Upgrading and Fixing Macs and iMacs For Dummies [Paperback]

Todd Stauffr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 3, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0764506447 | ISBN-13: 978-0764506444 | Edition: 1

Mac users can keep their new or older machines humming with this fun and easy guide to the internal workings of Macs and iMacs. The book explains, step by step, how to upgrade a Mac -- processor, RAM, video, removable storage, and almost anything else. It also shows how to use a little preventive medicine and how to diagnose your problem in order to help you decide whether you need to repair or upgrade. Common repair scenarios, from hard disk glitches to peripheral problems, are covered. And the little gems that make this ...For Dummies edition shine are a list of utilities for getting to know your inner-iMac and special G3 and G4 fixes. With this trusty guide, you'll be thinking different" in no time.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Now that they've been around for a couple of years, older "Renaissance" Macs (meaning iMac and G-series computers) are starting to need upgrades. Upgrading and Fixing Macs and iMacs for Dummies shows how you can extend your Mac's set of capabilities and improve its performance through hardware additions and modifications. Author Todd Stauffer ably explains what you can do, and comments extensively on what's worth doing. He also documents some common failures (such as the "Click of Death" problem that crops up on some Iomega Zip drives) and explains how to deal with them.

Because Apple designed the Macintosh line with easy upgrades (among other things) in mind, the job of this book is mainly to explain what sorts of upgrade products you can buy and how to distinguish among them. In large measure, this is a matter of decoding jargon and explaining at a fairly high level how things work. For example, Stauffer goes into detail on video resolution and why you might want to replace your current monitor and video card with better ones, defining terms and trade names as he goes. He also tells how to perform some upgrades step by step: for instance, how to upgrade a processor chip and configure a Mac for use on an AppleTalk network. --David Wall

Topics covered: Hardware upgrades for iMac and PowerMac G-series computers, and the related software procedures. Input devices (keyboards, scanners, and the like), connectivity units (such as modems), monitors, storage media (including CD recorders, extra hard disks, removable disks, and tape drives), and network hardware.

From the Back Cover

Hands-on advice to boost your system's performance

Covers USB, FireWire, Power PC G3/G4 acceleration, and more

Rev up performance and resolve problems — no experience required! Is your Mac acting sluggish? Does it crash all the time? Relax! With the step-by-step instructions in this friendly do-it-yourself guide, you'll soon have your system back in tip-top shape. From installing today's coolest add-ins and peripherals to troubleshooting typical problems, it's just what you need to get the most out of your Mac.

Discover how to: Formulate an upgrade plan Select high-performance peripherals Set up high-speed Internet access Upgrade cards, RAM, drives, and processors Maintain and troubleshoot your system

The Dummies Way^™ Explanations in plain English "Get in, get out" information Icons and other navigational aids Tear-out cheat sheet Top ten lists A dash of humor and fun

Get smart! www.dummies.com Register to win cool prizes Browse exclusive articles and excerpts Get a free Dummies Daily^™ e-mail newsletter Chat with authors and preview other books Talk to us, ask questions, get answers

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Product Details

• Paperback: 386 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (May 3, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764506447
• ISBN-13: 978-0764506444
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,743,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Companion for Vintage Mac Owner! Super Resource!, September 29, 2000

By 

Robert D. Potter "rdpotter" (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Upgrading and Fixing Macs and iMacs For Dummies (Paperback)

I really learned how my Mac works, RAM, Video, upgrading processors, USB, installing new Hard Drives and the like. In less than two weeks after buying this book, I installed two new Hard Drive in my Power Mac 7500, upgraded the processor to G3 300 MHz processor speed, installed a new Video Card. My old "vintage" Mac from 1996 is now up there with many of the latest. Best of all, I get to keep using ALL my SCSI peripherals (printers, scanners, etc.! ). Also, I don't. need to buy a new computer for 2-3 more years! This book is a real education and very engagingly and entertaininly written! This book saved way over a $1000.00 that I would have spent buying a new Mac. My upgraded 7500 is now a decent Photoshop, Office 98 and basic game machine. Kudos to the author! Now I'm going to graduate up to his more advanced book ... start with this one though! Thanks Todd!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stauffer Knows His Stuff!, October 10, 2002

By 

Thomas Gabriel "Dr. Morbius" (Solvang, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Upgrading and Fixing Macs and iMacs For Dummies (Paperback)

Get this book and replace paranoia with common sense!--Todd Stauffer explains which troubleshooting, upgrades, and repairs the average user can make on the Macintosh (most of them--they're easy), and which are best left to professionals (a few). There are also handy tables showing which Macs take what equipment (drives, peripherals, etc.), so you'll know what to get when you shop for that external hard drive or RAM chip. Go ahead, get this book, and save a bundle on computer work.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars REVIEWS ARE ANCIENT HISTORY, September 22, 2007

By 

William S. Mcmahon "belly girl" (nc) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Upgrading and Fixing Macs and iMacs For Dummies (Paperback)

These reviews are useless. They are over 5 years old and no telling how old the book itself is. Beware of the book and the reviews both.
Glad to help.