[comp.sys.mac] Mac Upgrades & Supermac

fiddler%concertina@Sun.COM (Steve Hix) (08/19/87)

I'm new in the net.neighborhood and may find some clever new (to me)
way to munge this message...here goes:

I've got a Mac512e that I want to upgrade, and limited funds to do
so (like nearly everyone else).  I have an opportunity from a friend to 
save some money compared to upgrading my 512e to a Mac+.  In this case,
a Supermac upgrade to 2048K with a SCSI.  I'd be doing the installation
myself.

I've heard good things about Supermac hard disk drives, and nothing
bad about their Mac+ memory upgrades, but next to nothing about their
upgrades for 512e and lesser Macs.  Does anyone out there have any
hard information about performance, reliability, support, and all
those other good words in relation to Supermac?  Should I get a fan?
Should I get the Apple upgrade instead? Should I just get therapy? 

I'll happily take any advice offered, either here or mailed directly
to me.  Thanks.

	seh

	Steve Hix	fiddler%concertina@Sun.COM

beloin@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Ron Beloin) (08/20/87)

In article <26020@sun.uucp> fiddler%concertina@Sun.COM (Steve Hix) writes:
>save some money compared to upgrading my 512e to a Mac+.  In this case,
>a Supermac upgrade to 2048K with a SCSI.  I'd be doing the installation
>myself.

>upgrades for 512e and lesser Macs.  Does anyone out there have any
>hard information about performance, reliability, support, and all

I tried to get the Supermac Enhance board, and ended up in a several
week long fiasco that is still going on. First, the dealer tells me 
that I have a ceramic-cased CPU and upgrade won't fit. The dealer
recommends finding someone to swap motherboards with. I don't like
the idea, and order a new 512Ke. Apple discontinues them. I ask the
tech support people for Apple at Cornell U. if they'll swap boards
for me. They say OK, if your board tests ok, we'll give you a used
one, and tests you machine after the swap. I do it, it all goes well,
the Mac tests fine. Back to Supermac dealer. After a few tries at
getting the Enhance board to work, they tell me my power supply is
probably bad. OK, back to Apple techs. They test mac, say that there's
nothing wrong with it, including the power supply. Back to Supermac
dealer. The next day, I'm given a Mac that doesn't boot (sad mac), and
told that my motherboard  is probably bad, and the upgrade won't work.
I point out that the Mac had passed diagnotics at the Apple tech support,
and that it was working when I brough it in. Their position is that
it is an "intermittant problem". I say that it doesn't work at all
now, and thay say "your intermittant problem got worse". Well, as it
stands now, I have no upgrade, a broken Mac, and weeks behind in my
work. I learned my lesson. I'm still talking to the dealer, and this
may be resolved yet. Supermac has yet to return one of my calls (up to
4 now). Any amateur lawyers out there?
Ron Beloin
 Ron Beloin, Ecosystems Research Center, Corson Hall, Cornell, Ithaca,NY 14853
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