Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!hamblin.math.byu.edu!news From: smithw@hamblin.math.byu.edu (William V. Smith) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: Disk and memory questions Message-ID: Date: 21 Sep 90 20:49:29 GMT References: <9484@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> <428@scubed.SCUBED.COM> Sender: news@hamblin.math.byu.edu (Usenet News) Followup-To: comp.sys.next Distribution: comp Organization: Brigham Young University Lines: 38 In-Reply-To: warner@scubed.com's message of 21 Sep 90 15:24:13 GMT warner@scubed.com (Ken Warner) writes: >drives. . .memory You can add several external drives through the SCSI2 port. These may be third party drives, essentially anything that works on the Macintosh will work here with the right cable. We have been putting WREN VI drives in our cubes, and these will work in the new or upgraded cubes too. They can also be plugged into the NeXTstations (but not inside- they won't fit). As far as memory goes, there are two options: Parity or non parity simms depending on whether you order the parity option or not. In any case, the simms you would use in a Mac II will work in the new NeXT's provided they are 100ns or faster. You can get these from any of the usual sources, such as chip merchant. Look in the purdue archives for "simms" for a recent list of sources and prices. The low on educational prices is about $43.00 for 1 meg non-parity simms and about $230.00 for 4 meg non-parity simms as of this week. Either will work provided they are 100ns or faster. You must install simms in size groups of 4 on the main board of the any NeXT. So its no good buying one or two 4 meg simms. You need 4. The NeXTstations have 8 slots for main memory, and on the color version you need 12 meg to get decent performance. The NeXTcubes have 16 slots for main memory. The NeXTdimension board has 8 slots for its own memory. You can't get one til next year though. The video memory is another story I won't go into here. In any case, NeXT charges about three times the market price for its simms and drives, so depending on your organizations requirements, its much cheaper to buy these items third-party and install them yourself. If you buy 4 meg simms for a cube, its a bit of a hassle to get them to work because most of them are tall for the space available. Best thing to do is specify the Toshiba 4 meg simms with the vertically mounted chips. These fit just fine and are only a little taller than the 1 meg simms. I believe the somewhat taller (still called "low profile") 4 meg simms (horizontally mounted chips) work fine in the NeXTstations. As I said, putting these taller 4 meg simms in the NeXTcubes is a bit of a hassel with several ways to go. The easiest method is to just slide the system board and drive cases into the cube at the same time-replacing the front hard drive mount screw with a flat head instead of a round head screw. I have 40 meg in my cube doing it this way. If you want 64 meg, its best to use the Toshiba's. That enough??? -Bill-