View Full Version : Clamshell iBook for my daughter, which do I avoid? Which do I jump on?
Ok here's the deal: I'm wanting to get an older iBook for my daughter to literally just play with. She's only 8 months old and can't stand the VTech or other toy laptops out there and yet she loves my wife's MB and my mom's MBP. So we looked around eBay and there are some for as low a $100 but they all seem to have a charging board issue or something like that. We would really like the battery to function because the cord could pose a problem if we look away for a second. I'm willing to do the repair work on the computer to replace this board if needed, but I don't want to get a computer that is plagued with major issues. So now were are looking to get her an older Mac Laptop, iBook, to allow her to play with some of the cool images on the screen.
iPhoto would be great, OS X is a major plus too. (I would love it if it can F@H too ;) ) iTunes videos or even QT for that matter so I can load videos on it like Baby Einstein and Max Lucado's stories. Also, we do want this to function fully with the understanding that it'll not be a powerhouse.
The Lime Clamshells seem to go quick, is this just because of the color? What do I need to look for and do I need to avoid? Thanks.
Shit, we just uncovered an orange clamshell in the garage, I don't know if it still works though.
At this point, batteries for clamshells are so old as to be basically nonfunctional. I think the best you'll get with one of those is a tethered laptop
Shit, we just uncovered an orange clamshell in the garage, I don't know if it still works though.
Did you like it when it did work? Do you think it'll do what I'm looking for it to do? If yours does work, are you looking to get rid of it? :p
At this point, batteries for clamshells are so old as to be basically nonfunctional. I think the best you'll get with one of those is a tethered laptop
Are there any third party battery manufacturers out there maybe?
halo1982
2006-11-25, 01:19
Yep.
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/powerbook/battery/ibook-g3-clamshell/
Did you like it when it did work? Do you think it'll do what I'm looking for it to do? If yours does work, are you looking to get rid of it? :p
Well, it was my sisters and I rarely used it. I imagine it would be sufficient for your needs, I don't know if it can run OS X though, it might be able to, but it'd probably be a big pain. I don't have any system 9 discs either, so I dunno...
I am leaving for Washington tomorrow so I will see if I can take the iBook with me, so in a day or two I can see if it works, what it may or may not need, and let you know.
Well, it was my sisters and I rarely used it. I imagine it would be sufficient for your needs, I don't know if it can run OS X though, it might be able to, but it'd probably be a big pain. I don't have any system 9 discs either, so I dunno...
I am leaving for Washington tomorrow so I will see if I can take the iBook with me, so in a day or two I can see if it works, what it may or may not need, and let you know.
Cool, thanks!
Also, halo1982, thanks for the battery link. I didn't even think to look on OWC.
Does anyone else have a take on the clamshell?
danielsza
2006-11-25, 02:28
Ok here's the deal: I'm wanting to get an older iBook for my daughter to literally just play with. She's only 8 months old and can't stand the VTech or other toy laptops out there and yet she loves my wife's MB and my mom's MBP.
This has nothing to do with buying an iBook, but i just wanted to mention a app that your daughter might like AlphaBaby (http://www.kldickey.addr.com/alphababy/) I know my daughter loves with it.
That's a great program! Thanks for the link, that'll really help out.
Windowsrookie
2006-11-25, 12:28
Don't buy a white iBook G3. They had a Motherboard problem that Apple never fixed. Eventually they just die.
RowdyScot
2006-11-25, 13:11
A Clamshell will run OS X, but on the install you need to get rid of all the extra language drivers, printer drivers you won't need, and whatever else you can to make the install barebones. The 4 and 6 GB harddrives fill up ridiculously quickly on Clams anymore.
digitalprimate
2006-11-25, 14:13
I was thinking of buying a nice clamshell iBook myself, but I think it would end as a dust collector with me instead of the nice piece of design it really is. I bought a GRiD 1530 eight years ago, it rarely has been used ever.
Thanks for the input guys. We seemed to notice the lime ones are going for much more money than the tangerine and blueberry ones, is there a reason other than color?
I guess it doesn't need to run OS X, but I've never used OS 9 so I'm not familiar with it at all. I've only used Mac since just before 10.4 launch and I never installed Classic since I seemed to have no need for it.
I just gave my 7 year old daughter a 300mhz 'LimeBook' and she is in love with it. It replaces her 350 iMac and she is so much happier using a laptop (even though the battery is dead and there is no way I am buying a new one) and having more desk space in her room.
The clamshell ibook's are nice computers. They are fairly rugged, which is great for a kid.
Thanks for the input guys. We seemed to notice the lime ones are going for much more money than the tangerine and blueberry ones, is there a reason other than color?
Yes, it's because Key Lime ones are very rare. The color was so unconventional that it didn't sell well (a pity, really), so it was only available as a free-of-charge BTO option on the second generation (366-466 MHz) clamshells. That means you couldn't get a Key Lime iBook at a CompUSA or anything, and there weren't any Apple Stores back then. It was an online or phone-only option. Far fewer Key Lime iBooks were made than were the other colors.
I just gave my 7 year old daughter a 300mhz 'LimeBook' and she is in love with it.
No, it's either 366 MHz or 466 MHz. Those were the only processor speeds for which the Key Lime color was offered.
This has nothing to do with buying an iBook, but i just wanted to mention a app that your daughter might like AlphaBaby (http://www.kldickey.addr.com/alphababy/) I know my daughter loves with it.
Very cool! I wish I had that when my kids were younger.
Thanks for the link. :)
I ordered one from eBay though it is a gamble.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130051682671
Now I need to find a power adapter for this thing. I am just hoping it won't take anything more than that to get running. Anything else I should look for other than a new battery?
By the way, the Key Lime notebooks go faster because they're rare. I believe they were only available at Apple Stores (which were a lot rarer in those days) and via Apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE.
danilesza - thanks for the link. Very cool. :)
Roboman - Luca already said as much. :)
Well since this is to be a toy for my 8 month old I'm not putting a whole lot of money into it. Key Lime was out the first time we saw the price.
I managed to get a "YO-YO" power adapter for this thing from eBay also. All total this "toy" is about $125. I just hope the system I get has an OS loaded on it already since it won't come with any disks.
WrestleEwe
2006-11-27, 11:17
At first I thought you made a typo, but now that you said it for the second time;
Are you seriously giving your 8 MONTH old daughter a LAPTOP?
At first I thought you made a typo, but now that you said it for the second time;
Are you seriously giving your 8 MONTH old daughter a LAPTOP?
Yep, I sure am! She loves them, (http://forums.applenova.com/showpost.php?p=415310&postcount=104) so why shouldn't I? Plus, it's an older laptop that won't be a great loss if she totally kills it.
Think of it this way, she won't be afraid of computers when she gets older. :)
WrestleEwe
2006-11-27, 12:02
Yep, I sure am! She loves them, (http://forums.applenova.com/showpost.php?p=415310&postcount=104) so why shouldn't I? Plus, it's an older laptop that won't be a great loss if she totally kills it.
Think of it this way, she won't be afraid of computers when she gets older. :)
Ok, point taken...
I guess I was afraid you were one of those parents who are obsessively pushing their kid to academic greatness instead of letting her play and have fun at a time in her life when that is what she should be doing...
My bad, I apologize.
Ok, point taken...
I guess I was afraid you were one of those parents who are obsessively pushing their kid to academic greatness instead of letting her play and have fun at a time in her life when that is what she should be doing...
My bad, I apologize.
No problem, I take no offense. :)
We looked at the "kid computers" and they are all cheap and cost about half as much. We figure with this we can at least get something out of it, and she can abuse it for years to come. I would rather her learn to not touch the screen on this than my MBP or my wife's MB.
We thought about the "educational" benefits, but it isn't the root cause by any means. Just plain fun.
At first I thought you made a typo, but now that you said it for the second time;
Are you seriously giving your 8 MONTH old daughter a LAPTOP?
I thought the same thing at first. Then I thought about how much my 7 year old loved playing with my powerbook when she was 12 months old and how much my 15 month old loves playing with my MBP (she points to the damn thing and says 'more' and shakes her head yes) and I realized that this sort of 'gift' for a 8 month old might be a bit premature, but could be very useful for the kid.
OS X is going to be a whole lot of fun at 800x600. Not sure if that really matters, given its for an 8-month old, but its pretty hard to do anything with, even if its just look at images or whatnot.
OS X is going to be a whole lot of fun at 800x600. Not sure if that really matters, given its for an 8-month old, but its pretty hard to do anything with, even if its just look at images or whatnot.
