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From: johnston@minnie.me.udel.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: 'Dirty' ROMs - A Partial Answer <-- NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
Message-ID: <54183@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Date: 21 May 91 04:40:10 GMT
Sender: usenet@ee.udel.edu
Lines: 70

In article <1991May21.032658.5617@umbc3.umbc.edu>, cs421317@umbc5.umbc.edu (cs421317) writes...
>I asked them what I should do to use more than ~13 meg of RAM and their answer
>was, 'Have you heard of a company called Connectix...?' They said that was
>the answer. 

Personally, I would prefer to see Apple call ME and say "Your copy of MODE32
is in the mail.  Thank you for buying an < SE/30; IIcx; IIx, II >.  We've
been working to find a way to meet the published technical specifications
for your computer.  The MODE32 init solves the problem with the ROMS
in these machines and we plan to support this in future versions of the 
Macintosh System software."   That's what I would like to hear as somebody
who spent my entire savings on computer AFTER reading the specs.

This would also be the HONORABLE thing to do.  It would be the right thing 
for Apple, and it would be a great deal for Connectix, who would sell 
MANY more copies of MODE32 if people thought that it would be supported 
past version 7.01 of the Mac OS.

>Does anyone know if this IS the answer? Have you heard any more detail about
>MODE32? How completely functional is it? Do I just drop it in the Extensions
>and never worry about this problem again?

This is the 128 megabyte question, isn't it?

Several months ago I posted into one of the first "dirty-ROMS" threads
with the suggestion that a ROM-patching init would probably solve the
problem without new ROMS.  That suggestion was batted down and generally
flamed by several net.experts who offered various technical explanations
as to why an init-fix wouldn't work.  I believe that some of those people 
were Apple hardware guys, and some of the explanations were convincing.

I would imagine that there are quite a few people at Apple who are now 
working overtime trying to figure out just exactly HOW Connectix tricked 
the System into 32-bit-cleanliness.

Sorry, but I'm not buying into the MODE32 fix without some guarantee
that it will be have more than six months compatibility.  I can just
see a string of paid upgrades to MODE32, which we'll all be forced
to buy into as soon as we've emptied our pockets for 4 MB SIMMs.

This scenario STINKS.  It reeks of the extended vs. expanded vs. pretended
memory configuration kludges for DOS and Windows.  Sure, alot of us will
go for the MODE32 init even if we have to pay for it.  My Macintosh
cost me twice as much as my car;  and yes, I'll probably decide to invest
another nickel if it helps me get more out of the damn thing.

MODE32 will not be a software-only fix.  Connectix plans to bundle it 
with PMMUs for Mac II owners, and probably bundle it with overpriced 
memory upgrades for the impatient and/or gullible.  MODE32 owners will 
be developers, "power users", and Mac site administrators who will pour 
many $$$ into upgrades.  Not as easy to disappoint these folks as the
few word-processor-users or games-players who complain each time a 
popular init bites the dust.

And if Connectix makes a buck at this, the flood gates open for a 
host of 3rd-party fixes to the Mac OS.   Is that what you want, Apple?

My vote for the "Fiddling while Rome Burns" award to whatever
idiot in Apple Technical Support gave the go-ahead to use 
"Connectix" as the catch-all answer to the dirty-ROM problem.
Some kind of phone support, huh?

If this goes through it's Welcome to "Windows-land".  A consultant's
dream.  Hell, I'll probably make enough money helping people figure out
how to upgrade old Macs that I'll be able to afford that IIfx after all.

Forget I said anything, Apple.  Go ahead and screw things up.  Your 
customers will hate you for it, but "experts" will make a killing.

Bill (johnston@minnie.me.udel.edu)