MDD CPU Mystery

[Wild Hare]

Two very similar 1.25 GHz SP MDD CPUs.
One boots OS 9 - one does not / will not.
BUT …will boot and run versions of OS X.

Any explanation(s)?



More info, this thread:

http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=6335.0

 

[ervus]

I think those are the same chip: rev "F" I can't quite read the mask number, but it looks the same.

If they both work with OS X, do they show the correct speed and L3 cache? You could also confirm that they have the same PVR in OS X. What happens if you disable the L3 cache? I would try that, and then try changing the speed or voltage slightly to see if it works that way.

 

[Wild Hare]

THANKS! Will pass this along and report back findings.

 

[micahgartman]

There are three models of MDD: the first gen (with FireWire 400), the second gen (with FireWire 800) and a third gen that Apple released along side the first PowerMac G5. The third gen was released to appease us QuarkXpress users—which only ran on OS9 at the time. Here's some info on the third gen MDD:

Power Macintosh G4 1.25 (MDD 2003) Specs (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003, M9145LL/A, PowerMac3,6, M8570, 1914C): EveryMac.com

Technical specifications for the Power Macintosh G4 1.25 (MDD 2003). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.

everymac.com

 

[Amethyst1]

[…] a third gen that Apple released along side the first PowerMac G5.

Wasn’t that just a “re-released”first-gen MDD?

 

[eyoungren]

The third gen was released to appease us QuarkXpress users—which only ran on OS9 at the time.

I was always under the impression it was to appease the scholastic market - i.e., K-12 schools. Although certainly design schools which might have only been using OS9/QXP 4/5 could take advantage.

That would be a first for me. I know that Quark released version 6 of XPress in a rush because of the whole PR debacle that was version 5, but this is the first I'm hearing of an actual Mac being released to appease us QXP users. And I've been in this since 1999.

 

[micahgartman]

Wasn’t that just a “re-released”first-gen MDD?

It was only a single processor. All the other MDDs were dual processor'd.

 

[micahgartman]

I was always under the impression it was to appease the scholastic market - i.e., K-12 schools. Although certainly design schools which might have only been using OS9/QXP 4/5 could take advantage.

That would be a first for me. I know that Quark released version 6 of XPress in a rush because of the whole PR debacle that was version 5, but this is the first I'm hearing of an actual Mac being released to appease us QXP users. And I've been in this since 1999.

Take a look at this:

The Lazarus Mac: Power Macintosh G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003) - 512 Pixels

This guest post is written by Thomas Brand. You know he can be trusted because his blog looks like a Newton. In an era where Apple continues to sell last year’s MacBook Pro, and the Mac Pro has not been updated in over one thousand days, I am reminded of a Mac that Apple brought […]

512pixels.net

 

[Amethyst1]

It was only a single processor. All the other MDDs were dual processor'd.

The “2003” MDD could also be configured with two CPUs.

 

[eyoungren]

Take a look at this:

The Lazarus Mac: Power Macintosh G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003) - 512 Pixels

This guest post is written by Thomas Brand. You know he can be trusted because his blog looks like a Newton. In an era where Apple continues to sell last year’s MacBook Pro, and the Mac Pro has not been updated in over one thousand days, I am reminded of a Mac that Apple brought […]

512pixels.net

Hmmm…

I detect a certain bias, considering the author mentions having used XPress 5. But, all I can seem to find right now is that apparently Apple perceived a demand still for OS9 machines. This would not make the author wrong then in his declaration. Which leaves me wondering where the heck it was that I picked up my idea that this MDD model was for schools.

RE: XPress 5. I don't know where you were as far as career/employment when QXP 5 dropped, but I was at the end of three years in one job. I can recall the Quark forums being removed because of the next level of hate that app generated. Having used the QXP 5 beta, all I could see that was new was web tools. There was no advantage to our company at that time to update beyond 4.11.

In my next two jobs (the second being a length of 14.5 years) I went straight to QXP 6.

Adobe was very smart at taking advantage of Quark's error during that time and that's how InDesign came to dominate the industry as it does now.

That said…in my current job, my daily tool is QuarkXPress 2020. Some of our people are already on QXP 2022 so I expect an upgrade to be happening at some point.

 

[micahgartman]

Hmmm…

I detect a certain bias, considering the author mentions having used XPress 5. But, all I can seem to find right now is that apparently Apple perceived a demand still for OS9 machines. This would not make the author wrong then in his declaration. Which leaves me wondering where the heck it was that I picked up my idea that this MDD model was for schools.

RE: XPress 5. I don't know where you were as far as career/employment when QXP 5 dropped, but I was at the end of three years in one job. I can recall the Quark forums being removed because of the next level of hate that app generated. Having used the QXP 5 beta, all I could see that was new was web tools. There was no advantage to our company at that time to update beyond 4.11.

In my next two jobs (the second being a length of 14.5 years) I went straight to QXP 6.

Adobe was very smart at taking advantage of Quark's error during that time and that's how InDesign came to dominate the industry as it does now.

That said…in my current job, my daily tool is QuarkXPress 2020. Some of our people are already on QXP 2022 so I expect an upgrade to be happening at some point.

I started using QX4 in the mid to late 90's. Adobe was phasing out Pagemaker in favor of the new InDesign. They had several free seminars in Houston that focused on transitioning Quark users to InDesign. It seems to have worked out for them!

I totally skipped QX5 and eventually upgraded to QX6. I still have it on my PowerBook G4—along with a copy FreeHand MX

 

[eyoungren]

…along with a copy FreeHand MX

Ah yes, Freehand. I used that as a can opener. When Photoshop and Illy wouldn't open a file, somehow Freehand always got it open. This was years before I discovered Graphic Converter.

My training was in 1992 to 1993. Got a certificate, but didn't get into the industry until I got my AA degree in 1999. My first job was in newspapers (Gannet daily paper in Palm Springs) and that's the niche I stayed in until 2019.

Now I'm doing niche, niche work. Golf scorecards and yardage books.

From 2004 to 2018 though (at my old job) it was QXP 4.11 under Classic, then 6, 7 and 8 until I forced myself to learn InDesign in 2011.

OP, sorry to derail your thread.