User Name
Password
AppleNova Forums » Apple Products »

Screw the iPad: I just got an iMac G3


Register Members List Calendar Search FAQ Posting Guidelines
Screw the iPad: I just got an iMac G3
Thread Tools
Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2010-03-12, 20:56

So today we were getting rid of some old stuff at work, and there was a graphite iMac G3 in our equipment graveyard. I dealt with this machine a while ago, and I knew it had problems. So I volunteered to take it home.

I left it in my office at the end of the day, because it had been raining, and I didn't want my new toy to get wet. BUT I think I know what the issue with it was.

I'm pretty sure that the hard drive is dead. I have an 80 GB IDE drive sitting unused in an old PC that I don't use any more, so I'll probably pull that drive and put it in the iMac. Have any of you done that with this model? From what I've seen online, it looks pretty hard.

As long as the new drive works (or if I can get the original 40 GB drive working), I'm planning to install Tiger on it.

Once it's up, I have three more main goals: Upgrade the RAM and add WiFi and Bluetooth. I have a USB Bluetooth dongle that a coworker used in Tiger on a hackintosh, so I'm hoping that will work, despite the architecture difference. It's a pretty generic BT receiver (I think it cost $2 brand new), so I'm hoping the generic drivers in Tiger will work for it.

RAM might be a little trickier. If I remember correctly, the PPC Macs were a lot picker about RAM than the Intel Macs are. This one has 256 MB installed, but I'd like to take it up to its max (1 GB). Are the memory requirements posted online somewhere? I know it takes PC100 (and that PC133 will work), but I'm wondering if there are other requirements beyond just the speed.

I don't want to do anything too demanding with it, so the stock 256 might be okay most of the time. I just want to be able to run TextWrangler, Inkscape and Gimp. But probably not at the same time on a 600 MHz G3.

I expect the biggest problem will be WiFi. As far as I can tell, the Apple-branded cards can be hard to find, and the adapter to install them internally can be expensive. (If I'm wrong, somebody please tell me.) Are there any USB WiFI dongles that I could buy that would work with this iMac? It only has USB 1.1, so I don't have any major speed expectations. I just need to get *something* on this machine so that I can use FTP occasionally, and my router is on a different floor of my house.

I'll post updates as I go, and I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions before this is up and running. Pictures are coming Monday.

Twitter: bwyatt | Xbox: @playsbadly | Instagram: @bw317
  quote
thegeriatric
geri to my friends
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Heaven
 
2010-03-12, 21:09

Don't know whether you've seen this or indeed if it's of any use but just in case.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/103447/iMa...assembly-Guide

Good luck, look forward to following this.

I used to be undecided.....But now I'm not so sure.
No trees were harmed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
  quote
BlueRabbit
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
 
2010-03-12, 21:23

I used to have one of those, and yes, the hard drive is really hard to replace. You have to more or less take apart the entire bottom of the computer.

I don't think the type of RAM matters that much, as long as it fits in the slot. I might even have a couple 128 MB sticks lying around if you need some.
  quote
Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2010-03-12, 21:30

Quote:
Originally Posted by thegeriatric View Post
Don't know whether you've seen this or indeed if it's of any use but just in case.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/103447/iMa...assembly-Guide

Good luck, look forward to following this.
Yeah, that's the guide I looked at earlier. It looks terrifying. I hope I'm wrong and the current drive is useable. Then again, it is almost a nine-year-old drive.

I'm really excited about this project, so I'm glad at least one of you is looking forward to what will probably be a ridiculous experience for me. I came to the Mac much later (G4 mini was my first), so this is new territory for me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueRabbit View Post
I used to have one of those, and yes, the hard drive is really hard to replace. You have to more or less take apart the entire bottom of the computer.

I don't think the type of RAM matters that much, as long as it fits in the slot. I might even have a couple 128 MB sticks lying around if you need some.
I actually have two 128 MBs in there right now, but thanks for the offer! Somebody at work had a 256 MB stick he didn't need (same guy who gave me the BT dongle), so I'll probably try it. That would at least put me at 384 MB (with one of the original 128s).

I think I'm going to try Craigslist for the RAM, if anybody can conclusively tell me that they're not as picky as I think. I just remember spending a lot of time trying to find RAM at the correct voltage for my mini, and I don't want to get a bunch of RAM for this that doesn't work.

Twitter: bwyatt | Xbox: @playsbadly | Instagram: @bw317
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2010-03-12, 21:52

Awesome machines, those little slot-loading jellybeans! The graphite looked great too. Tangerine, graphite and lime were my favorites.

Yeah, the hard drive would be the toughest. I think there are about 9,000 screws involved. But people - mere mortals - have done this, so it's not impossible. Instructions, with step-by-step photos are online at various sites.

