On Wednesday, July 23, 2003, at 01:59 PM, James Grubic wrote:
Hello:
You will not be able to use a processor card from another PCI machine. You will need to buy a G3/G4 upgrade that specifically states it is compatible with the PowerBase. The circuitry is different.
I took a look on the web for information as to which ZIF carriers were compatible with the PowerBase, and it appears that I had one of each of the two compatible models, in this case the PowerLogix ZForce and the MACh Speed carrier from XLR8. I wanted to use the XLR8 in the PowerBase as it was the carrier that was most easily available (the ZForce was already installed in a 9500). Further research showed that only rev.1 boards were compatible with the PowerBase, and I had rev.1.1. Assuming that 'rev.1' in the descriptions might mean 1.x, and since the change was instituted in 1999, the same date as on the card, I thought I'd give it a try anyway. Sure enough, it didn't work no matter which processor was in it, and no matter how slow it was set to run.
I decided to pull the PowerLogix unit from the 9500 and give it a try. As soon as I got the switches set, which was a pain because of the blurry image on the PDF provided by PowerLogix, I got the startup chime on the PowerBase. Woohoo!
The XLR8 card was reunited with the G3 ZIF that it was originally shipped with, and reinstalled in the 9500. As expected, that little bugger fired right up, although it did hang when it tried to load a PowerLogix entension - my fault. With that removed, the machine booted right up and is working fine at a nice speedy 466 MHz. Time for some overclocking!
The Sonnet Crescendo/L2 fits in the L2 cache slot of the PowerBase, but I wouldn't buy that card as it needs special software to be recognized.
I've seen people try to use these types of upgrades, and they seem to be more hassle than they're worth. And being poor and unemployed, I'm certainly not going to BUY anything for this machine, least of all such a limited-use upgrade. This project is all about deploying existing junk <g>...
In the past, I have seen G3 upgrade cards available at OtherWorld Computing (http://www.macsales.com) that list compatibility with the PowerBase, but those appear to be discontinued. Perhaps a search on some other vendor sites, or even eBay, will list other models of cards compatible with the PowerBase. I specifically recall that some of the XLR8 and PowerLogix cards listed compatibility with the PowerBase models.
OWC - what a wonderful place. It's a good thing I don't have any money, because if I did, well, OWC would quickly recieve it and I'd be right back at square one <g>.
(FYI, I think I would have rather kept the PowerBook 1400, and installed a G3 upgrade, HD upgrade, and a solar book cover! :)
This was a subject of intense internal debate. About a year and a half ago I stopped by a local hole-in-the-wall used computer place right as they opened. I had to return a PC video card or something, and they offered me full credit towards other merchandise or cash back minus 20%. I poked around and stumbled upon the 1400, just being put into the display case. It was only $100, and included all sorts of goodies such as a Zip drive, car adapter, modem, and a bunch of other stuff, all in a nice Apple-logo carrying case. When I went back to work a couple days later I mentioned my score, and one of my coworkers said that I should have talked to him, since he had some old PowerBook laying around. I inquired, expecting it to be a 170 or other ancient machine like I had found down in the storage locker, but was in fact a 3400. He said I could have it, no charge, if I would just do a little software update on some employees Pismo.
The software update on the Pismo was nothing major, and took up about an hour of my time. I then realized that I had gone from no PowerBooks to two PowerBooks in the span of a couple of days. I started researching what I had, and then discovered the limitations of the two models. I really didn't need a notebook, so I had to decide what I was going to do with the machine to determine which to keep. My normal portable Mac is actually a highly modified rev. B iMac that I lug around in a wheeled case, the same case I used to transport a Mac Plus on the back of a motorcycle ages ago. Obviously I have a skewed interpretation of what makes a portable computer, and the whole PowerBook thing threw my sensibilities for a loop.
I decided that the PowerBook that I would keep would be used mostly as a portable scanning station and repository/display mechanism for digital photographs. Rather than carry around multiple SmartMedia cards, I thought I would download to a notebook, burn to CD if necessary, and then reformat the cards. To do this I needed a computer that could handle CardBus adapters, such as USB and FireWire cards. While neither machine has that capability, the 3400 can be modified to take advantage of that technology. While I did like the compact size of the 1400, as well as the ability to add a G3, I figured that the speed of the 3400 (240 MHz) would be sufficient for its intended role. I also liked the idea of having fastest, top-of-the-line notebook, PC or Mac, at least in its day. This, like my 256 MB RAM, PPC 601-equipped Quadra 950, a machine that was probably cost $10-15,000 a decade ago, really doesn't mean much in the real world. And after all this rationalization, the 3400 sits in a drawer, like the 1400 did, while I continue to tweak with antiquated desktops.
I did keep a few items from that original 1400 deal, items that are probably worth more than the computer itself. I spotted the carrying bag a while back at Red Light Runner (http://www.redlightrunner.com) for $139, and the Zip drive also seems to be an item in high demand. I can probably get enough out of these two items to more than cover the original price of the 1400. In the mean time, I have a couple more machines to add to the Leaning Tower of Cupertino, a stack of old Macs in my living room that rise majestically to a height of over seven feet.
Thanks for your help!
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