Ah, she won't care. She just wants to beat on the keys and move the mouse. Something like AlphaBaby looks perfect for what she would be doing. Maybe throw up iPhoto or something of the like with a slide show. Maybe video files since they are all encoded for under 720X480 max. My wife and I aren't going to use it. I don't plan to even connect it to the net. I can't see it completing any F@H projects ever, even though it would be pretty cool if it could.
One of the links for other threads at the bottom shows where usurp was able to use his and someone else has added 512MB of RAM to his iBook. While this isn't going to compare to the MB or MBP, it's perfect as a toy for my little girl.
iBook came in today and here's some pictures of it. It's really a nice looking laptop. There are some issues with wear on this one, but not bad over all. I'm disappointed that the eBay Seller didn't list the black marker on the lid though. :grumble: Oh, and no battery even though it was listed, not that I expect it would work. I guess this keeps me from having to decide if I'm going to dispose of it properly or just throw it away.
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/bluebook1.jpg
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/bluebook2.jpg
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/bluebook3.jpg
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/bluebook4.jpg
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/bluebook5.jpg
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/bluebook6.jpg
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/bluebook7.jpg
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/bluebook8.jpg
The major plus is the seller never pulled the keyboard and so I got the AirPort and 6GB drive as seen in the last image. I didn't pull the RAM because I am not expecting it to be there. Still no power adapter so I can't boot it yet. I got a message from the seller of the power adapter that their house is down with the flu really bad and they'll send it out ASAP. :eek: Can you say hello Clorox?
This certainly isn't perfect, but it will be a great toy for our little one! Anybody know how to get the marker off the lid?
Ok, so I pulled the AP card to get to the RAM and see what if anything is in there. I found a stick in there. So does it seem that I have an upgraded model? Would someone with more Mac knowledge help me out with this one. All my searches don't show me anything, maybe it's because I'm jsut not sure what I'm looking for. Also, how can I find out the capacity of that stick of RAM before I get the power adapter and boot up?
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/ram.jpg
Now I'm really looking forward to getting the power adapter for this thing so I can try to boot it up!
The first iBooks shipped with PC100 RAM, with a max of 288MB or 320MB RAM (32MB or 64MB built in). As for finding out what the amount is, without looking at both sides of the chip it may be hard to find out. If the number is not printed on the chip there is no way of knowing without booting up in an OS. It looks like it might be factory original RAM, so it could be anything from a 32MB chip to a 256MB chip.
It isn't printed on either side of the chip. :( I'm thinking about putting 512MB in it like someone else did around here. Just not sure if it's worth it. I haven't looked at prices yet and I don't want to make this one VERY expensive toy for a 8 month old.
To get a 512MB PC100 notebook DIM costs at least $80. 128MB or 256MB chips in some places are as cheap as $17-35 though!
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/iBooks-PowerBooks/G3-iBook/
It's a 64 MB chip, if this page is correct.
http://www.ezsystems.com/skupages/skuM002.htm
Here's some PC100 RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?N=2010170381+1309221144&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=381
$72 for 512 MB.
I'm disappointed that the eBay Seller didn't list the black marker on the lid though. Oh, and no battery even though it was listed, not that I expect it would work.I hope you will leave appropriate eBay Feedback.
No need to be a major dick, but you should express the fact that what you received differed in at least two ways from what was advertised.
Have you contacted the seller about the two issues?
I hope you will leave appropriate eBay Feedback.
No need to be a major dick, but you should express the fact that what you received differed in at least two ways from what was advertised.
Have you contacted the seller about the two issues?
Yeah, I'm going to send him an email later today after class. I'm more looking to get a partial refund. I certainly wouldn't have bid $62 for this with the marker on it. Especially since we don't even know if it works!
I'll be nice though, from the surface this seems like a good machine. I'm hoping we can get the marker off. *sigh*
I had a 500mhz iBook that had marker all over the top. I used 409 on it and with a bit of work the marker came out. Not sure how that would work on a colored iBook though.
Windowsrookie
2006-11-30, 14:14
Magic eraser.
Thanks guys, I'll try both after I talk with the seller.
Well the iBook power puck is in and I'm typing on it now. I'm stuck with IE5.1 right now and AN doesn't play well with it so I can't even see what I'm typing. :\
Anyway, I need ot get 10.3 on here. 9.2.2 works, but I don't know much about it and this is just too sold for me. My daughter won't care, but I'm goingto be the one to care for the system.
So now I need an external DVD drive and 10.3 disks.
I'll post some screen shots later once I figure out how to on this system. Icant connect to my network, though AP sees the web through the WiFi. There is 128MB or RAM in this according to profile too. SionceI can't see what I"m typing right now I'm going to stop. I'll post more later. I'm pleased with this laptop overall thouhg.Well the iBook
10.3 is going to be pretty slow. I had it installed on a Blueberry iMac with 160 MB of ram, but I immediately went back to 9.2.2.
Try downloading iCab (http://www.icab.de/). It's the only browser still in development for the classic Mac OS. It even has tabs and support for CSS.
But I guess if you want OS X, you should go for it. It's not going to be unbearable.
I'm at CompUSA now and looking at the drives. I got your post too. The main reason I'm looking to go up to 10.3 is for iLife support and the fact that most software is for OS X only now.
So it would look like I'm going to have to upgrade the RAM too then. :\ This is getting to be a pricy toy for an 8 month old.
I have to say though, she loves it! I haven't let her play with it much, but she really seems to like it.
Which version of iLife do you plan to use? And which apps? iMovie is pretty excruciating on a G3, even the OS 9 version. iPhoto is better, but still pretty bad. iDVD is, of course, a no-go. Garageband probably wont even open and I'm not sure about iWeb.
iTunes will work fine though.
Of course, the more RAM you throw at it the better. I'd recommend 512 MB for a G3 running OS X, if that's even possible on a clamshell iBook. Just max it out.
Which version of iLife do you plan to use? And which apps? iMovie is pretty excruciating on a G3, even the OS 9 version. iPhoto is better, but still pretty bad. iDVD is, of course, a no-go. Garageband probably wont even open and I'm not sure about iWeb.
iTunes will work fine though.
Of course, the more RAM you throw at it the better. I'd recommend 512 MB for a G3 running OS X, if that's even possible on a clamshell iBook. Just max it out.
Thank you for the iCab, it atleast lets me see what I'm typing where the IE is hosed.
I"m back at home with empty hands. I jsut couldn't bare to pay the price CompUSA was asking for the drives.
As for iLife, in thinking about it I guess I really don't need it. I want a photo slideshow and I think I can do that with Preview, though I might be wrong. I want a DVD drive in this thing but if that isn't going to work I need to be able to play avi and MP4/M4V files. I think the M4V for the iPod is more realistic though. iTunes for sure. Basically multimedia for my daughter. No real "work" is going to be done on this thing.
AlphaBaby looks cool too. The other thought behind the OS X is some of the childrens games for when she is older and able to better interact with the machine rather than just spectate.
You know AlphaBaby will play your photo albums. Each time your daughter hits a key, a new photo will pop up. If you have the photos named, you can also get AlphaBaby to read them aloud. :cool:
It's a very well thought out app. I'm quite impressed ... and I don't even have a kid! :lol:
Now that's cool. I didn't know that. I'm going to have to play with it some now.
Can QT on 9.2.2 play AVI's and H264?
Also, has anyone upgraded the CD drive in here to a DVD drive? Can it be done? Seems with 10.3 it would be able to, but would the graphics chip be able to handle it?
Jeez man, if you wanted to play DVDs and run OS X and iLife and stuff, why did you buy a clamshell iBook? You'd have been better off buying a newer iBook that can actually do that stuff instead of getting a cheap old one that requires you to put money into it just to get it to do that anyway.
I guess it would be possible to do, but you'd have to tear the machine apart with the help of a service manual and an array of small Torx screwdrivers (I'm sure you'd need at least a T-8 and a smallish Phillips, and maybe some others).
The older iBooks were never intended to play DVDs. You can't even connect an external DVD drive, because you're limited to a single USB 1 port. There's no Firewire. However, a friend of mine (who works for Apple) assures me that OS X does all DVD decoding in software, so it should work just fine in OS X. He says it'll work in OS 9 as well. Even a mere 300 MHz G3 ought to be able to play DVDs.
Still, I wonder, why did you get such a low end machine if you wanted more out of it? Didn't you know you'd end up having to spend more anyway?
