M5126 Extensions

[haplain]

I picked up this Mac Portable and have seen a few loaded with different software etc but NEVER seen one like this. Can anyone shed some light on what these extensions might be, what or how that image of the portable has been added on boot or anything in general? This M5126 is also some kind of an early testing model. The board is much different than a stock M5126 board and has some internal Apple markings on it. It says "Aruba" is that some kind of code name?

 

[Byrd]

Looks like someone has been busy with Resedit, altering startup screens and folder icons, to be honest I can't recall any "theme" DAs or Control Panels for 68000 machines with System 6/7.

 

[haplain]

More photos

 

[Macdrone]

Looks pretty normal, with aftermarket repair work started for non boot issues. Any capacitor that keeps it in range will do. So they just went with what was available looks like. Hey if you have an extra backlit screen without dead pixels I would love to get it from you. i have a dea pixel line and it driving me nuts.

I second the theme/resedit job on the system. Looks like a copeland type deal that you could get during the AOL days. I did the same kind of thing on my 6100 years ago.

 

[nvdeynde]

The Mac portables LCD's are regrettably known for dead pixel lines. I have replaced many of them but they don't tend to last long.

I have given up as these LCD's are hard to get and very expensive on Ebay.

 

[Macdrone]

Well I could agree on the backlit ones as they are completely enclosed, If the pins that hold it together could be straightened, I guess I could try like the gameboy repair trick to fix it but I dont want to make it worse or if its the tape that is the issue because it is power initiated. It is like white to start then turns black, kinda like the backlight shines through it then it gets dark. Never seen that before, but never had one before.

 

[haplain]

Has anyone been able to have a backlit Portable recognize this chip? It has these dip switches, I've flipped some of them but the computer either doesn't recognize the card, or I get a xx( error. Please let me know and thanks.

 

[uniserver]

hey nice purse

 

[haplain]

hey nice purse

HAHAH I know right, the girlfriend says thanks

 

[Macdrone]

It's a stackable memory expansion card. The dip switch one way or the other allows next card to be accessed. Each card should be 1 megabyte. Not sure but memory slots on the backlit and non backlit are the same but the memory is not. If your using it in the wrong machine not sure what it will do.

 

[Macdrone]

Also looks like you have a memory card in already in the center, if you do pull it to test the card with switches first. If the center card maxes out the ram then the card your testing will not do anything and be ignored.

 

[Macdrone]

I looked at my non backlit just now and that's the same card I have so might try it in a non backlit also.

 

[haplain]

It did come from a non backlit machine but I didn't know if I could get it to work with the backlit. The sockets are the same between both machines.

 

[Macdrone]

No the ram is not compatible between machines.

 

[haplain]

Has anyone every used Ram Doubler on a Mac Portable? I ordered the disk and would love to max this bad boy out.

I also just finished fabricating my custom bracket for the new CF card reader I'm going to install. It will fit/stay secured into the compartment for the HD and be silent, run cooler, weigh less, be more readily available, and was an awesome little project. More to come.

 

[Macdrone]

Ram doubler is the same as virtual memory depending on what OS you are running. It might run quicker considering using a CF card for a hard drive.

 

[haplain]

Interesting. I will report my findings as everything comes in the mail here shortly and see what I dig up.

On a TAM aside:

So would/could that explain why my TAM running RAM Doubler and 9.2.1 with a Sonnet 400Mhz upgrade is so finicky? I've read that when you go above 9.1 on a TAM, you should turn off Virtual RAM. I get a good amount of panic on boots but its SOO far beyond its original application I just thought it was par for the course. Thoughts?

 

[Macdrone]

Ram doubler disables virtual memory on boot as they do the same thing. Ram doubler is supposed to be more effiecient than Virtual Memory. L2 upgrades by Sonnet as I have been reading were very buggy because of the on board cache and extension that loads at boot to enable it. That in itself is why its most likely irritating for you. My issues are at boot and considering the motherboards are pretty much the same now you know why sonnet upgrades cause issues in our machines.

 

[haplain]

Any thoughts on why my Sonnet 400 works great in two machines and my Sonnet 500 freezes when it goes to load the Sonnet extension?