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From: werner@ut-ngp.UUCP (Werner Uhrig)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Re: Mac+ Architecture Diff?
Message-ID: <3654@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 15-Jul-86 11:31:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.3654
Posted: Tue Jul 15 11:31:40 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 16-Jul-86 03:22:42 EDT
References: <69600011@uiucdcsb> <12303@amdcad.UUCP> <112@crystal.UUCP>
Organization: UTexas Computation Center, Austin, Texas
Lines: 55
Summary: I'm happy with MacMemory upgrades to multi-Meg RAM


 
> Has anyone seen ANY 1Meg SIMMs?  Oki is selling 256K ones for around double
> the chip price, but said a month ago that they didn't have 1Meg yet.
> 
> MacMemory has a real screwball scheme of 256K chips wired up to look like
> 1Meg modules; they also claim that you need a daugther board, which DOES NOT
> sound reasonable.
> 
> The 2 Meg MacMemory kits go for 475 or so, I hear, the 2.5 Meg are more.
> I'd really like to upgrade my Mac+ memory, but not with some baling-wire-and-
> spit contraption...


1.  To answer the question:  NO, I haven't seen any 1Meg SIMMs either, but ...

2.  I am quite happy with the upgrades for both Mac and Mac+ from MacMemory.
	very clean board layout, very clean assembly work, very low power
	consumption (whatever that may buy you given the Mac's powersupply
	problems and the fact that you'd rather use 1Meg-chips than 256ers)

   a) on the old MAC, the upgrade is a daughter-board that needs to be
	"hacked" into the motherboard.  trace cutting, chip-replacements,
	socket-installation and all.  However, they do that for you for a
	very reasonable price, so we now let them do the hacking where we
	used to do it ourselves before.  The board adds 1.5Meg in 256ers to
	give you 2 Meg total.  It also comes with the sockets to plug in
	another 2 Meg in 1Meg-chips when you can afford them.  runs without
	fan !!! and has the best/longest warranty period of anything I have
	looked at.

   b) on the Mac-Plus which comes with 4 "slots" filled with 4 of Apple's
	256er SIMM-boards,  MacMemory sells 1Meg-byte replacement boards,
	each populated with as many 256-er chips as all 4 Apple-boards
	together.  They also sell a little plastic expansion-cage into which
	you can slip all 4 of Apple's SIMM-modules, in order to free up the
	other 3 sockets.  If you can afford to or find a buyer for the
	Apple SIMMs, you could do without them and stick 4 of MacMem.'s
	1Meg-byte cards into the 4 available board sockets.  I, currently,
	am running without Apple's boards and only with MacMemory's memory.
	(Am I breaking some of "Apple's laws" here ??? (-:)

In summary, I cannot agree with Bill's criticism describing the MacPlus
upgrade as "baling-wire-and-spit contraption".  However, for the old Mac,
there are now memory upgrades that "clip-on" to the 68000.  But I'd rather
reserve that that option for clipping on either a SCSI-port, a 68881, or a
Micah-HD20 ..., wouldn't you?

		Cheers,		---Werner

PS: if someone knows of better upgrade possibilities at a reasonable price,
	I'd sure like to know about it; I certainly don't mean to say that
	there is no possibility to come up with something better.  But it's
	always the same alternatives:  take the best that's available *NOW*,
	or suffer while waiting for better stuff coming out *REAL SOON NOW*.