lynch@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Tim Lynch) (02/23/90)
Can someone help me with a few simple questions? I've got a friend who is considering a 512 Mac for use at home. I work with Plus's, SE's and II's, but haven't touched a 512 in quite a while. 1. What's lacking in the 512 ROM's? 2. Is there an easy, cheap way to upgrade to 1 Meg of main memory? Or, do I have to go the MacRescue route? 3. Is most of today's software runnable on the 512? Hypercard? Microsoft Word? Excel? WriteNow? 4. If the above examples don't run on the 512, are there some comparable applications that do? 5. Is there any printer other than an ImageWriter that works with a 512? 6. What's the lastest system that works with a 512? 7. What have I missed? I'd be really grateful for answers to any of the above questions. Thanks in advance!
ajauch@ics.uci.edu (Alexander Edwin Jauch) (02/24/90)
In article <9783@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> lynch@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Tim Lynch) writes: > > > >Can someone help me with a few simple questions? I've got a friend who >is considering a 512 Mac for use at home. I work with Plus's, SE's >and II's, but haven't touched a 512 in quite a while. > >1. What's lacking in the 512 ROM's? The most annoying thing missing on my 512E is appletalk. The 512K has some other differences, the main one being 400K drives. > >2. Is there an easy, cheap way to upgrade to 1 Meg of main memory? > Or, do I have to go the MacRescue route? > I upgraded my 512E to 1Meg for $150. Fairly cheap to me. I used the Dove product, I was easy (about 45mins by myself) but scary! (It's called McSnap for a reason). >3. Is most of today's software runnable on the 512? > > Hypercard? > Microsoft Word? > Excel? > WriteNow? > Hypercard no. Word 3.x yes, 4 no. Excel early versions only. >4. If the above examples don't run on the 512, are there some comparable > applications that do? > There are no subs for Hypercard as far as I know. >5. Is there any printer other than an ImageWriter that works with a 512? > An Imagewriter II works fine, as far as I know any printer that doesn't require appletalk should work (Apple Lasers use appletalk for example). >6. What's the lastest system that works with a 512? > I used system 5.0 great (it has CDevs but no multifinder) and 6.02 works ok but it is a bit of a memory hog. >7. What have I missed? The key difference that I would look into is between a 512K and a 512E. The rom switch and step up to 800K drives makes the difference for me. Alex Jauch ajauch@bonnie.ics.uci.edu
philip@Kermit.Stanford.EDU (Philip Machanick) (02/24/90)
In article <25E57F67.10881@paris.ics.uci.edu>, ajauch@ics.uci.edu (Alexander Edwin Jauch) writes: > In article <9783@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> lynch@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Tim Lynch) writes: [stuff deleted] > >1. What's lacking in the 512 ROM's? > > The most annoying thing missing on my 512E is appletalk. The 512K has some ?^^^^^^^? > other differences, the main one being 400K drives. [lots more deleted] Eh? When the LaserWriter was introduced, the 512 was the "top" model. Maybe a 512E can't run LaserWriter drivers with some of the later system software, but it definitely can run AppleTalk. Bottom line: if you don't upgrade to 1M, you may have to stick with early versions of applications/system software, but a lot of stuff WAS available for 512K Macs (consider also the fact that you could run more than 1 app under MultiFinder and Switcher when 1M was the defacto maximum). Philip Machanick philip@pescadero.stanford.edu
jim@eda.com (Jim Budler) (02/24/90)
lynch@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Tim Lynch) writes: } Can someone help me with a few simple questions? I've got a friend who } is considering a 512 Mac for use at home. I work with Plus's, SE's } and II's, but haven't touched a 512 in quite a while. Having what was once a 128K Mac, which is now a 512Ke, with MacRescue added, I think I'll reply with some knowledge. } 1. What's lacking in the 512 ROM's? In the 512, as opposed to the 512Ke, much is lacking. Support for HFS in general, and 800K floppies in particular is missing. There was, or is, an add in extension called HD20, which was a file to place in the system folder to add HFS. You are still left without support for SCSI. i.e. the only hard disks you can use are the original serial hard disks, which nobody makes anymore. } 2. Is there an easy, cheap way to upgrade to 1 Meg of main memory? } Or, do I have to go the MacRescue route? Many, if not all of the memory upgrades require the new ROM's to support greater than 512K memory. As does MacRescue. } 3. Is most of today's software runnable on the 512? } Hypercard? } Microsoft Word? } Excel? } WriteNow? WriteNow will, early Word and Excel will, current Word and Excel will not. Hypercard will not, even on a 512Ke. (Really not useably on 1 Meg. } 4. If the above examples don't run on the 512, are there some comparable } applications that do? I don't know. } 5. Is there any printer other than an ImageWriter that works with a 512? Probably. The LaserWriter will. The LaserWriter II SC and the other SCSI will not. The HP DeskWriter basically will not work well without a hard disk as the driver plus system plus more than one font is greater than 800k, and see above for hard disk and 800k disks on the 512 if not a Ke. } 6. What's the lastest system that works with a 512? I think you are supposed to stay at 3.2, although I went to 6 on a Ke, despite the memory hoggishness to get Shutdown (as opposed to Restart). } 7. What have I missed? Well, you didn't actually say it wasn't a 512Ke, but if not, I don't think I'd bother... The upgrade to 512Ke is about $300, if still available. The MacRescue people, I think, can supply the ROM's, since it requires them and the literature said to call them, but I don't know their price. } I'd be really grateful for answers to any of the above questions. } Thanks in advance! Back to the basics. A 512 needs the new ROM's to support > 512K memory and SCSI. Get at least a 512Ke, or you are looking at significant extra cost to be able to upgrade it. I suspect a used 512Ke is not much more expensive than a used 512. Make sure you get a 512Ke. jim -- Jim Budler jim@eda.com ...!{decwrl,uunet}!eda!jim compuserve: 72415,1200 applelink: D4619 voice: +1 408 986-9585 fax: +1 408 748-1032