🚀 go-pugleaf

I thought I would share my lousy experience upgrading my Mac 512Ke with
a SuperMac DataPort SCSI upgrade. My dealer was Farnsworth Computer in
Villa Park, IL.

Since I wanted more disk space but almost never had memory problems,
my original plan was to add the SCSI port and disk, stay with only half
a meg, and then move up to a Mac Plus at some indefinite point in the future.
Considering that the creators of HyperDA and MacWrite 5.01 took pains
get their applications running on the 512Ke,  I can probably get by
with half a meg for right now.  Can't I??

The first big problem with with the SuperMac Data Port SCSI upgrade
was that it came with instructions for INSTALLATION, but not for USE.
Yet there are at least three other problems (which I have labeled
below as Annoying, Alarming, and Appalling) which needed to be pointed
out to the end-user (assuming that the dealer did the installation.)

The Annoying problem is that your battery gets hidden behind SCSI outlet.
Once you know that there's a trick to it, there's really no problem, but
I think that the user is entitled to an explanation.  Of course, the dealer
volunteered no information.

The Alarming problem is that you need a "daisy-chain" cable to attach
the Mac to the hard drive, NOT the usual SCSI-to-Mac-Plus cable that
gets shipped with most hard drives.  Again, there's no excuse for this
to be such a rude surprise.  Fortunately, the dealer allowed me to trade
cables.  (They were really pretty decent about it, I must say.  That was
before the honeymoon was over...)

The Appalling problem is that, if you haven't also gotten a memory upgrade
for the 512Ke, it will be effectively lobotomized when you boot from the
hard disk.  You suddenly won't have enough memory to run certain applications
which have always run magnificently on floppy disk.  I can't use
SuperPaint 1.0, which is indispensable, nor a 4th Dimension Demo program.

Most people who have tried to help me with this situation take one of these
disparate positions:

a) "It should work.  You must be doing something wrong."
	I'd like to believe this, but I simply cannot find even the most
	minimal configuration of System 3.2, Finder 5.3, SuperPaint 1.0,
	and the hard drive which will work!!!  The system folder on the
	hard drive is IDENTICAL to the one on the floppy disk which works.

b) "Of course that won't work.  You should have known that."
	My [ex-]dealer takes this position.  I have a feeling that the
	statement is true, but he is talking only from the hindsight
	that he has gained from my sad experience.  I would love to see
	it proven without the use of insidious circular logic.  

If you can't tell, I'm very angry that I was sold this upgrade without
being warned that it would result in a disintegration of the overall
system.  I have asked my dealer if he can get me  a 3rd party memory
upgrade, but they "don't offer those anymore."  The only other upgrade
available is Apple's full upgrade to Plus. I proposed a deal where I
would buy Apple's upgrade to Plus on the condition that he remove the
SuperMac DataPort and give a full refund, but he didn't accept it.

So my advice is: Don't add a SCSI port to your 512Ke without adding
memory; maybe Apple's expensive upgrade is worth avoiding some aggravation;
maybe trading in for a Plus isn't so extravagant, after all.

Mark
PS. As SuperPaint users know, this application is very touchy about memory.
Most other applications seem not to be bothered by the "lobotomy."