TOPIC
This article contains the Read Me document for the PowerBook G3 Series (M4735)
DISCUSSION
Note: Macintosh PowerBook G3 Series computers should not be confused with Macintosh PowerBook G3 computers. Though the names are similar, there are significant differences. To visually identify which type of computer you have, close the display and inspect the display case. A Macintosh PowerBook G3 has a small, six-color Apple logo on the display case. A Macintosh PowerBook G3 Series computer has a large Apple logo on the display case that is not six-colored. Important Information About Your Macintosh PowerBook Computer This document provides late-breaking news about your Macintosh PowerBook G3 Series computer. You may want to print this document to keep with the user's manual for your PowerBook. Important Information About Your Hard Disk's Format Your computer's hard disk uses a new, improved file format called Mac OS Extended format (sometimes called HFS Plus). Mac OS Extended format has two benefits: it increases the number of files you can store on your hard disk, and it lets your computer work with data more efficiently than previous formats. Using Norton Utilities Norton Utilities version 3.5 is not compatible with Mac OS Extended format. When version 3.5.3 or 3.5.2 detects a Mac OS Extended format drive, it will not attempt to repair the drive. Warning: Norton Utilities versions 3.5.1 and earlier cannot recognize that a hard disk is in Mac OS Extended format . Using Norton Utilities version 3.5.1 or earlier on your hard disk can result in hard disk corruption and loss of all your data. If you experience problems with your hard disk, Apple Computer recommends using the version of Disk First Aid included on your system software CD. See the Symantec Web site at http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/num/kbase_num.html for more information on Norton Utilities and Mac OS Extended format. Using Other Hard Disk Utility and Disk Locking Programs Some other disk utility and disk locking programs are incompatible with Mac OS Extended format. Before you attempt to use a disk utility or disk locking program, make sure the version you have is compatible with Mac OS Extended format. Check the documentation that came with the program or contact the manufacturer or the vendor that supplied the program. Using SCSI Disk Mode To use your PowerBook in SCSI disk mode, the computer to which you are connecting your PowerBook must have Mac OS 8.1 or later installed. If the computer has an earlier version of system software, you will not be to access your PowerBook's hard disk. Important Information About Your System Software The system software on your computer and on the PowerBook G3 Series CD is specially designed to work with Macintosh PowerBook G3 Series computers. The general release of System 8.0 and the System 8.1 Update are not compatible with your PowerBook. (The system software installed on your computer also has the version number 8.1, but it includes components designed only for your PowerBook model. These components are not included in the general release of System 8.1.) Important Information About Your Battery Your battery has external indicator LEDs that let you monitor the charge level of your battery. Before the LEDs will report levels correctly, the battery must be fully discharged and recharged to calibrate the battery. After this calibration, the LEDs will report charge levels properly. Important Information About External CD-ROM Drives If you are using an external CD-ROM drive to play audio CDs through the line-in jack on your PowerBook, the audio input source will be switched to the expansion bay each time you select a new track. You can use the SoundSource control strip portion to select Sound In again. Important Information About Computer Sleep When Using IrDA: When the IrDA method of infrared (IR) communication is selected in the AppleTalk control panel and AppleTalk is on, the computer will not go to sleep automatically. When Using a Communications Program: Many communications programs, such as PPP, Apple Remote Access, or other dial-up programs, monitor the computer's modem port to check for incoming transmissions. This may mean that the PowerBook will not sleep automatically (after the interval set in the PowerBook control panel). Forcing sleep while connected may result in a lost connection or crash. When your computer is using the battery, you may want to quit a communications program whenever you aren't using it to conserve the battery's charge. (See the user's manual that came with your communications program for more information.) Important Information About Using an External Monitor Your PowerBook display must be open when using an external monitor because heat from the PowerBook processor is partially dissipated through the keyboard. Closing