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Firewire
This is the big reason for picking up the machine. I attempted to use the built-in
Firewire port with Sony's new DVMC-DA1 Media Converter. I was impressed  with Apple's Firewire performance.
It worked without any real trouble and the results were amazing using DV. Apple's
current Firewire drivers may have some bugs however. Apple has documented
a timing problem with some of Sony's newer DV products. Rumor has it there are
some significant issues to be resolved before new Firewire-based products hit the
market. But other than a few minor glitches, I'm very pleased the technology. I'll
be doing a write up on the DA1 shortly.
USB
When the iMac came out I admit I wasn't real excited about USB. However since USB,
and now Firewire, hit the market, I have begun to appreciate it much more. I've got
a half dozen serial devices sharing my modem port and there has got to be a better
way. On top of that I've got my external SCSI bus max'ed out with every variety of
SCSI connector/cable pilled under my desk. It's a mess and I can't wait to get rid
of it all. No more terminators, IDs, cable/IR interference, and different connectors/adapters.
I'll be a happy man when I've got all USB and Firewire peripherals going into an
organized hub.
The case
Most readers seem to like the case, however a strong minority really dislike it.
The external design of the machine was met with great anticipation at Macworld and
I think it pretty much lived up to the rumors. Personally I'm fine with the design,
but I'm left feeling in some instances function gave way to looks. The handles/feet
seem a little strange and and I think they might make it difficult to stack devices
like CD-Rs, Zips, and Jaz drives on top of the Mac. The subtle G3 on the metal casing
is a nice touch. For all of its cool looks, the mini-tower will still end up sitting
under the desk, out of sight, out of mind.
As an PM 8500 owner, the side-opening case is just beautiful. Sometime I just feel
like opening it up to take a look in side. The four DIMM slots are easily accessible
as are the three PCI slots. Drives can be a little tricky to add or replace since
all the drives must be removed, but I feel the caddy is a clever idea.
Something that may prove interesting, is that it appears that Firewire is added as
a module and not a part of the logic board. Perhaps down the road this could be upgraded.
An odd thing about the case is that Apple made a point to make the insides look nice.
Apple made the cables snake around to keep them organized and pretty. For example
the IDE ribbon for the CD-ROM and Zip drive goes under the mother board, under the
drives and up the back side of the machine. Apple made a very deliberate effort to
make the inside of the computer as aesthetically pleasing as the outside.
ADB
This is a bit of a curiosity here. I was told ADB may have been added to keep Mac
users who use dongles happy. I'll admit there's nothing worse than buying a very
expensive piece of software and not being able to use it because of a dongle problem.
In most cases however, I've been told USB-ADB adapters do the job well. Having ADB
makes me happy because the shipping keyboard and mouse cramp my hands. To me, having
ADB around contradicts the machine's progressive nature. If ADB could have been held
over, why not SCSI or serial too?
ATI Rage 128
As I note down below, I haven't got a chance to play with it. I'm looking forward
to it though.
Now time for some criticism.
Right out of the box I had some problems with my older monitor. I'm still hanging
on to my trusty Sony fixed-frequency monitor. It's old as dirt, ridiculously heavy,
but it's got a great picture. I was a little worried about using this monitor and
my concerns were justified. Apparently the sync adapter I've been using will not
work on the new machines. A solution is a new adapter from Griffin
Technology. Griffin has been flooded with orders for these adapters, so there
must be a lot of us out there. The new adapter costs about $50 and mine should be
in by the end of the week. Until then, I'm using my older ATI 3D card instead of
the stock Rage 128 card.
Memory
This stuff isn't cheap. This was the main reason I was reluctant to upgrade. If you
shop around you can find some better good prices, but its still expensive. The Apple
Store doesn't necessarily have the best prices, so it may be cheaper to add your
RAM after you get it home. I expect to prices to start falling shortly, as more company
start manufacturing the RAM and also more people start buying the new RAM.[See
our mini PC-100 DRAM purchasing guidelines]
SCSI?
As it's widely known, the new machines do not have any SCSI connectors. While I wish
SCSI was available for my benefit, I think I can accept it. While adding a SCSI card
can fix the problem, it does take up one of the three slots. If there were more than
three PCI slots, I wouldn't be concerned at all. However eventually I feel that most
Mac users won't be using SCSI much longer. Scanners, removable storage and other
SCSI interfaces will be replaced by USB and Firewire. The serial technology is just
much easier to use. For disk storage, if users need to upgrade past their stock hard
drive, a SCSI card will likely be needed. I have a feeling however most people will
be content with the drive that ships with their system. For those who want more out
of their systems, they would likely have added a SCSI card anyway.[See
our low-end SCSI article]
Another solution for adding more hard drive space could be an UltraDMA card. ProMaxis the first
Mac vendor to offer one, but either way, you still need to use up a PCI slot.
