Boot Speed vs High Ram Count - Quadra 950

[Zhinü]

What's the best balance of boot speed (since Macs check the entirety of the RAM or something like that before boot) and RAM amount for a Quadra 950?
I want to be able to download files from say, Mac Garden and Mac Rep, but I don't want to toss an entire 256MB kit in it and have it take a year and a half to post. (Also, it costs 140 bucks, so...) I currently have 40MB in it.

 

[BetaC]

68k machines aren't really the best for browsing even simple websites like the garden, so you're probably better off transferring to them some other way. That said, you might not mind the wait once you're used to it. It's not a multiple-minute wait under most circumstances.

 

[Zhinü]

68k machines aren't really the best for browsing even simple websites like the garden, so you're probably better off transferring to them some other way. That said, you might not mind the wait once you're used to it. It's not a multiple-minute wait under most circumstances.

Yeah I could get a PowerPC machine (or hell, hook my 3400 to the internet), but I was going to turn my Quadra 950 into a serving machines for other macs. (That is, storing a ton of data on it and burning cds/making disks/network transferring to other macs).

 

[croissantking]

What's the best balance of boot speed (since Macs check the entirety of the RAM or something like that before boot) and RAM amount for a Quadra 950?

My vote is 64MB.

Btw do we need to say MiB now? Mebibytes.

 

[Phipli]

40MB is probably fine, but browsing the internet basically just doesn't work from 68k macs any more.

There are more compatible browsers, but I couldn't load Mac Garden or Mac repository in MacWeb earlier in the week.

 

[joshc]

40MB should be fine for most things on a 68k. Upping it to 68 or 128 would allow you to run more things at once, but how often are you going to do that? The only things that really benefit from large amounts of RAM on a 68k Mac are Photoshop or video editing software.

Take a look at MacIPRPi. Run it on a Pi and boom you've got an AppleShare server that you can connect to from your Quadra, and any modern machine. Makes it super easy to download stuff from the Garden on your modern computer and access those files on your Quadra.

MacIP.net

MacIP protocol

www.macip.net

 

[lobust]

40MB is probably fine, but browsing the internet basically just doesn't work from 68k macs any more.

There are more compatible browsers, but I couldn't load Mac Garden or Mac repository in MacWeb earlier in the week.

MR doesn't work on any 68k browser, but they have a 68k downloader client that works nicely:

MR Browser - Macintosh Repository

MR Browser is a small utility app allowing very old Macs from the 90's that are too old to use a normal web browser, but are new enough to...

www.macintoshrepository.org

You obviously have to get it onto your 68k mac via something more modern.

MG works pretty well on Netscape Navigator 2.x/3.x and I use it quite often on my Quadras.

 

[Phipli]

MR doesn't work on any 68k browser, but they have a 68k downloader client that works nicely:

MR Browser - Macintosh Repository

MR Browser is a small utility app allowing very old Macs from the 90's that are too old to use a normal web browser, but are new enough to...

www.macintoshrepository.org

You obviously have to get it onto your 68k mac via something more modern.

MG works pretty well on Netscape Navigator 2.x/3.x and I use it quite often on my Quadras.

This isn't a problem I'm trying to solve? I was telling the OP that they are unlikely to be able to use a Quadra to browse those sites?

Even if Netscape works, using a Quadra to download from the web just isn't a good way of doing it.

 

[lobust]

This isn't a problem I'm trying to solve? I was telling the OP that they are unlikely to be able to use a Quadra to browse those sites?

I was using your post as context to inform OP that they can in fact use a quadra to browse at least one of those sites.

 

[Phipli]

I was using your post as context to inform OP that they can in fact use a quadra to browse at least one of those sites.

Ah, sorry, that makes more sense, but you replied directly to me and didn't tag them.

 

[lobust]

Ah, sorry, that makes more sense, but you replied directly to me and didn't tag them.

Yes, I was being a bit lazy, apologies

 

[ArmorAlley]

Get your yourself a Mac Mini G4, install the version Mac OS 9.2.2 modified to run on it and connect to the MG that way. It works well until it crashes, which is not unknown.
Then connect the Mac Mini G4 to your Q950 and your 68K mac has access to the shared volumes on your G4.

 

[joshc]

Get your yourself a Mac Mini G4, install the version Mac OS 9.2.2 modified to run on it and connect to the MG that way. It works well until it crashes, which is not unknown.
Then connect the Mac Mini G4 to your Q950 and your 68K mac has access to the shared volumes on your G4.

This would also work with Tiger, which can share to System 7 just fine.

 

[Phipli]

This would also work with Tiger, which can share to System 7 just fine.

Oh, that's handy, I though Tiger was where they removed it...