the display will cause the PowerBook to go to sleep. Macintosh PowerBook G3 Series computers do not support operation with the display closed. When connecting an AppleVision monitor to the PowerBook, be sure to connect the monitor's ADB cable to the ADB port (on the back panel). This connection is required by the AppleVision software. When using an Apple 15" Multiscan monitor in simulscan mode, be sure to set the PowerBook display to turn off rather than dim in sleep. If the computer is set to dim, the external display may behave erratically before going to black. To set the display: 1. Open the Energy Saver control panel 2. Click Advanced Settings 3. Check "Turn off the PowerBook display instead of dimming it." For general information and instructions on using the external monitor, see these Mac OS Help topic areas: - Monitors (standard settings) - Sound (for using the sound capabilities built into an AppleVision monitor) To set up or change most settings for an external monitor, you use the Monitors & Sound control panel. The PowerBook G3 Series will support the Portrait and Two Page Grayscale Displays only in 256 Colors/Grays mode. Important Information About Your Expansion Bays Booting from Expansion Bay devices: If the system folder on your internal hard drive is invalid and you need to boot from a expansion bay module, be sure the module is inserted prior to booting or restarting your computer. If you insert the module after booting, you will see a blinking question mark. Floppy Installation: When installing software with the floppy module in the left bay, you may experience problems recognizing master disks if the software uses copy-protected disks. If your software requires installation from a CD and authorization from a master (key) floppy, put the floppy in the left bay and the CD module in the right prior to beginning the installation process. If the program cannot locate the floppy in the left bay at the time of authorization, you'll need to cancel the authorization process and quit the installer. Eject the CD and remove the module from the right bay, then insert the floppy module and floppy disk. Launching the application will then allow you to complete the authorization process. DVD/CD Drive and Waking From Sleep: There is a period of time when waking from sleep that the DVD/CD drive will allow you to manually eject a mounted DVD/CD using the button on the drive tray. This will cause unexpected behavior. Closing the tray will correct the situation. DVD Disc Won't Mount After Bootable CD: If you have a DVD-ROM drive in the right expansion bay of your computer and start up the computer with a bootable CD-ROM disc in the drive, but not as the start-up volume, you may not be able to use DVD discs after starting up until you remove the CD-ROM disc and restart the computer. To use the DVD-ROM drive make sure you do not have a bootable CD-ROM disc in the drive when starting the computer unless you are starting up from it. After starting the computer, you may then use both CD-ROM and DVD discs. This is not an issue if you have the PowerBook G3 Series bootable CD in your drive. Important Information About Infrared Communication If you experience trouble connecting to other computers or performance degradation when the IRTalk method of infrared (IR) communication is selected, try moving the computers further apart or off-angle to one another. Important Information About Using a Microphone To avoid getting feedback when you use a PlainTalk microphone, be sure that the microphone is at least 1 foot away from the computer. Feedback can also be reduced by lowering the system volume in the Sound control strip portion or the Monitors & Sound control panel. Important Information About PC Cards PC Card ATA Hard Drives: Before you can use a PC card ATA hard drive as a bootable device, you must first run Drive Setup to update the driver on the card. Drive Setup is available in the Utilities folder on your hard drive and also on your PowerBook G3 Series CD. Zoomed Video PC Cards: When using applications that use a video digitizer component such as Apple Video Player, be sure to insert your Zoomed Video PC Card in the bottom slot prior to launching the application. If the card is inserted after the application is launched, the picture will not be displayed. You will need to quit and relaunch the application for it to display properly. Important Information About Using the QuickTake Camera For best results, use the QuickTake Image Access control panel to look at images in the camera and transfer them to your Macintosh. This method is faster and more reliable than using the PhotoFlash program. Important Information About QuickTime When using QuickTime to play MPEG movies with either MoviePlayer or Apple Video Player, you may want to change one or more of the following settings to achieve optimum playback. Changing the disk cache should permit optimum playback. To reset the disk cache and turn off virtual memory, follow these steps:
