Table of Contents for this issue:
iisi sound fkey
Re: SE and Uninsulated HD
FPU for Color Classic failed to install
Re: Plus & Zips
Re: Classic Macs Digest 11.18
Cleaning Electronic Contacts
IIci/cx battery
HD SC and my IIcx
Re: Refurbished Mac SE
Re: Classic boot from ROM
Re: AOL 3.0 and LC
Re: Suggestion
RAM and System 7.7.5
Re: Color Classic -guru- advice
Games for Plus
Multiple replies
Getting a IIcx up to Net speed
Web page and more
Accessing TCP/IP through AppleTalk?
MacII and Superdrive
Please Allow Me To Introduce Myself...
parts vendors?
Re: Open Transport and MAC IIcx/7.5.5

Subject: iisi sound fkey
From: Pete Cox

Sorry, I should have found where it was before posting :)

It wasn't on info-mac; but umich.:( You probably should visit your local umich mirror to get this file so you don't strain the international link but anyway, here's an Australian URL for the file you requested:

ftp://sunsite.anu.edu.au/pub/mac/umich/system.extensions/fkey/twosisoundfix1.0.sit.hqx

Pete.

I just bought a used SE for use as a spare email station, and its internal drive is playing havoc with the display. Apparently it's not well shielded. Anyone know of a material I can wrap around the drive or slip between the drive and display to keep the drive's motor from jiggling the display?

I haven't tried this but a friend says you can try...

1. Reverse the direction of the hard disk in its mounting bracket. This may redirect the stray emissions.

2. Since the SE case has two openings, maybe you can switch the positions of the floppy drive and hard disk, putting the hard disk further away from the CRT.

- Ken Watanabe

Hi everybody

I recently purchase a 68882 FPU chip for my Color Classic. After I've installed it in the slot on the logic board (it seemed to be the right size; no other slots were there within eyesight), reassembled the box and pushed the power button, the Mac wouldn't start. I didn't hear the Mac fanfare, the screen stayed black until I turned the power off with the back panel switch.

From what I know, no signal at start-up means that circuitry test has failed. When I removed the chip, the Mac worked as though nothing has happened. I tried to reset p-ram as my local Mac dealer advised me (Command-Option-P-R at start-up), but to no avail.

What can be the problem, take aside the possibly bad FPU chip?

Here are more details to make the diagnostics easier:

1. Before installing the FPU, I put in additional VRAM (256k) which worked fine. I didn't reset p-ram before I did it.

2. My Color Classic always has 32-bit addressing turned on.

3. On the back side of the FPU chip there is a little sticker with the part No. After I failed to get the Mac live with the FPU and removed it from the logic board slot, the paint on the sticker became blurred. May it have happened because of the FPU crash or just because of the board's natural heating?

Thanks

Dmitri

I didn't bother learning to optimize the interweave ratio to get the maximum throughput for sustained transfers

Be frightened, be very frightened!! ;-)

I recently bought a Mac Plus for $49. A friend in my User Group gave me two old Hard Drives to restore and I kept the 80meg. Another friend gave me four 1meg SIMMs. I got to learn about that little resistor that you cut [...]

I also have an old Mac, upgraded to a Plus, then cut the little resistor and added 2 more megs to get 4 megs of memory. We run system 7.1.

My daughter uses it for school and has an old PLP II laser printer. However, I run a PowerBook 180C (68030) and can't communicate with her via SCSI as the Plus is interleaved at 3:1, and the PowerBook 180C is 1:1. (I tried a few times and ruined the SCSI on a 500 meg internal PowerBook drive!) I guess I could try to run Apple Talk, but I thought there must be a more efficient way. Someone told me that they run a Mac Plus at 1:1?? Can anyone confirm that?

I do have an Iomega Jaz drive and a Syquest. Is that where (learning to optimize the interweave ratio to get the maximum throughput for sustained transfers) comes in Hitz? Is there a way to copy software to a Jaz disc, optimize it somehow, and then plug it into the Plus?

