Time to Upgrade?

Chapter 1 excerpted from Macworld® Mac® Upgrade and Repair Bible, 2nd Edition by Todd Stauffer

Featuring:

l Thinking about your Mac as an investment l Understanding the 75/25 rule l Examining why different people need l Deciding whether you should upgrade l Resolving whether the problem is a hardware issue or a software issue l Speeding up your Mac l Improving your productivity l Doing more things with your Mac

Should you upgrade? That’s not the easiest question in the world to answer. If you’re like me -- scared to death of missing out on cutting edge technology -- then it’s a question you’ll ask yourself all the time. If you’re like some other Mac owners I know, the question almost never comes up -- your Mac works and that’s that.

And, I’ve got an even better way to ask the question. Instead of "Should I upgrade?" ask this: "Is my current Mac driving me crazy?"

Even if your Mac is driving you just a little crazy, you’ve probably identified the potential for an upgrade. If there’s anything you want to do but can’t -- or if everything is just too slow for you to bother -- then you’re a candidate for an upgrade. Whether you’re interested in speed, new capabilities, or better response times from hardware and software you already have, you can probably enhance your existing Mac at a reasonable cost. All it takes is a little know-how and a logical approach. First and foremost, you need to follow the scientific method one learns in grade school: Identify the problem.

Determining Whether Your Current Mac Meets Your Needs

You probably spent a considerable amount of money on your Macintosh when it first came out, and back then it probably met every one of your needs. Thousands of dollars were dropped in a store or sent in the mail, and a shiny new system ended up in the trunk of your car, on your doorstep, or otherwise on your desk. For quite some time, everything hummed along nicely.

As time went by, though, updates to the system software appeared, new versions of programs came out, and cool, new applications (such as those for Web browsing, 3D rendering, and high-end graphics) started popping up. Then one day you realized you were drinking a lot of coffee or nervously swiveling in your chair every time you launched a program, saved a file, or started to print.

When this happens to many computer users, they just grin and bear it, assuming that upgrades or a new system would be an expense best left for next year or somewhere down the road. Waiting to upgrade is not necessarily a good idea, however. Thinking about your Mac as an investment

I encourage you to think seriously about your computer as an important investment. I know you spent quite a bit of money up front, but you may have used up those investment dollars already, especially if it’s been a few years.

What’s your time worth to you now? If you’re doing basic tasks such as entering your finances and storing a household inventory, maybe you don’t desperately need to spend much money on upgrading. But if you sit in front of your computer for hours and hours per day -- as I do -- you need to think carefully about the worth of your time and how much of it your computer is chewing up.

Tip: Here’s a suggestion: Check your calendar for an upcoming day during which you will use your computer for a lengthy stretch of time. While you work that day, keep a pen and paper handy. Make note of every time it takes your computer a few extra seconds to "think" about something: printing, copying, loading a program, signing on to the network. Decide how much an hour of your time is worth, and then multiply the dollar amount by the number of hours you were waiting on your Mac.

Say your computer wastes $20 of your time per day. If $20 represents time wasted on an average business day, the computer is wasting about $5,000 of your time per year.

$20 * 250 working days per year = $5,000

That may seem like an extreme example, and it tends to assume you’re not wasting much time on your own. In addition, you need to understand that not all upgrades are going to completely do away with wasted time. Even the fastest Macs force you to wait a few seconds for this and that. Nevertheless, it’s still a useful number for gauging how beneficial it might be to upgrade for better productivity.

