TOPIC
This article contains Part 1 of the ReadMe file for the Power Macintosh 5500 and 6500 series computers.
DISCUSSION This document provides information about your Power Macintosh computer that could not be included in your user's manual or in online help. Contents ======== Tips ---- - Improving 3D Performance - Improving Video Capture - Improving the Quality of Audio CD Recordings - Allocating More Memory to Application Programs - Using the Recent Documents Command in the Apple Menu - Installing Acrobat Reader Software from the System Software CD - Reinstalling or Removing Zip Drive Software - Installing and Removing PCI Cards Tips ==== Improving 3D Performance ------------------------ To increase 3D graphics performance on Power Macintosh models that include built-in hardware acceleration, follow these guidelines: * Make sure that the applications you are using support QuickDraw 3D. * Turn off virtual memory in the Memory control panel. * Hide the control strip in the Control Strip control panel. * Set the monitor Color Depth to Thousands and set the Resolution to 640x480, 67Hz in the Monitors & Sound control panel. Improving Video Capture ----------------------- To increase the speed and quality of video captures on Power Macintosh models that support video capture, follow these guidelines: * Turn off virtual memory in the Memory control panel. * In the Monitors & Sound control panel, set the color depth to Thousands. * Turn off AppleTalk. (You can quickly turn AppleTalk on or off with the Control Strip, or use the Chooser instead.) * Turn off the Menubar Clock in the Date & Time control panel. * Turn off all unnecessary extensions. Do not turn off QuickTime. (Use the Extensions Manager control panel to turn off extensions; then restart your computer.) * If you have installed Apple VideoPhone, remove the "QTCComponentDV" extension from the Extensions folder inside your System Folder, and then restart. (The "QTCComponentDV" video digitizer extension is optimized for video conferencing, but your Power Macintosh contains equivalent software that is optimized for video capture.) * Do not run programs other than the capture application while capturing video. * Reduce the size of the capture window. (picture quality is improved in smaller windows) * Make sure that your hard disk has enough free space to record. If you notice a decline in performance, use a disk optimizer to improve your disk's efficiency. * Make sure that the application program you use for capturing video has enough extra memory allocated for one second of video at the size and bit depth that you are using to record. For example, to record 30fps at 320x240 in thousands of colors requires at least 4500K (4.5 MB) free in the application partition. About This Macintosh (in the Apple menu) lets you estimate memory usage. * Do not allocate all of the available memory to the capture application. When your capture application is running, you should have an unused block size of at least 500K in About This Macintosh. When working with applications that support adjusting video and sound settings, the following settings allow the highest video capture performance: * Use the Component Video video compressor. Do not use post-compression. * Set sound input sampling to 16 bits, stereo, and 44.1KHz for the highest quality. Do not use a sound compressor. Improving the Quality of Audio CD Recordings -------------------------------------------- You can use the AppleCD Audio Player and SimpleSound (both available in the Apple menu) to record from an audio CD to a file on disk. If your recordings sound distorted when you play them, try lowering the volume level in the AppleCD Audio Player and record the sound again. Usually, you should get acceptable results when the volume is set to about the middle level. However, you may want to experiment with different volume settings; because audio CDs are recorded at various sound levels, individual CDs may require a different setting for optimal recording. Allocating More Memory to Application Programs ---------------------------------------------- If you are having new issues with application programs reporting that they do not have enough memory, System 7.5.5 may require programs to use an additional 23K of memory. To fix the issue: 1. Quit the program if it is open. 2. Click the program's icon to select it. 3. Open the File menu and choose Get Info. 4. In the Info window, increase the value in the "Preferred size" box by 23. 5. Close the window. Using the Recent Documents Command in the Apple Menu ---------------------------------------------------- You can easily open any of your most recently used documents by choosing the Recent Documents command in the Apple menu, then choosing a document from the submenu. However, this feature can increase the time it takes to open some applications. This occurs because the recent-documents tracking includes all files that are opened--even those opened by an application as part of its launch sequence (such as drop-in filters used by desktop publishing packages). You can reduce the increased opening time by turning off the recent-documents tracking. You can either: * turn off "recent documents" tracking in the Apple Menu Options control panel * turn off Apple Menu Options in the Extensions Manager Installing Acrobat Reader Software from the System Software CD -------------------------------------------------------------- To install Acrobat Reader software from the system software CD onto your hard disk, make sure that the system software CD that came with your computer is not the startup disk. Then locate the Acrobat Reader folder on the CD and follow the installation instructions. Note: To make sure that the system software CD is not the startup disk, shut down your computer. Then start up the computer while pressing the eject button on the CD-ROM drive (the disc is ejected). After the computer restarts, reinsert the CD and install the Acrobat Reader software. Reinstalling or Removing Zip Drive Software ------------------------------------------- Some Power Macintosh models come with an internal Zip drive. Normally when you insert a Zip disk into this drive, an icon for the Zip disk appears on the Macintosh desktop. If an icon for the inserted disk does not appear on the desktop, the Iomega Driver in your System Folder may be missing or damaged. You can reinstall the Iomega Driver by following these steps: 1. Insert the system software CD-ROM disc that came with your computer. 2. Open the Iomega folder in CD Extras folder on the CD-ROM disc. 3. Drag the Iomega Driver icon to the System Folder icon on your hard disk. One or more alert messages may appear. One will ask if you want to store the Iomega Driver in your Extensions folder, and another may ask if you want to replace a file that already exists. 4. Click the OK button in these alert messages. 5. Eject the CD-ROM disc. (Select the disc icon and choose Put Away from the File menu.) 6. Restart your computer. 7. Try inserting a Zip disc again. Though only some Power Macintosh models include an internal Iomega Zip drive, your model includes Iomega software on your hard disk, even if your model does not come with a Zip drive. If your Power Macintosh model does not include a Zip drive, you can remove this software if you wish. (Or you may also wish to keep this software in case you later purchase and connect a Zip drive.) Removing the software frees up disk space and makes your computer start up slightly faster. If you ever need to reinstall the Iomega software, it is available on the CD-ROM disc that comes with your computer. To remove the Iomega software, drag the following icons to the Trash: * Iomega Driver (located in the Extensions folder inside your System Folder) * Iomega folder (located in the Apple Extras folder) Installing and Removing PCI Cards --------------------------------- Your Power Macintosh User's Manual contains detailed instructions about installing peripheral component interconnect (PCI) expansion cards. Follow these instructions carefully when installing a PCI card. To avoid damaging the PCI slot when you install or remove a PCI card, do the following: * Do not rock the card from side to side; instead, press or pull the card straight into or out of the slot. * Do not physically insert or remove two cards at the same time; insert or remove each card individually. For more information, see the file "Power Mac Read Me - Part 2." |
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| Document Information | |
| Product Area: | Computers |
| Category: | Power Macintosh |
| Sub Category: | Power Macintosh 5500; Power Macintosh 6500 |
| Keywords: | kppc |
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