Lose a Sawtooth?

[waynestewart]

I have every model of G4 tower, Yikes, Sawtooth, Gigabit Ethernet, Digital Audio, Quicksilver, MDD. I'm trying to think of a good reason not to lose the Sawtooth and I can't think of one. Any suggestions?

 

[Unknown_K]

Why ditch it if you have it? I would ditch the PCI based Yikes before I ditched the AGP based Sawtooth.

 

[ccmac]

Here are some reasons I can think of for keeping it:

1. Last desktop mac with a plaintalk microphone connector.

2. Last desktop mac to boot Mac OS 8.6.

3. Only 2X AGP mac. There are some older agp video cards that may only work in 2X slots so it is good to have the only 2X AGP mac around.

4. 4 memory slots vs. 3 slots in the DA and QS actually give the Sawtooth a slight memory expansion advantage if you use OSX compared to the DA and QS.

5. Only G4 with a firewire port on the motherboard.

6. The 100mhz system bus may actually be more stable than the later G4s especially with pci cards installed.

7. Very easy to install a hacked PC ATX power supply compared to later G4s.

 

[waynestewart]

Why ditch it if you have it? I would ditch the PCI based Yikes before I ditched the AGP based Sawtooth.

It's not a performance issue I have a few DA and a number of MDD on hand. Partly it may be the girlfriend. She seems to think owning 125 Apple computers plus software and accessories is unusual. I tell her it isn't so but she remains unconvinced. However been willing to agree that I'll keep the cubic footage of Apple stuff from growing larger. Unfortunately tomorrow I have to pick up a couple of boxes of Mac Portable stuff. Then there's the guy that called and said he picked up some Apple IIs. Self restraint is hard.

 

[waynestewart]

Thanks, those are good points, I'll have to mull things over. I'm not in a real hurry to make a final decision.

Here are some reasons I can think of for keeping it:
1. Last desktop mac with a plaintalk microphone connector.

2. Last desktop mac to boot Mac OS 8.6.

3. Only 2X AGP mac. There are some older agp video cards that may only work in 2X slots so it is good to have the only 2X AGP mac around.

4. 4 memory slots vs. 3 slots in the DA and QS actually give the Sawtooth a slight memory expansion advantage if you use OSX compared to the DA and QS.

5. Only G4 with a firewire port on the motherboard.

6. The 100mhz system bus may actually be more stable than the later G4s especially with pci cards installed.

7. Very easy to install a hacked PC ATX power supply compared to later G4s.

 

[Gorgonops]

... She seems to think owning 125 Apple computers plus software and accessories is unusual. I tell her it isn't so but she remains unconvinced.

She's probably been watching TLC.

 

[MacJunky]

3. Only 2X AGP mac. There are some older agp video cards that may only work in 2X slots so it is good to have the only 2X AGP mac around.4. 4 memory slots vs. 3 slots in the DA and QS actually give the Sawtooth a slight memory expansion advantage if you use OSX compared to the DA and QS.

5. Only G4 with a firewire port on the motherboard.

The Gigabit Ethernet also has 2x AGP and four RAM slots and line-in.(idk the specifics of the plaintalk mic though so will not comment)The gigabit ethernet may have lost the internal firewire port but it also gained gigabit ethernet on the back.

Aside from the onboard gigabit ethernet and internal 3rd firewire port.. I think the Sawooth and the GBE are pretty identical if you exclude that not all Sawtooth models can take dual CPU cards.

Actually, it would be neat to see someone drop the firewire hardware into a GBE, it has the pads for it.

 

[waynestewart]

I checked and Apple thinks the GBE and DA also use the plaintalk mic. Moving the internal firewire port over to GBE the sounds like an interesting project. If I do it, it may be one of those projects where once you're done you're wondering what to use it for. Has anyone ever even used the internal firewire port?

The Gigabit Ethernet also has 2x AGP and four RAM slots and line-in.(idk the specifics of the plaintalk mic though so will not comment)The gigabit ethernet may have lost the internal firewire port but it also gained gigabit ethernet on the back.