Thanks,

David

Subject: My Rebuilt SE
From: B Soluski,
Greeting old Mac afficianados(sp):

Hey, it's probably not even a real word, spell it how you like ;-)

the back case cover, I still consider it my original machine. Do others of you feel the same about your upgraded machines?

Sure, and of course, because the machine's personality is in the software configuration you put on it. When I'm installing OS/2 or MacOS or Linux on a bare hard drive, I always set it up the same way, with fonts I like, booting with the extensions/desktop backgrounds/etc etc that I like, and with everything unnecessary pruned out. I don't feel comfortable on a Mac until I've set the menubar clock to Geneva 9pt in a particular shade of cyan, and changed the desktop background to the interleaved blue cats pattern.

The signature case had the names of the developers embossed in

AAMOI to all other lurkers and collectors of memorabilia, the Plus also has signatures inside its case. Not sure about the 512K and earlier but I would guess so.

With a bracket from APS, an SE can hold 2 floppies and an HD.

I think many SEs were shipped with this type of bracket already fitted. I've bought .. ooh .. maybe a dozen of them at auctions and markets and _all_ had HDDs fitted in a bracket on top of the floppy drive cage.

However, WARNING: The official word from Apple is that -any- upgrade which leaves an SE with more than two internal drives voids the warranty, not that those warranties would be valid any more, but it does indicate that Apple doesn't feel the SE's PSU is up to handling two floppies AND a hard drive.

Subject: Color Classic - best upgrade?
From: Tim Steele
Can anyone recommend a good speed-up for my trusty Color Classic (10/360)?

Yes, but you're going to have to buy another 2 x 4Mb SIMMs. Still in the game? Okay then, you want a Thundercache or similar card. This is a 32MHz LC-PDS card, 68030 with 68882 FPU, and 4 x SIMM sockets so you can put up to 16Mb of fully 32-bit-wide RAM on the accel card. It appears the contact I mentioned a few posts back is out of town this week, but I got mine from him real cheap (USD$64 + $10 postage)... Apparently, Sonnet Technologies (+1-800-786-6260) is also working on a 68040 accelerator for the Color Classic, which will be available in December. (This information from Jordan Ross, another list subscriber).

Subject: SE and Uninsulated HD
From: Kelley Boylan
I just bought a used SE for use as a spare email station, and its internal drive is playing havoc with the display. Apparently it's not well shielded.

Your Mac is fitted with the original 1.5" tall Apple-badged Quantum drive mech, 20 or 40Mb, isn't it? Those older HDAs have massively heavy heads, and the actuators have to be very powerful to move the head subassy at a decent speed. So magnetic distortion of the monitor is inevitable. You can reduce it by sliding the drive as far back in the tray as it will go, but it won't help a lot, I'm afraid.

The best advice I can give you is the advice I followed myself with my SEs; wait until someone is upgrading his/her Mac or PC and scrounge a more modern drive, modern drives have film heads which are much lighter and the actuator is correspondingly less powerful. Quieter, too. Want a suitable 40Mb NEC SCSI drive? I'll airmail you one [free] if you want it, but I don't know how well it will travel from here (Australia). Was working in one of my SEs fine (up until I came on a batch of cheap 100Mb Conner drives 8-)

Subject: Re: Upgrading an LCIII
From: Benjamin Guansing, xr7b-gnsn-asahi-net.or.jp
I assumed that going up to system 7.5.5 would chew up too much memory
You sure are! I've upgraded from System 7.1 to 7.5.3 and now 7.5.5. Each time has seen a significant increase in the system RAM. I'm using a IIci with 20MB. System 7.5.5 is currently using around 7MB of RAM. I remember

Benjamin, you need to be -ruthless- with your System folder. Have no mercy, those INITs must go. I am running 7.5.3 on my Color Classic with 6Mb physical RAM. "About This Macintosh..." tells me that System has a partition size of just over 1700K. I can live with that. I have FWB CD-ROM INIT loaded, Foreign File Access, and a few other essentials like WindowShade. At work I have a 5200CD with 16Mb RAM and 7.5.5 and that is using 3900K of RAM. Take out stuff you don't use much, like Macintalk et al.