Next, take into account all the other issues you might have with your current computer setup, such as

l Anything that just drives you crazy. Is there something in your setup (printer, modem, keyboard) that you want to replace now? Whether it’s buggy, outdated, or just slow, it’s a prime target for an upgrade. l Anything that could be harming you. Is your monitor fuzzy? Is your mouse cramping your wrist? You should consider these sorts of upgrades whenever using your computer isn’t comfortable or pleasing to you. Remember, you probably work on your Mac for hours at a time. It should be a physically comfortable experience. l Any upgrade that could significantly increase productivity. I used to have an inkjet printer that I swore by -- I claimed that anyone who owned a laser printer was just asking for trouble and wasting money. But I’m also well-known for pushing deadlines. Every few weeks, during a book project, I’d need to print 75 to 100 pages of text and images to send to a publisher. I would usually start that process at about four o’clock in the afternoon to make the 7 p.m. FedEx drop-off time. I often missed it.

Some days, with a laser printer, I can print 50 pages in about five minutes. The printer cost a bit up front, but I feel much more productive on deadline days. And -- surprise! -- each page printed using the laser printer’s toner is cheaper than a page printed using an inkjet’s ink.

l Anything you think might be really cool. Might as well toss this one in. Would you like to upgrade for video conferencing? How about adding a digital camera or a scanner to help post images on the Web or place them in your newsletters? Whatever you want, include it in your list -- especially if you think you deserve it.

By now you must have at least $7,000 worth of justification for a new system. (If you’ve got a corporate-based Mac, jump out of your cubicle, storm into the boss’s office, and demand a new computer right now.) Even if you can’t come up with that much money immediately, you now know it’s probably worthwhile to perform some choice upgrades right away. The question is, which upgrades should you perform?

Understanding the 75/25 rule

I made this rule up, and over the years more than a few of my computer-book-writing colleagues have disagreed with me. But I still think it stands, and I offer it here for your perusal. It’s the 75/25 rule.

Basically, the rule goes like this: If you’re on a limited budget for computing, you should make sure your equipment works very well for at least 75 percent of the tasks you do. The other 25 percent is where you can scrimp, if necessary.

Let me elaborate, using my own setup as an example. As a technology writer, I spend a lot of time looking at a computer screen. So, I have a nice, high-quality 17" Sony Trinitron CRT monitor that I use on a daily basis. And I’m coveting a flat-panel display, just as soon as the budget allows. Flat panel displays are more expensive than traditional CRT monitors but provide an image that’s crisp, colorful, and completely without the flicker that most CRTs exhibit.

I’m also a freelance writer, so I spend a lot of time using the Internet for e-mail and accessing the World Wide Web for research. For this reason I have a fast Internet connection (using Digital Subscriber Line, also called DSL, technology) that enables me to download files, Web pages, and e-mail much more quickly than a typical modem would.

I work with graphics and building Web sites, so I have a nice flatbed scanner. And, as should nearly everyone who works with important data and stores large files, I have a removable media drive (an Iomega Zip drive, currently) and a CD-R drive, which enables me to create my own CDs for data storage and for song collections. I’ve also spent a little extra money for a comfortable, well-designed keyboard that promotes decent hand posture and doesn’t annoy me with funny clicking sounds or oddly placed keys.

What don’t I have? I’m not a serious gamer, so I don’t have a 3D-enhancing video card, an ultra-fast processor, or a major joystick or flight controller. (Actually, I did sample all three of these while writing this book, because a couple of different companies sent me their evaluation units. They may yet turn me into a gamer.) I’m also not a high-end artist, so I don’t need an expensive video card capable of extremely high resolution and acceleration; likewise, I don’t have a high-end graphics tablet for drawing on-screen.

For me, the tasks I do that take up 75 percent of my time -- looking at a monitor, writing, communicating, working with graphics, backing up data, printing -- are all handled by equipment that’s more than adequate. In fact, I enjoy using a fast Internet connection, a good monitor, and an expensive keyboard.

The tasks I only do 25 percent of the time -- playing games, creating images, and working with video -- aren’t handled by the best and fastest add-ons. My computer is capable of doing these tasks, but it’s not a barn burner.