I don't think the graphics in that thing can handle DVD playback, as Luca said. My iMac G3 with Rage Pro graphics is floored by short 640x480 quicktime movies.
DVDs are different, though. I know a DVD drive was even an option in the old 233 MHz Power Macintosh G3s, as well as the Wallstreet and Lombard PowerBook G3s (both of which had CPUs ranging from 233-400 MHz and Rage Pro graphics, just like the iBook).
Besides, the graphics chipset doesn't even have any bearing on DVD playback in this case, since that's done through software anyway, not hardware. Only a few Macs have ever used hardware DVD decoding, and it's only an option in OS 9 (the B&W G3 had an optional DVD Decoder attachment to the Rage 128 graphics card, but it only works in OS 9).
Anyway, DVD playback should work. I just think it's strange that you bought a computer with no DVD drive and no way of adding a much more convenient external drive if you actually wanted to watch DVDs.
Okay. But as for quality AVIs and H.264 as asked earlier, I'm going to have to say no dice.
Right. Playing compressed video files is a totally different matter and it won't work well on such an old machine.
All those things don't both me. I've been a tech for over 15 years, so using a tweaker and tearing apart things like this doesn't cause me to break a sweat.
Why didn't I get a newer iBook? Because this is a toy for an 8 month old. Here's one eBay listing (http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-iBook-G4-12-1GHz-Combo-512-WiFi-30GB-w-OS-X-10-3_W0QQitemZ110061796624QQihZ001QQcategoryZ4602QQrd Z1QQcmdZViewItem) for a 12" iBook that comes with all I would need installed. More than I care to spend. Did I know it would cost me more than the $62 I paid for the G3 iBook, of course I did, I just don't care to put more into it than needed. The $40 for the power puck has my total to only $100 for this toy that can surf the web too. If I put a 512MB stick in there and bring my total RAM up to 576MB (64MB internal) it'll add about $80 to that price. If I did put a DVD-ROM in it that would only be about another $50. We aren't going to put a new battery in it as we had originally thought about, it's just not worth it to do that. This would have me at less than $250 with something that can be really beat on and yet do a fair amount of work too.
Those Clamshells are pretty durable machines and that's perfect for her. Yes, I keep wanting it to do more, but that is more for me than her. She'll love to beat on the keys and see neat pictures come up. The G3's seem to take a beating far better than the G4's, but that might be my ignorance.
It's not a big deal to me, if it can't handle the DVD playback then it just can't handle it. I'm just trying to get the most out of this thing for her. The longer it lasts, then the better off she'll be. The more it can do, the better it is. I would love for it to do all these things, though I'm not expecting it will for some of them, I'm just asking to get an idea of what others have successfully done here on this forum. Please don't get frustrated over this on my account, if it won't play DVD's (or do other ideas I come up with) then no big deal.
Ah, I see. Well, I totally agree that the clamshell is the perfect form factor for kids. It probably is also a good thing that the screen resolution is 800x600 - normally that sucks, but it does make things larger and easier to see.
Since you're so good at messing with hardware, it does make sense that you'd want something like this. You can spend exactly as much as you want or need, whenever you want.
danielsza
2006-12-03, 15:31
All those things don't both me. I've been a tech for over 15 years, so using a tweaker and tearing apart things like this doesn't cause me to break a sweat.
If I put a 512MB stick in there and bring my total RAM up to 576MB (64MB internal) it'll add about $80 to that price. If I did put a DVD-ROM in it that would only be about another $50.
I'm not sure if the iBook can support a 512MB stick, according to the Apple Service Manual is says that the first iBook (32MB built in RAM) can support 32, 64, 96 or 128 SO-DIMM's.
And that the second release and special edition (both with 64MB built in) can support 32, 64, 96, 128, or 256 SO-DIMM's. But I'm not sure if it's because of the physical size, or some other reason. Maybe 512MB SO-DIMM's weren't available at the time it was written. There is a disclaimer that the original iBook can only support 1.25" DIMM's while the other iBooks can Support SO-DIMM's up to 1.35"
as for the DVD drive, according to the Service Manual for it, a DVD drive was an option. The only difference between them is, they have a different bezel. I also have a Combo drive from a iBook G3 dual usb if you are interested.
I am interested in that drive. PM me with details on
how I can get it from you. The service manual would be handy to have too!
Of course I'm assuming that drive would work in this machine, I'm pretty sure it would be a second generation machine though I actually don't know where to find that other than you saying the second generation machines came with 64MB internal and this one does.
PKIDelirium
2006-12-03, 16:09
Okay. But as for quality AVIs and H.264 as asked earlier, I'm going to have to say no dice.
I have a hard enough time with that on my G4, a G3 would just be watching a slideshow of frames most likely.
I remember wanting a G3 iBook so bad, it was just cool, but when I tried one out, I just couldn't get used to it. I then and still do hate OS 9.
Yeah, OS 9 is just not doing it for me. I'm gonna have to put OS X on here.
iFixit has service manuals online. It's nothing to replace this drive.
I'm not sure if the iBook can support a 512MB stick, according to the Apple Service Manual is says that the first iBook (32MB built in RAM) can support 32, 64, 96 or 128 SO-DIMM's.
And that the second release and special edition (both with 64MB built in) can support 32, 64, 96, 128, or 256 SO-DIMM's. But I'm not sure if it's because of the physical size, or some other reason. Maybe 512MB SO-DIMM's weren't available at the time it was written. There is a disclaimer that the original iBook can only support 1.25" DIMM's while the other iBooks can Support SO-DIMM's up to 1.35"
Yeah, Apple never officially supported larger memory modules than what was available at the time, even though they (almost) always worked. There were a few older Macs that only supported 256 MB per slot (the B&W G3, the Wallstreet and Lombard PowerBooks, and the tray-loading iMacs), but the iBook does not fall into that category.
There used to be "high profile" SO-DIMMs that may not fit in the iBook, but those were pretty much gone by the time 256 MB and 512 MB modules came around. I know that many people have put 512 MB modules in their old iBooks, so there shouldn't be any trouble, outside of PC100 RAM costing a lot of money these days (it hasn't really gone down in price since DDR replaced it).
Windowsrookie
2006-12-03, 22:27
I buy PC100/133 RAM all the time. It's not that expensive at all.
I buy PC100/133 RAM all the time. It's not that expensive at all.
It is a lot more expensive than DDR. NewEgg's lowest price for a 512 MB PC133 is $83, compared to $50 for a 512 MB PC3200.
256 MB isn't so bad, though. $30 for PC133 vs. $20 for DDR. That would probably be the best option if I were in turtle's position and wanted more RAM.
But maybe you find it someplace else for cheaper. All I know is that whenever I've gone looking for older RAM, it's always more expensive because they don't make it anymore (or at least not in very high quantities).
colivigan
2006-12-03, 22:50
I think it might be about time to ask ourselves just who this toy is actually for. :D
I think it might be about time to ask ourselves just who this toy is actually for. :D
Shhhhhh..... :D
I think I'll try a 258MB stick first and see how well 10.3 works with it.
New idea! Since this will be a kids laptop, has anyone tried to replace a HDD with a CompactFlash card? They use a similar 50 pin connector and it seems like it would only be a matter of changing from one type of pin connector to another. I would also not need power for the CF card so it would save the battery life for longer (if I ever get one that is). Has anyone heard of this being done?
Getting 10.3 on this thing seems like it's a hassle too. I'm going to have to work at making this one happen.
EDIT: OOOOH something like this!!! (http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch.hmx?SCriteria=AA53770&CartID=done&nextloc=)
Windowsrookie
2006-12-04, 00:54
You seem to be putting a lot of money into this thing.
Not really, I have already broken down how much I have put in and am planning to. Not much at all really.
A few screen shots.
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/g3sys.png
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/anibook.png
As you can see, IE doesn't play well with AN. iCab worked great, but now they want me to pay for it. Since I'm switching the iBook to 10.3 I'm not going to pay for the browser. I'll just read AN on the iBook, I'll post from my phone or another system. Although, IE might handle the Slim theme....I'll have to try it.
colivigan
2006-12-04, 21:19
Well, turtle2472, you inspired me. I just bought a Tangerine iBook 300 on eBay. I've been hankering after one of these things for a while. I paid a little more than I probably should have, but it's upgraded to 320 MB RAM with a 60 gig HD, so should be marginally functional. My kids are just a bit older than yours, you see.
It's coming pre-loaded with 10.3.9, I'm debating about trying to install Tiger on it, but afraid I'll need a RAM upgrade. I'll be interested to hear your OS X experiences. Found this (http://blog.hardmac.com/archives/tiger-on-clamshell-ibook), which might be helpful.