I'd forgotten about the AirPort card needing to go in tgat little adapter frame first...

The RAM should be easy to get via crucial.com.

Tiger is what I have on my DV.
  quote
screensaver400
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2010-03-12, 22:02

It has Ethernet, right? You could get one of those generic game console wi-fi adapters, the sort that just has an Ethernet port. They're designed to not need any software installed--they just convert the Ethernet signals to wi-fi.

Alternatively, a cheap router with DD-WRT can be set up the same way. I have an old Linksys WRT54G plugged in to my DirecTV receiver to get it online... It connects to my router as a normal client.
  quote
thegeriatric
geri to my friends
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Heaven
 
2010-03-12, 22:07

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
I'd forgotten about the AirPort card needing to go in tgat little adapter frame first...
See you're still using the iPhone then.
  quote
Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
awesome
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2010-03-12, 22:09

Quote:
Originally Posted by thegeriatric View Post
See you're still using the iPhone then.
I don't know wgat you're talking abyut.

()
  quote
Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2010-03-12, 22:15

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Yeah, the hard drive would be the toughest. I think there are about 9,000 screws involved. But people - mere mortals - have done this, so it's not impossible. Instructions, with step-by-step photos are online at various sites.

I'd forgotten about the AirPort card needing to go in tgat little adapter frame first...
I appreciate the encouragement so much, I won't even point out the iPhone typo. (Crap! It took me so long to post this that two people beat me to it.)

Quote:
The RAM should be easy to get via crucial.com.
I should have mentioned my budget. I have essentially no money to do this, and crucial is expensive.

Quote:
Originally Posted by screensaver400 View Post
It has Ethernet, right? You could get one of those generic game console wi-fi adapters, the sort that just has an Ethernet port. They're designed to not need any software installed--they just convert the Ethernet signals to wi-fi.
I hadn't thought about that option. The irritating thing is that I had one of those about 8 or 9 months ago. My wife sold it at a garage sale last summer (and should have) because I wasn't using it.

Quote:
Alternatively, a cheap router with DD-WRT can be set up the same way. I have an old Linksys WRT54G plugged in to my DirecTV receiver to get it online... It connects to my router as a normal client.
I hadn't thought about that either. I have a DD-WRT router, but it's the only router I have for my wired network right now (I have four wired ports in my living room, run from a DD-WRT router in the garage).

I'll probably go with one of the two ideas you suggested if I can't find somebody to barter with for a usable Apple Airport card. Thanks for the ideas!

Now I need to have a mini-selloff on Craigslist and the Nova Bazaar to pay for my upgrades. Plus I'm sure my wife would love if I sold off all my electronic junk I have in the closet. Anybody want to buy a b/g Airport Express? I have one that I hardly used at all.

Twitter: bwyatt | Xbox: @playsbadly | Instagram: @bw317
  quote
Luca
ಠ_ರೃ
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2010-03-12, 22:16

Quote:
Originally Posted by screensaver400 View Post
It has Ethernet, right? You could get one of those generic game console wi-fi adapters, the sort that just has an Ethernet port. They're designed to not need any software installed--they just convert the Ethernet signals to wi-fi.
I'd say just use ethernet; it's faster and there are no driver issues to work out. If you get it up and running in a way you like, then you can start thinking about spending money on wireless. Ethernet to WiFi adapters are not too expensive but they're not cheap either: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833156258 (~$53)

RAM is also an issue. 512 MB PC133 DIMMs have a nontrivial cost, $30-$50 each. You could get by with just one, giving you 640 MB total (128 + 512).

These things all add up. You don't want to sink too much money into a decade-old computer that is permanently tied to a 15" CRT.
  quote
Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2010-03-12, 22:19

Quote:
Originally Posted by Luca View Post
These things all add up. You don't want to sink too much money into a decade-old computer that is permanently tied to a 15" CRT.
No, you're right. I'm going to try to barter as much as I can and sell stuff on CL and the Bazaar to cover the rest. Something like this can turn into a money pit, and I'm really only planning on using it until I can afford to buy a MBP later this year.

[edit] This is the point where, if I was single, I'd just set it up near my existing wired ports and use a long Ethernet cable. But Mrs. Wyatt wouldn't go for that. I once had an 8 foot cable attached to my XBox for a week, and she nearly killed me.

Twitter: bwyatt | Xbox: @playsbadly | Instagram: @bw317
  quote
gsxrboy
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
 
2010-03-13, 06:33

It's actually fairly easy to do, I've done it a couple of times, there isn't that much to worry about apart from the cracking sound when you break the bottom clear section away. I've got a DVSE500 with a decent sized HDD in it I have partitioned into several OS versions for prosperity.
  quote
Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2010-03-17, 12:35

I just tried to boot the iMac for the first time, and it's extremely loud. No OS loads. Sounds like a dying hard drive.