Note: Why do a lot of technology writers disagree with the 75/25 rule? I can only assume it’s because they get cool computer toys to play with -- for free -- from the public relations departments of various computer companies. They then go on to proclaim that every computer user should spend thousands of dollars each year to upgrade to the latest and greatest. (I do receive some freebies, but I also try to maintain perspective.) Fortunately, spending so much isn’t usually necessary -- especially in the Mac world. Less expensive upgrades can often make your computing experience enjoyable again.

Examining why different people need different computers

You can see from the description of my 75/25 rule that different sorts of tasks require different types of computers. My computer tends to focus on input and output, because I mainly use it to write, print, and research. In fact, the demands I typically place on a Mac don’t come near to requiring the high power that you can get in today’s microprocessors.

On the other hand, a graphic artist, especially one using Photoshop for imaging or 3D programs for creating animations or illustrations, definitely needs a computer with a powerful processor. A high-end artist also needs a good monitor and scanner, but might only use a printer for proofing work, so a less-expensive color inkjet would suffice. Whereas an artist might need only the most minimal of modems, he or she will require access to high-end Jaz, Orb or DVD-RAM removable cartridges for storing huge data files. And new tasks for the home or enthusiast user -- such as digital movie editing -- require vast amounts of disk storage as well.

In general, you can separate computers into a few different categories. Although your ideal Mac may borrow from two or more of these categories, this should give you a starting point for deciding what sort of focus your Mac should have:

l Input/Output oriented. Good for designers, writers, administrators, and professionals. This sort of Mac is capable of dealing with graphics, but is not designed specifically for that function. It has a midrange monitor, a good printer, a good keyboard, a decent scanner, and a mouse or trackball. It also has a modem or perhaps a cable or DSL connection to the Internet, a basic network connection (if it’s located in an office setting), or all of these things. l Graphics oriented. This Mac is designed for artists, multimedia specialists, and architects. It features a huge monitor (or two or more monitors), a powerful graphics subsystem on an expansion card, a lot of RAM memory, and probably a special input tablet for freehand drawings. This computer also uses a high- speed processor and a reasonably high-capacity hard drive. The PostScript inkjet or dye-sublimation printer may only be for color proofing, and a modem or network connection is necessary for e-mail or light browsing. In most cases, files are transferred using removable cartridges that can handle huge documents. l Multimedia oriented. The audio/video (AV) professional or hobbyist, depending on the specialty, might need a special video-in card to help receive and compress live video signals for editing on the Mac. If you’re working exclusively with Digital Video cameras, then you’ll need a FireWire-equipped computer and some editing software. Multimedia-oriented Macs need high-end processors, lots of RAM, and, quite often, expensive expansion cards for video editing. Digital video creates very large files, so you’ll also need a fast, high-capacity hard drive -- preferably an internal model. The monitor may not be particularly special, and the printer may not even be necessary, except for the occasional script or memo. There’s probably not much reason for such a computer to be on a network (unless you have an office full of these AV monsters) but it will need a high-capacity removable drive. The modem is optional, as is a scanner and cool input device, although a graphics tablet and pen is nice for selecting and playing back video segments on screen. l Communications oriented. This Mac is good for the home office or small business, salespeople, telecommuters, managers, and executives. It’s perfectly good for reports, memos, and spreadsheets, but isn’t designed for ten hours of use per day. Instead, it has a smaller monitor, decent keyboard, and typical mouse. The printer is a fast inkjet or an all-in-one (scanner, printer, fax machine) combo unit, and the processor is midrange. The Internet connection is fast, though, and this computer might even be equipped with telephony devices to keep an electronic log of long-distance calls, track appointments, and identify incoming calls using Caller ID information. l Home/Games oriented. The home machine is midrange, enabling it to perform a variety of tasks -- it can be used for business communications, desktop publishing, and connecting to the Internet. But its focus is on affordability and, in many cases, multimedia for games and educational titles. The printer, modem, and keyboard are all adequate, but a gamer’s Mac will feature a quality joystick, a midsized monitor, and a special video card. You can even plug a 3D-oriented gaming card into this machine. It also features a fast processor, a fast CD-ROM drive, and good speakers. That’s not just for gaming -- you can also play audio CDs over this high-quality system while entering checkbook information or creating a database for your volunteer organization.

