Will We Ever See Faster Upgrade Cards?

[rt_brained]

Has the supply line been cut off for companies like XLR8 and Sonnet and others like them? Sure their mere existence ruffles Jobs' feathers (God forbid should we try to extend the shelf life of our older Macs), but some of us still have older PCI Macs and mid-sized monitors that could still be used as back-up stations, as well as stand alone servers for older SCSI hardware devices.

Does anyone know the likelihood of faster processor cards in the near future? Prices have come down recently, but why haven't we seen faster chips?

[eyelikeart]

I've always heard about chip shortages being the reason there either weren't any at all or very limited supplies of them...

or they are too damned expensive...

anyone know anything else other than this? :(

[mymemory]

I have a G4 400, right now I do not have the money to buy another computer like this one and I may get $100 for this one including the monitor.

I'm expecting for upgrades cards, even if they are $600 or $800 is more practical than selling this one and spend anothe $3.000 plus monitor plus accesories (audio media 3, miró DC 30 plus, internal zip drive, scsi pci card and external cd burner).

I really would like to have the option of a 900Mhz or at list 800Mhz.

[Kethoticus]

I hear you guys. Totally. I am sick to death of reading about their 450 & 500 MHz upgrades. There 1,000 MHz chips out there now.

I've heard it had something to do with supply, too, but I think it's something more sinister: Apple working with Moto to keep the upgrade manufacturers from getting the fastest chips so that people will be forced to upgrade via brand new machines.

[holmesf]

I remember back a few years ago those companies were offering 500mhz G3 upgrade chips when apple only put 450mhz G3's in their blue and white G3 towers. Those were the days. I'm really disapointed that I can't upgrade my G3 to anything much faster.

[Kethoticus]

What could help solve the problem a bit is if they could figure out a way to get quad-500MHz G4 upgrades out to users of B&W G3s & silvery G4s. But there might be heating & space issues. I don't know.

[mischief]

Originally posted by Kethoticus
What could help solve the problem a bit is if they could figure out a way to get quad-500MHz G4 upgrades out to users of B&W G3s & silvery G4s. But there might be heating & space issues. I don't know.

(HUGE EVIL GRIN) Yeah, now THAT's the **** I'm talkin about.:D :D :D

[rt_brained]

I'd heard about Apple forcing manufacturures' hands and choking off the supplies to upgrade companies, but is there not a demand for 533+ MHz elsewhere? I mean, once computer companies move to faster chips, don't the older chips in turn find homes in other devices like microwave ovens and garage door openers? (side note: Personally, I'd like to see a microwave oven paired with an old G4 450MHz chip. You could cook a 14 lb. turkey in 3 to 5 seconds...hell, even I'd consider throwing a little Thanksgiving soirée).

It just sounds to me like Motorola could make a nice chunk of change by continuing to manufacture and sell even mid-range chips (533s, 667s, 733s et. al.) to companies like Sonnet and XLR8 who could use them. If Apple isn't using them, then what could they possibly do to Motorola to prevent them from making an honest profit? I would think Moto is in a much more controlling position than Apple in that regard. Who else would Apple go to for chips? IBM? pfft...

I hope that once Apple finally does bump the line up to 800MHz and above chips, maybe the market will once and for all open up so that upgrade companies can buy the chips Apple left behind.

I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed and hold onto those Thanksgiving invites for now...and my 8600 will stay in cryo-freeze with Walt and the rest of gang.

[mac15]

don't worry there are duel 867's on the way check www.mosr.com

[rugby]

Originally posted by mac15
don't worry there are duel 867's on the way check www.mosr.com

Too bad this upgrade won't work in most early G4's with the Uni-rev3 problem.:mad: I've got a G4/400 that wants an upgrade.