[comp.sys.mac.hardware] What is inside the Classic

keithl@loop.uucp (Keith Lofstrom;;;628-3645) (10/16/90)

There are "two" Classics.  The "smaller" Classic comes with 1meg of RAM,
expandable to 2meg by adding the "Macintosh Classic Memory Expansion Card".
The "larger" Classic comes with 2meg and a 40meg disk, and can be expanded
to 4 meg with the addition of SIMMs.

Obviously, these are not the same mother board.  This suggests some questions:

What will a small Classic owner do to get to 4 megs (or more) someday?

Does the small Classic have the room or the power to add a hard drive, later?

Does the large Classic take "regular" SIMMs?  

What are the real designators instead of "small" and "large"?  When folks start
upgrading, calling both units "Classic" and differentiating by memory size could
get REAL CONFUSING.  (How about "Classic XT" and "Classic JR"?  ;-) )

I expect somebody has bought one by now, and opened it up.  What's in there?
Does it look more robust?  The fan ought to help, but is the construction
better or worse?  Same old roasty-toasty 4 pin Molex to the deflection coils?
Larger or smaller heat sinks than a Plus?

Do both types use the same power/video board? 

Lastly, what kind of street prices are likely?  The fancy stores want
$1000 and $1500 list;  can we expect $600 and $900 at the discount shops?


-- 
Keith Lofstrom  keithl@loop.uucp ...!sun!nosun!loop!keithl (503)628-3645
KLIC --- Keith Lofstrom Integrated Circuits --- "Your Ideas in Silicon"
Design Contracting in Bipolar and CMOS - Analog, Digital, and Power ICs

aron@garnet.berkeley.edu (Aron Roberts) (10/21/90)

In article <1990Oct16.164437.6414@loop.uucp> keithl@loop.uucp (Keith Lofstrom;;;628-3645) writes:
>There are "two" Classics.  The "smaller" Classic comes with 1meg of RAM,
>expandable to 2meg by adding the "Macintosh Classic Memory Expansion Card".
>The "larger" Classic comes with 2meg and a 40meg disk, and can be expanded
>to 4 meg with the addition of SIMMs.
>Obviously, these are not the same mother board.  This suggests some questions:

  According to a recent presentation by our local Apple systems engineer,
the Macintosh Classic Memory Expansion Card has two onboard SIMM slots which 
can accommodate 1MB SIMMs, thus bringing total memory to 4MB.

  There appears to be only one Macintosh Classic model and one only Classic
system board.

Aron Roberts  Workstation Support Services . 219 Evans Hall
              University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720  
              aron@garnet.berkeley.edu . ucbvax!garnet!aron
              aron@ucbgarne.bitnet . (415) 642-5974
Aron Roberts  Workstation Support Services . 219 Evans Hall
              University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720  
              aron@garnet.berkeley.edu . ucbvax!garnet!aron
              aron@ucbgarne.bitnet . (415) 642-5974

carsup@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (Fisher Library support) (10/22/90)

In article <1990Oct16.164437.6414@loop.uucp> keithl@loop.uucp (Keith Lofstrom;;;628-3645) writes:
>There are "two" Classics.  The "smaller" Classic comes with 1meg of RAM,
>expandable to 2meg by adding the "Macintosh Classic Memory Expansion Card".
>The "larger" Classic comes with 2meg and a 40meg disk, and can be expanded
>to 4 meg with the addition of SIMMs.
>
>Obviously, these are not the same mother board.  This suggests some questions:
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

They ARE the same mother boards.  The Classic has a slot for a memory expansion
card.  Apple's version come with 1 meg on the card along with 2 SIMM slots.
You may be able to get expansion cards with 3 megs all up for about the same
price bringing it up to 4 megs total.  These will be from 3rd parties of course.

>What will a small Classic owner do to get to 4 megs (or more) someday?
>
	Read above

>Does the small Classic have the room or the power to add a hard drive, later?
>
	Yeap, you'll find enough room inside to play baseball :)

>Does the large Classic take "regular" SIMMs?  
>
	I think only 256K and 1meg SIMMs.  512K and 2meg or 4meg don't work.

>What are the real designators instead of "small" and "large"?  When folks start
>upgrading, calling both units "Classic" and differentiating by memory size could
>get REAL CONFUSING.  (How about "Classic XT" and "Classic JR"?  ;-) )
>
	No comment.

>I expect somebody has bought one by now, and opened it up.  What's in there?
>Does it look more robust?  The fan ought to help, but is the construction
>better or worse?  Same old roasty-toasty 4 pin Molex to the deflection coils?
>Larger or smaller heat sinks than a Plus?
>
>Do both types use the same power/video board? 
>
	New power supply.  One that "works" :)

>Lastly, what kind of street prices are likely?  The fancy stores want
>$1000 and $1500 list;  can we expect $600 and $900 at the discount shops?

