carnage

RAM for PowerBook G3.

While messing around with XPostFacto and Panther on the PowerBook G3 Series last night, I remembered that I have to check out the RAM situation on that machine. Currently it has 2 sticks in it, both of which appear to be 256MB. However, the System Profiler is only reporting 256MB instead of 512MB. One of the sticks isn't labeled, though.

According to LowEndMac, the maximum for the PowerBook G3 Series (Wallstreet) is 512MB, and low-profile DIMMs are required. I'll have to do more testing/research to figure out what I've got in there now. Maybe there's a faulty 128 in there instead of a 256. At any rate, at $22 for another 256MB, I think all I have to do is make sure I order the right thing.

512MB should be plenty for playing MP3s and the occasional MPEG file on my living room entertainment system, which is what this PowerBook is destined for.

G-SAFE.

I just got turned on to G-Technologies, who appear to make "professional strength," highly-engineered storage products. They appear to be setting their sites squarely on LaCie. All of their stuff looks like it's made of aluminum, and they have some innovative features, like cooling fins on their fanless drive cases.

They've just announced the G-SAFE, which is a 2-drive RAID 1 array, which means you get the much safer mirroring, rather than the higher speed and capacity (but zero redundancy) of RAID 0. (I'm just now really learning about RAID these days, and will have a more complete rundown of the various options soon.)

They don't have a page on their site yet; just a PDF. The G-SAFE is supposed to be on sale now, but I can't find it anywhere. It starts at $499.

G-Technologies G-SAFE brochure PDF

Thanks, Goldie!

RAM for the iMac.

note to self Check the current RAM in the iMac (128MB? I know it's in one slot, anyway) and figure out the best price/performance option for an upgrade. Dealram says I can get 256MB sticks for $22 bucks and 512MB ones for $62; LowEndMac says the maximum is 512MB split in two slots, but I think the real maximum may be 1GB.

update Crucial's RAM configurator says the max is 1GB.