Wait... Memory... Working...

They removed it /during/ Tiger's lifetime, so if you fully update Tiger, traditional Appleshare doesn't work.

 

[Melkhior]

I currently have 40MB in it.

Back in the day, that would have been considered a lot. Apple didn't ship 32 MiB stock until the late PowerPC 604 or perhaps even G3 era. Most 68k Macs never came close to 40 MiB, except a few professional systems that dealt with large images or videos. "Desktop" Macs would mostly stay to, say, between stock and 2-3x stock, rarely more. 40 MiB is 5x what a Q950 would have had stock, so definitely high-end. Classic II were still shipping with 2 MiB stock when the Q950 was introduced... and came with a 40 MB hard drive.

So unless you really want to max out the machine or have a use case that somehow needs more, you can stick with 40 MiB.

(that being said, my IIsi currently boots with 245 MiB and it takes about 4-5 minutes )

 

[Zhinü]

Back in the day, that would have been considered a lot. Apple didn't ship 32 MiB stock until the late PowerPC 604 or perhaps even G3 era. Most 68k Macs never came close to 40 MiB, except a few professional systems that dealt with large images or videos. "Desktop" Macs would mostly stay to, say, between stock and 2-3x stock, rarely more. 40 MiB is 5x what a Q950 would have had stock, so definitely high-end. Classic II were still shipping with 2 MiB stock when the Q950 was introduced... and came with a 40 MB hard drive.

So unless you really want to max out the machine or have a use case that somehow needs more, you can stick with 40 MiB.

(that being said, my IIsi currently boots with 245 MiB and it takes about 4-5 minutes )

How did you put 245Mb in a IIsi? I thought 65MB was the max you could throw in one.

Get your yourself a Mac Mini G4, install the version Mac OS 9.2.2 modified to run on it and connect to the MG that way. It works well until it crashes, which is not unknown.
Then connect the Mac Mini G4 to your Q950 and your 68K mac has access to the shared volumes on your G4.

I don't really do post G3 because its boring to me, but if 68K access to Mac Rep/Mac Garden is legit that bad (even after maxing the system), then I might go with it (or just use my iMac G3).

MR doesn't work on any 68k browser, but they have a 68k downloader client that works nicely:

MR Browser - Macintosh Repository

MR Browser is a small utility app allowing very old Macs from the 90's that are too old to use a normal web browser, but are new enough to...

www.macintoshrepository.org

You obviously have to get it onto your 68k mac via something more modern.

MG works pretty well on Netscape Navigator 2.x/3.x and I use it quite often on my Quadras.

Thank you! I've heard of the Mac Rep downloader client, will have to try it out. I still need to get an ethernet adapter in the first place.
I'll get Netscape downloaded as well.

40MB should be fine for most things on a 68k. Upping it to 68 or 128 would allow you to run more things at once, but how often are you going to do that? The only things that really benefit from large amounts of RAM on a 68k Mac are Photoshop or video editing software.

Take a look at MacIPRPi. Run it on a Pi and boom you've got an AppleShare server that you can connect to from your Quadra, and any modern machine. Makes it super easy to download stuff from the Garden on your modern computer and access those files on your Quadra.

MacIP.net

MacIP protocol

www.macip.net

I've always hated Pis, but I might do this if the original idea just doesn't work out. I'd rather have a small Pi sitting around then a Mac Mini.

 

[joshc]

I've always hated Pis, but I might do this if the original idea just doesn't work out. I'd rather have a small Pi sitting around then a Mac Mini.

You don't have to run it on a Pi, that's just one way of doing it.

 

[LaPorta]

Two things:

You can update 7.1’s AppleShare to a newer version to use AppleShare over IP (I connect to 10.4 with my IIfx this way all the time).

You can start your Quadra, hear the chime, and then immediately restart it to bypass the RAM check. Best of both worlds.

 

[Zhinü]

Two things:

You can update 7.1’s AppleShare to a newer version to use AppleShare over IP (I connect to 10.4 with my IIfx this way all the time).

You can start your Quadra, hear the chime, and then immediately restart it to bypass the RAM check. Best of both worlds.

I've got 7.6.1 installed currently, is AppleShare over IP installed by default? I just used the "everything" install option, and then custom selected everything that I could.

Also that's nice to know about the ram check. Does this work for all Macs?

 

[joshc]

They removed it /during/ Tiger's lifetime, so if you fully update Tiger, traditional Appleshare doesn't work.

I am pretty sure I've had it working. I think it's because of the patched AppleShare for 7.1 that LaPorta has mentioned. 7.5 does not need it, it already comes with a later version of AppleShare that will work with 10.4.11.