ATA SSD in a PDQ

[flecom]

So I finally got a PDQ 300Mhz Powerbook and put one of those Zheio chinese SSDs in it... the mac was able to detect it and install OS9 without issue, but I could not boot from it, only got a :?:

I remembered that these SSDs need to be jumpered for master BUT the ATA board that the powerbook uses won't allow you to connect a jumper (it covers ALL the pins, including the jumpers)

so a bit of wire and solder later

Success!

now in the process of installing X 10.2 and Lubuntu on it

 

[Unknown_K]

Feel any faster?

 

[flecom]

OS9 definitely feels a little snappier, especially since I only have 128MB RAM... but it could be my imagination... it's quieter that's for sure!

I am installing OSX today... Lubuntu was unusable, was suuuper slow, not sure if I did something wrong so going to try again later

 

[Bunsen]

128MB is more than enough for OS 9, but OS X won't enjoy trying to run in that little space, especially on a G3/300.

 

[Unknown_K]

RAM limitations (and video chipset) are the reasons I never bothered with OSX on anything except a B&W G3 or newer or G4+ laptop. G3 laptops are best with OS 9.x

 

[flecom]

ya OSX is pretty painful, just the install is running 3+ hours :-/

but I ordered 2x 256MB PC100 SODIMMs so at 512MB that should be much less painful

 

[Bunsen]

You'll definitely notice a difference.  Try running it for a bit before and after installing the extra RAM and you'll see what I mean

 

[Elfen]

I have the KingSpec PATA II SSD in one of my Wallstreets. But you did not had to solder the master/slave switch on the connector. On my KingSpec SSD, there is a jumper on the drive itself for master/slave and putting in a jumper block on the drive itself makes it work for me. But my connector, the pins that denote mater/slave just hangs off the connector and not go into anything.

It depends on the SSD if you see speed or not. In the minimum it should be faster than a hard drive. Case in point, the KingSpec PATA Series is only good for 33mb/sec, but the PATA II Series is over 60mb/sec (the larger the driver the faster it is and their 64GB is about 75mb/sec). Using the PATA Series on the Wallstreet, well, it is faster than a hard drive but it is nothing to write home about. But using the PATA II - DAMN! It is A LOT FASTER!!! And this is on a 266MHz Wallstreet! (the same is true on the 2 iBook G3s I put them into as well).