John,
For most of what you want, any current Mac (G3 iMac or G4 Mac tower) will
do.
For general info, try <http://guide.apple.com/usindex.html>, then pop on over to
the Apple Store at <http://www.apple.com/store> and check out the online system
configurator. (Not suggesting you buy
there, however; other online stores often have bundles or deals that make
it a better buy, such as free additional RAM, a third party floppy drive,
additional software, etc.)
A couple caveats:
> 6) Must have a floppy drive
AFAIK, floppy drives are a not a configurable option, there are however
third-party (usually external) drives available. Some are SCSI, some are
USB. Check <http://www.superdisk.com> for one option.
> 7) Must have a printer port
You won't find a parallel port on a Mac. Everything now is USB. *But*
there are converters for that, too. Check out <http://www.griffintechnology.com>
or <http://www.orangemicro.com>, they may have what you need. Alternatively,
since you mention
networking the box(es), you can get an external JetDirect box from HP for
around $150 and print to darn near anything!
As for recommendations:
> 4) Must be capable of connecting via NS-VT to an HP 3000 (classic)
> via the LAN (and recommended terminal emulator)
You can use Reflection for Mac from WRQ or Sessions from Minisoft.
Minisoft's product isn't as pretty (at least the demo I got last year
isn't), but NS/VT is *built in* whereas WRQ charges an extra $250+ just
for that piece -- not cheap!
> 8) Must support one or both of (a) track ball, or (b) graphics tablet
This depends largely on the brand of peripheral and kind of connector your
device has. If the connector is right, most devices are supported, but
check with your vendor for drivers and such. If you are looking for
recommendations for new devices, Kensington has a good trackball record
(sorry, couldn't resist) and Wacom, iirc, is the tablet of choice for most
of the artists I know.
> 9) Must be fast enough to use the Windows emulator to run children's
> existing Windows software (Math Blaster series, Age of Empires,
> Civilization, Evolution, Oregon Trail II, etc.)
Stay away from refurbs and closeouts of older (sometimes G3-upgraded)
non-G3 PPC machines; they won't be fast enough to do adequate PC
emulation. The newer (300MHz and up) Macs are plenty fast enough.
You can go with Virtual PC (http://www.connectix.com) or SoftWindows
(http://www.insignia.com) for PC emulation. If you already have an installable
version of Windows
95, 98 or NT you can just buy the basic VPC for DOS and install the
desired (and I use the term loosely) Windows product yourself (within
licensing limitations, i.e. you can no longer use it on the original PC --
gotta stay legal :).
There's also something called Blue Label Power Emulator
(www.lismoresoft.com) but I don't have any experience with it. Oh, and a
good general site for the subject is <http://www.macwindows.com>.
Interesting side note on Mac/PC emulation: several months ago (actually
close to a year, now that I think about it) I was in CompUSA drooling over
some G3 boxes. One of them was running a non-Apple demo. Then I realized
that it was running it in Windows 98 using VPC! When I asked one of the
sales guys why they were doing this, he replied rather off-handedly, "The
demo keeps crashing the Compaqs, and we're tired of having to reinstall
the OS." 8^)
Overall, if you're looking to replace a couple of computers, I'd say an
iMac (333 MHz) for the kids and a G4 (at least 400MHz) for you. You may
even be able to use your existing monitor with the G4 -- check Griffin
Technology for converter/adapters.
Well, this should get you started. Hope all goes well for you, I've been a
happy Mac user (at home only, unfortunately; my company isn't as
forward-looking as Adager) since 1989. My trusty old Mac IIcx still plays
most of the games the kids like (Math Blaster series; Oregon Trail, etc.)
and my G3-upgraded StarMax (clone) handles the rest. :-)
Patrick Santucci
Technical Services Analyst
KVI, a division of Seabury & Smith, Inc.
-------------------- Lotus "Knots" Reply Separator --------------------
Please respond to John Korb <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
cc: (bcc: Patrick Santucci/DSM/Seabury)
Subject: [HP3000-L] OT: Request Apple PC recommendation
In the past week I've suffered major problems with:
1 - Windows 95 Pentium PC (down 5 days, wouldn't even boot in SAFE
mode, still not working properly, problem is related to a video
driver installed to fix a bug in the existing video driver, and
that driver had been installed to fix a bug in a prior video
driver, etc., maybe it will be to the point of starting to reload
all the application software by tonight)
1 - Windows 98 PC Pentium III (down 3 days, almost back in operation
- maybe 2 hours? problem appears to be caused by a conflict
between two applications trashing each others registry entries
[go figure!]. Newest application will be moved to another PC)
2 - Windows NT PCs (each down 1 day, both caused by a corrupt file
on an NT server [new version of virus scan software consistently
trashes the file on the server. Had to turn virus scan "auto
repair" feature off, restore damaged file from backup])
1 - Windows 95 (486) PC (to be retired - video card and SCSI card
both died at once)
It's time for a change.
I've heard good things about Apple PCs, especially for home use (and the
486
that died is my children's PC), so...
What model Apple would be good for home use, meeting the following
requirements:
1) Must provide dial access to the internet for now
2) Must be capable of connecting to the 10 base T home LAN
3) Must be capable of connecting to the internet over a future DSL
link via 10 base T home LAN
4) Must be capable of connecting via NS-VT to an HP 3000 (classic)
via the LAN (and recommended terminal emulator)
5) Must have a CD-ROM drive
6) Must have a floppy drive
7) Must have a printer port
8) Must support one or both of (a) track ball, or (b) graphics tablet
9) Must be fast enough to use the Windows emulator to run children's
existing Windows software (Math Blaster series, Age of Empires,
Civilization, Evolution, Oregon Trail II, etc.)
Thanks for your suggestions!
John
--------------------------------------------------------------
John Korb email: [log in to unmask]
Innovative Software Solutions, Inc.
The thoughts, comments, and opinions expressed herein are mine
and do not reflect those of my employer(s), or anyone else.
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