	I guess someone else may help you with this one :)

**My employers don't understand me, so I guess I'm on my own when I speak out**
Norton Chia		|	I *think* my address is 
Micro Support		|		carsup@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU
*******************************************************************************

fjo@mtcchi.uucp (2667-Frank Owen(ZG90210)0000) (10/23/90)

keithl@loop.uucp (Keith Lofstrom;;;628-3645) writes:

>There are "two" Classics.  The "smaller" Classic comes with 1meg of RAM,
>expandable to 2meg by adding the "Macintosh Classic Memory Expansion Card".
>The "larger" Classic comes with 2meg and a 40meg disk, and can be expanded
>to 4 meg with the addition of SIMMs.
>Obviously, these are not the same mother board.  

Bssssst! WRONG!
   They have the same motherboard. Memory is added to the "smaller"
classic by adding the "Macintosh Classic Memory Expansion Card" which
comes with 1Meg on the card and slots to add 2 more Megs.

The "larger" classic simply has the expansion card already installed.

-- 
	Frank Owen (fjo@mtcchi.uucp)  708-305-3182
	Memorex-Telex Corporation   Indian Hill Court 
	1000 E. Warrenville Rd.  RM 1A315
	Naperville, Il 60563

kenh@hscfsas1.harvard.edu (Ken Hancock) (10/26/90)

In article <1990Oct16.164437.6414@loop.uucp> keithl@loop.uucp (Keith Lofstrom;;;628-3645) writes:
>There are "two" Classics.  The "smaller" Classic comes with 1meg of RAM,
>expandable to 2meg by adding the "Macintosh Classic Memory Expansion Card".
>The "larger" Classic comes with 2meg and a 40meg disk, and can be expanded
>to 4 meg with the addition of SIMMs.
>
>Obviously, these are not the same mother board.  This suggests some questions:

Wait a sec.  That's like saying that a Mac II with 4 megs has a different
motherboard that a Mac II with 8 megs.  (SIMMs are, after all, little "boards")

There is only one classic.  Two configurations are sold, just as there are
multiple configurations of most of their other line.  Memory in the Classic
is expanded in a different way than the other Macs.  Instead of installing
SIMMs, for a Classic owner to go from 1 -> 2 megs, they need to install
a "Macintosh Classic Memory Expansion Card".  All of the classics have
a spot for these.  The Memory Expansion Card consists of 1 meg of memory
soldered to the board, and two SIMM slots.  Adding 2 1MB SIMMs to the
board will further increase the memory from 2 to 4 megs.

All of the Classics may also take 1/3 height internal drives.
1/3 height, because they're 1) smaller, 2) take less power.

Ken

-- 
Ken Hancock                   | INTERNET: kenh@hscfsas1.harvard.edu 
Isle Systems                  | Disclaimer: My opinions are mine,  
Macintosh Consulting          | your opinions are yours.  Simple, isn't it?

clarson@ux.acs.umn.edu (Chaz Larson) (10/27/90)

In article <4518@husc6.harvard.edu> kenh@hscfsas1.harvard.edu (Ken Hancock) writes:
>In article <1990Oct16.164437.6414@loop.uucp> keithl@loop.uucp (Keith Lofstrom;;;628-3645) writes:
>>There are "two" Classics.  The "smaller" Classic comes with 1meg of RAM,
>>expandable to 2meg by adding the "Macintosh Classic Memory Expansion Card".
>>The "larger" Classic comes with 2meg and a 40meg disk, and can be expanded
>>to 4 meg with the addition of SIMMs.
>>
>>Obviously, these are not the same mother board.  This suggests some questions:
>
>Wait a sec.  That's like saying that a Mac II with 4 megs has a different
>motherboard that a Mac II with 8 megs.  (SIMMs are, after all, little "boards")
>
>There is only one classic.  Two configurations are sold, just as there are
>multiple configurations of most of their other line.  Memory in the Classic
>is expanded in a different way than the other Macs.  Instead of installing
>SIMMs, for a Classic owner to go from 1 -> 2 megs, they need to install
>a "Macintosh Classic Memory Expansion Card".  All of the classics have
>a spot for these.  The Memory Expansion Card consists of 1 meg of memory
>soldered to the board, and two SIMM slots.  Adding 2 1MB SIMMs to the
>board will further increase the memory from 2 to 4 megs.

The clarification is true.

However, I wanted to point out that when I first read the product literature
given to me at the 10/15 extravaganza, I was also under the impression that
there were two different motherboards.

The data sheet describes memory expansion for the 1/floppy and 2/40 in two
entirely different ways.  About the 1/floppy it says something like:
	"memory can be expanded from 1 Mb to 2 Mb with the Apple
	 Memory Expansion Card."

No mention of further expansion via SIMMs.

About the 2/40 it says something like:
	"memory can be expanded from 2 Mb to 4 Mb with 1 Mb SIMMs."

Needlessly vague and misleading, if you ask me.

I'll bring the brochure and post the exact quote tomorrow, in case anyone still
cares.

chaz


-- 
"Eva Gabor Is Really Alien From Venus" Claim Swiss Scientists.
clarson@ux.acs.umn.edu                                       AOL:Crowbone