In a message dated 5/5/02 11:26:57 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< I am on a Power Mac 6500/225, OS 8.6, 96 mb memory. I want to upgrade, but don't know what I want. I would like to keep this computer...is there anything I can do (besides increasing memory) to upgrade. I like 8.6 too. But if I get a newer mac, will I lose all my apps like MaclinkPlus Deluxe 13, IC word, Drag strip, etc? Most of which I downloaded and do not have the CD's for. I'm not a computer whiz and don't use it for any extreme things, however, I am thinking of getting a digital camera (I have an old Apple Quick Take).... Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Nancy Mac in Canada >> How do you define extreme things? I have a 6500/250 I've done pretty much everything you can do with one and I still use 8.6 on it as well. Personally my thinking on OS's is use 8.1 if you don't need USB or use software that requires it. Use 8.6 if the above statements are true on a non-G3. On a system with a G3 or better use 9.1 though I personally only use 9 on my G4/733 at work and keep 8.6 on my other 3.... with the software I use most it seems more stable. Upgrades you can to that don't cost much..... replace Comm Slot II modem with an ethernet card so you leave your 2 PCI slots free for other things. That way you can network it and use a DSL/Cable modem if they are available in your area. max out the RAM.... the most you can have is 128 go for it! You can find 64 meg DIMMS get a PCI video card that has 2D and 3D accelleration. You can get Voodoo 3/2000's and Voodoo 3/3000's on Ebay almost every day.... but make sure you do a search at this URL not the mac part. http://pages.ebay.com/catindex/computers.html I just looked and they were ranging around $20 for a V3/2000 and $30 for a V3/3000 just make sure you get a PCI version not an AGP. PC or Mac doesn't matter they can be ROM flashed to work in either. You can put a Voodoo 5 in there if you don't have the zip drive option on your 6500 because only way to power the V5 that would reach was to use a y connector to split the voltage from the zip and the V5 and the zip wouldn't work that way. But Voodoo5's are a lot more expensive and the boost was not as good in the 6500 between the V3 and V5 as it was in my 7200 must be something about the mobo architecture... For your other PCI slot you can get a USB card or better but more expensive would be a USB/Firewire combo card. If all you really need USB for is to get the pictures from your digital camera into your computer go for the USB card... you can get them for next to nothing... If you do get the USB card and digital camera definately.... and I can't stress this enough... get a usb card reader that takes the type of media your camera uses. I got a digital camera and hated using it because it took like 20 minutes to get the pictures into my computer... now just pop in the card in the reader... it appears on the desktop and open it like a hard drive... takes seconds.... More than likely this is all you will need to do for your computer for now though when you are ready you can put a G3 in there and of course you can add CDRW and DVD's to your USB or Firewire bus but thats getting expensive... and if you were going to spend a couple hundred for a good G3 card and a couple hundred for a good CDRW you might as well pick up an imac that does it all and sell your 6500 to make up some of the difference. I keep watching ebay and thinking about doing that myself almost every week ;D for some illogical reason I still want an original Bondi even though all of my computers are faster than it. Hope this helps.... Hamlet MiMacs... 7200 with 7300 Guts G3/300/1M Voodoo 5 6500 G3/400/512k Voodoo 3/2000 9500 G3/450/1M Voodoo 2 G4(Quicksilver)/733 -- PCI-PowerMacs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Sonnet & PowerLogix Upgrades - start at $169 | & CDRWs on Sale! | SPECIAL LIST PRICES - Apple PCI Video Cards from $19.99, MacOS 8.5 CD $79.99 Replacement Parts IN STOCK, Apple CDROMs from $19.99 <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PCI-PowerMacs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/pci-powermacs.shtml> Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/pci-powermacs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