There have been several messages over the past week about how to clean or renew electronic contacts in Classic Macs.

From my experience in the past of cleaning contacts in older Television sets - the older type with a rotary tuner, and my experience in Navy electronics (way back when), please be advised that using steel wool, using pencil erasers, using grease or even dielectric silicone are not advisable procedures. The metal part of the contacts on printed circuit boards is very thin, composed of either copper, silver or gold which makes that part extremely fragile and easily worn down. The recommended procedure - go to an electronics store and purchase a spray can of contact cleaner - the kind that does not leave any residue. The contact cleaner is the first item to use - to remove any oil or grease film that may have been deposited on the contacts from airborne contaminants. Then when you have gently rubbed off the contacts with a tissue paper to remove the film loosened by the contact cleaner, make sure the contacts are dry, then burnish with a piece of printer paper, the cheap kind. The paper will act as a very, very fine abrasive and clean the contacts of any corrosion. Look at the paper where you have used it to rub on the contacts. It will turn black from picking up the corrosion. Using newer parts of the paper, when no more or very little black is visible, your contacts are clean. Remember that if you are dealing with a printed circuit board with male contacts, that the recepticle you plug into should also be cleaned as best possible. Wrap a piece of paper over the male printed circuit board part and insert, take out, insert - several times into the recepticle. This should help clean the metalic contacts in the recepticle. Put your equipment back together and expect it to work for another 10 years.

Bill Baldwin, retired Navy in Mississippi

PS: proud owner (3 weeks now) of a ("portable computer"), SE 30,5M Ram, 40M HD, 16Mhz speed, 24 bit addressing. Running system 7.1 with RamDoubler2, and Apple Menu Options working fine, On AOL and Browzer will run with above (in the middle of the night when everyone sleeps)

Anyone know what cell the MacIIcx uses?

It uses a TL 5112, 1/2 AA, Tadiron 3.6V lithium, inorganic.

Best to check it with a voltmeter to be sure if it really is dead. If it reads 3.1 or less, it's a goner.

Recently I bought a 150MB hard drive for my IIcx, and it wasn't an Apple or Quantum hard drive, it was an IBM. Then I decided to upgrade to 7.5.3 from 7.1, so I ran HD SC to update my drivers, but it wouldn't recognize my HD. (It said something to the effect of "No SCSI devices found.") I did the install anyways, and everything seems to work relatively fine.

So, my question is, did I do something wrong, and that's why it won't recognize my HD? And, will not installing new drivers come back to bite me someday?

Thanks,

Kris Lander

Even though the only part from my original purchase is the back case cover, I still consider it my original machine. Do others of you feel the same about your upgraded machines?

The power supply died in my Mac Plus about a year ago and instead of replacing it, I put the RAM on a new-used motherboard and slid this into the old case. I hardly ever think about the fact that most of the computer isn't even part of the original machine, which I received used in the first place. I still love it and have passed it on to my younger brother, though I use it fairly often.

According to the specifications of the Macintosh Classic, it is bootable from the ROM. Does anyone out there in Classic-land know the magic key combination to do this?

Command-Option-O-X. However, the Apple Tech Info Library...
Question : I think the c-o-O-X feature is really good, but...
Answer : The ROM boot feature was part of an experiment in future...
So YMMV, caveat utilitor, and proceed with caution, as usual.

If you can't get command-option-x-o to work, and the drive in/attached to the Classic is still healthy enough to start the machine, you'll also have to go to the Startup Disk control panel (System 7.x; Control Panels in the Apple menu if you're still running System 6) and de-select the hard-drive by clicking anywhere else in the pane. You will then be able to start up from the ROM-based System. Don't know why you'd need to, though.

