Pokémon, Shared Video Memory, and the Mac
by David Norton

A week or two ago, I wrote an article about some PCs using Shared Video Memory. Then I found out that several older (original Mac-era) Macs used it, because several readers wrote in to tell me. Here are some of their comments:

Actually dude, all original Macs worked by "stealing" ram for video.

This includes Mac128,Mac512,MacPlus,MacSE,MacSE/30(unless you add a card),Mac classic,classic 2,MacIIsi,MacIIci.

Then they did get away from it as they went into Quadra/Centris/LC era machines.

Even the PowerMac 7100/8100 family used(s) motherboard DRAM to support it's built in video interface.

-Marty

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While you are right, it turns out that the Mac OS steals actual memory as well. On all recent Macs, the ROM image is loaded into RAM, which means a 32 MB iBook (for example) ends up being a 29 MB machine. I don't think Apple mentions this anywhere in end user specs; it is only documented in developer specs.

-Larry

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I had a Mac IIsi which had shared video memory, and it was a dog.

-Alan

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In regards to your editorial about personal computer companies using "shared video memory" to cheat consumers, I just wanted to tell (remind?) you that Apple has made computers that use shared video memory, cheating the consumer just as much as the other personal computer companies that do this. That's all I had to say.

-Charles

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So what they're saying is really old Macs used it, and "it was a dog."

Also, what Larry is saying is that recent Macs (starting with the iMac) use an extra 3MB of RAM to hold the ROM 'chip' it would use. While this does take up some precious memory, the speed it gains is well worth it. And if you have just 32MB of RAM, upgrade it. My brother's iBook has 96MB (he upgraded it), and with Mac OS 9 he almost has to have virtual memory on (a pain if he's trying to conserve battery power). I believe in large-ish amounts of memory, so I am going to convince my mom to get an iMac DV Special Edition if not just for the extra RAM (OK, the graphite is cool and 3GB more of disk space is good, too).

Thanks for your comments, gentle readers, and I'll see you next time.

Another exciting episode of David Blows Off Some Steam!

What the heck is it with this Pokémon stuff? Basically, the company is trying to get kids to buy a whole bunch of stuff that they don't need, but the kids buy it because all their friends are doing it and they will get to show off their stuff ("Hey look, I got Charibarf!"). At any store, I can hear kids asking employees "Do you have Pokémon?", and at any gathering where there are kids, there is a whole bunch of Pokémon card trading going on. I think it's just plain sick, and that in a year or two it'll have all blown over, and the next fad will be here.

I am proud to say not a single person in my house 'does' Pokémon. Now I'll probably get flames for picking on Pokémon.

Till next time,
-David Norton,
david@macmilitia.com.

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