Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!emory!mephisto!ncsuvx!news
From: rnf@shumv1.uucp (Rick Fincher)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: MDIdeas
Message-ID: <1989Dec11.210007.24245@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>
Date: 11 Dec 89 21:00:07 GMT
References: <2423@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu>
Reply-To: rnf@shumv1.ncsu.edu (Rick Fincher)
Distribution: usa
Organization: NCSU Computing Center
Lines: 39

In article <2423@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu> yk4@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Yong Su Kim) writes:
>I have a MDIdeas OCTORAM with 256K X 4 SIMMS and I would like some
>detail about purchasing extra SIMMS for my GS.
>The problem is that I have heard that MDIdeas is out of business. Does
>anyone know more about this?
>IF they are out of business, I would appreciate it if someone could
>send me the full technical specifications for the type of SIMMS used
>in the OCTORAM.
>

They are 1 meg by 8, or 256K by 8 (8 chips on the card).  They need to be 
at least 150ns which is not a problem, since most are 120 or faster these 
days.  If they work on the Mac they'll work on the IIgs with the OctoRam. 

I got two free megs from Mac users who had upgraded and couldn't use their
256K SIMMs anymore, so you might want to check around because a lot of 
these are lying around in drawers.  Some dealers that do memory upgrades
also keep the old 256K SIMMs and they might sell them cheap.

If you buy, get 1 meg SIMMs.  Each SIMM gives you a meg, up to 8 meg with
the OctoRam.  The lowest prices I've seen are 1 meg for $78 each, 256K
for $25 from Peripheral Outlet (800) 332-6581.  They will also buy your
old SIMMs.  The Chip Merchant has 1 meg, 80ns for $79 (800) 426-6375.
Prices are dropping almost daily.

The only other thing you need to worry about is whether they are low profile.
These use shorter chips so that they don't stick out as much (for add in
piggyback card space limits in the Mac Plus and SE).  This might be a factor
if you've got a card in slot 7.

The 1 meg SIMMs are cheaper per bit and use less power per bit (less heat too).

The OctoRam can only have one type of SIMM on it though, either 256K or
1 meg but not both, so to use 1 meg SIMMs you'll have to scrap your old
ones.  You can sell them to other OctoRam users though, and the 1 meg's
leave room on your card for future expansion.

Rick Fincher
rnf@shumv1.ncsu.edu