to my mail on the corrupt Cache Control v1.2 , saying they have replaced the file and it should be fine now. [Note: XLR8 changed the file name of the new version, so the original link was still for the older file. I assumed they'd just overwrite the existing file with a corrected version. URL above was corrected at Noon] BTW: Last night I added an IDE ZIP drive to my Yosemite ($75 OEM model sold at most PC shows, basically the $99 retail version less box). I don't have the bezel so it's not pretty but at least it works. I'm trying to get the ZIP bezel now to complete the project. I'm 90% complete with the Yosemite Slave IDE drive article as well, it will get posted by tomorrow for sure (I was side-tracked last night with email and other work). I was able to boot from the IDE slave drive after installing the OS from the Yosemite system CD (dragging the system folder over did not work). = 11:00 AM Update = XLR8 has released their Cache Control v1.2 [latest file name link]. Rumors say it addresses the Retrospect issue and perhaps the Adaptec SCSI card (wide drive mounting) problem as well. If you've tested it regarding these issues please contact me with your XLR8 G3 Card model and mac system specifics. [Note: Several readers have reported the installer does not work, possibly the file is corrupt. I'm reporting this to XLR8 now] As noted in a late update to Yesterday's news, Apple has released the Yosemite Modem kits ($100 + tax). CDW had written to say they were taking orders but their order line was closed at 11PM eastern time. I called several major mail order dealers, most would not accept orders until they had the stock in hand so I ordered at the Apple Store, despite being told it was on 'indefinite backorder' with no estimated ship date. If anyone finds any in stock please contact me. A reader reports that his Motorola CPU based Yosemite does run hotter than most equivalent IBM models (based on owner reports): " Mike, I sent an earlier message about the cpu temp of my new Yos G3 400. The temp of the stock unit was running about 63-67 degrees C. I went ahead and removed the thermal transfer sticker and applied some heat sink compound. The temp has been rock steady at 45 degrees C for several hours now. I also discovered the reason for the higher temps...the cpu is a Motorola. As fars MB results so far the readings are Processor=1304 and FPU=1311 (average). Strange though that with no G3 cache control the processor score dropped to around 1290. " I still question the accuracy of the temperature reporting utilities, as some report as low as 19C _junction_ temperature (that's less than your body temperature and below the ambient room temperature in many cases). The Tips/Misc page has an older article on G3 Temp/Cooling with links to docs with more info on the temp. reporting function of the G3. Readers asked that I repost the note about the Maxtor Diamondmax 10GB drive kit SN tip, which has been a key in the past to getting the faster Plus (7200RPM) drive. All the info is in the G3-ZONE IDE Upgrade article. (Herb - check your email address, it bounced twice) Hanzhi Tang wrote he's using his 3dfx voodoo1 card with a 2nd (dedicated) monitor in Lightwave. Similar stores of Rave apps using the 3dfx card (w/Rave extension) were reported shortly after the Power3D was first released (fall 1997), in fact there is a note on moving the extension to the game folder in my Power3D review. " Mike I found something very wierd tonight. Wierd but very cool. I better explain my system first. I have a 604e 225mhz, and I also have a cheapo Power Tech 3dfx card, I think it was less than 50 bucks (*****PC version using mac drivers from their website*****). It's hooked up to the monitor the usual way, with the Mac output going thru the 3dfx card and then out to the monitor. I was aware that the 3dfx card supports qd3d RAVE right? (3dfx RAVE extension) Well tonight while I was modeling a car with splines, I had the preview set to none, then I went to turn on the preview window to see how the splines looked in 3D, I remember OpenGL smooth doesn't show splines properly, so I selected QD3D Smooth. The whole screen went black, and then filling the whole screen was my spline model and I could rotate it with my mouse too. I figured out what was going on, and now I have a second monitor connected to the 3dfx card, and my main monitor connected straight to the orginal graphics card. Now when using the QD3D smooth option, I have the Modeler tri-view on my usual 17" screen, and the QD3D preview filling the 15" monitor