You can also set the ROM-based system as the startup disk. I used to do this in a uni lab of 3-4 DOS boxes and half-a-dozen 1 Meg Classics. (To use the Classics, students required a customized bootable floppy disk because the Macs, in normal use, were sharing a drive via ?MacJanet and Set Paths). After setting up the Classics to start up from ROM, I'd then leave them all on, running diskless...

A question for the list. I have a friend with an LC -- the sole purpose of its existence is so that my friend can run America Online. Now, with version 3.0 out for the Macintosh my friend is looking for a way to run the software.

Unfortunately, I think his machine basically is unable to do this. But I thought that I would run this one by the list. He wants to spend little additional money....so....let's see what you can come up with!

AOL 3.0 apparently requires system 7.1 or later, minimum 8 Megs of RAM (16 recommended), 030 processor and ?? (I think that is it....but if anyone knows differently, please tell me.

*I'd advise your friend to be a bit cautious. In truth, all AOL has added are gimmicks, nothing really substantial for such an expensive service. Also, though they've claimed 3.0 is out, it is actually a beta version. I tend to stay away from those as I don't feel like being a "tester" for them.

I am using a Mac Portable (the 32 pound first attempt by Apple) with a 2400 baud modem. I log on remotely to a UNIX system to retreive my Email. As a consequence scrolling through long posts takes a long time. I would greatly appreciate it if Classic Mac posts had a table of contents (a simple list of subject lines would do) at the top of the post so that I can tell if it would be worth my while to scroll through it.

*The Portable was actually only 20 pounds, with battery, and they run beautifully. I'd check around to see if you can buy a used 9600 baud modem or better cheaply. Mine runs beautifully even with a 28.8. Can't beat them for reliability.

I'm presently running System 7.1 (along with System Update 3.0) on the LC. I assumed that going up to system 7.5.5 would chew up too much memory and slow down the machine too much. Am I correct?

You sure are! I've upgraded from System 7.1 to 7.5.3 and now 7.5.5. Each time has seen a significant increase in the system RAM. I'm using a IIci with 20MB. System 7.5.5 is currently using around 7MB of RAM. I remember System 7.1 using around 4.5MB of RAM. As far as speed goes, I ran MacBench 3.0 and there was a SLIGHT increase in graphics speed with 7.5.5

Gang, here's my spin on System 7.5.5.

I run 7.5.5 on an original LCII (16 MHz 68030) at my NJ home with only 10 megs of REAL RAM and no RamDoubler. This is my main email retrieval system. I use OT 1.1.1 and I surf the 'net with Netscape 2.0 amd AOL 2.7. By judiciously managing my extensions, my system file hardly ever exceeds 3.5 MB. If I turn off Speech Manager and AppleGuide, it drops below 2.9 MB. Turning on QuickTime, bring it back to 3.2 MB. However, since I'm not usually viewing QuickTime movies, I keep this extension off. I assigned only 4.6 Megs to Netscape and it works just fine. I also purge the Cache file in the preferences folder at 2 megs.

For less than $250, you can accellerate this machine effectively with a PDS slot 50 MHz 68030 with 4 SIMM slots and up your RAM access to 26 megs. Of course, you will have to spend $30 for each 4 Meg SIMM. This is one of the best upgrades around for an LC and LC II. The LC III uses 72 pin SIMMS. But the 50 MHz 68030 is available for it too.

The best advice I can give to all of you still using 68030 Macs is this. Use the Extensions Manager! And use System 7.5.5 if you have at least 10 megs of real RAM. I also find that OT 1.1.1 and TCP/IP are far faster than classic networking via AppleTalk. Good luck!

Regards,

Joe

Remove the logic board from a Color Classic. Hold it component side up, with the long edge connector towards you. At the bottom left of the board, just under the ROMs, you will see an unpopulated space for a 64-pin card connector. There's a blank space in the middle of it which suggests that the connector had a keying space in the center, like a VRAM SIMM does.

My question: What was intended to go in this connector, when fitted? It can't be an extra VRAM slot because it's 64 pins (VRAM is 68). It can't be an FPU slot because the board already has an FPU socket. From tracing the tracks back, the slot carries all the data buss and most or all of the address buss. What IS IT?