But mostly, it's the collector in me making this purchase. My wife recently bought a $400 painting - I dare say this has at least as much artistic value!
Now all I need is one of those G4 iMacs. :D
Cool. I see this is more for you too. :D
I have already bookmarked the link you gave, thanks though. I found it while I was looking at how to get a DVD based software on a CD only drive. I've heard that 10.4 won't do as well because of the resource hungriness of it. I'm not planning to put 10.4 because of that reason. Though others have.
If you look at the links below this thread there is a thread about a $75 clamshell that has some good tips in it. That's also where some of my ideas have come from.
I might upgrade the HDD, but I'm just not sure yet. It would make it easier so store some DVD images on compared to the 6GB drive I have now.
*Sidenote, I grew up in Alexandria, near the Dixie Pig!
colivigan
2006-12-04, 22:52
Yep, mostly for me. :)
The HDD upgrade seems pretty daunting (http://caslis.com/mac/ibook/ibdrive.html). I'm sure I could do it, but ... *tries unsuccessfully to think of a good spin* ... I just wimped out and went for the already-upgraded one.
I have Tiger on a iMac G3 500, and it isn't too bad, considering. Might have to give it a go on the clamshell. I've seen reports, both here and elsewhere, that Tiger actually performs better than earlier cats on older Macs.
I thought these things were supposed to boot from USB drives? I have figured out that the CD-ROM is on it's last leg, but a replacement DVD-ROM is on the way. In the mean time though, I'm trying to boot from a USB drive and it doesn't seem to see the drive during boot when selected as Startup Disk or when booting using Option-Boot. It mounts the drive with no problem when on the desktop. Is there something I'm supposed to do to get this thing to boot from the USB drive?
I have tried using my iPod 80GB, a WD My Book 320GB with a full Panther install on it, and currently trying to use a CF 4GB card with the same full Panther install SuperDuper!'ed onto it from the My Book. The CF card was first formatted using 9.2.2. Any ideas?
colivigan
2006-12-07, 13:39
Most of what I've read says that you simply can't boot OS X from a USB device (http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2005/06/usbharddrives/index.php) on PPC Macs. Although the link I gave a few posts back would seem to indicate otherwise.
Edit: and apparently some folks have been able to (http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20061017084322177).
See, that's the issue. Some say you can't and other say you can. The app, Startup Disk, in 9.2.2 allows me to select either USB drive as a startup drive but when it boots I can't seem to get past the icon of the folder with question mark. :\
colivigan
2006-12-07, 21:53
Sadly, my clamshell has been delayed indefinitely, so it will be a while before I can join in these pursuits.
I really made an awful mistake today! Somehow, I shipped YOUR Clamshell to the wrong address! We are trying to have the shipment stopped and redirected as soon as it gets off our island and onto the mainland. If this is not possible, it will be shipped to the wrong state and then be redirected to you. I am hoping we can redirect it today but if not, there could be a delay in delivery. I am so very sorry!!! I will let you know what happens and I am going to refund your shipping expense right now. Again, my most sincere apologies!!!
Now I remember why I never buy anything on eBay. Seller had 100% positive feedback, from over 1000 different users. Just my luck, I guess. :grumble:
At least she refunded the shipping.
Are you trying to boot from the USB drive to install Tiger? I wonder if it's possible to install Tiger to to the USB drive, boot from install CD (Panther?) and use Disk Utility to clone the USB install to the iBook's internal HD?
Let me know how it works out, because I'll (hopefully) be following the same path. My iBook (if there really is one) is coming with a 60 GB HD, so I think I might partition it and have OS 9 and Panther/Tiger on dedicated partitions.
Well since my CD-ROM is mostly-dead I am trying to boot from a USB drive, both flash and HDD, just one at a time. Neither has been successful so I just picked up a 60GB drive and am installing Panther on it via FW to My Book external and SuperDuper! from FW to USB external enclosure for new notebook drive.
Then later this evening after the transfer is complete I'm going to tear this thing open and put the 60GB in with a full 10.3.9 install and all the latest for iPhoto, AirPort, Java, and iTunes. I'll put the rest on later as I play more then. Plus, I'll be able to do just about all the rest via ethernet.
I wish you the best on your laptop. I'm sure you'll get it. Did the seller give you tracking data too? Then maybe you could watch it's transit.
colivigan
2006-12-07, 22:47
I wish you the best on your laptop. I'm sure you'll get it. Did the seller give you tracking data too? Then maybe you could watch it's transit.
Yeah, she gave me a tracking number, after a little prodding. It looks like (if all goes well) it will be travelling from an island in the Pacific Northwest to south Florida, then across the country back to the island, and eventually to me in Virginia. :lol:
I wish you the best on the HD transplant. Not for the faint of heart, is it?
So far so good. I started with the link you gave, but that was more of a joke link thank anything. iFitIt has a really good step-by-step how-to (http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac/iBook-G3-Clamshell/Hard-Drive-Page-1-Battery) and it isn't that bad. Not fun if you're skwirmish around small stuff like this, but not bad at all.
Edit: New drive is in, now just to get the parts back together. :D
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/yeah.png
YEAH!!! I did it.
danielsza
2006-12-08, 01:09
Finally, after all those problems... you have OS X, installed.
Finally, after all those problems... you have OS X, installed.
Finally! It was a pain, but I did it. I'm getting some stuff transfered to it on the network now.
The only real glitch I have seen so far is the computer is stuck in Central time. I can't change it for some reason to think it's in Eastern. Any ideas? Since I have it auto set the time from Apple's server I can't even manually adjust it. Until I get a battery for this thing, I need it to auto adjust because any time power is removed it looses it's memory.
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/ibook/Images/24.jpg
Some images I took during this evenings project (http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/ibook/index.html). Certainly not all inclusive, just ones when I thought about pictures.
I really did enjoy this and didn't break a sweat. I wouldn't mind doing this again sometime. I'm actually thinking about getting me a clamshell to play with. I just don't think it's worth the money for me to do that for a toy when I need a Mac Pro for more photos.
Kind of reminds me of when I had a 400Mhz G3 Powerbook, with 320MB RAM. I did have Panther on CD though, which helped the process a great deal.
danielsza
2006-12-08, 02:03
The only real glitch I have seen so far is the computer is stuck in Central time. I can't change it for some reason to think it's in Eastern. Any ideas? Since I have it auto set the time from Apple's server I can't even manually adjust it. Until I get a battery for this thing, I need it to auto adjust because any time power is removed it looses it's memory.
I know it's maybe obvious, but did you set the timezone in the timezone tab of the date & time system pref panel?
e.g. Select a city in the correct timezone.
Yes, I am a smart tech. I can tear the thing apart and put it back together working but yet can't click on my region to set the time zone. :o
I'll say it's because I'm tired. Times fixed. Thanks.
*hangs head*
colivigan
2006-12-08, 10:45
Nice work! The pics are great. How's it running?
Nice work! The pics are great. How's it running?
So far so good. I went to bed last night after getting most of my iTunes library over onto it through the network so I haven't played much with it yet. I'm going to put photo's and AlphaBaby on there too for more fun. I have put several video clips and such on it, thought I haven't played them yet. They are in iTunes so I can't wait to see the system try to handle them. :D
I just went through the site and noticed some of the images were "forbidden" and I have fixed that for those who were trying to see the full-size version.
danielsza
2006-12-08, 14:13
You could always connect to your iTunes library over the network (not using the sharing feature, but rather using afp/smb). But that might not be necessary, since you have that 60 gig in there now.
I won't need to do that. I was trying to move my whole iTunes Library over, which I did move, but won't be able to use. My daughter doesn't need to listen to Strongarm so we'll be cutting out most of the songs on there. Though all the songs that transfered over work well.
I tried to play the compressed videos that are encoded for the iPod on the Clamshell, that didn't work. I could get the audio, but the video was about one frame per minute. :\ So now how can I get some uncompressed DVD images on there that can be played in a jukebox fashion like iTunes? Apple's DVD Player is installed so it should be able to be used, though I don't have a DVD drive to play directly yet.
One more thing, the single speaker in this thing is better than my wife's MacBook.
danielsza
2006-12-08, 14:49
using mac the ripper and vlc or mplayer
using mac the ripper and vlc or mplayer
Well that didn't work. Might be due to a lack or RAM, but the system couldn't keep up. It tried to play, but couldn't keep the video on track with the audio. :\
I'll see if the new RAM and DVD drive help. I noticed the Apple's DVD Player will play VIDEO_TS folders too. I didn't know that until now. Problem is, it's so smart that it figured out my system didn't have a DVD player and shut itself down. :(
VLC won't shut itself off if you don't have a DVD drive.
