Miglia has had the same message posted on their site for months, ever since OS X Leopard was released:
“AlchemyTV and AlchemyTV DVR are not compatible with Mac OS X 10.5. We are currently working on an update that will be released as soon as it is ready for prime-time. As AlchemyTV DVR started its life in the 10.2 days (and works fine up to 10.4.11), the architecture needs profound modifications to enable 10.5 compatibility. The update is taking longer than we would really like, but rest asssured that we are working on it.”
I have rest assured for eight months now, still unable to use the card with OS X Leopard on my PowerMac G5. Whenever I try to run the software, a kernel panic happens and the little grey screen appears telling me to restart.
There is a workaround for anyone with this problem though. That is, to have a working copy of Tiger on a separate volume, so the card has an OS that will run it. Then, you could boot into Tiger whenever you want to use the card. I have this setup and it is rather cumbersome. First off, Leopard’s Spotlight constantly wants to index the other volume, so I had to exclude it from the search. And the fact that I have to boot into another OS is really inconvenient. If I wanted to do that, I would have installed Windows.
Why wasn’t Miglia testing out their card while Leopard was still under development? Miglia, please update the software for the Alchemy DVR to work with OS X Leopard!
Buying RAM for an APPLE can be tricky but installing it is a piece of cake! Some RAM may have the correct specification but simply won’t work. Make sure when buying RAM it is certified for running on an Apple.
Where do I find out what RAM I need?
The online method below tells me the exact specification of memory I will need to purchase and give me a tutorial about installing the RAM as well. Instructions for installing RAM should be in the user manual that came with the computer too. The specification will be listed there as well.
Surf to www.apple.com and click the Support Tab.
On the left hand side of the Support Page, choose the model and the support page for that Mac will appear.
Click the How-To tab in the middle of the page. Click the How to install memory link.
Specifications for the RAM and an Installation tutorial will appear. Print these out.
What RAM is already in my Computer?
I can check this in System Profiler. Click the Apple in the top left of the screen. Select About this Mac. In the window that pops up, Click More info… Select Memory from the list of devices in the System Profiler window. A list of available memory will appear.
Each list item = a module of RAM. My MacBook Pro can only hold 2 DIMMS of memory, meaning two modules. Turns out my MacBook Pro holds 2 DIMMS of 512 MB each. So, if I wanted to upgrade to 3 GB I would have to buy a 1 GB DIMM and 2GB DIMM, since I only have two slots available. It is never a good idea to exceed the manufacturer’s recommended amount of RAM.
Where can I buy RAM?
I usually search for good prices for RAM on Pricewatch.com. Look for the correct specification found in the User Manual or on Apple’s support site. The specifications for RAM should look similar to these:
- 1.25 inch or smaller
- 512 MB or 1 gigabyte (GB)
- 200-pin
- PC2-5300 DDR2 667 MHz Type RAM
This is the specification for RAM in a 15 inch Intel MacBook Pro.
If you are nervous, pay the extra and by it direct from Apple. RAM purchased direct from Apple will work. Everything else is a gamble. It may seem like it works for a time, then when you try to install OS X the system just can’t handle it and CRASH! Buy the RAM that meet the specs and seems like a good deal. Double check it meets all the specifications listed. Make sure the website says it works with Apple.
Follow the instructions for Installation from the Apple support site or the user manual that came with the computer. Make sure you are grounded! It is really easy to do.
I bought a MacBook Pro a few months back and found I can scroll using the trackpad just by touching two fingers side by side and moving up and down. Hopping onto older laptops is a drag. iScroll brings two finger scroll on all pre-2002 G4 PowerBooks and iBooks, running OS X 10.3 or higher.
Beta testing now, so it’s free!
Download iScroll2 from VersionTracker.
