Quirks of a Powermac G4 MDD?

[repairedCheese]

So, I was looking around for anything I might already have to add to my nice new acquisition, and stumbled on my old pci usb2/firewire card. And once I got it in, the thing wouldn't boot. Absolutely nothing happened. After messing around with it, I got it to boot, but it said some of the ram was no good. After pulling each stick, I've come to the conclusion, that the ram slots are just loose. Is this just a common issue with these old computers? I hadn't seen it anywhere.

Here's the pci card in question, btw. I couldn't find anything about it specifically, but it looks like you can still buy cards with the ALi M5271 chipset, and they seem to work all the way down to Mac OS 9, no driver needed, at least. My problems were all in the ram.

Also? Does it seem to anyone else that Leopard Webkit is more stable on a G4? My eMac is so slow that it didn't matter one way or the other, but my PMG4 is fast enough that I can actually do things in Leopard, and LWK doesn't seem like the same crashfest that it has always been on my PMG5.

 

[RogerWilco6502]

Just wanted to let you know that the title says G5 and not G4

As for the card in question, idk but I've definitely had hit and miss compatibility with PCI cards on my DA.

 

[repairedCheese]

Just wanted to let you know that the title says G5 and not G4

As for the card in question, idk but I've definitely had hit and miss compatibility with PCI cards on my DA.

And fixed. The card works perfectly so I clearly made a good choice way back around 2004 when I got the thing. I kind of have to wonder how low a version of Mac OS I'd have to go before it stops working, but getting it into the system was such a pain I don't want to touch it.

 

[RogerWilco6502]

And fixed. The card works perfectly so I clearly made a good choice way back around 2004 when I got the thing. I kind of have to wonder how low a version of Mac OS I'd have to go before it stops working, but getting it into the system was such a pain I don't want to touch it.

That's fair. I do know bad RAM/slots is something that can cause strange issues on most computers, especially Macs of this age. If it doesn't require extra drivers, then I'd suspect that any version of Mac OS with built-in support for FireWire and USB PCI cards could handle it.

 

[repairedCheese]

That's fair. I do know bad RAM/slots is something that can cause strange issues on most computers, especially Macs of this age. If it doesn't require extra drivers, then I'd suspect that any version of Mac OS with built-in support for FireWire and USB PCI cards could handle it.

I'd go so far as to say the ram actually feels loose. I didn't think that was an issue at first, but as I diagnosed the issue, that's all I could come up with. Fortunately, I was able to get all the sticks of ram it came with working, and that's a mix of unmatched 512 mb sticks, and one 256 mb stick. The system came with proof of a power supply refurbishment, for what that's worth, I do get the impression that it was a cared for machine.

But even for what I'll use it for, two usb ports was never going to be enough. I'll never understand why anyone thought it could be. With all the ports we use to put on computers, who would think anyone would want to live that dongle life?

 

[Amethyst1]

I'll never understand why anyone thought it could be.

<irony>
With a matching ADC display that keyboard and mouse are connected to, you'll have two - get this, two! - free USB ports to use to your heart's content. </irony>

 

[repairedCheese]

<irony>
With a matching ADC display that keyboard and mouse are connected to, you'll have two - get this, two! - free USB ports to use to your heart's content. </irony>

Oh hey, that's the same trick they pulled off with the Studio Display they replaced that with. I actually have one of those and trading one rear facing usb port for two rear facing usb ports is just the <irony> Best. Trade. Ever. </irony>

I'll actually take the extra firewire port it gives me, though. I've never needed more than two of those anyway. And better yet, keyboard and mouse don't take that up in the first place.

 

[eyoungren]

<irony>
With a matching ADC display that keyboard and mouse are connected to, you'll have two - get this, two! - free USB ports to use to your heart's content. </irony>

Oh hey, that's the same trick they pulled off with the Studio Display they replaced that with. I actually have one of those and trading one rear facing usb port for two rear facing usb ports is just the <irony> Best. Trade. Ever. </irony>

I'll actually take the extra firewire port it gives me, though. I've never needed more than two of those anyway. And better yet, keyboard and mouse don't take that up in the first place.

I've made this work for me.

I have a USB 1,1 powered hub that I've used since getting my QS and my two Studio Displays and my Cinema Display. What I do is plug the USB cables from all three displays into that hub and then run just ONE USB cable to the Mac.

The means on the Mac I use up only one USB port for all three displays. Since all three displays are running to a powered hub I can use all six combined USB ports on the back of the displays for whatever I want.

Granted it's all limited to USB 1.1, but that's all the displays have anyway so it works.

 

[repairedCheese]

I've made this work for me.

I have a USB 1,1 powered hub that I've used since getting my QS and my two Studio Displays and my Cinema Display. What I do is plug the USB cables from all three displays into that hub and then run just ONE USB cable to the Mac.

The means on the Mac I use up only one USB port for all three displays. Since all three displays are running to a powered hub I can use all six combined USB ports on the back of the displays for whatever I want.

Granted it's all limited to USB 1.1, but that's all the displays have anyway so it works.

And how much did your usb hub cost?

 

[eyoungren]

And how much did your usb hub cost?

I think it was probably around $15-20 back in 2007 or so. I was using it at work but brought it home when I got the QS.

 

[repairedCheese]

I think it was probably around $15-20 back in 2007 or so. I was using it at work but brought it home when I got the QS.

God, I wish. The collectors market has come in and pushed the price on all of this up so much. Sure, it all use to be extremely expensive, but there was a time when it could all be gotten for pennies, and I remember when so much of the good old hardware was like that.

 

[eyoungren]

God, I wish. The collectors market has come in and pushed the price on all of this up so much. Sure, it all use to be extremely expensive, but there was a time when it could all be gotten for pennies, and I remember when so much of the good old hardware was like that.

In the last two years I've picked up two of these for around $20 (D-Link DUB-H7): https://www.ebay.com/itm/D-link-DUB...sh=item2ade834c98:g:zKIAAOSwwD1eF~8L&LH_BIN=1

7 Port USB 2.0 hubs.

****MODS**** Not my auction!!!!!

 

[eyoungren]

Here's my home D-Link:

And that USB 1.1 Hub I mentioned:

 

[repairedCheese]

Minor update for the MDD, I really forgot how much of a pain Classic Mac OS was to maintain. Moving around volumes left and right, OS 10 takes it like it's nothing, but then there was my OS 9 system folder, off my eMac. I'd used a universal install that supported the MDD, but the thing took a billion years to boot.

Ended up having the use Conflict Catcher to swap to a fresh install, but even that had issues. For some reason, the audio out wasn't showing up in OS 9, and that, for some reason, had to do with a linux dvd I had in one of the two drive bays. Took it out and it was fine. As much as MDK's little performance tester gets like 2x the result natively as it does when using Classic in OS 10, I can't imagine trying to live in that world anymore.

And apparently, my mistake was to try to network OS 9 to my PMG5, because now it likes to hang as it tries to connect through Classic in OS 10.

The funny thing is, my eMac was pretty much smooth sailing until the crt in it decided it didn't want to work.