VLC won't shut itself off if you don't have a DVD drive.
True, but the system can't handle the video playback from the folder. It still only has 128MG of RAM in it so I'm pretty impressed with everything it can do. I'll be up to 320MB in the near future, parts are in the mail.
It handles iTunes very well. I turned on visualizer just for fun and it was ok. Choppy at best, but it worked. Safari works well, but crashes regularly. I'm using it much like I use in on my Mini and MB with multiple windows with multiple tabs. RAM, must get RAM.
Ok, so last night I ordered a brand new battery for this thing from OWC. It's $130, but the battery is for me and that makes it worth it. I don't mind if my daughter is tethered to a power source, I don't want to be though. I really like this clamshell too. I wouldn't mind if Apple made another version with modern parts.
http://homepage.mac.com/turtle2472/cleanshell.jpg
Updated image. My wife was able to get the shell looking really good! Other than a few scratches, it looks nice. In fact, this image was downloaded into iPhoto on the clamshell, resized and uploaded to iDisk. :)
colivigan
2006-12-10, 21:25
That looks really nice! What did she use to get the permanent marker off?
colivigan
2006-12-10, 21:26
My wife was able to get the shell looking really good!
Heh heh. :D
Heh heh. :D
Oh yea, and the computer looks good too. ;)
She used Un-do, 409, and a magic eraser. It has been done for a little over a day, but I didn't notice until she said something to me. :D
I'm so pleased with this clamshell that now I'm looking at a 600MHz iBook from TigerDirect (off-lease) for $300. Oh the choices!
colivigan
2006-12-12, 14:12
Did you get the DVD drive in yet?
I just re-read the beginning of the thread, and am astounded at your good fortune in opening it up to find an Airport. That alone is worth more than you paid for the computer - the original Airport cards are going for around $80, it seems. Used! Seller must not have had a clue.
Did you get the DVD drive in yet?
I just re-read the beginning of the thread, and am astounded at your good fortune in opening it up to find an Airport. That alone is worth more than you paid for the computer - the original Airport cards are going for around $80, it seems. Used! Seller must not have had a clue.
No, the drive is coming from Canada so it might take a little bit to get here to me. Though I need it to be here by the weekend, I'm sure it will be though.
As for the Airport card, I had no idea they went for that much. That's great! I really have been blessed with this machine. I wasn't so sure when we first got it and looked it over. After getting it up and running, it wasn't so bad with 9.2.2. After my wife cleaned it up and I put the 60GB drive in it, Wow. I really do like this thing. If I could put a higher res monitor and graphics to handle compressed video it would be awesome. However, I have to remind me that this computer is for an 8 month old! It's really awesome for her. I'm going to be using it for standard web stuff while lounging in the living room with my family. That's why i decided to get the battery (which is installed now), for me even though my daughter will benefit from it. :)
RAM and DVD drive are in. The problem is the bezel for my CD drive won't fit. They also don't seem to make bezels for my color and a DVD drive. I actually didn't even try to drive yet, I guess I should.
Now I'm debating if I should sell off this clamshell and get a clamshell with DVD built in. I suppose I could just put a different colored bezel on it, or do without one. That just doesn't seem cool though. :\
I've really been having fun with this whole game a tech erector set. I guess I just don't know if I should invest this much time into it. Well, I'm personally leaning toward a newer clamshell that come with DVD and FW. FW is something I would have ensured if I had known it would be such a pain without it. It wouldn't be as bad if OS X would run from USB. Oh well.
I saw where one guy painted his wife's pink. Maybe I could do my own color too?
No OS could ever run very well from a USB 1 port, it's too slow. Although OS X's artificial booting limitation for USB 2 seems silly to me, that doesn't apply in your situation.
danielsza
2006-12-13, 16:44
What you could try is... maybe use some epoxy or something to hold the bezel to the cd tray... I've used JB Weld a few times for holding plastic together and it's worked well. And I'm sure that a few other people here could recommend some other adhesives if you want to go that route.
I just might try that. I guess it would depend on if it'll even play the DVD's. I am watching a few auctions now to see if it would be worth me selling the one I have and buying a Graphite one. Maybe even Key Lime, but I doubt that one.
colivigan
2006-12-13, 19:04
I think you'll find the Firewire clamshells to be quite a bit pricier. They also shipped with 366 MHz or 466 MHz CPUs. Forget the Key Lime, the prices on them are out of control, unless the unit is broken somehow, like this (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=004&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=140063228842&rd=1&rd=1) one. Ethernet fried (in a thunderstorm, seller answered my question) and still at $150 with 3 days left.
I've also been watching the auctions. Check out seller vernoncomputersource. Like your original seller, they seem like a PC shop that knows diddly about Macs. They're listing a number of 300 MHz clamshells and don't even say what color they are, but since they all have the 6GB hard drive, I think it's likely that they're Graphite (yay, MacTracker (http://www.mactracker.ca/)).
Just don't bid against me (jbuckley84), OK? :)
I think you'll find the Firewire clamshells to be quite a bit pricier. They also shipped with 366 MHz or 466 MHz CPUs. Forget the Key Lime, the prices on them are out of control, unless the unit is broken somehow, like this (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=004&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=140063228842&rd=1&rd=1) one. Ethernet fried (in a thunderstorm, seller answered my question) and still at $150 with 3 days left.
I've also been watching the auctions. Check out seller vernoncomputersource. Like your original seller, they seem like a PC shop that knows diddly about Macs. They're listing a number of 300 MHz clamshells and don't even say what color they are, but since they all have the 6GB hard drive, I think it's likely that they're Graphite (yay, MacTracker (http://www.mactracker.ca/)).
Just don't bid against me (jbuckley84), OK? :)
I'll keep an eye on the Key Lime one, I have an AirPort card after all. Thanks for the tip.
I'm gonna let the other 300MHz go to you though. I'm sure those came from a school who turned them back in. Mine came from a high school in Jersey. I really am pleased with it now though!
colivigan
2006-12-13, 22:01
I think you were lucky to get yours for $60. I've been trying to bid on the low-end stock clamshells in the $60-$80 range and always get outbid at the end. Even for the ones that have hardly any detailed specs listed. Christmas shopping season, I suppose.
I think you were lucky to get yours for $60. I've been trying to bid on the low-end stock clamshells in the $60-$80 range and always get outbid at the end. Even for the ones that have hardly any detailed specs listed. Christmas shopping season, I suppose.
I also bid on one that wasn't able to boot. The condition was totally unknown. I took a chance it would work. So the fact that it had extra RAM, AirPort and 6GB drive were all things the seller wouldn't know, unless they took the keyboard off and know what they were looking for.
colivigan
2006-12-13, 23:03
Yeah, your same seller has been listing a few others. But I can't seem to win them for under $80, which is pretty much my limit for (HD? RAM? Works at all?). But maybe the word is out that there may be an Airport tucked away under the keyboard ...
Yeah, your same seller has been listing a few others. But I can't seem to win them for under $80, which is pretty much my limit for (HD? RAM? Works at all?). But maybe the word is out that there may be an Airport tucked away under the keyboard ...
Might be, I didn't say anything though...
Maybe it is the Christmas season causing them to go up. I think I was blessed personally. :) I hope you get yours for the price you're looking to pay.
This has nothing to do with buying an iBook, but i just wanted to mention a app that your daughter might like AlphaBaby (http://www.kldickey.addr.com/alphababy/) I know my daughter loves with it.
I have finally installed this on here (clamshell) and it is a really good program. I like it a lot and I'm sure she will too, of course she has to wait until Christmas to play with it. :)
Update:
DVD drive went in and works....as long as I don't put the top onto the logic board. :\ Seems to pinch down on the drive and bind it up. I had it open at first when I installed it and that was great. It read DVD's though it wouldn't play them through Apple DVD Player. It kept giving me an error. I tried to install OS X.4 with the install DVD but was promptly informed that my system isn't suitable for their OS, but it read the disk.
So here I sit in the chair with the fine machine having resolved that DVD playback doesn't seem to be a reality. In fact, video of any kind is out. I tried to view Apple's Leopard preview and QT loaded, but I got the slideshow version.