Most likely a slot for a ROM SIMM. As Apple developed each 68k machine after the Mac IIx, they include a space for a ROM SIMM. This SIMM served two purposes. First, it allowed the ROM to be updated by Apple engineering while the machine was in development. (This is the most important purpose) Second, if every a problem were found in a ROM that couldn't be fixed with a software patch, the ROM SIMM was a means to replace the defective ROMs.

Prior to the IIx, Mac ROMs consisted of standard DIP components in sockets, which were rather easy to replace. At the IIx (or was it later with the IIci?), Apple switched to using surface-mount ROM components.

AFAIK, Apple has only replaced ROM problems in a couple of narrow instances, affecting only limited runs of machines. There has ever been a general ROM upgrade for the Mac, although some people feel they are "owed" one for the 32-bit unclean 020/030 systems (II, IIx, SE/30).

I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if Apple continued the ROM SIMM business in all PowerMac machines. This technique was also applied to the Mac portable and certain PowerBook models.

Hi there, I'm looking for some games that I might oufit on my newly acquired Plus. I'vbe got 4 megs o' ram in it and Sys. 7.0.1, which should be enough for anything. What I would really like to get ahold of would be things like: Dark Castle, Wizardry/RPG type games, Ancient art of War, you get the picture.

If anyone has these types of games for sale, send me some mail and I'll make an offer.

Matt

Some replies to several messages posted. I have tried to edit to save space.

Subject: Re: SE/30 and 512k keyboard question
From: David Priddy
What is the latest system a SE can use and where do I get it?

System 7.0 and 7.1 and 7.1.1 are recommended. I think Apple has them available on their ftp site. Try:

ftp://ftp2.info.apple.com/Apple.Support.Area/US/Macintosh/System/Older_System

The *LATEST* MacOS versions available for *FREE* on Apple's ftp site are:

800k disk images: 7.0
1.4MB disk images: 7.0.1

Any newer versions, not including the free updaters, cost $ to obtain. MacOS versions 6.0.3, 6.0.5 and 6.0.8 ar ealso available on teh ftp sites. If you don't need the features of system 7, 6.0.8 is a good version to run on the SE, freeing up a few 100 kB RAM for appliactions.

Subject: Re: Classic Macs Digest 11.17
From: CIGNA CA
I too suffer from the IIsi sound problem and would love a quick and simple fix. (Personally, I go into control panel, and toggle sound up and down a few times and it eventually clears). But a simpler solution would be appreciated.

I recall someone on one of the newsgroups mentioning that the speakers on the IIsi suffer from contact corrosion. The answer is to either replace the speaker, or remove it. clean the contacts, and then tin the contacts (to prevent furure corrosion) and reinstall the speaker.

Subject: Re: Upgrading an LCIII
From: Benjamin Guansing
I'm presently running System 7.1 (along with System Update 3.0) on the LC. I assumed that going up to system 7.5.5 would chew up too much memory and slow down the machine too much. Am I correct?

You sure are! I've upgraded from System 7.1 to 7.5.3 and now 7.5.5. Each time has seen a significant increase in the system RAM. I'm using a IIci with 20MB. System 7.5.5 is currently using around 7MB of RAM. I remember System 7.1 using around 4.5MB of RAM.

You must have a lot of extensions under system 7.1. I am using 7.1 on a IIci also (8/230) and the system memory runs at about 1.8-1.9 MB. I don't have a lot of extensions, though (Norton, DisinfectantINIT, a couple others).

Subject: Re: Netscape on SE
From: Benjamin Guansing
At this point my question to who ever can help is, I down loaded Netscape 1.1 and 2.02 and when I installed 1.1 and tried to launch it, it immediately crashes and brings up the restart window and says that an address error occurred. I only tried this because I thought I read some one said that Netscape 1.1 would work on an SE, and of course I couldn't help but try it.

Might the installer require 32 bit addressing? The ROMs of Macs before the IIci are not 32 bit clean and require the MODE32 control panel to switch from 24 bit to 32 bit addressing.

