on 6/23/02 12:32 PM, (PowerBooks) at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

> Message-Id: <a05100302b93b2dd4bd0b@[208.25.57.40]>
> In-Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 00:53:53 -0700
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: 1400 PCMCIA Virtual Memory expansion?
> 
> Forgive me if this is a rehash but someone theorized that the 1400's
> memory could be "expanded" using a PCMCIA adapter and a CompactFlash
> or SmartMedia card. I happened upon such a card at Radio Shack for
> only about $15 then noticed Costco had 128MBs for around $55.
> 
> Has anybody successfully (or otherwise) done this? Share with us the
> 'gotchas' if you will. Many thanks.
----------
First, you must format the CF card as a Mac disk. I named mine CF Drive.

Then open your Memory Control Panel, turn Virtual RAM on (Radio Button).
Check the popup button where it says Select Hard Disk. It should say
Macintosh HD, but if you click on it, it should offer you CF Drive (or
whatever you named it when you formatted it). Select it. Set the VRAM you
want (I maxed mine and it gives me 116mb).

Restart the computer. Technically, the Apple Menu should show it as VRAM in
"About this computer". Mine did that for a while, but read on.

I wanted to store some files on a different CF card, so...

1) I reset VRAM memory to Default and Restarted the computer.

2) I ejected the card reader, removed the formatted CF card, and put in the
data one, put it back in the slot, copied my files to it, and ejected it.

3) Then I put the formatted CF card back in the reader and stuck it back in
the slot.

4) I opened the Memory Control Panel, selected CF Drive, reset the VRAM to
116mb and Restarted again.

This time, the "About this computer" Apple Menu item showed the VRAM at
116mb as Macintosh HD, rather than CF Drive. I've changed out the CF cards
like I outlined above several times more since then, and "About this
computer" continues to show the Macintosh HD, rather than CF Drive, as the
VRAM. That's how it is right now.

However, in spite of what "About this computer" says, it still appears, in
reality, to behave with the formatted CF card as VRAM anyway.

I'm not sure what's actually going on, or why "About this computer" won't
show the selected VRAM volume properly. Maybe someone else has an answer?

BTW, (a bit OT) I can still check it by changing slots, but I can't use the
data CF card for now, because my little IBM card reader at the _desktop Mac_
went belly-up. 

A harrowing experience:

I put the CF card in it, and it showed on the DT for a split second, then
the screen went blank, the mouse cursor froze, the keyboard quit, and the
computer refused to reset from the reset button. I had to actually unplug it
and do a cold restart. I still wasn't sure what happened, but this time, the
OS booted OK, but the mouse and keyboard were both dead, and the Mac sounded
funny. Suspecting another imminent crash, I immediately yanked out the Card
Reader's USB plug from the back of the machine, and the mouse and keyboard
became active. I decided to plug it back in for a split second to see a
difference (VERY, VERY RISKY, I do NOT reccommend this!), and sure enough,
the fan RPM's dropped dramatically, and the keyboard and mouse quit. This
told me there was _definitely_ a short somehere, most likely in the Card
Reader, so I left it unplugged, said a quick prayer, and did a warm Restart
just to check everything was OK. Without the Card Reader, everything came up
OK. I just breathed a sigh of relief and praised God. I have no doubt; that
shorted out Card Reader could have seriously damaged my G4 Mac, which I
bought from a friend, and still owe money on.

If this happens to you, DO NOT do what I did. Instead, shut it off, unplug
_everything_ and call your Mac repair person, unless, perhaps, you _are_
one.

Best regards,
Ken N.



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