So now I might just list this thing on eBay with the original 6GB drive and keep may battery I just got. I can't see getting $130 for the battery, $100 for the drive and $200 for the clamshell. Then again this might sell for $450, I'm not willing to chance it though. I put a lot of work into this thing and I do enjoy it, I would really like to have video playback though. :(
I think you'll find the Firewire clamshells to be quite a bit pricier. They also shipped with 366 MHz or 466 MHz CPUs. Forget the Key Lime, the prices on them are out of control, unless the unit is broken somehow, like this (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=004&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=140063228842&rd=1&rd=1) one. Ethernet fried (in a thunderstorm, seller answered my question) and still at $150 with 3 days left.
Ok, so I bought this one. I couldn't resist. I have an AirPort Card. Logic boards can be found if I want to use the ethernet. It has FW and is DVD drive ready. :)
Ok, so I bought this one. I couldn't resist. I have an AirPort Card. Logic boards can be found if I want to use the ethernet. It has FW and is DVD drive ready. :)
I can see it now, in six months, you'll have a stockpile of old iBooks and you'll think to yourself, "WTF do I need this for?" :D
colivigan
2006-12-16, 17:54
* Blushes *
I now have four on the way. Two Blueberry and two Tangerine. I figured, with eBay, you never quite know what you're getting, so I'll see which one(s) clean up the best, then upgrade and sell the others. I'll follow turtle's photo guide for replacing the hard drives. :)
I guess you might as well change my user title right now to "Captain Clamshell".
Damn eBay.
Schnauzer
2006-12-16, 18:10
Whoa thats alot of clams :)
So much for $80 being too much. How much have you paid total for the, if you don't mind me asking?
Some day we might be there. My wife an I were just talking about getting an orange one to go with this one and the blue one. I have to say, the Lime is my wife's. She really wanted it. I might get a graphite one for me though. :)
All of this for an 8 month old's toy. :p
I put a lot of work into this thing and I do enjoy it, I would really like to have video playback though. :(
That would be due to the fact that the graphics chipset does not support DVD playback, nothing wrong with the drive itself. This was the case of early iBooks and Powerbook G3s, that is until the Lombard PB G3 with the BTO DVD decoder.
Brave Ulysses
2006-12-16, 21:05
That would be due to the fact that the graphics chipset does not support DVD playback, nothing wrong with the drive itself. This was the case of early iBooks and Powerbook G3s, that is until the Lombard PB G3 with the BTO DVD decoder.
Wallstreet offered an MPEG 2 decoder as well
Right, and it became standard on the 400Mhz Lombard, while still BTO on the 350Mhz model.
colivigan
2006-12-16, 23:40
So much for $80 being too much. How much have you paid total for the, if you don't mind me asking?
Ahem. Well, I paid over $300 for the first Tangerine, a bit frustrated at the whole eBay bidding process and happy to see a Buy Now option. Granted, this one is pretty pimped out, with 320 MB of RAM, a 60 gig HD, and a battery that holds a 4-hour charge. But still, too much. This is the one that took a surprise Florida vacation, but hopefully will find its way to my doorstep any day now.
After that, I got a little smarter (or perhaps stupider). I paid around $120 for the second Tangerine (Best Offer that I didn't really expect to be accepted, while the shipping status of #1 was still in limbo), and $52 and $68 for the two Blueberries. I'm actually not sure of the color on one of those - seller didn't specify. Maybe it's a Graphite - we'll see. Maybe it also has an Airport card tucked away under the keyboard - that would be a bonus!
I still have a bunch of these damn clamshells in my watch list. Must ... not ... click ... bid!
I also received the G4 iMac the other day - sweet!
My wife thinks I'm nuts. But what the heck, if you're going to have a mid-life crisis obsession, it's sure cheaper than buying cars.
Schnauzer
2006-12-17, 00:40
All of this for an 8 month old's toy. :p
Your really bad at lying....
You know its for you! :lol: :lol: :p
Well I must admit that I am enjoying this clamshell. I can't wait to get the lime one in either. I figure I might change out the logic board with a 466 one. why not, I don't know how much logic boards run, but it's bound to be cheaper than buying a 466MHz Lime one off of eBay.
I don't know if I'm going to get more or not, the thought has crossed my mind.
I like the G4 iMac's, but I have no place to put it and don't like it *that* much. Plus, I can't spend all my Mac Pro money on systems that can't even run Aperture. :)
I'll put up more picture of the Lime on when it shows up.
I highly doubt the later model logic board will fit in the one you have now. The 466Mhz has a firewire port, the earlier 300Mhz model did not.
I highly doubt the later model logic board will fit in the one you have now. The 466Mhz has a firewire port, the earlier 300Mhz model did not.
You're right. The 466 logic board is for the Key Lime clamshell I just bought. :) And yes, I did order the logic board today. *sigh* Seems I have been sucked in, though no where near as bad as UncleJohn. :p Speaking of: you get your first clamshell?
I had thought about getting a second board and cutting the hole for the FW port in my original clamshell, but that would just kill it if you asked me. I saw where it had been done before in one of my searches. That just seems so tacky though.
colivigan
2006-12-19, 10:12
Seems I have been sucked in, though no where near as bad as UncleJohn. :p Speaking of: you get your first clamshell?
Two of them came yesterday - one tangerine and one blueberry. They're in surprisingly good condition, especially the blueberry which only cost $50. A little 409 and damp cloth, and they're looking pretty nice. The tangerine had some kind of crud under a few of the keys, but I was able to pop them off (easy), clean them, and put them back on (not so easy).
Neither has a working battery or AC adaptor, though, so I am unable to fire either one up just yet. No bonus Airport cards either. ;) The original "lost" clamshell is supposed to be delivered today, and has a yo-yo, so I should then be able to boot the other two.
When I get all four running at once, I'll post a picture. :D
Like you, I'm impressed with the solid feel and build of the things. My kids think they're cool too.
Speaking of batteries, has anyone tried this successfully on a seemingly dead clamshell battery?
Apple's Secret Battery Reset Utility for WallSteet and Clamshell iBooks (http://lowendmac.com/rivera/06/0705.html)
http://web.mac.com/kellyteam/iWeb/Tony%27s%20Photo/Key%20Lime_files/KeyLime%202.jpg (http://web.mac.com/kellyteam/iWeb/Tony%27s%20Photo/Key%20Lime.html)
It's here! Forgive the quality of the images, I'm using my wife's point and shoot since I don't feel like getting my camera bag out of the car. :)
Anyway, click the image and see a few more images of it. It's in really good shape. The ethernet is dead in it but I don't care, I have a 466MHz logic board sitting next to me that I'm going to be putting in once I get back home. I also have a DVD-ROM to put in along with the 60GB and AP card from the Blue clamshell. I'll keep the blue one for now and the Lime one will be my toy. There seems to be some stuck/dead pixels though, 2 to be exact. One is always white and one is always black. I'll play with it more once I get home with my tools. It comes with OS 10.1 on it and I am ready to let that go. I'm thinking I'll go ahead and put 10.4 on this one instead of 10.3 like the blue one, though I'm still not sure. I've only heard mixed reviews of the performance of 10.3 over 10.4 on theses things.
Windowsrookie
2007-01-03, 22:40
10.3 Will probably run much faster on a G3, with low amounts of RAM.
colivigan
2007-01-03, 23:21
Go with Tiger, and max out the RAM.
I've been putting Tiger even on the 300 MHz G3s, and it works quite well. It's easiest to install it on the HD (in an external FW enclosure) before you put it in the clamshell. But you can also use SuperDuper to create a readonly disk image, put it on an external USB, boot the clamshell from a Panther install CD, and use Disk Utility to restore the image.
Of course, on the Key Lime, you have FireWire (and presumably a DVD) so none of these contortions are necessary.
Still working on my Clamshell gallery. I'm putting in 60GB Seagate drives from Newegg and 512MB RAM sticks. These will be the baddest clams you've ever seen. :D
10.3 Will probably run much faster on a G3, with low amounts of RAM.I agree.I've only heard mixed reviews of the performance of 10.3 over 10.4 on theses things.Why not try a week with each OS and compare teh snappiness?
Go with Tiger, and max out the RAM.
I've been putting Tiger even on the 300 MHz G3s, and it works quite well. It's easiest to install it on the HD (in an external FW enclosure) before you put it in the clamshell. But you can also use SuperDuper to create a readonly disk image, put it on an external USB, boot the clamshell from a Panther install CD, and use Disk Utility to restore the image.
Of course, on the Key Lime, you have FireWire (and presumably a DVD) so none of these contortions are necessary.
