From:
[email protected]
Subject: PowerBook 5xx -> PPC upgrad
This is a summary of my experience upgrading my PowerBook 520c to a PowerPC,
using the 167MHz NUpowr daughter card from Newer Technologies. Bottom line: it
works. No compatibility problems (so far!), and things run faster. However,
video-intensive tasks may not improve since the upgrade did not change video
speed at all according to "System Info 3.1" by Norton Utilities. Disk access was
slightly faster, and the CPU and FPU functions were 4x and 10x faster. I did not
try other benchmark utilities.
I am also including comments I got from some other 5xx users who have
upgraded.
Jerry Spangrude (
[email protected])
<<<<<< Attached TEXT file named "5xx->PPC Upgrade" follows >>>>>>
Subject: Upgrading a PowerBook 5xx to PowerPC
Submitted by:
Jerry Spangrude 2/19/96
(
[email protected])
Here are the comments I got on PowerBook 5xx upgrades. One person cites a
problem with his hard drive after the upgrade. I have not checked the latest
digests so I don't know if this has been addressed any further. You might
check directly with him. I wonder if this problem is due to not updating his
drivers, as that has been emphasized in all the material I've seen as an
important thing to do after the upgrade. He says he initialized his disk
again, but I'm not sure if that necessarily will add the proper drivers back.
I guess it would depend on the software you used to reinitialize. After the
upgrade you need to use the new "Drive Setup" utility to get the new drivers,
not the old "Apple HD SC Setup" utility.
Other than this problem, all other responses were positive.
My experience:
I got the NUpowr 167MHz board with 8 megs of RAM. I had been advised by the
tech rep to remove my GV internal modem since the supplied software (version
2.08) would not work with the new board. I bought an external 33.6 MHz modem
to replace the internal 14.4 so I was planning to take the old one out. But
when I got into the PowerBook (using the tools supplied by Newer Technologies
with the upgrade) I found I could not get the modem board loose. This is
partly because it was a snug fit in the socket, and partly because there is
really nowhere to grab the card to pull it out; you have to pry it with a
tool. I did not want to break it, so I decided to leave it in. The upgrade
card went in nicely and I added back my memory expansion board and
reassembled.
I had followed the Newer Tech suggestion (in the installation manual) to
transfer the System 7.5.2 installer (provided on a CD) to my hard drive prior
to the upgrade. I then booted from a disk tools floppy they supplied and did a
clean install followed by an upgrade to 7.5.3 (although my "About this Mac"
window now says I'm running System 7.5.2 with enabler 1.2.4). I think this is
the functional equivalent of 7.5.3 for a PowerBook. I don't know what would
happen if you used the 7.5.3 "Unity" version to upgrade, but that is also
possible. Newer does not recommend upgrading to 7.5.5 for some reason, so I
have not done that. So far everything works well, no real compatibility
problems except for some type 11 errors that went away after I allocated more
memory to those apps.
More about the internal modem: It seems that the issue with the modem "not
working" with the upgrade is one of software. Version 2.5.5 of the Global
Village software is supposed to work with the upgrade. But while Global has
provided the upgrade to 2.5.5 it will only work on version 2.5, not on the
version (2.08) that shipped with the PowerBook. They will happily sell you 2.5
for 30 bucks. So I'm actually happy that I left my modem in there, since if I
get the new GV software I will be more flexible with modems, in that I can use
either depending on what I need.
One more cautionary note: Newer supplies an extension called "NUpowr System
Update" that needs to go into your system folder. I booted from a network
access floppy after the install to get the system 7.5.3 upgrade software from
a local server, but I had forgotten to put the update extension into the
system folder of that floppy. It got corrupted and could not be read again. I
also put a floppy in (one supplied by Newer that had some utilities on it)
after the upgrade to 7.5.3; it also got corrupted. I then realized I had moved
the NUpowr System Update out of the system folder for the upgrade and had not
remembered to put it back. Fortunately, all the stuff on that trashed floppy
was available from Newer's web site. But I will emphasize: without that
extension in the system folder, the upgrade will corrupt floppies. They tell
you this is the troubleshooting portion of the manual, but it is easy to
forget as I found out.
Overall I'm glad I upgraded. I'm not too sure how much faster it is, but the
Norton benchmark utility (System Info version 3.1) has indicated it to be
improved in CPU speed (about the same as a PowerMac 8100; 4X faster than it
was before the upgrade) and FPU (10x faster than before, but not as fast as
machines with a FPU chip). Disk access is slightly faster, and video is the
same as before. If you use Norton to clock your Mac after the upgrade, be sure
to first install the native version or else the tests will be run in emulator
mode and will really look poor. SpeedDoubler (version 2, supplied with my
upgrade card) made a big difference in emulator mode but not in tests run
native, as you would expect.