PCI Slots
Speaking of PCI slots, I'm not going to get into this again. I will say that I doubt
anyone would be unhappy about having six PCI slots.
Modem
They're almost here. The machine sports an internal  modem port, but without a modem from Apple,
or anyone else, Mac users are stuck. As of press time, some resellers are taking
orders for the new modems, but the option is still not available from Apple. It's
an inconvenience that Apple doesn't have a modem available yet, but the lack of an
old serial connector is leaving Mac users frustrated.
Floppy drive
I haven't used a floppy for quite a while, but it was nice knowing it was there.
The way I look at it, a floppy is a common denominator for computer storage. It used
to be you could count on everyone having one. But then again I guess the same thing
could have been said about 5.25 floppies.
Drives
Here's my biggest gripe. In my opinion Macs have always been short on drive bays.
Except for those glorious 9500/9600 machines, Mac users have been limited to what
they can stick in their machines. The new G3 systems have their hard drives on the
floor of the case and the removable drives facing the front. With these machines,
Apple has decided to only put two front drive bays. Worst of all, one is only a 3.5"
bay. There's a CD-ROM bay and a Zip drive bay for front-access storage. The Zip drive
bay could have been a 5.25" bay, but Apple's insides won't allow it. Additionally,
more drive bays could have been added below and above the current bays. Above the
CD-ROM drive there's a whole lot of empty space and below the Zip bay the speakers
and power modules obstruct more drive space. Personally I feel this space could be
better used for more removable storage and more internal hard drives.
For hard drive space, Apple says the Zip bay can't be used. So if you don't get a
Zip drive, that space is likely to remain vacant. As I said it is only 3.5"
wide and there is virtually no ventilation in the bay. Putting a hard drive there
would not be good idea. Apple also made it difficult to add larger hard drives to
its floor caddy. While the caddy is kind of a neat way to hold your drives, its space
is limited. Apple has a support bar placed too low, so only 1" drives can be
placed in the machine. I did try to put my tall 9 GB drive in the Mac and it did
fit with a little work. A motivated person with a pair of tin snips could probably
get the job done. I believe Apple has indicated it plans to fix this problem in the
future.
Additionally, I feel Apple made the drive area too small. The hard drives fit sideways
into the machine, as shown below. The connectors for the drive face the access door
which makes for a snug fit. If you have a drive that requires an adapter, like a
80-pin adapter or a 68-pin to 50-pin adapter, you won't be able to close the door. The drives just
barely fit in the caddy as it is.
Apple lists the B&W Mac as being able to hold five drives. It can hold a CD-ROM,
Zip, and three hard drives, providing they can fit. For the hard drives, only one
of the drives can be an Ultra DMA/33 drive. Apple said users can only install
one UltraDMA drive and two SCSI drives in the G3. So, if you need more hard drive
space, your options are limited to replacing your ATA drive or buying a SCSI card
with new drives. This was kind of a disappointment since I was hoping to install
a slave ATA drive. I did attempt to install a second slave drive to the installed
master, however I had no success. The drive would mount, but it did not function
properly. Additionally I attempted to use the vacant Zip socket with no luck. I'd
be interested to hear from anyone
who accomplished this. I should also point out that the machine has two IDE buses.
One is regular IDE and the other is Ultra DMA/33. The standard bus is for the slower
CD-ROM and Zip drives, while the faster bus is for the hard drive.
Bottom Line
Overall, I'm pleased with the system. I would probably caution anyone looking to
upgrade from an older Mac that they may be in for some upgrade pains. If you have
an older Mac with all kinds of peripherals, it may be best to start thinking about
upgrading your gadgets. Adapters can also be an option, but personally I prefer the
real thing where it counts. I also feel that if you are even thinking about buying
a new system sometime in the near future, you should not buy any more SCSI, serial
or ADB peripherals. I'd suggest looking into picking up a USB PCI card for around
$50 to hold yourself over. Apple is clearly moving towards USB and Firewire for its
interfaces. On the other hand there may be some great close-out deals on the horizon
for older peripherals
Ultimately I think for the next few months, maybe even up to a year, I'll be keeping
my 8500 around. I plan to use the older computer to sort of "fill in the blanks"
the new machine has made. Regardless of my criticism, I am impressed with the new
Macs. I would encourage Apple to try to think a little more out of the box with future
machines. The Blue and White G3 is perfect if a user is happy with what Apple can
provide them. However my experience with this machine is that I run into problems
when I attempt to use parts Apple didn't plan on using itself. The iMac was very
similar in this way, however I didn't mind since it was clearly a consumer machine.
The new PowerMac computers are Apple's Pro line and people are going to want to do
their own thing.It would be wise of Apple to try and better anticipate its customer's
needs.
/MDF
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