2mb RAM sticks and the little IIsi that would

[beachycove]

I just discovered, to my surprise, that my IIsi recognizes 2MB RAM sticks, a hundred or more of which I have had lying around for the past five years. Until tonight, I had no real confirmation what size the little bu**ers were, as their markings are not documented anywhere that I can find, and as I could never make a machine boot with them in it. I had, though, suspected 2MB, or 8MB, as they are each known to cause trouble.

So just now, I popped them into a IIsi, just because I wanted to boot it up and they were to hand, and not noticing that they were the sticks that had failed in every other machine tried. The thing booted right up and I was met with a IIsi that reported the very odd figure of 9216k memory under "About this Mac." Then I worked it out.

Apparently, 2MB SIMMs are a bit of a rarity. Does anyone know if they happen to work in any other Apple machines, or have some peculiar niche use? And anyone want a handful, by any chance? Out of basement and into yours!

 

[JRL]

I actually have x4 2 MB sticks in my IIci. They've worked great but if I remember correctly they were indeed real picky.

 

[CC_333]

Hi,

Can anyone confirm that these work with an SE/30?

I might take 8 of them if so.

c

 

[beachycove]

They do not.

 

[CC_333]

Hmm...

Never mind the SE/30 idea, then...

I do have a IIsi in which they'll work, but I'd rather have more than 8 + 2 MB of RAM in there.

Have you thought of selling them at all?

c

 

[beachycove]

Well I am soon going to start flogging some things on eBay, and see if I can help fund my children's education (well, at least buy a textbook or something). Those 2mb sticks I couldn't attempt to sell before now, without knowing what they were.

PM sent.

 

[LCGuy]

I believe they'll also work in a Classic II or LC II.

They're rare, but I wouldn't imagine they'd be all that valuable - most people looking to upgrade would be after 4MB (or bigger) modules.

 

[JRL]

I actually got 3 NIB packages (2 2 MB modules each) a while back mistakenly thinking they were 4 MB sticks. From what I remember, the package specifically mentioned the Classic II/LC/LC II.

 

[trag]

The LC, IIsi and Classic were all released together in the Fall of 1990. It was something of a "low cost" revolution for Apple. Except for the Classic, they were also the first Macintoshes to support 2 MB and 8 MB (not sure LC supports 8) SIMMs. I remember that the magazine articles in MacUser and MacWorld made kind of a big deal about it at the time.

Any Macintosh released before those models does not support 2 MB SIMMs. There weren't that many models after that that still used 30 pin SIMMs, although I guess the Q700, Q900 and Q950 would be notable exceptions.

Anyone know if the first Quadras supported 2MB and 8MB SIMMs?

Ah, Hardware Developer Notes to the rescue. None of the Q700, Q900 nor Q950 support 2 or 8 MB SIMMs.

But apparently the IIvx does support 2MB SIMMs.

 

[beachycove]

My Q950 doesn't, and that would presumably mean the Q900 as well; I don't have a Q700 to test.

 

[IIciNov90]

Old thread but I could not resist. I have (4) 2MB SIMMS in my IIci. They are in bank A and though I could easily replace them with 16MB SIMMS like I have in bank B for an impressive total of 128 I have stayed with the 2. My set is very unique. I bought them back in 1992 at a great price at a Macworld Boston. I was already a Mac gearhead at that point and specifically requested 60ns. The RAM vendor said he had no 60ns but instead offered 50ns (yes 50!). When I got the RAM home and installed it I immediately ran Speedometer. My built-in video went from 100 percent (of the usual stock IIci) to 115 percent. The system could actually take advantage of the faster ram! I borrowed other Simms from friends at 80, 70, and 60 to try out and sure enough it really made a difference.

My IIci runs great these days with 72MB. I could run with more but choose to keep the special 2MB modules in Bank A for the fastest built-in video possible. I have looked on and off over the last 20 years for more 50ns modules but have never found any. Having ( 8) 50ns 16MB SIMMS would be the ultimate but I do not even know if they exist. My bank B 16MB SIMMS are 60ns.

Brian

 

[uniserver]

i tried the (4) 2mb simms i have here in my Iici, seems to work good!

16 + 8

 

[uniserver]

ok i tried the 2mb simms in the Iicx and they work, however the ram reporting is a little off.

there is 16 in there in bank 1 just like with the ci. so total should be 24 megs, but it shows 28 megs of ram for some reason.