AlkSoft / Contents / Software / Miscellaneous
1.5.1) Where can I get free software for this computer?
A good place to start looking is Apple's old software download site <http://download.info.apple.com/>. You can find all sorts of goodies there, from free system software to application updates. VersionTracker and MacUpdate both have a very large catalog of freeware and shareware to suit you.
1.5.2) Can I play MP3s on this computer?
Yes, although finding a supported MP3 player that runs on the 5300 may be difficult. MpegDec, while not exactly feature rich, is probably the best choice, seeing as how it has fairly low resoure requirements. The old MacAMP (made by @soft and later renamed MacAST - don't confuse this with the newer MacAmp) also should work decently on the 5300. SoundApp PPC works like a champ, as always. A reader also reports that Cabrio works fine on his 5300cs.
Once you start playing MP3s, though, don't expect to do anything else until the song stops. Playback takes up a good 95% of the processor...
1.5.3) What software do I need to enable special features of the PowerBook?
Apple's Trackpad Climate Control is useful. If you have "hot hands" like me, or live in a particularly humid environment (like Boston in August), you might notice that the pointer tends to abnormally jump around when you use the track pad. Trackpad Climate Control elminates this behaviour.
Dan Wright's ClickPad II is also useful. ClickPad II emulates a tappable trackpad on your normally non-tappable trackpad. That is, you can tap on the trackpad to simulate a mouse click when you run this software. I'm not particularly a fan of this software, but other users really like it.
Apple's Password Security is a handy control panel if you are the security concious type. Password Security sets a flag that makes the computer prompt the user for a password at startup and/or wake from sleep. The password cannot be deleted by the average user (there is a back door, but supposedly only Apple Service professionals know what it is). It can be a pretty powerful method for keeping nosy brothers, sisters, parents, children, roommates, thieves, or other unwanted users out of your computer.
1.5.4) How do I use SCSI Disk Mode/HD Target Mode?
Because SCSI Disk Mode (SDM from now on) is called SDM due to the PowerBook having an internal SCSI hard disk, it would not be exactly correct to call this type of connection SDM on a non-SCSI PowerBook like the 5300. In this case, it is called HD Target Mode. In either case, the two are exactly the same in operation. Since HD Target Mode is largely a hardware connection topic, I cover this in more detail in the hardware section. To set up HDTM correctly, though, you need to have the PowerBook control panel. This control panel allows you to pick a SCSI ID for your PowerBook to use when in HD Target Mode. Apple has more information in the AppleCare Knowledge Base.