Problems with Safari 4.1
From Mike:
Hi,
I always read your articles. I found an optimized for G4
version of Camino on your site.
Yesterday, I updated to Safari 4.1 on my Pismo G4 running Mac OS X 10.4.11. Unfortunately, it
only gives me blank pages. I wanted to go back to 4.0.5, but it seems
that the only way to do this is to archive and install (which I don't
feel like doing). Is there another way to go back to 4.0.5? Or is there
a way to fix 4.1? Am I the only one with this problem?
I have turned to you, because I know you are still using your
Pismo.
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Mike,
You beat me to it. I downloaded Safari 4.1 and
discovered that I hadn't upgraded Tiger on the Pismo I'm using from
OS X 10.4.10 to 10.4.11, the latter required for installing Safari
4.1. It's on my to-do list, but I've had several house guests the past
few days and didn't get around to doing the upgrade yet.
However, my brother-in-law, who is running Tiger on
his G5 iMac, was here this week
and said he had experienced the same issue with Safari 4.1 as you
report.
I have been using Safari 5 on my Unibody MacBook running
OS X 10.6.3 and liking it a
lot, so I'm sorry to hear there's an issue with version 4.1. Guess I
won't bother installing it now.
AppleToolBox has posted
instructions for downgrading from Safari 5 to Safari 4.0.5, and I
assume the method would also work for a downgrade from Safari 4.1.
There's also a download link for a standalone Safari 5.0.5
installer.
These Apple Discussions threads may also be
helpful:
Hope you are able to solve the problem, and thanks for
reading.
Charles
Editor's note: I can report that Safari 4.1 is running
just fine on my dual 1 GHz
Power Mac G4 under OS X 10.4.11. I haven't tried it on anything
else. dk
Hi,
Thanks for the quick response. I used the first method (with
Pacifist). It worked
fine.
Thanks!
Mike
Pismo vs. TiBook
From Vic, following up on Strange
Keyboard Behavior:
Hi Charles,
I am using my Titanium - I've just got a spot
in my heart (and particularly my hands - as the Pismo feels good
under my fingers.) But I'm back to the Titanium.
One drawback of my Titanium is a line down the screen on the right
side about one-fifth of the way in. It appeared when I was using the
Titanium a lot, nonstop - I think it got too hot. I try to ignore it.
Life goes on.
I'm thinking when the iPad gets
improved a bit, I may be up for it. But not at $600. I'm on a very
fixed income, with, like all of us, increasing expenses, so I enjoy
playing with my decade-old computer - and it generally does what I want
it to do.
My car is almost 10 years old also, and it gets me where I want to
go with reasonable economy.
Peace, and thanks for the good thoughts.
Keep up your writing - we enjoy it.
Vic
Hi Vic,
Yes, I've never used another computer that felt better
than the Pismo, but I understand using the faster TiBook since you have
it and it works. You've probably got a Pismo-sized chunk of display to
the left of the defective pixel line.
I expect that eventually I'll get a WiFi iPad, but
I'll wait until after the Revision B is rolled out and hopefully the
price drops a bit and/or refurbished units hit the channels. The 3G
version wouldn't make much sense here, as the nearest 3G service
coverage is some 35 miles away (iPhones don't work here except for
WiFi).
For now, my Pismos serve nicely as second and third
computers.
My truck is 16 years old and my car is 20. I don't
mind using older stuff that works well.
Charles
Rain Degraded Wireless Broadband
From Dan regarding Bog-slow: A Return Visit to Dialup
Internet:
Hi Charles,
Is there any possibility of making your antenna higher? At the
frequencies that the wireless operates, just a few feet can make a big
difference, although high enough to clear the trees would be the
best.
YBIC,
Dan
Hi Dan,
Thanks for the suggestion.
The antenna is now at the highest point of the house's
roof peak (two-storey house with a moderate pitch roof located on a
hill of about 20 feet elevation), so locating it higher would require a
pole or tower, which would have to be approved and installed by the
ISP, as they retain ownership of the antenna.
The ISP service techs were here last week. They
inspected and tested the antenna, replaced a couple of cable
connectors, and said they were getting a good strong signal, but it was
a sunny warm day. We haven't had any serious rain since then, but there
have been a few damp spells, and we've had no dropouts so far. One
other thing they did was set the "nose" of the antenna up at a higher
angle.
Here's hoping....
Charles
Pismo G4 Startup Problem
From Mike:
Hi,
Since you were able to help me with my Safari issue on my Pismo,
here's another one:
I have an old Pismo G4 that was lying around. I remembered that if
this Pismo was left too long unplugged, I had to reset and pray so it
could restart. I tried unplugging the PRAM battery, change the PRAM
battery with a new one - nothing: I get the four beeps at startup
unless I pop a G3 processor in there.
I promised that Pismo to my nieces. I hope I can do something with
the G4 processor.
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Mike,
Does it boot up okay with a G3 processor installed? If
so, and you get the described behavior only with the G4 upgrade
installed, we have to suspect a defect in the G4 processor.
Charles
I also think it is the processor, because I have tested it in two
different Pismos and they both give me four beeps. I thought four beeps
was bad ROM...
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Mike,
According to Apple Support, the Mac OS
power on self-test (POST) resides in the ROM of the computer and runs
whenever the computer is turned on after being fully shut down (the
power-on self-test does not run if the computer is only restarted).
If a fault is detected during the test, you will not
hear a normal startup chime. Instead, the system will beep as explained
below.
- 1 beep = no RAM installed
- 2 beeps = incompatible RAM types
- 3 beeps = no good banks
- 4 beeps = no good boot images in the boot ROM (and/or bad sys
config block)
- 5 beeps = processor is not usable
In addition to the beeps, on some computers the power
LED will flash a corresponding number of times plus one. The LED will
repeat the sequence after approximately a five second pause. The tones
are only played once.
The boot ROM is on the motherboard. If it's bad, then
the mobo needs to be replaced. One other other possibility is bad RAM.
Try a known-good RAM chip in one RAM slot at a time with the other slot
empty.
Charles
I read a lot about power issues. I don't think the processor
overheated. I'm puzzled.
Mike
Hi Mike,
This fault wouldn't necessarily have had to be caused
by overheating. These machines are getting pretty old, and they don't
have an infinite lifespan.
Charles
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