From: hades@coos.dartmouth.edu (Brian V. Hughes)
Subject: Re: Installing RAM in a Quadra 800
Reply-To: hades@Dartmouth.Edu
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Disclaimer: Personally, I really don't care who you think I speak for.
Moderator: Rec.Arts.Comics.Info
Lines: 55

truesdel@ics.uci.edu (Scott Truesdell) writes:

>This is an aside to Brian Hughes's (please, let's lose the cute phony names
>everybody) posting about adding memory to a Quadra 800.

    What phony names? My name is clearly visible in the headers, and I
sing the post with my account name. If you have a problem with that,
then you will have to get over it. I've used this account name for over
10 years and the people who have been reading newsgroups for the last 7
generally recognize "Hades" as my account name. I have no intention of
changing the way I post.

>I installed a couple of 16MB SIMMs in my Quadra and was somewhat dismayed
>by the general complexity of the operation compared to, for example, the
>wonderfully designed LC III. It irritates me when Apple refuses to tell how
>to do it in the User's Manual so you have to guess at how to disassemble
>the devise in question (it's the same for adding memory to LaserWriter
>Pro's).

    It isn't Apple's responsibility to tell its customers how to fool
around with it's hardware. That is what Apple Service Techs get paid to
do. I personally like the design of the Q800, and applaud Apple for
coming up with a good way to make use of the front space for all of
those drive bays. I like it a lot better than the 900/950 design, except
for those people who need Drive Arrays. I do, however, agree with you
about the LW Pro design.

>The operation isn't very complicated if even a minimal amount of help were
>offered but Apple leaves you working blind.

    Again, its's not Apple's place to make it easy for non-certified
service people to fool around with Apple hardware, even if they did buy
it. Of course you are free to do what you want to your Mac, just don't
get upset when your Apple Service Rep tells you that your warranty is no
longer valid.

>After the memory was installed I was distraught that the top of the SIMMs
>came into contact with the plastic case frame. Mine actually contacted the
>framework with quite a lot of pressure -- enough so that the assembly of
>the board back to the proper position was rather difficult and required
>some force. I could have filed a little excess material off the top of the
>SIMM boards but chose to let it stand as is. I have not had problems with
>RAM yet so I will consider the problem annoying but not catastrophic.

    This sounds like the kind of problem I had when I installed 4MB
SIMMs into an LC, back before low-profile 4MB SIMMs were readily
available. The standard 4MB SIMMs would contact the top of the case and
make it a bit difficult to close the LC, but it did close and work just
fine. One of the nice things about Logic-Boards is that they are
generally quite flexible and can withstand a fair amount of pressure.

-Hades



