At the database search page, select Quake3 demo as the game, a resolution (640x480, 800x600, or 1024x768 ) and then select "Voodoo4" to see all his entries (or you can select Voodoo4 16bit, etc. to show only certain mode test results). To compare his results to others in the database, select only the game title and resolution, the highest FPS is always shown first (along with details on that system/card). Search page results are from fastest to slowest results.

I'm asking other Voodoo4 card owners to enter their results here.

" Mike,
My long backordered Powerlogix BlueChip 466MHz upgrade for Wall/Mainstreet Powerbooks finally arrived from today...
Followed the install instructions (there's a nice Quicktime video demonstration on the CD) and it installed painlessly except for one annoying detail that I'll get to later. My Wallstreet 266MHz feels snappier and more responsive.

The copper process really makes a difference with heat! The old chip would range from about 68 to 72 degrees Celcius under moderate load with processor cycling on, with 92 C being the max I ever saw under extreme circumstances. The new chip is currently holding at 56 C under fairly high load.

So, if that was the end of the story, I'd go a head and do the rest of the benchmarks, send in a report and call myself a happy camper. Unfortunately there seems to be something flaky with the new card and my memory modules. I have the stock 64MB "low profile" (either upper or lower slot) module plus a Viking 128MB "high profile" (upper only) module.

The machine refuses to boot with the 64MB module in the lower slot either by itself or with the 128 in the upper. It boots with either module in the upper by itself, but MacOS complains that the RAM has failed the self check during a cold boot. TechTool 3 tests the RAM as OK, and I have been able to compress/verify large files.

Are you getting any reports from other BlueChip owners? I am contacting Powerlogix with my problem, but with such a new product, I don't know if they have much troubleshooting info yet."

If any other BlueChip owners are seeing problems like this or just have general comments on the upgrade, please let me know. (Also post an entry in the CPU review database after you've run the upgrade for a week or so.)

Symantech also has a press release on new versions of Norton Utils and Antivirus for the Mac.

Although you'll need a PC to flash the update (the only Plextor Mac flasher is for SCSI drives only so far), Plextor has posted a 1.05 firmware update for their IDE 12x/10x/32x Plexwriter. (This drive is used in many Firewire cases also. The Drive Compatibilty database here has several reports from Mac owners on the drive.).

The 1.05 update includes the following changes/fixes:

• Improved focusing by the drive when reading scratched discs.
  
  
• Optimized beta value to improve write performance and write quality with high-speed 10x CD-RW media.
  
  
• Improved write performance at 1x speed.
  
  
• Improved seeking when drive is in high temperature
  
  
• Optimized values for read power setting, tracking equalizer and sample hold for better write performance and write quality at 12x speed.
  
  
• Fixed bug with focus retry routine. Before this fix, drive could hang when focus failed after 5 retries. A flag was added for other portions of firmware to detect that this occurred.

I'd been meaning to mention they have finally announced a SCSI version of the 12/10/32, which will be a welcome addition for many Mac owners.

Back in the 80's (during the Apple II era) I owned one of the first Amiga models; it was very advanced for its day as far as sound and video capability as well as having a true multitasking OS.

Removable Media Drives:
• SCSI Internal Jaz Drive G4/AGP
  
  CDROM Drives:
• Toshiba SCSI XM-6402B (40x) in 8600
  
  CDRW Drives:
• HP IDE 8250i (4x/4x) in Beige G3
  (includes comments on OS X beta as well as 8.6. OS X beta as noted here previously does not support any CDRW drives that I know of)
• Philips CDD 4401/73 in ADS Pyro Firewire case w/G4 cube
  (listed under Firewire interface search page option)
  
  Hard Drives:
• IBM IDE 75GXP 46GB in G4/AGP
• IBM IDE 75GXP 30GB in G4 Dual CPU
  (noted OEM Maxtor 20GB failed)
• Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 30GB in Beige G3

You can find these full reports by searching the database with the drive/brand/mac models listed above selected (the latest reports are shown first in searches).
If you've added a IDE, SCSI, Firewire or USB hard drive, CDRW, tape drive, etc. make sure you add a report to the database.

• Other World Computing G3/450 in B&W G3 (rated 10)
  (update after 6 months of 500Mhz operation)
• Powerlogix Zforce with G3/233 ZIF in 9500 (rated 10)
• Sonnet G3/266 (running 240Mhz) in 6100/60 (rated 10)
• Sonnet G3/500 in 8600/200 (rated 3)
  (disk corruption issues noted)
  
  
• B&W G3/350 OC report

You can find these full reports by searching the database selecting the indicated Mac model and upgrade card brand/type. If you've upgraded the CPU on your Mac, please post an entry in the database. Search the database of over 4,600 entries from most every upgradable Mac model *before* you buy. (Searchable by mac model/upgrade brand)

Software Updates:

• Pro Tools Free
• MRJ Plugin 1.0b1 (direct download link)
• Dreamweaver Extensions
• HotMedia

Apple TILs:

• QuickTime 4: How to Obtain the Stand-Alone Installer
• Mac OS X Public Beta: File Systems Accessible in the Classic Environment
• Mac OS X Public Beta: Choosing Between Multiple Mac OS 9 System Folders
• Apple Displays: DVI to ADC Connector Cable Overview