2. Use the arrows at the upper-right section of the control panel to set the disk cache to 1 MB or more. 3. Click Off in the virtual memory section of the control panel. 4. Restart the computer. To hide the Control Strip, follow these steps:
2. Click the Hide button. To avoid feedback loops or stuck notes when playing MIDI files with Movie Player, turn virtual memory off. For information on how to turn virtual memory on and off, choose Help from the Help menu when the Finder is active. Click the Memory topic area, and then click "How do I use hard disk space as memory?". Important Information About Virtual Memory Virtual memory is a feature of the Macintosh that lets you use part of your hard disk as additional memory. Your computer comes with virtual memory turned on. If you are using an application program designed especially for PowerPC-based computers (often called a "native" application program), turning on virtual memory lets your application use memory more efficiently. If you check the program's Get Info box before and after turning on virtual memory, you'll see that the numbers in the Memory Requirements box change. For information on how to turn virtual memory on and off, choose Help from the Help menu when the Finder is active. Click the Memory topic area, and then click "How do I use hard disk space as memory?". To improve performance, you can also install more memory (RAM) in your computer. See the user's manual that came with your computer for more information. Important Information About the Apple Color StyleWriter 4000 Series Your PowerBook may "crash" when printing on a Color StyleWriter 4000 series printer (CSW 4100 or 4500) if the version of its driver is 1.0.3 or earlier. To determine the version of the installed driver software, open the Extensions Manager control panel and locate the CSW 4000 Series extension. The version number will be in a column to the right of the extension name. The CSW 4000 Update 1.1 is available on the Apple Software Updates Web site at: " http://www.info.apple.com/swupdates ". Important Information About Apple Remote Access (ARA) 3.0 The read me file titled "About Mac OS 8.1 Update" contains some incorrect information about ARA 3.0. The ARA 2.1 installer is not included on your hard drive or CD, so there is no danger of installing it over 3.0. Also, the version of Internet Access installed on your hard drive is compatible with ARA 3.0. The problem with the Internet Dialer has been fixed. Important Information About At Ease 5.0 and Mac OS Extended Format The disk security feature of At Ease is not compatible with the format of your hard drive. If you use At Ease and need to restrict access to the computer, please use Password Security instead. Future versions of At Ease will be compatible with Mac OS Extended Format. Important Information About Third Party Applications Norton Utilities: Norton Utilities version 3.5 is not compatible with Mac OS Extended format. When version 3.5.3 or 3.5.2 detects a Mac OS Extended format drive, it will not attempt to repair the drive. Warning: Norton Utilities versions 3.5.1 and earlier cannot recognize that a hard disk is in Mac OS Extended format. Using Norton Utilities version 3.5.1 or earlier on your hard disk can result in hard disk corruption and loss of all your data. If you experience problems with your hard disk, Apple Computer recommends using the version of Disk First Aid included on your system software CD. See the Symantec Web site at: http://www.symantec.com/nu/num-hfs.htm l for more information on Norton Utilities and Mac OS Extended format. Now Contact/Up-To-Date: The Now Up-to-Date & Contact CD includes outdated versions of Apple software. You do not need to install these pieces because the software included on your computer and the PowerBook G3 Series CD is more current. The Easy Install of Now Up-to-Date & Contact will install items that will overlay your existing menubar items. To avoid this after installing, you can turn off the menubar items in the QuickContact and QuickDay control panels. To avoid this while installing, follow these instructions to do a Custom Install:
2. Click Continue when the installer splash screen appears. 3. Read or print the license agreement then click Continue to accept it. 4. Click Custom. 5. Scroll down until you see "Now Up-to-Date Application" and "Now Contact Application". 6. Press the Shift key while clicking on the two applications. 7. Click Install. |
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| Document Information | |
| Product Area: | Computers |
| Category: | PowerBook |
| Sub Category: | PowerBook G3 Series |
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