Power...more power, Scotty!

I replaced one of my 128mb RAM sticks in my computer with a 512mb (half-gig, baby!) to go with the other 128mb and 256mb sticks in my Mac G4. Now I'm stocking 856mb of raw RAM...yeah, it's not much by today's standards but I'm replacing the other two sticks with two more 512's in another week or so, and then I'll have 1.5 gigs which is the max this model G4 (circa 2002) can handle. When I get this bad boy upgraded in another couple of weeks I'll need to have as much RAM in it as possible to handle the new operating system (finally getting into the 21st century with Mac OSX...lovingly known as System Ten) and the new software that Dan will be installing for me. He'll also be putting in a second larger hard drive and a DVD/CD player/burner. That should keep me going for at least two more years before I need to actually get another computer....the G5 will probably be totally replaced by then and all the Intel bugs will have been worked out.

The nice thing about having the 856mb is that I can already tell my G4 is FASTER. Programs are opening up a bit quicker and, even with dialup, the internet is popping up quicker. I should have done this years ago! Even the monitor looks brighter and happier. By the first full week of February, this will be almost a competely different machine. Of course, I'll have to learn System X and I've heard the learning curve is in the 2-3 month range. I'll still be able to do work but maybe not as fast until I figure it all out. But everyone tells me that once I "get it" I will be in love with the OSX and will never go back. I'm excited already!

I knocked out 25 solo miles on the bike late this afternoon before it got dark. Mostly I did some power work, lots of standing on the pedals, pushing the big gears....no fast cadence or easy stuff...all on the flats. That was my first ride outside this year although I've already put in a bunch of time on the wind trainer since New Year's. Hope to ride both Saturday and Sunday if the weather permits. I'm using my "slow" wheels, a couple of 15-year-old Wolber 32-spoke triple-cross rims with Campy hub on the front and Shimano on the rear. The thinking is that if I can move these wheels fast in a couple of months, my faster wheels will be easier to push come race day and on the fast training rides. The funny thing is that they are my lightest wheels but they're aerodynamically slow.