Got a Performa 631CD...

[commodorejohn]

Got this baby for free at the recycle center along with a very nice Extended Keyboard II (for which I need to get an ADB cable - I swear I already had one!) The case is rather battered (the bezel's coming apart,) but it boots and runs just fine. Already got 8.1 on it, and it runs nicely. It has its annoying aspects (dog-slow early IDE in particular,) but for free I'm not complaining, and it'll go a little ways towards filling the Quadra-shaped hole in my life until I finally have both the spare change and the opportunity to grab an 840AV

I'm curious, though - obviously I'm not going to get a better overall transfer rate by putting a newer IDE drive in the thing, but I can definitely cut down on seek time and chatter that way. On the other hand, it does have a SCSI controller, and I have an external drive bay that's not seeing use, so I could dig up a decent SCSI HD - but I've read that they used an older, slower SCSI controller for the 630 series, so is it actually going to be an improvement over the IDE? What's my best option for upgrading the storage in this thing?

Also, what's a good option for networking with this? I understand that comm-slot cards disable the modem serial port on Performas, which I'd rather avoid (I've got a couple MIDI adapters and I'd like to use both.) Were there Ethernet adapters for the PDS slot in this thing?

 

[uniserver]

free is fantastic

 

[NJRoadfan]

Comm Slot Ethernet shouldn't disable the port, only modems. Also, the MIDI adapter should work on the printer port too. Both serial ports are driven by identical hardware.

 

[commodorejohn]

Well, yeah, the printer port will work for one, but as I said, I've got two that I'd like to use. But as long as it doesn't disable the modem port, that shouldn't be an issue.

LowEndMac says the PDS slot is an extension of the LC PDS slot, so if that's true I could just get an LC ethernet adapter...

 

[LCGuy]

I can confirm that the CS Ethernet card does not interfere with your serial ports, only the Modem card. My LC630 runs a CS ethernet card and I've had both the serial ports on it in use at the same time, as well as Ethernet, no problems whatsoever.

 

[commodorejohn]

Well, an LC PDS Ethernet card was about the same price, came with a driver disk, and openly claims compatibility (so I can complain if it doesn't work,) so I went with that. Since there seems to be only one LC PDS video card that's even accelerated (the Envisio Quick16,) and I can't find one listed for sale, it shouldn't be an issue.

Speaking of video, is there a way to force MacOS 8.1 to allow me to switch to higher resolutions? This model is listed as being able to do up to 832x624 in 8-bit color, but the Monitors control panel won't let me select anything above 640x480...

 

[mcdermd]

How much VRAM do you have? Maybe not enough to push your "high resolution" monitor?

 

[commodorejohn]

According to EveryMac, it's 1MB VRAM, non-upgradable, for the onboard video - room enough for two full 800x600 8-bit framebuffers. I'd expect the issue lies more with me using a VGA monitor + adapter and the Mac having no idea what modes are supported, but if it would just let me select the all-supported-modes list instead of the recommended, it wouldn't be an issue...

 

[onlyonemac]

They usually only let you select the most basic modes for unknown hardware to avoid the risk of choosing a mode that is incompatible with, or might even damage, your monitor.

 

[commodorejohn]

Yes, so I gather. I'd just like to be able to switch it into modes I know my monitor supports even if the Mac doesn't, but for some reason the drop-down box only has "recommended modes" in it and not "all modes."

 

[MinerAl]

It could depend on your adapter. If it has sense lines that indicate it is 640x480 that's all the Mac may offer. There are switched adapters for a few fixed modes, and some "multimode" adapters will let you do whatever you want to your poor unsuspecting monitor

 

[commodorejohn]

Yeah...I actually had a switchable adapter, and I swear I still have it, but it naturally went missing the minute I picked up the Performa... :-/

 

[onlyonemac]

but it naturally went missing the minute I picked up the Performa... :-/

Maybe it's connected to the back of the Performa?