Michael Zwirn wrote:
> 1) Screen size - I have an inch or so of black space on each of the four
> sides of the
> monitor. Is there anything I can do to get full use of the monitor
> screen?
Since it is an Apple monitor, probably nothing easy. However, if you are
willing to spelunk into the dark recesses of the insides of your monitor,
you can probably adjust the video settings to expand the image borders a
little (by contrast I can do this with buttons on the front of my Sony
monitor). However, depending on the monitor you can only go so far before
you hit the screen mask. I don't know if it was true for your monitor, but
Apple had a thing about WYSIWYG screen dimensions matching the real world
so that if you held a ruler up to the screen it would match. This meant
that Apple had to limit the size of the screen image. Apple got into
trouble over this because they would advertise a 15" monitor as such, but
you'd be lucky to get 13" actual usable inches. They weren't the only ones,
but this fixation with absolute WYSIWYG made theirs worse.
>
> 2) Graphic loading on web sites - despite the ease of downloading
> software (for example) via the Ethernet, I find that the graphic
> loading using Netscape is frustratingly slow. I'm not sure if this is
> a problem with the processor speed (100 mHz Power PC), the RAM, or the
> video card. Suggestions?
>
You hit the nail on the head. Nothing you can do about this one. Video is
not upgradeable and the 33MHz bus just doesn't cut it. RAM will help, but
not much.
>
> 3) Crashing - the machine seems to crash quite frequently while using
> Netscape, and I'm not sure if this illustrates a problem with the
> software or the machine itself. Is there a preferred web browser (in
> terms of speed and stability) for the 2300c and system 7.6.1?
>
I've never had this problem after Netscape 2 & 7.5.5. I'm using Netscape
4.6 with OS 8.6 with no problems. As I recall, I had no problems with OS
7.6.1 and Netscape 4.1 either. 7.6.1 was the most stable OS until OS 8.1.
If you are looking to speed up your 2300, the all Power PC native OS 8.1 is
worth the investment. It should work flawlessly with the latest Netscape
software. My guess is you have an extension conflict. Have fun! Make sure
you are using TCP/IP connection & OT/PPP. It is the most reliable and the
only thing I can speak to here.
>
> 4) Upgrading possibilities - I think I'm going to invest in more RAM
> for the machine, but am concerned about the prices now and the
> perceived difficulty of installation. Any advice? Also, I would like
> to get a portable or external CD-ROM to replace the current one (the
> original Apple caddy CD-ROM), but have a hard time finding anything
> that's designed to use the odd Powerbook SCSI input.
I've been told to hold off on buying RAM until after the first of the year
when Taiwan gets back on it's feet. RAM prices are running more than double
what they were a year ago. I don't know if they still make new RAM for the
DUo, so this may be moot. However, large Duo RAM is hard to come by these
days. It is the BEST upgrade you can do to a 2300, max it out to 56MB! As
for the CD-ROM drive, there are all kinds of adapter cables for the Duo's
unique SCSI port. So, if you find a CD-ROM with a DB-25 or Centronix
connector, you can just buy the appropriate HDI-30 adapter. However, you
can regularly find portable CD-ROMs for the Duo on eBay, complete with
their own cables for the Duo. Sony made several as did Panasonic and a few
others. I have the Sony PRD-250 and it's great! They run on batteries and
make great additions to the Duo. But, you'll probably find external CD-ROMs
this way for less money (if it's a concern).
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