The old saying goes:
You don't miss it
until it's gone
Bringing older Macs up to today's world isn't as difficult as one might expect. And, you shouldn't believe in the old saying that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" because I'm proof that you can.
In order to take advantage of the new Firewire and USB devices on the market there are just a few steps you take on any PCI card PowerMac. My primary wish was to get an Optical mouse because I'm just fed up with the balls in the older mice needing frequent cleaning. (See "USB" in another edition.)
The Sonnet "Tango" card came highly recommended by others in our Mac computer club, so that was my first acquision.
My desktop G3 looks just about like any of the PPC desktop Macs of 1995 - 1999. Towers look much different, and in a future issue we'll show you a number of towers and how to ravage their innards too. (CLICK to get a better view of the first diagram "Interior of the box")
In our second illustration, we've folded open the mid-shelf, and plastic PCI slots cover, to reveal the innards. Now, you'll want to second diagram: the box spread open.
If you have no other cards installed, the back of the case will have the card windows blocked by a metal 'filler panel' attached at the top with a phillips screw. Unscrew the screw, and keep it. Now just lift out the filler panel. That panel corresponds to the face plate of the USB/Firewire card, they should look very similar.
Now carefully, handling the card by the edges and the face plate, insert the contact strip, with it's metal contacts into the slot -- while sliding the face place into the same position as the filler panel you just removed.
Rock the card gently until it is firmly seated in the slot, replace the phillips screw, and you're good to go. Read the instructions that come with the card. Duh!
The Tango card came from MacWarehouse who had the best price at the time, $99.00. The Tango is compatible with most PCI Macintosh¬ and supports most all industry-standard FireWire and USB peripherals.
The configuration is automatic so there's no termination or device ID's required. To learn about the card, go to SonnetTech.com. They have a good page where you can compare products with and locate all Mac models
In order to get the PCI card to function properly and be "seen" by the computer, you'll need to download Apple's PCI card support plug-ins. Since Apple site has become so anal, we prefer to use Version tracker to accomplish this download or, simply click here to initiate the actual download. (That is if the link is still live.)
We tried an Apple Pro mouse, however they short-changed us on the cable. Since my mouse tail has to travel 32 inches to the USB port, Apple's was way too short. Kensington's "Mouse In A Box" fit perfectly with cable to spare. Then you can grab the Kensington Mouse Driver software that allows you to configure both buttons and the scroll wheel.
Now, If I can get Sonnet to send out a ZIFF card, I'll show you how to instal one of those, and bring the speed of that old Mac into the new millineum!
Until next time, happy mousing.
Fred Showker, Editor/Publisher UG Net News
Fred Showker is co-editor of "MUG Info Manager," the User Group Network News service, and a founding Apple User Group Advisory Board (UGAB) member. He was an original founder of the User Group Forum on AppleLink Personal Edition which became America Online in 1988 ... read more
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