Where do you fit in? Perhaps with none of them, or with several of them all at once. If you’re dealing with a tight budget, pick 75 percent of those tasks you most need to accomplish and build a Mac that tackles them elegantly and completely.

Deciding whether you should upgrade or buy a new system

This is a tough decision, because it depends on a number of different factors, including what you already own, what you do with it, and how interested you are in spending money on the computer. The Macintosh is well known for its ability to stay useful for many, many years, even without significant hardware upgrades. Mac OS 9, for instance, is compatible with Macs built as far back as 1993, and even older Macs can run Mac OS 8.1. That sure isn’t the case with many other computers, including Intel-compatible PCs. (It also isn’t the case with Mac OS X, as described a little later in this section.)

But eventually you may need to take a look at your system and determine whether or not you should try to upgrade it now or just buy a new one. In many cases, the answer is "that depends."

Cross-Reference: This section assumes you know a bit about the different processors and other technologies your Mac is based on. If numbers like PowerPC 601 and 68040 are foreign to you, read about them in Chapter 2.

Here are some starting points:

l How old is your computer? You’re either satisfied with an older Mac or you’re not. If you’re not satisfied, you can do only a certain number of improvements before buying a new Macintosh. In the Mac world, the term old can apply to two different types of setups. The first is a computer based on a 68040 (or earlier) processor. That includes most of the Mac Classics, the Mac II series, the LCII series, the Centris, Quadra, and early Performa models, and the even older Mac SE/30, SE, and Mac Plus series. Although these computers can be upgraded a bit, few of them can be upgraded to PowerPC technology. The fastest speeds they can generally reach were state-of-the-art around 1993 or 1994.

The second sort of "old" system is one based on the first generation of PowerPC processors, the PowerPC 601. Many of these Macs -- such as the Power Macintosh 6100 -- can be upgraded to a PowerPC G3 or G4, but the rest of the Mac’s internals remain somewhat limited.

l How upgradable is your computer? It may sound like a silly question, but it’s not. For instance, the Quadra 650 is an older-technology 68040-based computer that was very popular with professionals, art firms, and corporate graphics departments. It’s also fairly upgradable, with three NuBus slots and the ability to accept 136MB of system RAM. There’s even a special PowerPC upgrade card for that Quadra still available for retail purchase. Compare that system to the Quadra 660AV, which was an amazing system for its time. With built-in audio/visual capabilities and a special digital signal processing chip, it was the standard for media professionals in 1994 -- a late-generation 68040 Mac with PowerPC-like abilities. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite as upgradable, with a fixed amount of video RAM, room for only 68MB of system RAM, and only one path to PowerPC: Pull the entire logic board and install a new one.

Tip: Although I intend to cover the upgradability of most models in depth throughout this book, one way to get a quick snapshot of your system’s configuration is to head to Apple’s Web site. Buried there you’ll find a gem called the Apple Spec database at www.info.apple.com/applespec/applespec.taf on the Web. You can look up your current system’s specifications and some of the upgrades Apple has made available over the years, and check for a match. (If you have a Mac OS clone machine -- a PowerPC 603 or 604-based Mac made by a manufacturer other than Apple -- you should check Appendix A for links to sites that can help you determine your particular model’s upgradability.)

l How much will it cost to upgrade? The basic problem with upgrading nearly any computer is newer computers tend to be pretty cheap to begin with -- sometimes cheaper than the cost of getting your older Mac back in fighting shape. You can always spend a little less, but make sure the money you’re spending is contributing to either satisfaction of the 75/25 rule or staving off insanity until you get a large enough windfall to buy a new Mac. Otherwise, you might as well squirrel that money away at five percent interest and save up for a new computer. l How happy will you be with an upgraded system? It’s not just the shiny chrome and the new tires -- there’s a good chance you really will be more productive with a new machine. If you look at all your options and realize you’re just not getting the bang for your upgrading buck -- or if you think all your current equipment is too dingy and you want some of that new stuff -- you should probably start shopping the computer stores or some of the Mac-oriented Web- based stores.

