From: nathan@laplace.biology.yale.edu (Nathan F. Janette)
Subject: Re: NeXTdimension SIMM compatibility (was Re: Slab turbo Memory config)
Reply-To: nathan@laplace.biology.yale.edu
Organization: Yale University, Department of Computer Science, New Haven, CT
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 18:27:54 GMT

In article <BvMyHn.DxA@sounds.wa.com> BrianW@SoundS.WA.com (Brian Willoughby)  
writes:
> | Let's look at the relevant FAQ section:
> 
> Are you being condescending?

No.

> | 	*** Subject: R1. What type of memory may be installed in a NeXT?
> | 
> | 	NeXTdimension boards (i860):
> | 
> | 	These boards have 8 SIMM slots. SIMMs must be installed in
> | 	groups of four on the NeXTdimension board.
> | 
> | 	Use 72-pin 1, 4, or 8 MB SIMMs with 80 ns or faster access
> | 	time.  The SIMMs are organized 256Kx32 or 1Mx32 for
> | 	non-parity systems, and 256Kx36 and 1Mx36 for parity.
> | 
> | The FAQ does not state that you can use 16 MB SIMMs.
>                ^^^
> Yes it does, but not in the section you quoted above. 
> Instead, look at the   section of the FAQ which you later
> quoted and you will see two references to   the
> NeXTdimension implying that 16 Mb SIMMs can be purchased
> for that system.

No, it does not state anywhere that you may use 16 MB SIMMs
for ND boards.

> What confused me about the above section section is that
> three sizes of SIMMs   were listed (1, 4, or 8 MB) but they
> were supposedly organized into only two   configurations
> (256Kx32 or 1Mx32).  Since these two sentences don't
> correlate   with each other, and since neither of them
> correlate with the section listing   SIMM sources, I
> really didn't know what information to throw out and what
> to   believe (at least not when it may cost me $500 to find
> out!)

This is correct, there is a missing reference to the
8 MB SIMM configuration, which is 2Mx32.

I will add this information to that section.

> As you can see below, the listings for both Stratum and
> Marco imply that anyone   with $466 to $480 can purchase 16
> Mb SIMMs for their NeXTdimension!  (from what   I
> understand, they won't be happy though) 

I don't think they imply that at all.  I think they
state that Turbos, NeXTstation Color, NeXTdimension, newer  
NeXTstations use 72 pin SIMMs.  What sizes each machine
can use are clearly stated in the specific sections for
each machine type.

> | *** Subject: R3. Where can I purchase memory for a NeXT?
> | 
> | Stratum Technologies
> | 72 Pin SIMMs (for Turbos, NeXTstation Color, NeXTdimension, newer  
> NeXTstations)
> | 1x32-80ns	 4 Mb SIMM	N/A
> | 1x32-70ns	 4 Mb SIMM	$101
> | 2x32-80ns	 8 Mb SIMM	N/A
> | 2x32-70ns	 8 Mb SIMM	$218
> | 4x32-70ns	16 Mb SIMM	$466
> | 
> 
> This group seems to pick on folks who don't read the FAQ (or
> who don't read it   carefully) before posting.  But I would
> like to say that I picked over the FAQ   with a fine-toothed
> comb and was not convinced that I had an authoritative  
> answer to my questions, thus I felt that I needed to post my
> question.

This group, and myself in particular, try to enlighten uniformed
posters of the FAQs so that traffic of such postings is kept as
low as possible.  I respond to such postings with an example from
the relevant FAQ to show where such answers may be found.

I'm glad to see you checked first; too bad there seems to be
some confusion on either your or the FAQs part.  I'll try to
make the FAQ even more clear.

> I am sorry if this response seems harsh, but I would have
> preferred a direct   answer to my question (along with a
> note that the FAQ would be clarified for   the next
> distribution), INSTEAD of merely an excerpt from what I
> had already   read. 

Oh well, sorry to have ruined your day.

--
Nathan Janette		"I'm a NeXTstep man,
Dept MB&B, Yale Univ	 I'm a NeXTcube guy"
New Haven, CT
nathan@laplace.biology.yale.edu (NeXT)

Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.hardware