Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!waikato.ac.nz!comp.vuw.ac.nz!canterbury!otago.ac.nz!stanger
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Mac LC and system 7.0
Message-ID: <1991Mar22.160821.190@otago.ac.nz>
From: stanger@otago.ac.nz (Nigel Stanger)
Date: 22 Mar 91 16:08:21 NZDT
References: <1991Mar20.224356.8258@ee.rochester.edu>
Organization: University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Lines: 63

In article <1991Mar20.224356.8258@ee.rochester.edu>, rajiv@ee.rochester.edu (Rajiv Arora) writes:
> 
> I'm considering buying a Mac LC and had a few questions I'm throwing at the
> net.
> 
> 1. Expandability: Is memory expansion a simple matter of adding SIMMs, or does
> one have to buy a card a la the Classic?

No, you can plug it straight in. The really beautiful thing is
that it will take 4M SIMMS. I have 10M in mine - brilliant! :-)

> 2. Virtual Memory. To utilize System 7.0's virtual memory capability, is there
> any way to add a PMMU to the LC?

I don't know of any yet. The official word from Apple is NO, but
you can bet some enterprising thrid-party will come up with
something (I hope so!)

> 3. Graphics: Can you run 32-bit QuickDraw on the LC? On the 12" color monitor
> only, or also on the 13" Hi-Res monitor? My understanding is that for the
> latter you have to purchase some sort of card (512K VRAM SIMMs?).

The LC has 32-bit QD in ROM, just like the SE/30, si, ci and fx.
However, the on-board video is at best 8-bit (256 colours), and
that is *only with the 12" RGB monitor*. If you use the 13" RGB
monitor you will only get 4-bit colour (16 colours). If you buy
the special video RAM, you can up it to ~32000 (16-bit??) colours
on the 12" and 256 colours on the 13". That's as good as it gets
for on-board video. Again however, someone will probably come
out with a third-party video card at some stage.

> 4. What about programs like Excel that need a FPU?

The only solution at the moment is to get a copy of PseudoPFU, an
INIT which converts FPU calls into SANE calls - i.e. makes the LC
think it has a FPU. Again, future third-party products blah blah
blah ... ;-)

(One thing: I have heard that you can tell Excel you don't have a
FPU by holding down the Option key when you launch it. Can anyone
confirm that?)

> Any answers would be GREATLY appreciated.

No probs. :-)

One problem with all this of course is that the LC has only one
(worse luck) expansion slot, which makes life *reeeaal* difficult
if you want a PMMU, 24-bit colour *and* a FPU. The only hope is
that someone will develop a multi-function board that does it
all. I hope so, the LC is a really neat machine otherwise...

-- 
See ya
                                Nigel.

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