With all that in mind, it’s important to decide what exactly you need to upgrade, about how much it’ll cost, and whether or not it’ll be worth it. If you decide it is a good idea to upgrade, just keep Ol’ Faithful computing. If you decide to buy a new system, continue reading to arm yourself with some valuable tips on what components are important in your Mac and what to look for while you’re shopping.

Tip: Don’t forget, there’s a thriving aftermarket for used Macs sold among individuals. Check your local classifieds, the America Online Mac classified message boards (if you’re an AOL member), or type news:comp.sys.mac.wanted in your Usenet message group reader program or your Web browser. If you need to know how much a system is really worth, check out the American Computer Exchange’s regular listings at www.amcoex.com on the Web.

Do you want Mac OS X with that?

I’ve left out one other consideration in the whole "buy new versus upgrade" argument: Mac OS X. The innovative, updated operating system from Apple not only has an entirely new look and interface, it also has radically different underlying technology from earlier Mac OS versions, relying on a Unix-like operating system at its core. Because of that, Apple will only test and guarantee that it will work on original-equipment Power Macintosh G3, PowerBook G3, iMac, and iBook computers. If you have a Power Mac that’s been upgraded to a PowerPC G3 or G4, Apple won’t guarantee (or support) Mac OS X on that machine. So, if you’re planning to upgrade your existing Mac, keep this limitation in mind. For instance, Mac OS X only offers limited support for ADB and serial devices, because most of the officially supported Macs include only USB or FireWire devices. So, even if you could upgrade an older Mac with a processor fast enough to work with Mac OS X, it’s likely that you won’t be able to use many of your ADB and serial peripherals. Instead, you will need to add USB ports and perhaps FireWire via a PCI card -- and that card will have to be supported by Mac OS X via a third-party software driver. (Mac OS X will definitely not support NuBus-based Macs.) At the time of writing, it wasn’t clear if the companies that make upgrade processors for Power Macs will be able to get Mac OS X running on upgraded Macs. They’re an enterprising bunch, though, so check with Newer Technology (www.newertech.com), Sonnet Technologies (www.sonnettech.com), and XLR8 (www.xlr8.com) to see if they support Mac OS X on their upgrades. If not, you might consider a new Mac if you need the very latest operating system.

Learning the What and Why of Upgrades

Before you can decide what upgrades are right for you -- and how much they cost -- you need to know a little about the different upgrades that are even possible with most Mac models. In this section, you’ll look closely at the different reasons to upgrade your computer, and then you’ll see many of the specific upgrade tasks that can be performed, including:

l Upgrading software l Upgrading for increased speed l Enhancing your productivity with upgrades l Doing more things with your Mac

Keep in mind that your particular model may not be able to handle every type of upgrade outlined in this section, although nearly every Macintosh model offers some level of upgrading ability that can improve performance and capabilities.

Cross-Reference: Obviously, most of what you’ll see in this section is just the tip of the iceberg; if any of these upgrades confuse you or if you’d like to learn more about them, check out the chapters in Part II of this book. In those chapters, you’ll find details for nearly every imaginable upgrade (and how most Mac systems can benefit).

