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| Upgrade Apple & Macintosh Computers |
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Get Started November 2000 • Vol.8 Issue 11 |
 Upgrade Apple & Macintosh Computers Here's What You Can Do To Make Your Computer Better & Faster | ||
 Many Windows PC users see Apple computers as easy to use but difficult or impossible to upgrade. While Apple computers are upgraded less frequently than Windows computers, Apple computers are just as upgradeable, and the process often is no more difficult than upgrading a Windows machine. In this article, we will take a brief look at the various features of Apple computers that users can upgrade themselves, saving themselves a trip to the repair shop.  Memory. Almost any computer works better with more memory, no matter if it runs the Windows or the Apple operating system. In fact, Apple computers use higher levels of memory better than PCs. The procedure for adding memory to an Apple is identical to that of a PC: You open the case and slide the memory module into the appropriate slot. Input Devices. Pre-iMac machines connect their keyboard to the computer and the mouse to the keyboard using an ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) port. This port operates at only 154 bytes per second. But then, how fast do you need your keyboard to operate? The iMac uses a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port for input devices. (Some Power Macintosh G3 computers have both.) The Apple keyboard has always been a little small, and replacing it is a common upgrade. Just as PC users have to make sure that their upgrade keyboard uses the right connector, Apple users must now make sure that their keyboard uses the right port. The Macintosh mouse looks outdated because it only has one button. But since Apple software only supports the one button, there was little incentive to upgrade until the iMac. It shipped with a hockey-puck-shaped mouse that most users instantly disliked. Fortunately, the Apple mouse is easy to upgrade. Like the PC, there are a wide variety of input devices you can plug into your Apple. These include trackballs, trackpads, programmable mice (more popular for the Apple because of its limited one-button mouse), graphics tablets, and even touchscreens. For gamers, there are joysticks, game pads, and specialized flight and driving controllers that plug into the standard Apple mouse port. In addition, Kernel Productions (http://www.kernel.com) sells a device that allows a standard PC joystick to work with an ADB or USB port. Processor. Many Macs have a PDS (Processor Direct Slot), which lets you plug a newer CPU (central processing unit) into the computer. Some other Macs were designed to accept a daughtercard. These are similar to an expansion slot, only they have a high-speed connection so the new processor can be on the card. The iMac has its processor on a daughtercard, and Newer Technology (http://www.newertech.com) already sells a 466MHz (megahertz) G3 iMAXpowr upgrade. Modems. Like a PC, Apples use a modem to connect the computer to a phone line or cable to access the Internet. All iMac and many Power Macs include an internal modem. Other Macs can use either an internal modem on an expansion card or an external modem connected to the USB port. If you want to add or upgrade the modem on older Macs, they come with a special internal Apple communications slot for the modem. However, few vendors support this slot, so you are generally better off with an external USB modem. A few Power Macs shipped with a special port called a GeoPort that used software to simulate a modem rather than having a hardware modem. It did not work well and usually slowed down the computer significantly. If you have one, you should yank it out and install an external modem.
Monitor. Installing a larger or higher-quality monitor is a common PC upgrade. It is also a common Mac upgrade. Older pre-G3 Macs used an Apple RGB connector for the monitor while newer G3 and later Macs include a PC-standard VGA port. There are VGA-to-RGB adapters that let you connect a standard monitor to older Apples. Quadra AV and early Power Macs used a special port to drive an AppleVision AV monitor. There are adapters that allow these ports to work with a standard monitor, as well. Of course, the all-in-one iMac and other all-in-one Macs are not designed for monitor upgrades. Storage. The iMac does not include a diskette drive. In fact, out of the box, it lacks any form of removable and writeable storage device. Sure, it includes a CD drive for loading stuff into the computer and a hard drive for keeping it there, but for taking data out of the computer, you are limited to the printer and an Internet connection. It has always been easy to connect additional storage devices to an Apple. Until recently, all Apples included an external SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) port. With the SCSI port, external storage devices were simply plugged into the port and were often ready for use with little or no configuration. As early as 1992, we connected an external hard drive to a Macintosh and had it operational in less than five minutes. Newer Power Macs and the iMac do not have a SCSI port. Apple replaced it with the faster FireWire port. Not only is FireWire faster, it is also easier to configure and supports more devices. Like SCSI, FireWire lets you daisy chain (connect) multiple devices. Unlike SCSI, the FireWire bus supplies power so external devices do not need a power adapter. The iMac and newer Power Macs also have one or more USB ports that you can use to connect external storage devices. USB is used on newer PCs so there are a number of USB storage devices to select from. You can also add internal storage, just like a PC. Internally, Macs have IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics), SCSI, or ATAPI (Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface) slots. IDE is used on many newer Macs, just as it is in most PCs. ATAPI is the removable drive version of IDE that is used for Zip drives and CDs. If your Mac does not support IDE, there are cards to add IDE support. Macs support most IDE hard drives, but ATAPI drives require driver support, so make sure your vendor has an Apple driver. If your Mac supports SCSI internally, adding an internal SCSI drive is as easy as adding an external one. If your Mac does not support SCSI internally, there are cards to add this support. Expansion Cards. The original Macintosh did not have an expansion slot. The current iMac also lacks an expansion slot. However, most of the machines in between have them. Like a PC, these slots let you expand the functionality of your Apple. Many older Macs also had one or more NuBus slots. These were 32-bit expansion slots. Newer Power Macs replaced the NuBus slots with PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slots. This is a cross-platform slot; many PC cards will work in the Apple slot. Apple has offered a wide variety of other, unique slots.
Ports. The iMac uses only USB ports. Newer Power Macs have only USB and FireWire ports. That means that users with older Macs and older legacy peripherals cannot just buy a new Macintosh or iMac and plug in their legacy peripherals. While that may not sound like a big deal at first, remember that most Apple printers are not USB or FireWire printers. Imagine buying a new computer, only to find out you can no longer use your printer. To overcome this problem, various companies have developed adapters. These adapters need drivers, and since many are also available for the PC, you should make sure that Apple drivers are included. USB-to-serial adapters are the most prevalent; USB-to-parallel adapters (printers only) are also common, but you should make sure that the printer you wish to use has an Apple driver. USB-to-ADB adapters are available, but most ADB devices (keyboards and mice) are inexpensive and not worth upgrading. USB-to-SCSI adapters are available, but USB is slower than SCSI, so external drives will slow down considerably when going through these adapters. Some adapter makers include Ariston Technologies (http://www.ariston.com), Belkin Components (http://www.belkin.com), Entrega Technologies (http://www.entrega.com), and Keyspan (http://www.keyspan.com). There are not as many adapters for FireWire, but Orange Micro (http://www.orangemicro.com) makes a FireWire-to-SCSI adapter. It also has a PCI expansion card that adds FireWire to older Macs, which lets you connect newer peripherals to older Macs. Software Upgrades. When it comes to software, an Apple is just like a PC. About every 18 months, a new version of Office or some other package comes out. Periodically, Apple releases free patches to its operating system that you must download and install, just like Windows. At greater intervals, Apple releases a major upgrade to the operating system, and you must decide if you want to purchase and install the upgrade. You can install a new version of the operating system over the existing one, or you can wipe out the hard drive and start over. Just like Windows, the Apple operating system's performance deteriorates over time and can be improved by wiping the hard drive and reinstalling the operating system. The decision to upgrade an Apple is much the same as the one to upgrade a PC. In most cases the types of upgrades you can make are very similar, and the process for making the upgrade is similar. All in all, Apples and PCs are not so different after all.  by Ronny Richardson |
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