M$ Natural Keyboard Elite

driver is available for the Mac. The Natural Elite USB keyboard has been favorably reviewed. "This driver moves the Open-Apple and Option keys to a more familiar position for Mac users. Also, the PC Application key has been remapped to a power key, that can be used for shutdown, restarting, sleeping and entering debuggers." [Version Tracker]

-- Weekend, Jan. 22-23 --

[Updated 9:30p 1/22] Gauge PRO v1.0 is available free from Newer Technology's web site. [Dana Baggett] Newer's free Gauge Series (including Clockometer, RAMometer and Cache-22) has been an indispensible utility for checking all sorts of things including RAM and and the stability of overclocked CPUs. Gauge PRO is an updated and consolidated version of the Series. One of the new features is a measure of memory performance in megabytes per second (MB/sec). Here are the measurements for [eight] computers, from a PowerMac 7100 to a PowerMac G4:

NewerTech Gage PRO Memory Performance Comparisons

Computer*	CPU	RAM	System Bus	RAM Perf.
(MHz/Type)	(MB)	(MHz)	(MB/sec)
PowerMac 7100**	220 MHz G3	104	40	33
PowerBook 2400c	180 MHz 603e	80	40	37
PowerBase DT	400 MHz G3	160	50	40
iBook	300 MHz G3	96	67	59
iMac II	350 MHz G3	128	100	78
PowerMac G3 (B&W)	350 MHz G3	192	100	88
PowerMac G4 (Y)***	400 MHz G4	256	100	131
PowerMac G4 (S)	400 MHz G4	256	100	121

*Mac OS 9, VM on. **Mac OS 8.6, VM on. ***Mac OS 9, VM off.

Mostly the results are as expected. [Dana Baggett sent data for his new iMac 350 and the results are as might be expected.] However, the PowerMac G4 (Sawtooth) has the same RAM type and bus speed as the B&W G3, yet its memory performance measures nearly 50 per cent faster. The iBook has the "same" motherboard, RAM type and bus speed yet the PowerMac G4's RAM performance measures twice as fast. [Joe DelPopolo sent data for his PowerMac G4 Yikes model and it measures faster that the Sawtooth model. I turned VM off and pulled the 322 DIMM but that only increased the Sawtooth measurement to 122. I wonder what the utility is really measuring--Bill.]