New Apple products!: Well I don't know about you guys but I was thrilled hearing about the new stuff Apple has for us this year! The two new PowerBooks I think will sell very well. The 12" model even more then the 17" I bet. I would replace my 12" iBook in a heart beat if I had the money :)

The new iApps are awesome as well. I have been playing with Safari since the keynote address ended and it is a very good browser for even a beta! It has a few bugs that need to be worked out and I am sure they will be very soon. I love the new favicon.ico feature Apple implemented. This is an icon file that lets web sites display a mini icon in the URL bar next to your URL and in the bookmarks next you your web sites name. I already made one for The 6400 Zone and for my TW Computing company :) These are also visible in Windows IE in their bookmarks and possibly in the IE version in XP in the URL line? I think we'll be seeing much more use of these in the future.

I also like the fact that Apple kept all the iApps free except for iDVD. All the rumor sites got that wrong saying all the iApps would be for sale only. Ooops! I am not sure if the new iDVD will work with external DVD burners though and that would be ashame if it doesn't since you have to buy iDVD or get it with a new Mac that has a DVD burner.

Well back to the 6400 world :)

iPod on the 6400/6500: earlier I posted a request from someone who wanted to know if the iPod worked on our Macs. Gerry wrote to say he has had success with his 6500 and an iPod. Thanks Gerry. He is running OS8.6 which requires some hacks to make it all work so I assume OS9 users will have an easier time?

[Hi Thomas,
I'm writing you because I found your web site. I have had an iPod, and I have just gotten around to trying to install it on my 6500 running OS 8.6. I found someone who allowed iTunes to work on 8.6, so I have that working fine now. I installed a firewire PCI card, and that seems to be working now. In fact, I even connected my iPod, which shows up as an external hard drive, which it is, of course. The only thing left is to be able to get the iPod to function as a music playing machine. The software on the iPod itself will only install onto an OS 9.x machine. So, have you been able to come up with anything that will allow the iPod to work with 8.6? Thanks,
Gerry]

Later he wrote:

[Hi Tom,
Well, it looks like I'm set. I could not hack iPod software to allow 8.6 to recognize the iPod, but there are freeware and shareware programs that will allow you to access the music on an iPod while it is connected in firewire format! There are three or four programs available at VersionTracker. com that will fit the bill. The one I like best is called PodMaster 1000. These programs are billed to work in OS 9.x or OSX.x, but I've tried two of the ones that are supposed to work in OS 9.x, and they work in 8.6. So, now things are all set. Thanks again for your site. I think I'll be accessing it again sometime, if I ever get around to trying to install another HD in my 6500.
Gerry]

Evergreen FireWire/USB combo card does not have stuttering issues as Sonnets Tango card does: John wrote to let me know that he tried Evergreens combo card based on info I had posted earlier from another Evergreen user stating that it had no stuttering issues when used with a L2 G3 upgrade. John also found that it eliminated stuttering issues he had due to his Tango card. Thanks John. Click here for more info on this card.

[I wrote to you back in June 2002 telling you that I had the audio stuttering issues using a Sonnet Tango card with a Crescendo 400/1M upgrade card in my 6400 and how Sonnet technical support eventually gave up and told me to buy a new Mac.

Well, I read your 11/20/02 update about a user who had the same problem with the Tango card and bought an Evergreen USB/Firewire Combo card and that fixed the audio stuttering problem. I bought the same thing http://www.evertech.com/category.cfm?Category=44 Evergreen part# 90-FLCC-AA2) direct from Evergreen and after installing it, the audio stuttering went away! I was able to put my ATI video card back in the machine (I was using separate USB and Firewire PCI cards) and there are no conflicts as far as I can tell, everything works great.

The bottom line is that the Sonnet Tango card is incompatible with a 6400 with a Crescendo L2 400/1M upgrade card (at least with my configuration and hardware). If someone wants to use a USB/Firewire combo card please buy the Evergreen and save yourself a lot of grief. My system setup is as follows:

Performa 6400

Sonnet Crescendo L2 400/1M upgrade card

Mac OS 9.1

104MB of Ram

ATI XclaimVR video card

Farallon CommSlot II Fast Ethernet card

Evergreen Firewire/USB 2.0 card

Thanks for a great web page,

John]

Hack to get little lights power by your USB ports: Elijah sent me some info on how to use a USB cable to power some little lights for possible use as Christmas lights around your computer. Thanks Elijah.

[Hi Tom,
I recently saw an USB light for laptops for $30. I wanted one of these lights (to go on top of my monitor at Christmas!! :) ), but I wasn't going to fork out $30 for a little light. I asked the store assistant if I could have a look at it, and I saw that only one prong was being used. I got home and tested my USB port and found out that prong one was live and the metal outside negative. I wired 9 x 50MA (milliampere) 6volt bulbs together in parallel (any more than 500ma will fry your Mac or hub) and put the live on prong one and negative on the outside (with sellotape!). The lights lit up!! They looked cool! They are making my monitor look all Christmassy! If I ever want to use the USB cable I used, all I have to do is remove the sellotape!

If you would like to make a light strip (as I call it) follow these instructions:
1) You will need a USB cable (preferably the square connector) and spare USB port.

2) Put the negative onto the metal part of the connector (be careful not to touch any of the prongs inside with the wire

3) Put the live on the top (the top is the side with the USB symbol on it) left corner prong (my one has a little arrow next to it). You may need to cut out a piece of paper and slot it in the connector to stop the wire touching the other prongs.

4) Link up maximum 10 x 50MA 6volt bulbs together in parallel.

5) Plug your new strip lights into your USB port.

6) Switch on your Mac and hey presto! A USB light strip!

The enclosed Appleworks presentation helps show how you make the light strip. {I changed it to a single gif image - Tom}

Sorry but I cannot take any responsibility for anything that goes wrong, or if you really mess things up because of the light strip.

I hope someone else tries it!

Thanks for the brilliant site, Tom! If it wasn't for your site I wouldn't be getting an ATI Radeon 7000 graphics card! Thanks Again!

Elijah]

As Ehijah states, PLEASE TRY THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK! It could damage your USB card and even your mother board if things go wrong.