What to buy LC475 or Performa 630

[Melkhior]

Don't know if there are any project on home build Ethernet card for the PDS slot ?

Not that I know of, but the PDS slot in the LC475 is using the interface from the MC68030, it's identical to that in the LCIII and backward compatible to the shorter, less capable slot in the LC and LCII.

There is a modern Ethernet card for the SE/30, the SEthernet/30. I have reworked my own version for the IIsi (see here).

I expect it wouldn't be very hard to do a LCIII/LC475 version. The slot is physically wired completely differently, but logically all the MC68030 signals are there so it's just a matter of doing the PCB.

 

[VMSZealot]

I have an LCIII+ that I bought from new and played Doom and Duke Nukem 3D on. At postage stamp sized resolution. I love that machine - but it seldom sees use these days - although it's been recapped and upgraded as far as it will go. Because…

Now I also have an LC475. And, as my son would say, the LC475 slaps. Essential upgrades? More memory and more VRAM. Both are cheap enough on eBay - even for new parts. A modern SCSI - SD solution (in the interests of avoiding an argument I won't specify which one!). An ethernet card. Then, if you can find one cheaply, install a full 68040 CPU (there are good games out there - including, now, Quake - which absolutely require an FPU - and SoftFPU won't cut it!). Then whack a heatsink on it - and overclock the hell out of it. I got a 33MHz rated 68040 and it's stable at 40MHz for hour after hour after hour. I use it as a development machine. It's just about the quickest 68k Mac there is now (close enough to the absolute pinnacle of speed that it makes no difference) and very very usable.

The difference between a standard 475 (even at 25MHz) and an LCIII+ (at 33MHz) is the difference between the LCIII and the LC. The poor old LCIII doesn't stand a chance.

 

[Phipli]

Weird. Not sure why mine doesn't in the Control Strip. My other one offers 1024x768 with 1MB RAM and the same adapter (not offering 1152x870 is the adaptor, because it doesn't tend to offer it for "VGA", only multisync 21")

Not really of interest to this thread, but quick test on my 512k VRAM LC 475 running B1 7.6.1...

Switches	Resolutions
VGA	640x480, 800x600
Multimode 21"	640x480, 832x623, 1024x768 (4bit), 1152x870 (4bit)

So the answer is, you need to set it to the Apple Multisync 21" mode to get all resolutions. The adapter I was using was a switchless "VGA" adapter from the G3 era that works great on a Beige G3.

@Trianon - the machine will do 1024x768 and even 1152x870 with only 512k, as long as you don't mind 16 colours. Good enough for development. Drop down to 832x624 or 640x480 if you need 256 colours. It actually looks quite good in 16 greys.