Aside from the onboard gigabit ethernet and internal 3rd firewire port.. I think the Sawooth and the GBE are pretty identical if you exclude that not all Sawtooth models can take dual CPU cards.

Actually, it would be neat to see someone drop the firewire hardware into a GBE, it has the pads for it.

 

[Unknown_K]

I never understood what that internal firewire port was for, unless it was just so you can install a header for more external firewire ports.

 

[Gorgonops]

A fair number of USB and firewire add-on cards include internal ports, and I've never understood that either. I guess someone had this idea that firewire or USB might someday be used as internal drive interfaces.

 

[khmann]

my $.02, when faced with the same dilemma (and the exact same GF motivation, though not quite as massive a collection as yours), I opted to ditch my GigE/Mystics. My reasoning, the Sawtooth power LED is green/orange, and it still runs OS 8. No ADC power though...

If it's about consolidating, I'd consider move the Yikes! processor to the B&W (patch the firmware). and the DA... really? That's _so_ the same as a quicksilver... move the logic board to a quicksilver to keep OS 9.1 booting.

: )

 

[bibilit]

She seems to think owning 125 Apple computers plus software and accessories is unusual

My wife will probably use the word insane instead of unusual.

But i use to say that she has more rings than fingers.

Any picture of those 125 computers ??

 

[LCGuy]

I never understood what that internal firewire port was for, unless it was just so you can install a header for more external firewire ports.

I have an issue of MacAddict from back in the day that had an article on the Sawtooth G4 when it first came out...Apple themselves never acknowledged the existence of the internal FireWire port, though MacAddict suggested that they may be readying themselves for the event that FireWire becomes used as an internal drive interface. Of course - it didn't.

 

[waynestewart]

I do have a B&W with I believe a 550mhz G4. Also one with a 1ghz G3 and a stock one with I believe a 400mhz G3. I've been considering an AIO project with either a G4 or a 1ghz G3.

The GigE is one I played with. It has a 120mhz bus with dual processors running at 480mhz. I have a liking for upgraded Macs.

my $.02, when faced with the same dilemma (and the exact same GF motivation, though not quite as massive a collection as yours), I opted to ditch my GigE/Mystics. My reasoning, the Sawtooth power LED is green/orange, and it still runs OS 8. No ADC power though...
If it's about consolidating, I'd consider move the Yikes! processor to the B&W (patch the firmware). and the DA... really? That's _so_ the same as a quicksilver... move the logic board to a quicksilver to keep OS 9.1 booting.

: )

 

[khmann]

I typically try and confine my hoarding to"best of bread" type stuff. I had my sawtooth cooking at 133mhz fsb for awhile, running a quicksilver 933 chip, but never finished dremmeling the case so it could close. That internal FireWire port was pretty handy ; )

 

[waynestewart]

I didn't go out looking for them, I helped out a local used Mac store and when he moved to a new store a lot of the stuff he had squirreled away ended up at my place. For about a month my place made a serious hoarders place look immaculate. I sorted out the dead stuff and fixed some stuff. Helped out a local school and some students. After that I had a connection with another shop. It was interesting when I ended up with their outdated parts inventory. Hundreds of mystery boxes to open. Things I wished I could have kept like new motherboards and CRT tubes.

I have a few computers in my apartment but most are in storage units in the basement. I'm the building manager so I was able assign myself a few extra storage units. The storage units are filled to the door so there isn't much to see.

My wife will probably use the word insane instead of unusual.

But i use to say that she has more rings than fingers.

Any picture of those 125 computers ??

 

[bibilit]

The storage units are filled to the door so there isn't much to see

Nobody is willing in Vancouver to create a museum for classic computers ?

 

[waynestewart]

I was told of a Mac museum a few years back but never went to see it. I mostly have older computers to play with not to look at. Unfortunately with things packed away like this, it's hard to locate anything when I want it.

Nobody is willing in Vancouver to create a museum for classic computers ?

 

[bibilit]

Any special one among those 125 ? or just any special to you ?

Also one you are still looking for ?