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An old iBook, what to do with it? [message #355223] Sat, 02 December 2017 01:57 Go to next message
vintage-macs is currently offline  vintage-macs
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I was given what has turned out to be a Mid 2002 12" 700 Mhz G3 iBook with 30 gig hard drive, 256 meg RAM and an AirPort card. No charger so no idea if it works. Maxing the RAM with a 512meg PC100 SODIMM = easy. Hard drive upgrade, not so much.
The deal breaker on whether or not I want to try anything with it or pass it on is whether or not the WiFi can do WPA2? If not, is there a replacement card that can? Back in the day, people were upgrading the PCMCIA cards in the original AirPort base station, is that possible with the internal ones in these laptops?
Is it possible to get over 640 meg RAM in one?
Would it be at all tolerable for basic web use with 10.4.11 and Ten Four Fox?

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Re: An old iBook, what to do with it? [message #355224 is a reply to message #355223] Sat, 02 December 2017 02:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Angelo Danio is currently offline  Angelo Danio
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I was given what has turned out to be a Mid 2002 12" 700 Mhz G3 iBook with
30 gig hard drive, 256 meg RAM and an AirPort card. No charger so no idea
if it works. Maxing the RAM with a 512meg PC100 SODIMM = easy. Hard drive
upgrade, not so much.

I had anche iBook G4 with tiger and maxing RAM was usable with ten four fox
and even safari but slow and chunky.
But not so easy ti install without tricks because max OS was panther and be
sure have DVD drive, tiger in CD not so easy to fine.
Currently i own anche early model, clamshell 1999 running Ubuntu server
16.04. there is Aldo a version with gui, lubuntu but You need a DVD ti
install.
Airport on my G4 was working only in WEP encryptyon but You Can install
anche esternalizzazione wifi pendrive.
But First be sure It works 😀!

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Re: An old iBook, what to do with it? [message #355226 is a reply to message #355223] Sat, 02 December 2017 08:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Mike K. is currently offline  Mike K.
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* Gregg Eshelman wrote on 2017-12-02 06:57 +0000:
> The deal breaker on whether or not I want to try anything with it or
> pass it on is whether or not the WiFi can do WPA2? If not, is there a
> replacement card that can? Back in the day, people were upgrading the
> PCMCIA cards in the original AirPort base station, is that possible
> with the internal ones in these laptops?

It definitely *won't* work on WPA2. If its firmware is up-to-date, it
will support regular WPA. No sure about finding a replacement card --
those original AirPort cards aren't the same as PCMCIA cards.

> Is it possible to get over 640 meg RAM in one?

No -- the limit is 128MB soldered + 512MB SO-DIMM. No way to get it
above that limit.

> Would it be at all tolerable for basic web use with 10.4.11 and Ten
> Four Fox?

It might, but it certainly wouldn't be fast and parts of the web might
break. Video is out of the question.

--
Mike
Current: 15" 'Penryn' MacBook Pro 2.66 * 27" 'Lynnfield' iMac 2.66
Stored: 20" iMac G4 * 'Key Lime' iBook G3 466 * G4 Cube 500
Retired: 'Blue Dalmatian' iMac G3 500 * 'Graphite' iBook G3 366

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Re: An old iBook, what to do with it? [message #355227 is a reply to message #355224] Sat, 02 December 2017 08:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Mike K. is currently offline  Mike K.
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* Angelo Danio wrote on 2017-12-02 07:33 +0000:
> I had anche iBook G4 with tiger and maxing RAM was usable with ten four
> fox and even safari but slow and chunky.

That's a G4, which is an entire generation newer than the G3 and
noticeably more punchy. The AltiVec instruction set makes quite a
difference, and I think TenFoxFour takes advantage of that.

> But not so easy ti install without tricks because max OS was panther
> and be sure have DVD drive, tiger in CD not so easy to fine.

That's not correct -- Tiger will install just fine without any hacks.
All it needs is a G3 with FireWire. I've installed Tiger on clamshell
iBooks with no issues or workarounds.

