Table of Contents for this issue:
Re: Classic Mac peripherals?
Subject: Japanese Macs
IINT upgrade
RE: blank Mac Plus screen
ctrl & Plus & telnet
MacPlus incompatible modems (GV?)
Mac Plus and SE Questions
Re: Mac IIsi and PC drive
plus screen problems
Re: Address for Newlife
ftp-sites for old versions of software
Re: CU-SEE-ME on IIci Re: Mac IIsi and PC drive

Some years ago, I *upgraded* this to a massive <g> 2Mb RAM (with the Apple 2Mb Memory Expansion Kit (M0219), I think -- sadly, I still have the original packing) ..which is as far as the IINT goes, memory-wise, I believe); and I wondered if anyone knew if it was possible to upgrade it even further now by swapping the motherboard -- e.g. to a IIf or IIg. (Also, where -- in the UK, if possible -- I may be able to get one from....)

I know I'll never get more than 300dpi out of it; but I seem to remember IIf/g boards being pretty similar to the NT's; and I remember the printers looking pretty much the same -- although I wouldn't be disappointed to learn that only the IINTX can be upgraded this way...

I saw your post on the Classic Mac list ...

The NT, NTX, f, and g all use the same engine. Only the motherboard is different. I know this for a fact because it's how I updated _my_ IINT (got a great price on a water-damaged upgrade kit). You should have no problem in swapping out your NT motherboard for another one. And the IIf/IIg boards with PhotoGrade and FinePrint may not technically be 600-dpi printers, but my IIg looks worlds better than my friend's IINTX. I'm very happy with my upgrade -- my biggest disappointment is that I can't print in color! ;-)

Information aside, you asked where you might find an upgrade board. I happen to have a second one with less than 34,000 copies on it for a better-than-fair price (to be honest, it's cluttering up the place). I'm in the States, but it shouldn't be hard to ship this to the U.K. Interested? Please email. Thanks!

Tod McAvoy wrote:

As far as I know, all the Macs sold in Japan have also been available in the States.

Kevin Cleary also wrote:

The '040 model you are thinking of, I believe, would be the Performa 588. (was that sold in the US?)

Actually, there have been a number of models sold in Japan (or Asia) and not in the US. I don't know all of them, but in the classics category there is the aforementioned Color Classic II and the Mac II vi (a wimpy version of the II vx). There is also a passel of Performa Models sold only in Japan such as the 588 referred to in Kevin Cleary's post and many newer ones. There are also several Apple printers found only in Asia such as the Apple Laserwriter NTX-J, LW Pro 400 and 405, LW Select 610 (not 100% sure about this one), LW 16/600 PS-J and the LW Select 350.

later,
george

Stephen R asks:

(I have) an original LaserWriter IINT...Some years ago, I *upgraded* this to 2Mb RAM and I wondered if anyone knew if it was possible to upgrade it even further now by swapping the motherboard -- e.g. to a IIf or IIg...I know I'll never get more than 300dpi out of it; but I seem to remember IIf/g boards being pretty similar...I'd just like to be able to put more memory in it (up to 8Mb, IIRC). Otherwise (or, if it's not cost-effective), I'll just have to get something newer!!!

Yes, it can be upgraded. According to an article in the Feb 94 MacUser, The IINT can be upgraded by swapping the controller board. Xante makes (made) a board that makes it an 8MB RAM, 600dpi RISC-based printer ($995 at the time). Apple also has (had) upgrade boards to make it either a 4MB IIf or an 8MB IIg, though the costs were around $1000 and $1500 respectively!! (not very cost effective)

later,
george

Rex asks:

When I first got this MacPlus a couple of weeks ago, the screen had a little trouble coming on. It has now completely stopped working. When I turn the computer on , the screen does nothing. What could be the problem?

Does the computer make any sound, like a bong, that indicates it's working or does absolutely nothing happen at all? How about any strange sounds or smells either now or just before it croaked? Your description of the problem is pretty vague. Here's an embarrassing possibility: *Have you fiddled with the brightness knob located under the screen on the left side? Maybe you've just turned the brightness all the way off!

Give us more info to get a better diagnosis.

later
george

With ZTerm one can use command-key instead of control when using MacPlus.

Are there similar substitutions for any of the _telnet-apps_? At least NCSA Telnet doesn't seem to have one.

What about the esc-key?

Are there other macs which lack these keys (SE?)?

Are some modems incompatible with the Plus?

I heard from one user that GV Teleport Gold II doesn't work because the serial port incompatible, according to GV support (he hasn't yet opened the package).

Teleport Bronze draws power from the ADB port which the Plus lacks but are there other modems that don't work and why?

I asked this from GV support myself but didn't get a reply...