next to it. It is one very cool "feature/bug" You can rotate the full screen preview at about the same speed as you can the usual 1/4 screen preview window. Usually if you try to expand the preview window to fill your screen, it slows to a crawl, however the output from the 3dfx card is running at 640x480 with hardware acceleration so its quite smooth. Mike remember that thing about 3dfx cards only being able to accelerate full screen, well this is it. Thank god, NewTek didn't get rid of the QD3D options in Modeler. I have not tried anything with Layout yet, I doubt it will work. Hanzhi Tang " Remember the Voodoo1 and 2 chips can't do multiple draw contexts (windows), but I have seen them used for some 3D/VRML web browsing on the PC years ago when they were first released. I suspect the above tip would work with the Game Wizard Voodoo2 as well, as it has a (beta) Rave extension. Speaking of 3Dfx cards, just a note on Yosemite and the Game Wizard. The monitor output connector on the Rage128 is a VGA type, so the supplied cable with the Game Wizard will need replacing or the use of a Mac to VGA adapter (beware - on the output end I've had some non-adjustable adapters fail to work). I'm currently using a PC Voodoo2 pass-thru cable, but I'm not sure where someone could but these. Possibly Griffin might sell them as (they sell Mac cable kits for PC 3Dfx cards). For those with questions of 3Dfx cards, check the Freq. Asked Questions (FAQ) - questions 27 and 34 have most of the answers to common questions including adapter notes, driver issues and basic theory of operation. Thomas Koons writes that the PowerLogix AutoCache works well on his PowerBook G3 even with energy saver options enabled (a problem he noted with the prev. G3 cache utility): " Hi Mike, I just wanted to let you know that Power Logix new AutoCache works on my PB 233 even with Reduce Processor speed and CPU cycling enabled. The Speedmeter will not recognize the CPU or cache and shows a bunch of "?" but Newers Guage series does. I shows the CPU at a measily 22Mhz with the cache at 14.5Mhz. This corrisponds with the 3:2 ratio the AutoCache extension showed during boot. It seems that either they fixed the problem of not working with reduced CPU speeds or the fact that it boots very early in the startup fixed it. In either case I am a happy camper :) Thanks, Tom Koons " The Yosemite Compatibility page has an update on a Illustrator v6 and Lotus Mail video driver issue. Charismac wrote to say that they are in the process of adding Plextor 8X20 (8X CDR) support into the next update to their Discribe CD mastering product. " Mike, I hope all is going well. I was writing to let you know that we have the new Plextor 8x20 CD-R drive in house as I write this. We are going to be adding support for this drive into our Discribe CD mastering product by the end of this week, and testing will ensue directly after to make sure we have compatibility. I expect this version of Discribe to be qualified shortly after (usually within a week) barring any pitfalls. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for people who buy this drive. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks again, Jim Schroeder Technical Services Team Leader CharisMac Engineering, Inc. http://www.charismac.com " Intel is heating up (no pun intended ;-) the PC Notebook scene with 333 and 366MHz mobile PII cpus with 256KB backside cache running at 1:1 (previous versions used 512KB at 2:1). More info on the new chips is available at PC world. Other Net News: theiMac.com's MacWorld Review for teens Apple's Road Ahead Part 2: Mac OS X Server is a Razor (MacOpinion) 125 Hertz, or the Myth of MP3 Hi-Fi (MacOpinion) What I Want for Next Christmas - an iMac2 (MacOpinion) Intel backs off, disabled Pentium ID feature (PCWorld) Intel unveils first Celerons for notebooks (PCWorld) Monday's News Summary Yosemite Modem kits released Carmine's TIL Updates and News Feed MacSense Ethernet card tip Navy Seals game based on Unreal engine Yosemite Compat. page updated with Adaptec SCSI info, Quark issues New Audio Column issue and Audio FAQ posted Yosemite Performance page updated with Cache mode test results Report on latest MacMagic 3Dfx card with heatsink Details on new PowerBooks SCSI to IDE adapter- owner report ASP 2.1.2 will ID RagePro chip in G3s More on Yosemite/VGS and Sony drives More OS 8.5 and dual Ethernet extensions No Free Lunch (VPC speedup tricks) Cooling new G3 cards with smaller heatsinks Other net news 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.