Resolving whether the problem is a hardware issue or a software issue

Although most folks automatically assume upgrading requires buying new hardware for their computers, that’s not always the case. In some instances, it’s perfectly possible that a quick software fix will speed up your computer or otherwise give it a little more life. But how do you know if your problems can be addressed with a software fix? Here are some guidelines:

l You haven’t upgraded the Macintosh operating system in quite some time. The Mac OS (or Mac System, as it used to be called) is responsible for all the computing and interaction between the various components of your Mac. As newer versions have come out, Apple’s engineers have occasionally made improvements that increased the performance of older Mac hardware. Assuming you have enough RAM to support the system update -- and your system hasn’t aged beyond the support of the latest Mac OS -- you might seriously consider updating the operating system before doing anything else. (This is discussed in more depth in Chapter 36.) l You haven’t checked for system-specific updates. Apple has to make little tweaks to the Mac OS for every single Macintosh computer model it creates. Sometimes, Apple improves those tweaks or releases new ones as bugs are found or new capabilities are created.

In these cases, it’s often up to you to find the updates and apply them yourself. The best way to start is to head over to www.apple.com/support where Apple has posted updated files on the Web. (This is also discussed in Chapter 36.)

Tip: Here’s one that people miss a lot. If you have a Geoport-style modem or any internal modem shipped with your Mac, iMac, PowerBook, or iBook, Apple tends to post the upgrades for the modem software on the Support Web site just listed. Apple also includes them on upgrades to the Mac OS. Believe it or not, you may be able to use a software upgrade to increase your modem speed for free. (See Chapter 17 for a lot more on modems and Geoport adapters; see Chapter 21 for coverage of PowerBooks.)

l You haven’t checked for new device drivers in a while. For many of the peripherals your Mac uses -- such as the printer, scanner, and modem -- special software drivers are loaded as extensions, Control Panels, or both that help your Mac communicate with those devices. Over time, the manufacturers of those devices will often release new versions of the drivers that can improve reliability and speed, or even add (or activate) new features. Check the Web sites or call the customer-support lines of the manufacturers of your peripherals to check for possible updates. l You haven’t updated your applications in a while. Again, many applications go through completely free update versions intended to improve performance, fix problems, and add new features. These aren’t always heavily publicized, so you should stop by the Web sites put up by the publishers of your software programs. l You have a Power Macintosh and some older programs you use a lot. When Apple switched to the PowerPC processor in Power Macs, it built in the ability to use the same programs that older Macs -- such as Mac IIs and LCs and Quadras -- had been using. However, these programs don’t run very fast on PowerPC computers, because they aren’t optimized for the new CPU. Instead, the Power Mac emulates an old-style 68040 Mac, which slows everything down (at least, relative to running PowerPC-based applications -- the latest Power Macs still run 68040 applications faster than the original 68040 machines). To avoid this, you need to upgrade older software applications that weren’t optimized for PowerPC when you got them. Upgrading some of them will be free -- just consult the publisher’s Web site. Others may charge for the privilege, but it’s a great way to get better performance from a PowerPC. l You do a lot of copying from one hard drive to another. Using some third-party utilities, it’s possible to make your file copies run smoother and more efficiently. For instance, SpeedDoubler, a utility package from Connectix, increases copying speeds by using free RAM more effectively. Of course, Mac OS 8 and above also feature improved copying speeds -- and Mac OS 9 boosts copying over a network quite nicely -- so it may just take upgrading to the latest version of the OS to see an improvement. l Your only real problem is you don’t have enough RAM to run more programs at once. Most Macs using System 7.0 and above (and certain, late versions of System 6.0.x) have the built-in ability to run more than one program at once, a capability called multitasking. The problem is each program needs its own fixed amount of RAM memory in which to run. Often hardware presents the solution -- you need to install more RAM. And RAM can be pretty cheap these days. In some cases, though, it might be more useful to use Connectix’s RAMDoubler, a program that causes your Mac to believe it has more RAM than it really does. This enables you to run more small programs at one time than you otherwise might be able to. It’s not recommended for slower Macs, but if all you want to do is work with one or two more programs on a faster Mac, it might solve the problem. (See Chapter 7 for more on RAM upgrades.)

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