1) Mac Plus

a) Well two more applications that run on a Mac Plus. At the office I have a Mac Plus running on System 7.5.5 stripped down from the full install to 1.5 MB; I just copied the system file from my PB180 to a 80 MB hard drive and got rid of everything that didn't work or was not necessary. I have ClarisWorks 3 running on it all day with a 175 record database for the receptionnist; it's pretty slow, but it works. Today though, I installed FileMaker Pro 3.0 and set the memory to 2.4 MB. I converted the database from ClarisWorks 3 and did a few tests: MUCHHHH faster searching and tabbing through a new record. The receptionnist was pretty obset when I told him, he had to wait for me to write the new layouts.

b) There was another Plus under a desk that still works, However I couldn't reformat two other Hard Drives. So I tried to use a zip with a bootable disk containing a copy of the one I use on the other Plus to no avail. I get the happy Mac followed soon after by a diskette icon with a ?. I tried 6.0.8 without success. The Mac works well as I substituted it on the receptionnist desk. So is my zip. Any help would be much appreciated.

2) Mac SE

There was also a Mac SE under the same desk! It's the one with two diskette drives and it also has an internal hard disk. It didn't boot on his own, so I tried the zip drive with 7.5.5. It gave me a [Not enough memory for System 7.5]; so I assume that it doesn't have 4 MB in it. So I tried with 6.0.8 on the zip and got a little further. It booted and mounted the zip disk but gave me an [Eject or Initialize] message for the internal disk. The initialization failed and eject didn't work either;-)

So will it be possible to disable the internal drive and use only a zip drive? If so please give an idea how to do it. I've never opened one of these cases before, but I've opened and upgraded my PB180 a few times, so I'm not that bad!

I could also upgrade the memory to 4 MB, as I have 4 X 1 MB left from upgrading my IIsi. I assume that it's the same memory, right?

Is there any other upgrade that would be cheap and worth doing on this SE?

TIA,

Jean-Claude Simard
Hollywood, Florida

From: Charles T. Smith

I recently bought a Mac IIsi so my mother can replace her aging PC XT. She will need to transfer some of her information from the PC to the Mac. I have a PC drive attached to an old Mac II. Is there an adapter that will allow me to install the card for the PC drive in the IIsi?

No need. Your IIsi's floppy was designed to read IBM-formatted disks as well as Mac disks. The one thing you _will_ need is software which will let you read IBM-formatted disks. System 7.5 and higher includes it. PC Exchange and some other programs are available for pre-7.5 systems.

most plus screen problems occur because the solder joints on the video board crack from heating and cooling(expansion and contraction). in the past the repair was usually called a power supply problem and the cost was 150.00. a rip off if ever there was one.

open your mac and under a magnifying glass look at the solder joints on the video baord. the one on the side of the mac. there are not that many joints to examine. look very closely and you should see several(maybe as many as 9) with cracks. just heat these up and add a little more solder. your mac will now work as good as new. maybe even better. guarenteed. if this doesn't do it then maybe i'll buy your mac from you(:

Does anyone have any further info on sources of info for?:
6. NewLife- ? address, phone number

Newlife Systems Corporation
223A Bridge Street
Eganville, Ontario
Canada
K0J 1T0

1-800-663-6395
Tel: (613) 628-1646
Fax: (613) 628-1650

No web site as of yet...

There is an increasing number of apps that at some point have ceased to work on 68000 macs like Plus, SE, Portable, Classic and PB100. I guess that somewhere in near future similar things start to happen to other 68k macs and only PPC macs are actively supported.

A few weeks ago I asked the info-mac moderators if it was possible to create an info-mac directory that contains old versions that, unlike newer versions, still work on old macs. The directory could be named something like /info-mac/old/ etc. (It could also include versions that work only on old Systems).

I haven't yet got a final answer but at the moment it seems that the moderators at info-mac are already so busy with the current load that this won't happen.

Is there already a ftp-site which exclusively contains old versions that, unlike newer versions, still work on old macs?

At the moment the list of such basic net-apps isn't very long:

Anarchie 1.6.0 (2.0.1 crashes)
MacTCP Watcher 1.1.0 (ping crashes 2.0)
MacWeb 1.00A3.2 (1.1.1 E crashes when saving prefs)
MacPPP 2.0.1 and MacPPP 2.01cm4 (the only PPP that works)
NCSA Mosaic 1.0.3
YA-Base64 1.2.0 (1.2.9 crashes)
YA-NewsWatcher 2.0.3b0 (2.3.4 crashes)

ps. my 68000-mac page is at:

http://walli.walli.uwasa.fi/~mhaveri/68000.txt

Scott Williamson posted:

Has anyone been able to get CU-SEE-ME working on a IIci (68030/33.6 Modem/24MB Ram). It is just not in the Mood and keeps locking and crashing, bummer.

Any thoughts, workarounds, or alternatives would be welcomed!

I've been using CuSeeMe on my IIcx for a couple of years with little problem. It's slow at 16mHz,16meg (w/ram doubler), 28.8, but it works. I'm using a VideoSpigot digitizer. Don't know if the IIci's built in vid. has anything to do with it. What kind of video input are you using? Do you have the SpigotVDIG extension?

Apple (and others) used to make a NuBus adapter for the SI that worked fine. You might have trouble finding one now, but check out the used equipment dealers.