Still working on my Clamshell gallery. I'm putting in 60GB Seagate drives from Newegg and 512MB RAM sticks. These will be the baddest clams you've ever seen. :D
Yeah, It looks like I'm going to be putting 512MB RAM into the Lime one and maybe even a 120GB drive too. I'm not sure on that one though. Yeah, FW on this one is going to be great too. For now I'm just going to put the 60GB in it since I have a Aperture computer to buy after MWSF. I'm going to boot this one into Target Disk mode and then install 10.4 on it's current 10GB drive. It will be fine for my daughter since she will only be able to see pictures on the blue one and no video anyway.
I'm really looking forward to opening this one up though. It looks like this one was opened at least once too because the right side isn't seated right at the seam by the speaker. The systems looks good so far though.
Why not try a week with each OS and compare teh snappiness?
Great idea, I think I will do it that way since I have FW on this one and it's much easier to install the OS on.
Nice LimeBook.
We had one up until a few days ago. My daughter was bringing it down from her room and dropped it down the stairs. It fell off the stairs and dropped 6' to a tile floor. The case is broken to hell, the screen is cracked and it is just plain dead. It pretty much shattered. We were all very sad. My daughter now has a blueberryBook to use.
I'm now looking for a new LimeBook. Ebay, here I come.
danielsza
2007-01-05, 19:20
I just found an easier way to install an os on these clamshell's. I know it's a little late to help turtle2472, but hopefully it can help someone else.
Anyway I was reading /. today and came across a link for NetRestore (http://www.bombich.com/software/netrestore.html). I haven't tried it myself, but it seems that it can NetBoot a computer just like OS X Server. I use the NetBoot feature of OS X Server all the time, but this should do the same job. And the best part is that it's open source & free. (Also it works with intel mac's & windows)
* Restores a disk image to a hard drive via block-level or file-level copying
* Supports Mac OS X and Windows XP deployment
* Despite its name, NetRestore clones local hard drives and restores disk images located locally or across a network.
* Pre and post-restore customization tools to set computer specific information such as the open firmware password, computer name, network settings, etc.
* Full automation
* Easy configuration
* Customizable
* Includes a helper tool for easily creating master disk images and NetInstall-Restore image sets (for use with a NetBoot server)
* Includes an enterprise-level database management and administration tool to manage machine-specific information and provide reports about the machines that you manage. This management tool also integrates with Apple Remote Desktop's Postgres database.
* Open source and FREE
Great find! Thanks even though it won't work for me right now. :D
Hehe - Been fun reading about you guys and your iBooks. I'm a big fan too! Have a Lime and an Indigo. Running OS 9 and 10.3. They are just great!! People go nuts when they see the Lime book! Here's a pic of one in NYC. Museum of Modern Design, if I remember right.http://www.karlw.citymaker.com/i/PICS/Museum_iBook2.jpg
Glad to be an inspiration to so many! :)
Update:
Key Lime now has 10.3.9 installed on it's 10GB drive that will be going into the Blueberry. I have the 466MHz logic board I'm going to be putting into the Lime as well as taking the 60GB out of the Blue to put in the Lime. As I build up the Lime, I'm also going to be putting the DVD-ROM in it as well. Currently both of these machines will have 320MB of RAM and I plan to install 10.4.8 on the Lime one once I get the new logic board in it. Seems this one doesn't react with my MB well in Target Disk Mode. Finder locks up on the MB every time I try to make to connection and mount the drive. Oh well, it's currently a 366MHz board with a known bad either net jack. I've put the AirPort card in it so I can transfer files and such.
Oh, and now I can say that I don't like 10.1. Key Lime came with it installed. Guess I'm spoiled.
I finally got around to it and did my parts swaps. I took the 60GB drive out of the Blueberry and installed it into the Key Lime. I also installed the Combo drive I bought a while ago as well as the 466MHz logic board. For the Blueberry I installed the 10GB from the Key Lime. Both systems are now running 10.4 and at an ok speed. The 466MHz is doing far better than the 300MHz, but both only have 192MB RAM. Here are three sets of pictures for your viewing pleasure. One is all about the Key Lime, the second is all about the Blueberry and the third set is the same pictures but in chronological order of tonight surgery.
Key Lime
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/g3/KeyLime/images/17.jpg (http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/g3/KeyLime/index.html)
BlueBerry
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/g3/Blueberry/images/17.jpg (http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/g3/Blueberry/index.html)
Consolidated
http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/g3/clamshell/images/42.jpg (http://kellyent.dyndns.org:8080/an/g3/clamshell/index.html)
A couple of images had to be deleted from this site after I built it so I know there are a few broken images. Forgive the mess on the couch aside from the computer parts, we're getting ready to move.
The Key Lime is really great. I have the AirPort card in it now and the ethernet works on the new logic board so I'm well pleased. I was able to watch a DVD without any problems on it either using DVD Player. There is a little binding in the DVD drive though, so I'm going to have to open it up again and bend some metal that's pinching it. The drive functions well though. We are also missing the DVD bezel for Key Lime. The bezel isn't the same for a Combo drive as it is a CD drive. So if any of you know where I can get a Key Lime DVD Combo drive bezel I would love to know.
Next up on our list, Tangerine. :D
Windowsrookie
2007-03-09, 23:49
You're running 10.4 on 192MB of RAM? That must be sloooooooooooow.
Watch http://ifixit.com for it. They seem to be out right now though.
You're running 10.4 on 192MB of RAM? That must be sloooooooooooow.
Watch http://ifixit.com for it. They seem to be out right now though.
Oh, yeah I know I should upgrade the RAM in them. It's not a priority yet. They are both slow, but it isn't unbearable for the rare use they actually get. All the BlueBerry has to do is run AlphaBaby. The Key Lime is just a toy for me. A very entertaining toy though! Not to mention good looking. :D
Edit: It just dawned on me, they both have 320MB or RAM. Sorry.
This is good news for me. The Key Lime can handle DVD playback from VIDEO_TS folder. With the 60GB drive in there I can load up some of my favorite DVDs into the drive and play them through DVD Player or VLC etc.
I tired DivX AVI and H.264 MP4, but it just can't handle the decode on those. I get about a frame per minute on those. So sites like YouTube and Google Video are out. I still haven't tried either of them yet, I'm just not holding my breath. :\
Yea - for-get 'bout utube or gvid - painful at best on 366 ibooks.
colivigan
2007-03-14, 20:27
We are also missing the DVD bezel for Key Lime. The bezel isn't the same for a Combo drive as it is a CD drive. So if any of you know where I can get a Key Lime DVD Combo drive bezel I would love to know.
There's a guy selling bezels on eBay, manzanaguy or something like that. Search for clamshell bezel. Brand new, factory parts, $20 including shipping. But I'm not sure if the Key Lime DVD bezel will fit your combo drive - the 466/SE drive was a DVD-ROM only.
I'm sure you've probably seen this (http://members.shaw.ca/troytunes/Ibook_366_Bezel_Mod/).
That couch picture is hilarious. I can't believe you didn't lose any screws. :lol:
Yeah, I have seen that mod page before. I just don't want ot do that to my bezel. Drilled holes just look tacky. The last few times I have searched eBay I haven't found the guy selling the bezels either. I hope I didn't miss my shot. Maybe he is on vacation and just hasn't relisted yet.
I'm not sure, but I think the 466MHz logic board I put in is from a SE machine. I really don't know though. Do you know where I could find out?
colivigan
2007-03-15, 14:41
The listing is there now.
All the 466 MHz clamshells (unless it's been overclocked) were called "SE" versions. But the logic board doesn't really matter, what you're concerned with is the drive itself - specifically the bezel end of the tray. Clamshells didn't ship with Combo drives - there's a good chance that the stock DVD bezel won't fit your drive any better than the CD bezel. In fact, the DVD bezel has three screw tabs (two more than the CD bezel) that require corresponding holes in the drive tray.
If I get a chance later, I'll try to take a picture of the business end of the clamshell DVD drive tray, maybe you'll be able to see if it looks anything like yours.
That'd be great! Thanks. :)
colivigan
2007-03-15, 18:18
OK, here we go.
Graphite 466 SE clamshell, DVD drive open with the bezel removed. The bare drive on top is a Toshiba SD-R2612 Combo drive for comparison. You can see that they're different. Note the screw holes in the clamshell drive on the top right and in the recess top center, to fit the corresponding tabs on the bezel, among other things.
