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From: mwang@oracle.com (Michael Wang)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Another reason not to....
Message-ID: <1991Jan22.204614.10619@oracle.com>
Date: 22 Jan 91 20:46:14 GMT
Sender: news@oracle.com
Organization: Oracle Corporation, Redwood Shores, CA
Lines: 24

[ General discussion about why you should or should not open up a compact
  Macintosh to upgrade memory... ]

The machines you have the worry about are the models before the Macintosh SE,
i.e. Mac 128K, Mac 512K, Mac Plus, and Mac 512Ke. All of these models allowed
a large charge to build up around the connector between the monitor and the
analog board, and if you weren't carefully, you could zap yourself really good
(or worse!). In the class at Apple for would-be Certified Technicians, they
teach you how to ground yourself and the tools you are using so that you don't
kill yourself trying to disconnect the analog board connector from the monitor.
I'm not sure if the latest Mac Plus model (the one with the new analog board
design) has this same problem, but I would still be careful around it. In 
all the newer compact Macs, there is no charge build up on the monitor so
it is a lot safer to muck around inside.

If you are not sure of your abilities, but still want to try upgrading your
Mac yourself, contact a Certified Apple Technician and ask him or her about
any safety precautions you should take. If you are REALLY not sure, take
your machine in to get it upgraded. It is not worth damaging your logic
board (or worse) just to save some money.


Michael Wang
mwang@oracle.com