-- Mike
Current: 15" 'Penryn' MacBook Pro 2.66 * 27" 'Lynnfield' iMac 2.66
Stored: 20" iMac G4 * 'Key Lime' iBook G3 466 * G4 Cube 500
Retired: 'Blue Dalmatian' iMac G3 500 * 'Graphite' iBook G3 366

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Re: An old iBook, what to do with it? [message #355482 is a reply to message #355223] Sat, 02 December 2017 18:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
vintage-macs is currently offline  vintage-macs
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Frustrating slow at best. I'm using a G4 1.42 Ghz  iBook with Ten Four Fox with a wifi connection, usually to check dictionary and reference sites while writing. It is very, very slow.  As posted earlier a G3 could only be less. OTOH, I find the iBook useful for writing (when off line) away from my usual location.
On Saturday, December 2, 2017, 2:00:30 AM EST, 'Gregg Eshelman' via Vintage Macs <vintage-macs@googlegroups.com> wrote:
Would it be at all tolerable for basic web use with 10.4.11 and Ten Four Fox?


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Re: An old iBook, what to do with it? [message #355699 is a reply to message #355226] Sat, 02 December 2017 19:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
vintage-macs is currently offline  vintage-macs
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OK, off it goes onto Craigslist for free.


On Saturday, December 2, 2017, 6:43:14 AM MST, Mike K. <lists@koralatov.com> wrote:

* Gregg Eshelman wrote on 2017-12-02 06:57 +0000:
> The deal breaker on whether or not I want to try anything with it or
> pass it on is whether or not the WiFi can do WPA2? If not, is there a
> replacement card that can? Back in the day, people were upgrading the
> PCMCIA cards in the original AirPort base station, is that possible
> with the internal ones in these laptops?

It definitely *won't* work on WPA2.  If its firmware is up-to-date, it
will support regular WPA.  No sure about finding a replacement card --
those original AirPort cards aren't the same as PCMCIA cards.

> Is it possible to get over 640 meg RAM in one?

No -- the limit is 128MB soldered + 512MB SO-DIMM.  No way to get it
above that limit.

> Would it be at all tolerable for basic web use with 10.4.11 and Ten
> Four Fox?

It might, but it certainly wouldn't be fast and parts of the web might
break.  Video is out of the question.

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Re: An old iBook, what to do with it? [message #356909 is a reply to message #355699] Sun, 03 December 2017 06:29 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Svein Møller Nilsen is currently offline  Svein Møller Nilsen
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Gregg
Before you give it away. Install Linux and try it out. I use Linux Mint on my old 500 MHz G3 iBook with 128 MB + 512 MB RAM.
Regards
Svein

> 3. des. 2017 kl. 01.35 skrev 'Gregg Eshelman' via Vintage Macs <vintage-macs@googlegroups.com>:
>
> OK, off it goes onto Craigslist for free.
>
>
> On Saturday, December 2, 2017, 6:43:14 AM MST, Mike K. <lists@koralatov.com> wrote:
>
>
> * Gregg Eshelman wrote on 2017-12-02 06:57 +0000:
>> The deal breaker on whether or not I want to try anything with it or
>> pass it on is whether or not the WiFi can do WPA2? If not, is there a
>> replacement card that can? Back in the day, people were upgrading the
>> PCMCIA cards in the original AirPort base station, is that possible
>> with the internal ones in these laptops?
>
> It definitely *won't* work on WPA2. If its firmware is up-to-date, it
> will support regular WPA. No sure about finding a replacement card --
> those original AirPort cards aren't the same as PCMCIA cards.
>
>> Is it possible to get over 640 meg RAM in one?
>
> No -- the limit is 128MB soldered + 512MB SO-DIMM. No way to get it
> above that limit.
>
>
>> Would it be at all tolerable for basic web use with 10.4.11 and Ten
>> Four Fox?
>
>
> It might, but it certainly wouldn't be fast and parts of the web might
> break. Video is out of the question.
>
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Re: An old iBook, what to do with it? [message #357513 is a reply to message #355223] Sun, 03 December 2017 14:58 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Barry Cross is currently offline  Barry Cross
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Registered: June 2014
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Member
I am using an iBook G4, its a useful machine especially as my Mac Mini is
bereft of an internal DVD drive. And I have software for it that won't run
on the Mini, and the latest versions price is prohibitive for a pensioner.

