on 1/30/06 12:59 PM, Peter Udbjørg at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > I still have my trusty old Gossamer purring happily in its corner, > living a dual life as an OSX print server and OSX mail and surf-box > and OS9 workhorse. Wondering if I should get a G4 upgrade for it, > since it has SCSI and I have a few good flatbeds that are SCSI. And > it is a drag to re-boot in OS9 just to scan something.And the fact > that someone has written drivers for these fossils for OSX. My new > portable is an excellent little machine, but theres no room for > expansion cards in it.... > The cost of a G4 card is almost half a new firewire slide scanner, > but then again... > What does the List think?
The key question here might well be: By how long do you feel the upgrade would extend the useful life of the machine? As far as scanners go, would a new Firewire scanner allow you to work faster and/or capture images at a (noticeably) higher resolution? Personally, I'd be reluctant to put any more money into a Gossamer right now. I say this because the bus speed of the machine (66MHz) is always going to be a limiting factor no matter what upgrade you shove into it. I bought a $50 500 MHz upgrade for my 9600 in '04 because I felt that it would help me squeeze 2 more years out of the machine. If a G4 upgrade will buy you that kind of time, it's prolly worth it. [shrugs] As much as I love my 9600, I can't see putting any more money into it at this point. This year, it'll be nine years old; your Gossamer isn't much newer. According to a BBC programme I listened to, the "average" age of a computer is seven years. Frankly, if I can squeeze another two years of use out of it for mail/browsing, I'll consider myself quite lucky. Best, James Fraser -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com
