I just now bought on eBay a Radeon 7500 (32MB; ADC and VGA) to upgrade my G4 Cube from the stock ATI video card presently in it to something that can handle dual monitors (the original cannot). In fact, one seller has them available so cheaply right now, along with that eBay rarity of shipping at cost to boot, that I bought two of them so as to have one spare (having fried a Radeon 7500 in a Cube once before). I did have a 64MB GeForce 4MX earmarked for this use, but it is a much more difficult thing to install in a Cube than a 7500, which just slots in, and the parts for the hack would likely have cost more than both 7500 cards did, shipped. So that suits me; I am not a gamer, and I get Quartz Extreme this way in X.4.
As I have taken to using the Cube regularly for a major new writing project that will likely take a couple of years to complete, I have decided that I could make good use of more screen real estate than my 17" Studio Display affords. As it happens, there is a 20" Radius Greyscale sitting there just next to the Cube, begging to display text once more.
So with the Radeon 7500 and a dual display setup, we'd have a marriage of the old and new. Now, if only I could find a keyboard as good as my Extended II for the thing, or one of those ADB-to-USB adapters. Hmm....
I suppose this could be said to be another peripherals question — or alternatively a peripheral question! — so here goes: Do you suppose there is enough power from the Cube's underside USB ports to power a small (say, 60mm) fan that I could use to push a air up through the machine's venting system rather than having to rely on convection alone? USB is 12v, isn't it? I have numerous small case fans that I could press into service, and they can't consume much current. Ideally, it would just be a matter of sacrificing a USB cable and making use of the obvious wiring connection.
As I have taken to using the Cube regularly for a major new writing project that will likely take a couple of years to complete, I have decided that I could make good use of more screen real estate than my 17" Studio Display affords. As it happens, there is a 20" Radius Greyscale sitting there just next to the Cube, begging to display text once more.
So with the Radeon 7500 and a dual display setup, we'd have a marriage of the old and new. Now, if only I could find a keyboard as good as my Extended II for the thing, or one of those ADB-to-USB adapters. Hmm....
I suppose this could be said to be another peripherals question — or alternatively a peripheral question! — so here goes: Do you suppose there is enough power from the Cube's underside USB ports to power a small (say, 60mm) fan that I could use to push a air up through the machine's venting system rather than having to rely on convection alone? USB is 12v, isn't it? I have numerous small case fans that I could press into service, and they can't consume much current. Ideally, it would just be a matter of sacrificing a USB cable and making use of the obvious wiring connection.