CompuServe Messages

>>So, $816.00 is what "I" pay to upgrade to the >>(601-100mhz) with the trade in of my >>(040-40mhz with 128 cache)? Yes. The upgrade price is $816, and that is with a board swop. The StarPrice of the board is $1799, so you are looking at less than half the cost of a newly purchased board. >>Are the 601-100mhz available now…or is it a >>back order thing like I experienced with my >>040-40mhz card? Right now, we are experiencing a small back-log. This is due to a world-wide (an much un-anticipated) shortage of SRAM chips and CPUs. We offer upgrades on a first-come, first-serve basis. Everyone who faxes in the upgrade form is put on our upgrade list, and when the product becomes available, the Upgrade Department will contact the user to make arrangements for the product swop. The sooner one gets on the list, the sooner you will be contacted for your upgrade. >>You didn't address my questions concerning >>"compatibility". As with any processor or System software upgrade, you will have to check with each vendor of additional cards, periphrials, and software about specific compatiblitlies. By now, most companies offer PPC upgrades for existing software/hardware that was not PowerPC compatible prior. These upgrades and their policies differ widely, so check with each vendor. >>I just plugged it in and pretty much forgot >>about it….the 601 also? As long as you prepare your system's software/hardware ahead of time to account for the use of the PowerPC. You will have to update your System software, possibly other software, and maybe hardware (internal cards, etc…), and drivers for each. You have to prepare yourself, and your system, for a PowerPC environment, because that is what you will be in for when you insert the card. >>What about when I have NON Power Mac native software…. The PowerPC ROMs from Apple emulate the instruction set of the 68020 processor when running non-PowerPC software. The System software has something called the Mixed-Mode Manager which allows the automatic switching of emulation/native code execution. This way, you can run non-PowerPC specific programs in the PowerPC environment, but with a speed penalty (due to the emulation). This speed penalty of running under emulation will differ for each program. To assure yourself the optimum performance, you will need to run native PowerPC programs. Hope that this helps. Thanks for your continued interest in DayStar products. Bill Waits DayStar Digital