Re: RAM-4-GS testimonials

["PZ" <skierpaul@yahoo.com>]

heuser.marcus@freenet.de wrote:
> On the other hand this all sounds plausible to me (I'm not a hardware
> guy, mind you) and I was wondering:
> Have you actually tested a card or judged it by photos or other
> information? Which hardware doesn't (reliably/sporadically) work with
> the card?

I got my hands on one at KFest for a couple hours, I stuck it in my
system and at first it wouldn't wouldn't boot GSOS completely.  As a
few people know, I was doing quite a bit of accelerator testing/modding
at the time.  In some brief testing, I couldn't get the system to run
stable with the Ram4GS above 10mhz with a Zip GSX that always runs rock
solid at 13mhz with other RAM cards, and couldn't get a TWGS to run
faster than 11mhz when the thing is always stable at 15mhz with other
RAM cards.

Looking at the Ram4GS card and the design, the crashes I encountered
could be a result of any number of things that I've already mentioned
about the card in addition to the fact that the card doesn't have gold
plated edge connectors.  If you're going to cut corners, this is yet
another place where you don't.  Any card with tinned connectors will
run well for awhile until the fingers start to oxidize, then you'll
start getting intermittent crashes like there's no tomorrow.  The 10mhz
and 11mhz "ok" tests were for brief periods, so I'm willing to
speculate that the Ram4GS probably destabilizes systems with
accelerators running even at those speeds and slower, but I don't have
tests to verify it.

Conclusion, the card is introducing noise, ringing or some other
condition that significantly reduces the operability of accelerators
which as we know are pretty sensitve in the already noisy environment
we call the Apple IIGS.

BTW, the system I was using was a ROM 3 w/ a Reactive Computers 200w
powersupply.  "Other" Ramcards that was referencing: CV Ram(8MB),
Sequential's RAM GS (4MB), Apple IIGS Memory Expansion Card (1MB).  My
definition of stable is having a IIGS run for days on end while using
applications like GS SHK, AWGS, games, etc, without ever crashing.

> And did you mention this to Bill or Vince earlier? If this is so and
> you got negative reactions or you were ignored I can understand your
> frustrations to a certain degree.

No I havn't, I didn't know that the card was going back into production
until Bill's post.  But unless the design is drastically updated I will
be evangelical about making sure that
users know that they're buying a questionable product.  I have issues
with Bill, and about the way he has interacted with other Apple II
users I know, but that is my perogative.

Vince I think is out of the loop.  AFAIK, Vince provided a preliminary
functional sketch to Bill, and Bill took it from there.

> I surely have nothing against humorous attacks but I think there has to
> be some "lower limit" of politeness among an already very small user
> group. It would be a shame if it gets even smaller or diverted instead
> of clinging together to preserve and enhance(!) the A2 platform.

I agree with you Marcus, I am REALLY trying to only express my feeling
about the product, however I really don't like Bill (but I'm trying not
to go there), so its very hard for me not to go further.

> Think about owls & roosters, guys  ;-)
Who?  ;-)

- Paul