On Thu, 19 Aug 1999, Andy Finnell wrote:

> I have a MacIIci that I would like to upgrade.  I've already upgraded
> the hard drive and RAM ( from 8/360 to 68/2gig ), but I would like to
> upgrade the processor and get an ethernet card.

You are probably getting severely diminishing returns on your investment
in upgrading that machine further.  Your logic board is your main
bottleneck here, and you can't really get around it.  You could probably
get an old Quadra with built-in Ethernet, CD-ROM, faster CPU, more RAM
capability, more internal expansion room, better power supply, more modern
logic board, etc. for little more than it would cost for the Ethernet card
and processor upgrade. 

> I found a list of working ethernet cards on macbsd.com, so I think I
> know what I'm looking for.  However, where can I look to buy one?  About
> how much should it cost?  I'll be connecting to my school's 10-BaseT network.

I'd think about internal Ethernet on the old Quadra... but you can find
what you are looking for for anywhere from $5-$25 (I recently got one for
$15) used, and $45-$80 'new' from some retailers.

> I also found a list of working accelerator cards.  The document
> mentioned that machines with 030 processors might have trouble with 040
> upgrades.  Is this still true?  Also, I'm having a little trouble
> locating someone who sells accelerators for old macs.  Any tips?

Well, not to belabour the point, but for the reasons I've mentioned above,
the old accelerator cards aren't going to be in demand.  There are a
few places you could try, but I don't have that information with me right
now.  You could try the low-end mac site, shreve systems, eBay, etc. 

/*======================================================================
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