I have upgraded it to the maximum RAM of 1.25 Gb, the SIMMS are easy enough
to install and to come by from somewhere like Mr. Memory which I used, I
can't remember the price off hand but it wasn't too dear.

I have also updated the OS to 10.5, the discs were not difficult to locate
and not that expensive, the amount escapes me but I still have all the bumf.

On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 7:00:30 AM UTC, Gregg Eshelman wrote:
>
> I was given what has turned out to be a Mid 2002 12" 700 Mhz G3 iBook with
> 30 gig hard drive, 256 meg RAM and an AirPort card. No charger so no idea
> if it works. Maxing the RAM with a 512meg PC100 SODIMM = easy. Hard drive
> upgrade, not so much.
>
> The deal breaker on whether or not I want to try anything with it or pass
> it on is whether or not the WiFi can do WPA2? If not, is there a
> replacement card that can? Back in the day, people were upgrading the
> PCMCIA cards in the original AirPort base station, is that possible with
> the internal ones in these laptops?
>
> Is it possible to get over 640 meg RAM in one?
>
> Would it be at all tolerable for basic web use with 10.4.11 and Ten Four
> Fox?
>

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Re: An old iBook, what to do with it? [message #357811 is a reply to message #357513] Sun, 03 December 2017 19:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
vintage-macs is currently offline  vintage-macs
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A G4 Mac is still pretty useful these days since they can use WPA2 on WiFi and have higher max RAM capabilities.Any G3 is not much use now, unless used only with older software and not online. It should be *possible* to design an AirPort replacement card with 802.11g and WPA2, but I doubt there'd be enough demand from the Mac user community to justify any sort of production run. They were steadfastly apathetic towards making USB 2.0 drivers for OS 9.x.x, even when it still had a bigger market share than OS X and there would have been profit to be made selling the drivers.

Apple says no, and the majority of Mac users and 3rd party Mac products companies say "I hear and obey!" :P
On Sunday, December 3, 2017, 12:59:00 PM MST, Barry Cross <ygwerin@gmail.com> wrote:

I am using an iBook G4, its a useful machine especially as my Mac Mini is bereft of an internal DVD drive. And I have software for it that won't run on the Mini, and the latest versions price is prohibitive for a pensioner.
I have upgraded it to the maximum RAM of 1.25 Gb, the SIMMS are easy enough to install and to come by from somewhere like Mr. Memory which I used, I can't remember the price off hand but it wasn't too dear.
I have also updated the OS to 10.5, the discs were not difficult to locate and not that expensive, the amount escapes me but I still have all the bumf.


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Re: An old iBook, what to do with it? [message #357996 is a reply to message #355223] Tue, 05 December 2017 15:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Aoresteen is currently offline  Aoresteen
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Registered: October 2017
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Junior Member
+1 on Linux. Give it a go.

On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 2:00:30 AM UTC-5, Gregg Eshelman wrote:
>
> I was given what has turned out to be a Mid 2002 12" 700 Mhz G3 iBook with
> 30 gig hard drive, 256 meg RAM and an AirPort card. No charger so no idea
> if it works. Maxing the RAM with a 512meg PC100 SODIMM = easy. Hard drive
> upgrade, not so much.
>
> The deal breaker on whether or not I want to try anything with it or pass
> it on is whether or not the WiFi can do WPA2? If not, is there a
> replacement card that can? Back in the day, people were upgrading the
> PCMCIA cards in the original AirPort base station, is that possible with
> the internal ones in these laptops?
>
> Is it possible to get over 640 meg RAM in one?
>
> Would it be at all tolerable for basic web use with 10.4.11 and Ten Four
> Fox?
>

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Re: An old iBook, what to do with it? [message #367737 is a reply to message #355223] Tue, 15 May 2018 20:51 Go to previous message
superstar64 is currently offline  superstar64
Messages: 20
Registered: May 2018
Karma: 0
Junior Member
It might? I've gotten my old iMac DV from 1999 online using a modern Apple
laptop, an ethernet cable, and internet sharing. However, since you're
using a laptop, 1. make sure you have airport, and 2. make sure you can use
the correct security type (WPA I'm pretty sure) for your WIFI network, and
you're set. did it with a PowerBook G4 in the past, and still do it. just
make sure you have over the early versions of 10.4 (even though you said
you're using 10.4.11).

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