RE: Web Site Horror--Feedback requested

On Wed, 21 Sep 2005, Summers, Jeff wrote:

> I am not sure if this will help, but there is a usb to scsi adapter cable by
> Adaptec, Adaptec Model 1856600 USB to SCSI Adapter. Unfortunately, it is
> about $55, but is good on PC or MAC systems. You could try looking at
> Newegg or Zipzoomfly websites, or just Google in general the phrase usb to
> scsi.

I gather from later posts that Adaptec is no longer feasible for this
problem, but I mention my own experience (more fully explained in P-F # 8,
back page explanation of "What Happened" -- re the 6-month delay).

If you get any card, be sure you have the version to match your new
system. My Adaptec, bought off the shelf at J&R, turned out to be earlier
version so kept crashing -- but NOBODY at Apple, Adaptec, or Adobe tech
support (all were still on warranty) HAD A CLUE ! In fact, Apple
diagnosed bad logic board; take it to Tekserv (under warranty, of course).
So I carried ten ton tower up there, sat a day & 1/2 waiting -- & verdict
was logic board fine, it's the adaptec card. They downloaded new driver
from website, thanks, -- but it's not hardware, under warranty, it's
software, bill $99 -- (Could you sue Apple for expensively bad info?)

In other words, just because salesman in the store knows nothing means
nothing -- plus he is in the business of selling you NEW STUFF.

As for the monitor, I also thought my monitor was kaput, but happened to
get possibly the one bright salesman at J&R who suggested I look at the
pins. Sure enough, two pins in the connection had gotten bent in the
upgrade, but symmetrically, so that unless you looked with a loupe to see
that they were bent, connector looked fine. Sainted husband straightened
them with a tweezer. So far, knock on wood, monitor continues into old
age. The guy knew that because it happened to him -- though of course more
often the monitor does give out. (I expect any minute...)

Two other things from sad experience:

1. System 9 & 10 do NOT play well together. IMO that was just a
marketing ploy to get people to give up their nice system 8 (8.6 was my
favorite) and "upgrade." System 9 was anyway abandoned in early stages --
though I cope...

2. It's not just software you'll have to give up with new system. I have,
as I've probably said too often, several thousand dollars in hardware that
adaptec or not, have no DRIVERS for system 10, in case you're forced into
it, though they do work in 9.

This is called planned obsolescence, and at risk of being called commie
bolshevic (spelled wrong, I'm an amateur) revolutionary traitor, I point
out that, for better or worse, it's what drives the economy.

The topic came up in conversation with a woman who does digital graphics
for a living, & knows a lot more about it than I do... we mulled over the
drastic changes in I think the term would be INTERFACE of 10, for no
discernible reason except, presumably, to MAKE IT SEEM TOTALLY NEW. So 10
has panther, jaguar, tiger...? I want the one called Pussy Cat... though
I'm not hopeful.

For instance, the first time I booted new internal hard drive to use 10, I
couldn't figure out how to get out. They'd put restart somewhere else,
system controls reorganized --not on first screen menu but a couple of
screens in -- though I had to appeal to a higher authority to find that
out.

In any event, odds are "salesman" and other "experts" (except obviously on
this list) will know less s/he might.

Judy
Received on Thu Sep 22 14:15:49 2005