If your combo drive is more or less like this one, you might be able to make it work, but it would certainly require modification of the bezel and/or drive. Probably not worth shelling out for the DVD bezel.
http://i19.tinypic.com/2vb2c5h.jpg
Well, I went ahead and got the bezel for the DVD drive from the seller on eBay. Thanks for letting me know he had relisted those. I have been looking ever since I got the DVD drive installed. I'm not sure which drive is in the Key Lime now. Either way though, I figure I can make this bezel I just bought work once it gets here.
After watching the listings for the Key Limes going on eBay now I have to wonder if I shouldn't sell mine now. Mine has 320MB RAM, 60GB HDD, AirPort Card, Combo Drive and 466MHz logic board. This one (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290092192806&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=019) went for $560 and it was a 366MHz though it had the tote with it. The specs aren't nearly as good as mine are though. CD only, 192MB RAM etc..
There there is this one (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270097863769&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=017) that went for $390 with less specs than mine. (Is the tote worth $170?)
I couldn't possibly sell mine for less than $400 though. I've put about that much into it and even more if I charge $35/hr labor rate for the work I did to it. I'd sell it for $550-600 though. :) Then again, these things are so cool, how could I part with it? :D As it is, my wife and I are eyeing a tangerine one.
As it is, my wife and I are eyeing a tangerine one.It's awesome that your wife enjoys it too, I think. I could totally see a nagging wife being all, "You want another one?" :lol:
I've had relationships that didn't last, but I like to blame it on their inability to cope with the love I have for my laptop and blueberry iMac. :lol: :(
It's awesome that your wife enjoys it too, I think. I could totally see a nagging wife being all, "You want another one?" :lol:
I've had relationships that didn't last, but I like to blame it on their inability to cope with the love I have for my laptop and blueberry iMac. :lol: :(
Yeah, my wife and I love a lot of the same things. Now I will say that she doesn't like it when I delve too deep into my computers. Something about her taking a back seat because of an inanimate object. :) We really like the clamshells for the kids though. The fact that my 11 month old loves it is just all the more reason to have them around. I can assure you that the Blueberry has taken a beating by her too! Not issues yet though. :D
My 12 year old likes the pink one she saw on eBay, but I'm not willing to pay that price for one. She can save her pennies and buy one with her own money if she wants one that bad.
Hi All,
this my first post here, and english is not my native language so please forgive me for all mistakes.
I've read all posts and I must admit that there is much important informations for me. I havent any iBook Clamshell yet, but I'm big fan of them... with some friends of mine I opened even a little page about clamshell where I've put many usefull informations in my native language (polish)... it's here;
http://www.zobaczapple.pl/mug/
if somebody want to visit :) (we want to make this page also in english, french, and russian in the future, but there is always lack of time)
I want to buy my first clamshell, but in Poland this is rather expensive and very difficult,.. I've been looking on Ebay in USA, and I found plenty of iBooks but as I've read here that it is not so safe to buy them there. So I have question, if you could recommend some others places to buy Clamshell?..
I know that mz post is Offtopic, but as I can see much of post here are similiar ;)
Welcome to AppleNova. The site looks cool, if only I could read your writing. :D
I'd go with eBay personally. I haven't had any problems getting something from them and both of my iBooks came from there. I don't know how well it works for overseas, but if the seller is willing to ship to you then it shouldn't be a problem.
Souflay123
2007-03-19, 05:29
Yep, I sure am! She loves them, (http://forums.applenova.com/showpost.php?p=415310&postcount=104) so why shouldn't I? Plus, it's an older laptop that won't be a great loss if she totally kills it.
Think of it this way, she won't be afraid of computers when she gets older. :)
OMG that is the cutest picture ever. for a mac geek the combo of a mb and a baby is soo adorable. And i must give you cutos it is never to early to give a kid a computer, if the child likes to play with a mac that is right by my standard (at least they picked a good computer to love) :)
OMG that is the cutest picture ever. for a mac geek the combo of a mb and a baby is soo adorable. And i must give you cutos it is never to early to give a kid a computer, if the child likes to play with a mac that is right by my standard (at least they picked a good computer to love) :)
:)
Thank you very much. She is a cutie and so are the computers.
I was actually sitting in the living room last night working the Key Lime hard. Since I'm moving from .Mac to my web host I had to transfer all my stuff from .Mac and I used Transmit to do it. It worked well, but it also showed me how slow .Mac can be even with FTP instead of Finder. I was actually surprised at how the Key Lime warmed up. It wasn't anything like the MB, but it got warm. That AirPort card worked very well.
DVD Bezel just got in and it doesn't fit the drive I have. So close and yet so far. No I'll either order the correct Combo Drive or modify the bezel to match up. Problem with modifying is that the eject etc. won't match up right. :\
Anyone have a spare Combo Drive from a Clamshell?
colivigan
2007-03-19, 15:45
Anyone have a spare Combo Drive from a Clamshell?
Aye, there's the rub. There is no Clamshell Combo Drive. The best they ever shipped with was a DVD-ROM with no burning capability. If you find a drive that fits either of your bezels, I'd love to know about it.
The coolest clamshell bezel mod I've seen was for a slot-loading combo drive. The guy just cut a slot in the bezel and attached it to the case. The slot took out the original buttons, so the whole thing looked pretty clean. Darned if I can remember where I saw it, or find it again. Maybe it was in an eBay listing. I think you'd need a router or dremel with a proper jig for cutting the slot - it would be pretty hard to make a clean cut by hand.
Aye, there's the rub. There is no Clamshell Combo Drive. The best they ever shipped with was a DVD-ROM with no burning capability. If you find a drive that fits either of your bezels, I'd love to know about it.
The coolest clamshell bezel mod I've seen was for a slot-loading combo drive. The guy just cut a slot in the bezel and attached it to the case. The slot took out the original buttons, so the whole thing looked pretty clean. Darned if I can remember where I saw it, or find it again. Maybe it was in an eBay listing. I think you'd need a router or dremel with a proper jig for cutting the slot - it would be pretty hard to make a clean cut by hand.
Ok, well I'm interested in that one then. I mean, why not right?
"Yeah, that's my slot load Blu-Ray drive on my vintage Key Lime 466MHz Clamshell." :D
I would actually settle for DVD-ROM then, I just need to find one. Though slot load would be cool none the less. I'll search too. If you find it, please let me know. I'm not going to be able to search for a little bit. I have homework I'm doing. :(
Have you replaced the optical drive in a clamshell yet? It's a major pain in the ass.
The drive is fused with this proprietary connection mechanism and trying to peel it off is painful to even think about. I think Apple goes out of their way to make their machines as difficult to upgrade as possible.
I changed the optical drive in a compaq laptop from the same era and it required no case opening. Just two screws, a light tug, and the whole thing slid right out. I couldn't believe it.
edit: I see you already did it. Good for you!
Have you replaced the optical drive in a clamshell yet? It's a major pain in the ass.
The drive is fused with this proprietary connection mechanism and trying to peel it off is painful to even think about. I think Apple goes out of their way to make their machines as difficult to upgrade as possible.
I changed the optical drive in a compaq laptop from the same era and it required no case opening. Just two screws, a light tug, and the whole thing slid right out. I couldn't believe it.
edit: I see you already did it. Good for you!
Yes I have and yes it is a pain. I worked as hard as I could to not kill or cut the cable while ungluing it. :mad: I'm sure there is a good reason they did this. :\
colivigan
2007-03-19, 21:38
I just did it too, and it's really not that bad. You just need to be careful unsticking everything. A putty knife comes in handy. Except for the foam padding part, there's no way that's coming off cleanly. I saw somewhere where a guy used a Dr. Scholl's insole to replace it. Might have to find me some of that stuff. :lol:
I just did it too, and it's really not that bad. You just need to be careful unsticking everything. A putty knife comes in handy. Except for the foam padding part, there's no way that's coming off cleanly. I saw somewhere where a guy used a Dr. Scholl's insole to replace it. Might have to find me some of that stuff. :lol:
See, I didn't clean off the top of the drive this time and now it binds a little. This makes it hard to eject and also I can hear rubbing during spins. :( I might need to bend the bracket a little too, but I'll hold off until I decide what to do about the DVD drive. I'm really liking the slot load idea.
I haven't made up my mind on what I'm going to do with the DVD drive yet...I'll put thought into it later. :)
Now, there reason for the post is my daughter LOVES her clamshell. She will come over and pat it so we can open it up and let her play with it! It really is so cute. It is more entertaining for us to watch her "play" on her computer than she gets entertained by it. This really was a great choice for her!
Oh well, back to my homework. :(
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