blochowi@rt18.cs.wisc.edu (Jason Blochowiak) (09/21/89)
In article <34873@apple.Apple.COM> rewing@Apple.COM (Richard Ewing) writes: >I've got one; fire away with questions. I'm not sure if you can >still get OctoRams, though. My previous assertation that MDIdeas had gone under was based on inaccurate information that I didn't verify. They are, in fact, still going, and can be reached at: (Got the address/phone from the Apple IIGS Buyer's Guide - I know the phone # is right) MDIdeas, Inc. 1155A Chess Dr., Ste. H Foster City, CA 94404 (415)573-0580 At the moment, they don't have any OctoRAM cards lying around, but they said that they'll be having some come in around the first week of next month. As for SIMMs, you have to get low-profile 8x1meg (actually, you can get 9x1meg, but you'd be paying for something you're not using) or 8x256k. I've found a place that's selling 2Mb for $245 - is there a reliable place that anyone knows of that'll sell 'em for cheaper? Oh, btw, an empty OctoRAM is ~$100 from MDIdeas, and I couldn't find any mail order places that carried them (I'd be interested in hearing from someone who knows about a MO place that carries them). >|Internet: REWING@APPLE.COM-----------------------Rick Ewing | -- Jason Blochowiak - back at school (again). blochowi@garfield.cs.wisc.edu or jason@madnix.UUCP "What's up pruneface?" - Bugs Bunny in the year 2000
rewing@Apple.COM (Richard Ewing) (09/21/89)
At $100 for an empty OctoRam, I think that the price is perfectly resonable. So you should probably order it from them. I would recommend strongly that you get low profile simms; I have high profile in mine, and it just *barely* fits in its space. Actually, since my SCSI card sits in slot 7, I had to put an anti-static pad between the two cards to prevent them from touching. This is definetely *NOT* something that you should do at home, especially when warrenties may be at stake. You can get low profile simms from any where from $120 to $89 dollars a simm; just check the back of MacWeek. -- __________________________________________________________________________ |Disclaimer: Segmentation Fault: Core Dumped. | | | |Internet: REWING@APPLE.COM-----------------------Rick Ewing | |ApplelinkPE & MacNet Soon!------------------Apple Computer, Inc. | |Applelink: EWING--------------------100 Ashford Center North, Suite 100 | |Compu$erve: [76474,1732]--------------------Atlanta, GA 30338 | |GENIE: R.EWING1--------------------------TalkNet: (404) 393-9358 | |USENET: {amdahl,decwrl,sun,unisoft}!apple!rewing | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) (09/21/89)
In article <34904@apple.Apple.COM> rewing@Apple.COM (Richard Ewing) writes: >I would recommend strongly that you get low profile simms; I have high >profile in mine, and it just *barely* fits in its space. Actually, >since my SCSI card sits in slot 7, I had to put an anti-static pad >between the two cards to prevent them from touching. This is definetely >*NOT* something that you should do at home, especially when warrenties >may be at stake. I had the same problem, cured by slipping an ordinary business card between the two boards at the point where they were touching. I don't think that should cause any warranty problems. With 256Kbit SIMMs, a fully-populated OctoRAM provides 2Mbytes, which so far has been enough for everything I do (compilations, lots of NDAs, etc.) I can imagine that it might be convenient for some applications to have the full 8Mbytes (using 1Mbit SIMMs); however, I hear that the OctoRAM is not DMA compatible when configured larger than 2Mbytes. Does anyone have the full story on that?
asd@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Kareth) (09/22/89)
In article <11123@smoke.BRL.MIL> gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) writes: >With 256Kbit SIMMs, a fully-populated OctoRAM provides 2Mbytes, which >so far has been enough for everything I do (compilations, lots of NDAs, >etc.) I can imagine that it might be convenient for some applications >to have the full 8Mbytes (using 1Mbit SIMMs); however, I hear that the >OctoRAM is not DMA compatible when configured larger than 2Mbytes. >Does anyone have the full story on that? Back when the IIgs had just been out the late-great-departed A+ had an article about DMA compatibility but they didn't mention the OctoRAM, I don't think, about it being compatible or not. As far as I can remember, DMA compatibility only became crucial if you had over 4 meg installed. If you did have over 4 meg, you could setup the ramdisks so that you didn't have more than 4 meg available as free space and this would solve the problem. -kareth.
