>> 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.
The speed of the video hardware is unlikely to be the source of the
complaint above - it's just not going to be noticeable when drawing a
rendered HTML page or an image to the screen one time. You will notice it
when you're scrolling the same page or otherwise moving any large image
around. Netscape is slow on the 2300 because (a) Netscape is slow anywhere,
and (b) the 2300 is slow running anything. :) Just decompressing a JPEG
can actually take a notable amount of time on a slow CPU and bus,
particularly when poorly-written software (Netscape) tries to do it on the
fly while downloading and displaying several things at once.
>> 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.
I've yet to see a stable graphical web browser on any platform,
particularly one from Netscape. But I'm tickled by the "all PowerPC native"
reference; 8.1 is perhaps 40% native code when running on a modern
Powermac, and considerably less on the 2300. In fact I recall some huzzah
when 8.5 or 8.6 was released, upon the realisation that it now contained
more than 50% compiled PPC code (just in terms of what was included, not
necessarily what would actually execute on any given machine).
For that matter even OS 9 isn't quite there yet (maybe 80-90%? I'm
guessing...); 9.0 is pretty fast in many ways on the 2400, but the loss of
Speed Doubler is still noticeable in several places (other than mere
tweaked zoom rectangles, which do affect one's perception but which can be
provided in other ways). I'll probably buy my own copy after it's released
if and when Speed Doubler is also updated and the GV Platinum Pro ethernet
driver is fixed (unless someone has a cheap workable ethernet PC card
they'd like to get rid of, preferably one that also has some Linux support
in addition to working under OS 9). Even if I do have to trash Sherlock 2
(shudder) immediately.
Anyone else experimented with OS 9 on the 2400 or 2300 and have any
observations? These machines are in the "barely supported" category these
days as far as I can tell, although it seems fairly stable at first glance.
--
Marc Sira | [EMAIL PROTECTED]
"If you can't play with words, what good are they?"
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