So I booted the Tiger installer disk (Well, CD 1 at least). It boots fine, and system profiler reports everything is okay, including the hard drive. The drive even shows the SMART status as Verified.

But if I try to format the hard drive with Disk Utility, I get an I/O error. The Installer Log says "Could not mount disk 'disk0s3' after erase"

So, do you guys think it's the logic board or the drive? I'm (obviously) hoping it's just the drive, but I'm not optimistic.

Twitter: bwyatt | Xbox: @playsbadly | Instagram: @bw317
  quote
bassplayinMacFiend
Banging the Bottom End
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
 
2010-03-17, 12:45

Throw the drive in an enclosure and see if a different computer can format it. Still, if the drive is very loud, that itself is an indicator, although drives from 9 years ago would seem quite loud compared to the fluid dynamic bearing thingamajigs used in drives today.
  quote
bassplayinMacFiend
Banging the Bottom End
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
 
2010-03-17, 12:47

Also, I have a bag of old RAM lying around somewhere. If I can find it, I should have at least one stick of 256MB PC100/PC133 RAM in it.

I also have an original Airport base station (UFO looking thing from 2001) that will bridge between wired and wireless, but it's 802.11b only.
  quote
Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2010-03-17, 13:17

I just tried to format using target disk mode... no dice. Since I have to open it up anyway at this point, I'm going to go ahead and drop in the 80 GB drive I have at home. Hopefully, that drive will be quieter (and actually work).

I should have time to do that over the weekend, I think. I'll post another update after I try the other drive.

bpmf, we'll have to talk about that RAM if I get this thing up and running. Someone gave me a 256 MB already, so if I could get one of yours on the cheap, I could get up to 512, which should be plenty for what little I'm going to use this for.

[edit] On a positive note, I fired it up with the USB bluetooth dongle plugged in, and System Profiler seems to be recognizing it. That should mean that it will work when I get Tiger installed.

Twitter: bwyatt | Xbox: @playsbadly | Instagram: @bw317
  quote
Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2010-03-17, 13:48

I had a graphite G3 iMac for about 4 or 5 years. It was a great computer, except, it eventually developed this really nasty whine whenever it was on, which, I became used to, but when I finally got a powerbook, then macbook, the relative silence is unbelievable.
  quote
Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2010-03-17, 14:24

I think I might have it figured out. I haven't had a chance to burn it yet, but apparently if I install 9.1 or higher, there's a firmware update that I can install. It's a required update for 10.2 and newer, and it's NOT installed on this iMac.

I still want to replace the hard drive, but I'll probably try this first. Hopefully I can get 9.1 and the firmware update installed. If that works, I'll swap out the hard drive before I install 10.4. If it doesn't, then I'll do the drive swap and try again.

Twitter: bwyatt | Xbox: @playsbadly | Instagram: @bw317
  quote
Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2010-03-18, 19:55

I have a little time to work on it tonight, so I'm sitting on the floor in front of it. My wife has taken over my desk with her sewing machine.

It won't boot from the CD version of the OS9 installer I have, so I'm copying the installer to a flash drive to see if I can get it to boot from that. It's a random shot in the dark, but I don't think I have any other options at the moment. I can't install 10.4 until I have that firmware update installed.

Here she is:


Twitter: bwyatt | Xbox: @playsbadly | Instagram: @bw317
  quote
Bonn89
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
 
2010-03-18, 20:48

I like the combo of G3 iMac + aluminum keyboard.
  quote
Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2010-03-18, 20:53

Quote:
Originally Posted by St Bonney View Post
I like the combo of G3 iMac + aluminum keyboard.
Me too. I had to bring that one home from work to test with, since I don't own any USB keyboards. I'm actually thinking about buying one (sans-number pad) for myself, though. I have a really small desk (if my wife ever cedes control again), and it would be great to have a keyboard that small.

Twitter: bwyatt | Xbox: @playsbadly | Instagram: @bw317
  quote
Posting Rules Navigation
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Post Reply

Forum Jump
Thread Tools
Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
iPad, MacBook/Pro & iMac/Mac Pro. I want a Universal sync. cosus Speculation and Rumors 10 2010-03-20 11:28
Screw this I'm getting a Mac Pro Yonzie General Discussion 18 2008-02-01 20:41
New iMac - How to image hard drive before I Screw it up? bbassett67 Genius Bar 6 2006-01-19 09:43
Someone's Trying to Screw Me, Should I Screw Him? Random Hero AppleOutsider 13 2005-05-16 15:40


« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 23:44.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2024, AppleNova