jac@paul.rutgers.edu (Jonathan A. Chandross) (09/22/89)
rewing@Apple.COM (Richard Ewing) > I would recommend strongly > that you get low profile simms; I have high profile in mine, and it > just *barely* fits in its space. Actually, since my SCSI card sits > in slot 7, I had to put an anti-static pad between the two cards > to prevent them from touching. This is definetely *NOT* something > that you should do at home, especially when warrenties may be at stake. This is something you should **NEVER** do, regardless of whether warranties are at stake or not. The anti-static pads are conductive; that's why they protect chips from static electricity. Would you put a piece of steel between the cards? If you wouldn't, then don't use conductive foam either. If you must separate cards, use a non-conductive, non-flammable substance to do so. Both poly-propylene or Teflon comes to mind. (I would think a person from Apple would know better.) Jonathan A. Chandross Internet: jac@paul.rutgers.edu UUCP: rutgers!paul.rutgers.edu!jac
lvirden@pro-tcc.cts.com (Larry Virden) (09/23/89)
Network Comment: to #283 by mentor.cc.purdue.edu!mace.cc.purdue.edu!asd@purdue.edu Kareth and other Octoram owners - I am hearing conflicting info as to how memory has to be added to the OR. I have been told that it has to be added 4 meg at a time. Someone with one want to comment?
asd@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Kareth) (09/23/89)
In article <8909231017.AA29949@trout.nosc.mil> lvirden@pro-tcc.cts.com (Larry Virden) writes: >Network Comment: to #283 by mentor.cc.purdue.edu!mace.cc.purdue.edu!asd@purdue.edu >Kareth and other Octoram owners - I am hearing conflicting info as to how >memory has to be added to the OR. I have been told that it has to be added 4 >meg at a time. Someone with one want to comment? Okay, this comes straight from memory. The board has 8 slots, 2meg/8meg total depending on chip size. You can configure the board for: 256K simms: number of simms 256K, 512K, 1M, 2M 1,2,4,8 1M simms: number of simms 1M, 2M, 4M, 8M 1,2,4,8 Looks like powers of two to me, eh? Anyways, as I recall from the small doc's when I put 4 256K's in to get myself up to 2M, I read a part describing that the board could only be configured in these different ways. Makes that last step up (4M) a bit expensive to indulge in, but that is the only way it'll let you do things. I remember this as at the time, I was having difficulty getting my upgrade to 2M working (didn't have the chips all the way socketed) and I was thinking about just putting in 2 chips (that were working, only because I'd gotten them planted in their sockets) but the docs said "Nope!" to that idea. -kareth.
gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) (09/24/89)
In article <8909231017.AA29949@trout.nosc.mil> lvirden@pro-tcc.cts.com (Larry Virden) writes: >Kareth and other Octoram owners - I am hearing conflicting info as to how >memory has to be added to the OR. I have been told that it has to be added 4 >meg at a time. Someone with one want to comment? I don't have my OctoRAM pamphlet (can't call it a manual!) at hand right now. However, I recall that there may have been some constraints, but not that severe. Basically it takes from 1 to 8 SIMMs. If the SIMM uses 256Kbit chips, then 1 SIMM = 256Kbytes. If the SIMM uses 1Mbit chips, then 1 SIMM = 1Mbytes. You cannot mix 256K with 1M. I'm sure that the following configurations are supported: 4 x 256K = 1Mbytes 8 x 256K = 2Mbytes (this is how mine is configured; it seems the best size for current GS software) 4 x 1M = 4Mbytes 8 x 1M = 8Mbytes (may not properly support DMA requests)