Thinking about getting a IIcx

[protocol7]

I'd really like to get some form of A/UX-compatible Mac and have been thinking about a IIcx. It can run all versions (even the unobtanium 1.x) and will also give me System 6 in colour. The smaller case should make shipping one a bit easier and cheaper too.

I'm trying to put together a list of required components. I'll need video and ethernet cards that will work fine in A/UX and System 6. From looking through the A/UX FAQ I'm thinking about a 8*24 GC and Apple EtherNet card. According to LEM the IIcx can't use 24-bit mode on the 8.24GC, so is there a better/cheaper option I should be looking at? I don't have any experience with expansion cards in Macs this old (just have a etherwave card in my LC III) so any advice here would be appreciated.

Finally, are ASTEC PSU's as unreliable as I hear? What are the other options (I heard GE made some too). Any other things to check on a used IIcx?

 

[ClassicHasClass]

I dunno about the cx, but the ASTECs were crap in the IIci. My IIci NetBSD server went bananas randomly until I replaced it, and only the GE PSes could stand up to the power demands it needed. The GE cx power supplies should be the same as the ci. I stockpile them for this reason.

Be very careful with the 8*24*GC in A/UX. Do NOT attempt to enable acceleration in A/UX System 7.0; it won't work (and may prevent you from entering the Finder -- don't ask me how I know this). There are very few cards that will work accelerated in A/UX and frankly if you just need 24-bit video you might as well get a much less expensive regular 8*24 if you don't plan to use the machine in regular MacOS, because that's all the 8*24*GC will act as without the accelerator CDEV. OTOH, if you plan to "multi-boot" it then it's a good choice and a very fast card for that class of machine.

My multi-boot IIci has a 8*24*GC card (only accelerated under System 7.1, not under A/UX), a VideoSpigot, and a Farallon EtherWave NuBus card. I haven't tried the Spigot in A/UX, but I would be very surprised if it worked. The NuBus works fine in both systems, though I did need to rebuild the kernel. It also has a DayStar 50MHz '030 with '882, and the Power Central CDEV does work in A/UX, which is very nice. My Presto 040 does NOT work.

 

[protocol7]

That's good to know about the accelerators. For now I just want a setup that can run A/UX and System 6 without any major problems. I don't have any need for A/UX but I've had copies of 2.0 and 3.0 for what seems like forever and just want to see them in action. Compatible Macs just never seem to show up locally so I'll probably be asking for one here once I know what I want. Plus the only System 6 Mac I have is my Classic II so I can only get 512x384 B&W. I bet it would look much nicer on my 21" trinitron in colour.

Any recommendations for system RAM? Would 32mb or 64mb be asking a lot?

Assuming I can get one with a GE psu (or even just a spare non-ASTEC one) is there anything else I need to watch out for (apart from the usual capacitors I guess)?

 

[ClassicHasClass]

30 pin SIMMs should not be hard to find. My IIci has 72MB.

 

[LCGuy]

My Q700 is on its second Astec PSU after its original bit the dust back in 2004. Although its not a IIcx, its running maxed out RAM, a 500MB HDD, and an 8*24 card without issues...I'm guessing that most of the people who have trouble with Astec PSUs most likely have like, maxed out IIcis with Rockets and the like, though I haven't really had any trouble at all with my second Astec. Unfortunately though, I do believe that Astecs are the more common PSUs you'll find in the IIci-style form factor...while GE and I think someone else made PSUs for them, from what I've seen Astecs are by far the most common - I've never even seen a pic of a GE power supply for these.

 

[basalgangster]

I think most of the time the problem with the Aztec power supply can be cured, as described here:

www.shobaffum.com/iici/trickle.pdf

I have two Aztec PSUs that both work great (after the fix) after years of use.

 

[protocol7]

Thanks for the info everyone. I think the ASTEC supplies are the most common alright so maybe the chances of getting a IIcx without one would be fairly slim. Still, I wouldn't be running it fully loaded so that might help with the strain. And that fix is something I could look into if ever needed.

So let's say a IIcx, 32 or 64MB RAM, a 8*24GC and a 500MB-or-so hard disk. And a A/UX compatible ethernet card. The A/UX FAQ says an "Apple EtherNet card" or compatible. It's a bit of a generic name but I'm guessing this is the card it's talking about?

I don't mind if I can't get accelerated graphics A/UX-side but I figure the 8*24GC would be nice to have in System 6.

Does this sound like the right kind of setup?

 

[ClassicHasClass]

That card looks right. Should be a nifty little box in that configuration.

 

[olePigeon]

I never used the Apple A/UX. Does it really have a System 7 style GUI?

 

[protocol7]

Going back to the 8*24GC, why does LEM say the IIcx can't run it in 24-bit colour? With no 24-bit colour in System 6 and no acceleration in A/UX is it really a good idea to get one?

Would a regular 8*24 provide 24-bit colour on the IIcx in System 6? And if so, would the performance difference between it and the GC in 8-bit mode be very noticeable (I'm thinking of this mostly from a gaming approach). With games I'd mostly be in 8-bit mode but I'm sure there will be times when it would be nice to have 24-bit video as an option. The A/UX FAQ only lists compatible 24-bit cards so it's a pretty short list. I'm assuming the RasterOps, Radius 24Xx and PrecisionColor PRO cards would all cost more than the Apple cards.

@olePigeon: A/UX 3 had the System 7-style Finder. There's some screenshots here.

 

[olePigeon]

Holy cow. I could run UNIX and System 7 programs provided I have a System Folder? That is awesome. Now I wanna put A/UX on my IIcx.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

I think LEM is off base. The problem likely has to do with System 7.5, not the IIcx. Notice that they say the IIci wouldn't boot with the driver installed either, and considering my IIci is fully graphics accelerated in 24-bit colour under System 7.1, that is definitely false. I can't guarantee you the 8*24*GC would work with the IIcx, accelerated or otherwise, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work in 24 bit mode or any other colour depth as long as you don't go past 7.1. The 8*24 should also be just fine. Those other cards are pretty pricey and I don't think a IIcx would make the most of them, especially in A/UX.

olePigeon, you should definitely do so. It's really quite nice. Wonder how the Mac would have gone if it had proceeded from A/UX instead of NeXTStep.

 

[PackingTape]

One thing I'm curious about: I know System 6 has an 8MB RAM ceiling. Do any versions of A/UX have this?

 

[ClassicHasClass]

A/UX 3 definitely doesn't. Dunno about earlier.

 

[zuiko21]

The regular 8•24 card does provide 24-bit colour on my Hack IIx -- essentially a IIcx with more NuBus slots:



at least with System 7(.1), so it should do fine on the IIcx. Anyway, only up to 640x480 -- it will go up to 1152x870 but in 8-bit colour.

No experience with the 8•24GC, A/UX and very little with System 6, and that only on the SE/30.

Cheers,

 

[protocol7]

I'll put up an official WTB post soon and see what gets offered. I don't think I'd see much of the benefits the 8*24GC has over the 8*24 in what I plan to run/use on the IIcx so I guess either card would be welcome. I'm hoping to get everything together so I only have to pay shipping once.