Rocky , Don't you think that the article below would be a good idea ?
====================================================================
The Upgrade Guy #6: Zippidy-I-D-E
by Todd A. Stauffer , tstauffer@maccentral.com
Contributing Editor and Columnist
March 23, 1999, 8:30 am ET
I'd like Apple to standardize on one form of removable media or another. I know the LS120 drive is supposed to be reasonably reliable as well as backward-compatible with floppy diskettes. I think it'd be OK to standardize on Iomega Zip, though, since Zip is already a popular solution, the drives are fairly inexpensive and pervasive and, now, compatible with the iMac. I also think it'd be possible to work on quality control with Iomega, especially if Apple committed to adding the drives to all its systems.
Or, maybe we should be expected to continue to pay for the drives individually. In any case, the Iomega Zip drive I just added to my iMac setup has already proven invaluable.
This weekend I made the trek from Colorado to New York for a ten-day jaunt in the City. Instead of shipping my iMac and having it meet me, as I originally intended, I decided that some clever uses of StuffIt and a cheap deal (with rebate) on a five-pack of Zip disks would make it possible for me to travel considerably lighter, hooking up my USB Zip to a friend's iMac once I got to New York. That plan was no doubt facilitated by the fact that more and more NYC friends are buying iMacs - rather a trendy purchase, in fact - making it easier to find one that's available for my work during the day.
It would certainly be nicer, though, if we all had a Zip built-in. Yes, it'd be a compromise from the flexible-but-slow LS120 standard (or higher-capacity Jaz and Orb options), but my Zip is certainly quick enough and 100 MB is a decent size for many applications. It reasonably speedy, even over USB. I think it's time for Apple to make that decision and move forward with high-end removable media on all Macs. It makes sense for the marketplace.
Can you use the "master-slave" configuration option with the IDE drives in a Mac? If so, the requirement of an external medium might be unneeded. - Harry
The unfortunately-named master and slave configuration refers to a practice common in the use of IDE devices on Wintel PCs. Instead of a system similar to SCSI ID numbers, IDE buses generally only support two devices, one set up as "master," the other designated "slave." If you have one drive on the bus, it should be master. With two, one must be master, the other slave. If you have more than two IDE devices in a PC, you'll need a second IDE bus.
With the Mac's transition to IDE (starting with the Performa line and now encompassing all desktop G3s), the same issues have begun to crop up in our universe. I haven't tested master-slave with every conceivably Mac, so I can't speak with complete authority. (Translation: I'm fully aware someone will call me on the carpet via email.) That said, master-slave has been discussed at length, so here's what I understand to be the case.
First, adding a new drive using a master-slave configuration doesn't work in any IDE-based Mac prior to the "beige" G3 machines. For a number of reasons it also isn't interesting in those Macs, the most obvious of which being that nearly none of them have space or power for an additional internal drive, anyway.
In machines that support an internal IDE CD-ROM drive but don't include one, it's possible to add a second IDE drive in the slave configuration. In those that specifically support an additional internal drive -- including the Performa 6400/6500 and "beige" Power Mac G3 - there is already existing cabling for an internal SCSI drive, making it unnecessary to concern yourself with master-slave configuration.
But what if you really want to do this? The last word I heard on the subject was that only the Revision B "beige" G3s - I believe that machines built after May 1998, although I may be fudging the date slightly - supported master-slave configurations for internal IDE drives.
Other than that, it's pretty bleak - in "blue" G3s the suggestion is that it won't work - however, I've seen reports of people using the connector that exists for the internal Zip drive, setting the hard disk to "slave" mode and having success. The internal Zip is on the same bus as the CD-ROM or DVD drive, which offers a more traditional Extended IDE interface. Apple counters that it doesn't recommend putting a hard disk in the Zip drive slot, since the heat from the hard disk may not dissipate correctly.
There has been even less success using the hard disk's Ultra ATA connector in a slave configuration. So, the official line is that you should add a SCSI card to your blue-and-white if you want another internal drive.
So, it's unlikely you'll be able to add a second internal IDE drive to most Macs with the exception of replacing the CD-ROM drive in many, or adding a slave in a second-generation "beige" G3. I'll let you know if I hear different.
I am wondering if you can add a second internal drive to a PowerMac 6500. If so, how would you recommend going about doing so? I would like to add a second drive for Linux use. -- Charley
The 6400/6500 series has a drive bay in the top of the machine that's cabled for an internal SCSI hard disk. That's right - it's a little hidden, and may seem slightly confusing, but it's there and ready for your upgrade amusement. Actually, it's a neat little bay that was designed to accept an Apple-added Zip drive, but works fine for a SCSI hard disk. According to Apple's tech notes, if the Zip drive is present, you'll need to upgrade externally.
Todd Stauffer, the Mac Upgrade Guy, is author of "Macworld Mac Upgrade and Repair Bible" and the newly born "Complete Idiot's Guide to Mac OS 8.5." He's currently working on an iMac book. (Of course, it's probably more appropriate to simply introduce the people in any given room who aren't currently working on an iMac book.) You can reach him through his Web site at mac-upgrade.com or send questions to upgrade@mac-upgrade.com.
maccentral.com
Have a nice day Rocky
Herb |