The SE is a 68000 machine, so 32-bit addressing is irrelevant. It can only address 4 MB RAM MAXIMUM. FYI: there are still copies of the earlier Mode32 available on the 'net if someone needs them. I was not aware that Mode32_7.5 worked on earlier MacOS versions. Neat.

Regards,

Bob Eye

I'm reconditioning my venerable (and much loved) Mac IIcx on a shoestring for my brother and 7-year-old niece to use. My brother wants to websurf (of course) and I'd like it to run good games and CD-ROMs for my niece.

I'm going to put at least 20MB of RAM in the machine, which has an 80MB hard drive cannibalized from a IIci and an Apple color monitor (with video card). (Am looking for a larger hard drive.) I'm planning to buy a 33.6 modem, maybe the FastMac V.34 for $100.

* System version: I understand the IIcx has problems running 7.5.5. Is this so? What System 7 variation would be best? (Mode32 would of course be installed.)

* Netscape version: Which would be best? Where does the IIcx top out?

* Video, etc.: Would this setup be able to support the Connectix videocam and software?

* Audio: How about stereo speakers?

Other considerations?

I've enjoyed reading the list and have put a pointer to it on my antique mac web page. For resources, reminisences, and more, feel free to drop by at http://www.uwm.edu/~thig/plus.html. Classic Macs replies:

If you place a link or announcement about the list on you web site you will certainly be allowed to announce it here, thereby getting exposure to your site.

And thanks.

Bill Hitz

Hi Classic Mac Fans!

We have three computers in our lab: a Mac Plus, a Classic II and a Quadra 605. The latter has an ethernet card and is connected to our network (ethernet). It can also see the other macs of the network using ethertalk (appletalk over ethernet), but this other macs have also ethernet cards. The Question: suppose i build an appletalk network with these three computers, will the Plus and the Classic (both running MacTCP) be able to access the other Macs in the network, and more importantly access our POP server through TCP/IP? (and basic internet services such as FTP, or WWW via a text based browser?)

If this is the case, what do i need to network the three computers?

If not, how can i do it? ehternet cards for the old Macs? (worth the price?). I don't know much about networking, transceivers, bridges and the like, so please be considerate with your responses.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Thanks for this list.

Fernan Aguero

Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquimicas
Fundacion Campomar

I have a MacII with the original 800k floppy drive and an extra (and empty) floppy drive bay and plug on the main board adjacent to the plug in connection for the 800k floppy drive.

I would like to add a Superdrive to the machine in the extra drive bay and have both floppy drives available to me.

I understand that I may need some sort of rom upgrade and also the drive (and brackets?).

The machine does have a Marathon 33mhz '030 accellerator installed. Does this affect at all what I may need for Roms?

Does anyone out there have the Roms or Drive to sell at a reasonable price out of an other wise dead machine?

I am very interested in making this upgrade and wish to keep the price down as much as possible.

FWIW - The MacII has a Quantum 80 meg HD and 8 meg of ram, running system 7.5.5 minimized as much as practical. The Operating system takes 2.5 meg leaving me with enough ram to run most anything. I connected a Syquest EZ135 to the scsi port and now have unlimited storage and the ability to transfer large files easily between my Quadra and the MacII. It worked right off the bat. Talk about "plug & Play" compatibility! Taking 1995 technology and using it on a 9 year old machine with NO problems........Try doing that on a Wintel!

Thanks

Hello fellow classic Mac'ers!

This is my first post to the list and I thought I would just introduce myself and my Classic Mac.

PlasmaTron (nee "Hobbes" before the infamous lightning strike/thunderstorm incident) is a Color Classic 8/80 running with a MicroMac ThunderCache 32Mhz '030/32k cache/32Mhz FPU. I also have an external Teleport Gold II 14.4k modem, an 88MB Syquest Drive with half a dozen or so cartridges, an external 2x CD-ROM with attached LabTec speakers, a Gravis MacGamePad, Stingray trackball, and a StyleWriter II (using the StyleWriter 1200 driver for watermarking).

