Currently, I'm running a PB 1400c/166, 64 megs RAM, OS 8.1.
[snip]
Second, I recently read about using compact flash cards to extend the memory on this computer; is this true, and could somebody explain how this works in laymen's terms please.
[snip]
Brian
Brian,
You *cannot* increase the size of the Mac's RAM with a Compact Flash (CF) card.
The CF card is read by the Mac as a type of external disk drive.
Some people have had success in using them as emergency boot disks, whenin you install a System Folder and whatever disk recovery applications you use. All you need is a CF card big enough to hold the files.
You just insert the CF card, with a CF-to-PCMCIA adapter, into a PC Card slot, power up the PB and do the four-finger salute (apple-option-shift-delete keys) to make sure it boots off of a disk different than the internal (alternately, you can select the CF "disk" using the Startup Disk control panel, if the PB is initially bootable from the HD).
This is nice if you don't have a functioning CD-ROM drive, or have to use an external CD-ROM, like in my 5300cs. (Alas, I could never get it to work on my 5300cs, but many people have had success with the 1400.)
You can also store files on it, read/write to it, just like any HD.
And, you can select a CF "disk" for use as the disk location for Virtual Memory or cache memory for your web browser. For VM, turn the option for VM *on* in the Memory control panel. Then select the CF "drive" and tell it how much of the memory space you want to use.
Similarly for web browser cache, just tell the browser the location and size of the cache file in the browser's Preferneces.
There are some limitations with the CF read/write lifetimes (range of millions to tens-of-millions of cycles as MTTF). Still, they are pretty cheap for what they do, especially the lower-valued cards.
Regards,
Bob Eye Dallas, TX
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