Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!apple!sun-barr!decwrl!eda.com!jim
From: jim@eda.com (Jim Budler)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Affordable Macs?
Message-ID: <1989Nov17.082604.15463@eda.com>
Date: 17 Nov 89 08:26:04 GMT
References: <254@spt.entity.com> <780082@hpvcfs1.HP.COM>
Organization: EDA Systems,Inc. Santa Clara, CA
Lines: 78

stevem@hpvcfs1.HP.COM (Steve Miller) writes:

} Now, I'm in trouble: Mac 512KE upgraded to 1 Meg and a SCSI port. I can't 
} upgrad to more RAM without "great pain".

I've been looking at something called MacRescue, or RescueMac (my
reference is elsewhere).

$317, it clips on the motherboard, no mods, and incorporates SCSI
port and 6 SIMM slots.

With it and 6 256k SIMMs you have a 2Meg 512ke. With combinations of
1 Meg SIMMs and 256k SIMMs you can have up to 4 Meg. Only certain
combinations work (1, 2, 2.5, and 4). As far as I can figure this
must be 2@256k=1Meg, 6@256k=2Meg, 2@1M=2.5Meg, 4@1M|2@1M+4@256k=4Meg.
The last sentence is pure speculation, however they do *not* or
the Mac does not support 1.5Meg or 3Meg.

It's advertised in the back of MacWorld, and I called them. They are back
ordered (as of last Thursday) about two weeks.

My choices, as I see them:

Dove board ~$180 = 1 Meg, dead end

Dove board ~$480 = 2 Meg, dead end

MacRescue $317 + 2 256k SIMMS @~$25 ea.= ~$370, no dead end

Later: 2 1M SIMMs @ ~$80 ea. = ~$550 total = 2.5Meg, not dead yet
or: 4 256k SIMMs @~$25 ea. = ~$470 total = 2Meg, not dead yet

Later still: More SIMMS, more $$ = 4Meg.

It looks to me like for an extra $190 at the beginning, I will have
the opportunity to spend an extra $70, or an -$10 in the middle to
retain the opportunity to spend another $$ to get somewhere I can't
get with Dove.

Given that I don't know either the final allowed mix of chips on the
MacRescue, or the actual cost of 256k SIMMs, the ability to go to
4Meg appears to me to outweigh the initial cost delta.

Plus a trip to a computer swap might get me 6 256k SIMMs for $60.
There are thousands of people out there with 2 256k SIMMs in their
desk drawers after upgrading Pluses and SE's to 2.5 Meg.

Plus their add says "limited time offer" they will take other
upgrade boards as trade in. I doubt they mean my scsi daughter board,
but I'll try.

} "Wow, 1 Meg, I'll never run out of RAM now!"  Steven Miller - 1987

Hey, I thought that when I went from a 64k Apple ][ to a 128k Mac.
I knew better in 10 minutes, but was still happy for several
months. Thought the Fat Mac (512k for you late comers) was much too
late. Upgraded!to it as soon as it was available. Upgraded to the ke
'cause of the 800k drive, later appreciated it even more 'cause of
the SCSI. Stalled there.

Now: I can't run half the new applications (half? 80%), can't run
Hypercard, Multifinder, even print spoolers. Upgrade to a plus?
Why? Can't run System 7, costs as much as either of the alternatives
I listed above.

} Steven Miller
} Vancouver Division
} Hewlett Packard

Thank you HP for the DeskWriter. I don't have one yet, but it looks
like (in todays snapshot of the TechWorld) what I'll be replacing
my aging Imagewriter I with.

jim (late at night)
-- 
Jim Budler	jim@eda.com    ...!{decwrl,uunet}!eda!jim
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