Thread

M5126 Extensions

M5126 Extensions Hardware 26 posts May 2, 2013 — Jul 16, 2013

#1 Thu, 2 May 2013 - 23:16

I picked up this Mac Portable and have seen a few loaded with different software etc but NEVER seen one like this. Can anyone shed some light on what these extensions might be, what or how that image of the portable has been added on boot or anything in general? This M5126 is also some kind of an early testing model. The board is much different than a stock M5126 board and has some internal Apple markings on it. It says "Aruba" is that some kind of code name?

#2 Thu, 2 May 2013 - 23:26

Looks like someone has been busy with Resedit, altering startup screens and folder icons, to be honest

I can't recall any "theme" DAs or Control Panels for 68000 machines with System 6/7.

#3 Thu, 2 May 2013 - 23:36

More photos

#4 Fri, 3 May 2013 - 02:53

Looks pretty normal, with aftermarket repair work started for non boot issues. Any capacitor that keeps it in range will do. So they just went with what was available looks like. Hey if you have an extra backlit screen without dead pixels I would love to get it from you. i have a dea pixel line and it driving me nuts.

I second the theme/resedit job on the system. Looks like a copeland type deal that you could get during the AOL days. I did the same kind of thing on my 6100 years ago.

#5 Fri, 3 May 2013 - 09:25

The Mac portables LCD's are regrettably known for dead pixel lines. I have replaced many of them but they don't tend to last long.

I have given up as these LCD's are hard to get and very expensive on Ebay.

#6 Fri, 3 May 2013 - 14:33

Well I could agree on the backlit ones as they are completely enclosed, If the pins that hold it together could be straightened, I guess I could try like the gameboy repair trick to fix it but I dont want to make it worse or if its the tape that is the issue because it is power initiated. It is like white to start then turns black, kinda like the backlight shines through it then it gets dark. Never seen that before, but never had one before.

#7 Sun, 5 May 2013 - 22:04

Has anyone been able to have a backlit Portable recognize this chip? It has these dip switches, I've flipped some of them but the computer either doesn't recognize the card, or I get a xx( error. Please let me know and thanks.

#8 Sun, 5 May 2013 - 22:07

hey nice purse

#9 Sun, 5 May 2013 - 22:15

hey nice purse

HAHAH I know right, the girlfriend says thanks

#10 Sun, 5 May 2013 - 23:00

It's a stackable memory expansion card. The dip switch one way or the other allows next card to be accessed. Each card should be 1 megabyte. Not sure but memory slots on the backlit and non backlit are the same but the memory is not. If your using it in the wrong machine not sure what it will do.

#11 Sun, 5 May 2013 - 23:02

Also looks like you have a memory card in already in the center, if you do pull it to test the card with switches first. If the center card maxes out the ram then the card your testing will not do anything and be ignored.

#12 Sun, 5 May 2013 - 23:03

I looked at my non backlit just now and that's the same card I have so might try it in a non backlit also.

#13 Sun, 5 May 2013 - 23:11

It did come from a non backlit machine but I didn't know if I could get it to work with the backlit. The sockets are the same between both machines.

#14 Mon, 6 May 2013 - 00:30

No the ram is not compatible between machines.

#15 Wed, 8 May 2013 - 00:19

Has anyone every used Ram Doubler on a Mac Portable? I ordered the disk and would love to max this bad boy out.

I also just finished fabricating my custom bracket for the new CF card reader I'm going to install. It will fit/stay secured into the compartment for the HD and be silent, run cooler, weigh less, be more readily available, and was an awesome little project. More to come.

#16 Wed, 8 May 2013 - 00:30

Ram doubler is the same as virtual memory depending on what OS you are running. It might run quicker considering using a CF card for a hard drive.

#17 Wed, 8 May 2013 - 00:52

Interesting. I will report my findings as everything comes in the mail here shortly and see what I dig up.

On a TAM aside:

So would/could that explain why my TAM running RAM Doubler and 9.2.1 with a Sonnet 400Mhz upgrade is so finicky? I've read that when you go above 9.1 on a TAM, you should turn off Virtual RAM. I get a good amount of panic on boots but its SOO far beyond its original application I just thought it was par for the course. Thoughts?

#18 Wed, 8 May 2013 - 00:59

Ram doubler disables virtual memory on boot as they do the same thing. Ram doubler is supposed to be more effiecient than Virtual Memory. L2 upgrades by Sonnet as I have been reading were very buggy because of the on board cache and extension that loads at boot to enable it. That in itself is why its most likely irritating for you. My issues are at boot and considering the motherboards are pretty much the same now you know why sonnet upgrades cause issues in our machines.

#19 Wed, 8 May 2013 - 01:01

Any thoughts on why my Sonnet 400 works great in two machines and my Sonnet 500 freezes when it goes to load the Sonnet extension?

#20 Wed, 8 May 2013 - 02:24

RAM Doubler only works on 68020 (with PMMU) or 68030 and up I believe, so not for the Mac Portable.

Regarding your TAM, RAM Doubler is ineffective on OS 8.6+ as Apple's virtual memory improvements do largely the same thing. On a TAM with 128MB, I'd keep VM enabled as it will reduce RAM requirements on the OS and applications considerably. I've not heard of widespread issues with Sonnet L2 G3 cards in TAMs, Sonnet products are usually pretty solid in terms of not exceeding specificiations, well built and work pretty well. I'd suggest lowering the backside cache speed in your Sonnet 500 and checking for adequate cooling, and testing the RAM installed.

JB

#21 Wed, 8 May 2013 - 05:43

The RAM's good. It works flawlessly with my Sonnet 400. So I should remove Ram Doubler and just use VM? I am using doubler because my 7,000 iTunes library says it can't load. Perhaps with Ram Charger it will operate fine. I'll do some messing around.

#22 Wed, 8 May 2013 - 06:27

On OS 8.6+, apart from the ineffective RAM "doubling", RAM Doubler has some minor RAM allocation improvements, but I'd remove it still. RAM Doubler is great for low RAM machines running OS 7.x/8.1 but its usefulness diminishes on more modern machines.

I reckon OS 9.1 is the sweet spot for a TAM, and having VM on does reduce RAM requirements (although I do tend to turn VM off for Macs with 256MB+ RAM). Also increase your iTunes memory allocation, try SoundJam too.

#23 Wed, 8 May 2013 - 15:32

Ok, first of all, it looks like its loading some version of aaron maybe. It also looks like its loading a few color extensions like colorsync. And how is it loading a ram doubler of some sort if its only a 68000. Does this thing have some sort of CPU upgrade, or can we get you to run MacEnvy on it out of curiosity?

#24 Sat, 11 May 2013 - 02:41

That memory looks similar to mine. I don't know if the dip switches are the same, but here's how I have mine set:

From my post: http://68kmla.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=20889#p200865

#25 Tue, 16 Jul 2013 - 18:55

Is the boot image a PICT file? I like the abstract representation of the Portable and would love to have that as a backdrop for mine!

#26 Tue, 16 Jul 2013 - 19:03

I have an image made of the computer, I think somewhere. It's pretty rare from what I've seen so let me know.