I am currently running System 7.5.5 with RAMDoubler 2 and many other indispensable third-party gizmos such as Sleeper 2.1, Default Folder 2.6, ATM 3.8.2, QuickNotes 1.6b, Menuette 2.1 and so forth; however, I keep System 7.1 handy on a Syquest cartridge "just in case".

In addition to normal everyday uses like word processing (WordPerfect 3.1--and for quick stuff SimpleText souped up with SimpleText ColorMenu) and computer games (SimCity 2000 and SimAnt being the current faves for some reason) I use my trusty Color Classic to put out POETRY INK, an electronic literary magazine distributed bimonthly via email to 500+ subscribers utilizing a dial-up internet account. I use Claris Em@iler and AppleScript to maintain the subscriber list and distribute the 'zine as a UUEncoded file attachment. It's not as efficient as using Macjordomo or setting up a listserv, but it works pretty good!

(Quick plug: if you want to read back issues of the 'zine, check out ftp://ftp.etext.org/pub/Poetry/PoetryInk and you'll find them there.)

I use BBEdit Lite 3.5.1 text processor, Excalibur 2.2 spellchecker, and EasyView 2.6.2 setext reader to put the 'zine together. These are all freeware utilities that can be found on any info-mac mirror site.

And now, thanks to this list, I am using MacWeb instead of Microsloth Explorer or Fretscape Navigator to peruse the Web. However, I find the need to let you know that MacWeb is **no longer available** at http://galaxy.tradewave.com/EINet/MacWeb/MacWebHome.html which was provided in an earlier post; it seems that TradeWave or EINet or whomever it is has decided to offer the latest 2.0 version of MacWeb **only** as part of a commerical Intranet package. So we have to settle for MacWeb 1.1.1E, which can be found on your friendly info-mac mirror. And if anyone can tell me how to get rid of that "This is an evaluation copy of MacWeb" message, you'd be my personal hero for a day or so.

Also FYI, MicroMac is no longer making the ThunderCache 32Mhz '030/32k cache/32Mhz FPU PDS card for the Color Classic. I tried to order one for a friend who also has a Color Classic, and MicroMac told me they are no longer making the boards because they can no longer get the Apple ROMs. However, they are still making the ThunderPro and the ThunderCache Pro (these are the ones that let you go beyond the 10MB limit, up to 26MB).

And another thing: has anybody on this list followed MacUser columnist's Andy Inhatko's directions for turning a compact Mac into an aquarium? I have the opportunity to grab a SE/30 case and I was wondering if anybody has successfully accomplished this conversion and has any words of wisdom before I attempt such a fool-hardy task.

Happy computing,

Matthew W. Schmeer

I'm looking for a source for Mac parts (preferably used, or at least cheaper than Apple). Specifically, I am looking for a screen for my PB 520c. Someone had posted a URL within the past two or three days that had a URL that I went to, and the price for the screen was about $150 less than what it would have been from apple. But, guess who forgot to bookmark the page, and threw away the text clipping?

TIA,

-George

From: Todd Griffith

I have tried installing OT 1.1.1 and started having intermittent DNS failures. I tried OT PPP 1.0 with OT 1.1.1 and could not get to work DNS wise at all. I use MACTCP 2.06 and MACPPP and it works reliably. If OT is the future, is it going to work for me?

You might try downloading the latest version of FreePPP 2.5 . I'm using System 7.5.5/FreePPP 2.5v2/OT 1.1.1 without any problems on my IIci. But before trying FreePPP 2.5, you might try using Netscape 2.01 and see if you encounter the same problems. Frankly, I don't care much for Netscape 3.x . I've tried 3.0 Gold and its way too unstable with the system crashes it produces. Not to mention that it's a real RAM hog. I don't see any great improvement in Netscape 3.x other than being Java enabled. I haven't tried any Java applets on my IIcx but they're already pretty slow on my IIci.

--ben