Feedback from others who have upgraded:
========================
From: Gandy, Steve (2/3/97)
I upgraded with the 117mhz card last summer and had a lot of problems at
first. They all had to do with not updating my disk driver, however.
After that it was smooth sailing except for the usual.
I think the upgrade was worth it especially since a lot of new stuff like
Open Transport is only really available for PowerPC.
Steve Gandy
[email protected]
http://www.mtnview.ad12.k12.co.us
=======================
Date: Thu, 06 Feb 1997 12:43:52 -0500
From: Michael Cramer <
[email protected]>
Subject: PB540 upgrade vs. my hard drive
Hi there! Perhaps someone will be able to give me an answer to this
toughie. I recently had my PB540 upgraded to a PPC using the Apple PPC card
(110MHz 603e, I think). Everything seemed to work fine when I got it back
from the shop that did the work, although they had to install System 7.5.2
over 7.5.3. When I reinstalled 7.5.3, suddenly I had seven copies of my
hard drive on the desktop.
If I hook the PB up to my Performa as a hard drive, only one drive shows up.
When I start the PB up by itself, even using the disk tools sent by Apple
with the hardware upgrade, all seven drives show up. They occupy SCSI
numbers 0 to 6.
Since then I have done everything I can think of to get rid of those hard
drives--reformatting the hard drive, wiping it with Norton Utilities, doing
a low-level format with the disk setup utility from Apple. Nothing seems to
work. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions this list might provide.
Mike Cramer
[email protected]
========================
From: JOHN FEINBERG 201-235-6495 (2/3/97)
[email protected]
Mail*Link(r) SMTP PB 520c -> 603e upgrade
I have had extensive experience with this upgrading, having upgraded two
540c's from 68040/33 to 603e/117 processors myself.
After all is said and done, the computer is somewhat faster (on 117 MHz).
PPC Native applications are noticeably faster, but not impressively faster.
68040 programs are a little bit faster, but only with Speed Doubler
running. With Speed Doubler off, you're talking PB 165c class speed!
Ouch. I suppose it will be better with the 167MHz 603e, but I haven't
installed one of those yet. A chemist here has ordered a board, so I
should get a chance to see it.
As for compatibility...
Compatibility is quite good. Check the global village web site for the
latest drivers for your internal mercury modem. It will only work with the
latest drivers. Other than that, I have found only one problem, and this
won't affect you anyway. An 603e 5xx PowerBook will not let you use the
PCMCIA expansion module with Speed Doubler installed. It will lock up as
soon as you try to use a PCMCIA modem card. Since you're going to get an
external 33.6k modem, I think I can safely assume you don't have a PCMCIA
expansion module. Even if you want one, it's too late now because they're
next to impossible to find. Note that if you do attempt to find one, you
need a Rev C module to work with the 603e. Rev A and Rev B won't work.
Getting started...
If you're good with tools, you can install the board yourself. The process
is straightforward, and the instructions are quite good. All needed tools
are included with the card.
Before you do this, however, you've got bigger fish to fry. Notably, you
need to upgrade your system and software to be PPC native. This you can do
while you're waiting for the card to arrive, if you like. Reinstall the
system to at least 7.5.3. If you don't have a 7.5.3 CD, install 7.5. Do a
"clean install" of 7.5, and be sure to do a custom install and choose the
"for all Macs" option. Then update to 7.5.3, and choose the "universal
install" option. This way, when you put in the card, you can boot up right
away without having to re-install.
You should also re-install all of your software as FAT, so again you can
use it now, and when you put in the processor card it will already be PPC
native.
It sounds like a lot to do, but if you follow my suggestion and install the
software BEFORE the card arrives it will NOT be overwhelming. You can
"trickle in" upgrading your software to FAT binary, and when you're done
you can install the card. Then you just pop it in, and you're computer's
faster.
John Feinberg
ITU Macintosh support, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.
[email protected]
=================
From: Eric Schweitzer (1/27/97)
[email protected] (Eric Schweitzer)
Mail*Link(r) SMTP RE>520 upgrade
I got the NUPower 117 MHz w/ 8 M on-board RAM. 4 M were removed with the old
040
processor, so I ended up with 16 M, up from 12 before the upgrade. With the
memory requirements of PPC applications, I would suggest you also get the 8 M
version.
The upgrade went very smoothly, with one small mix up. Before the upgrade, I
updated the system to 7.5.5. Then the company which did the hardware
installation installed 7.5.2 over 7.5.5. I then re-installed 7.5.5. Amazingly,
the system worked fine.
The computer is now two to three times faster on nearly all applications. The
one exception being Word 6. Word is about the same speed as before the
upgrade.
I have not had any software compatibility problems.
I highly recommend the upgrade. Those PowerBook 500-series are great little
systems and have some life left. I do suggest a clean system install following
the upgrade. I did this and my system folder went from nearly 70 M to only 40!
========================
Submitted by:
Jerry Spangrude 2/19/96
(
[email protected])
