How to connect G4 Graphite ‘Yikes!’ to Mid 2012 MacBook Pro?

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How to connect G4 Graphite ‘Yikes!’ to Mid 2012 MacBook Pro?

I am keeping my old Macs so I can use the perfectly good Creative Suite software on there that’s now been made obsolete by Apple. I am an illustrator and painter and will still need to access old images after I get a new MacBook Pro.

Does anyone know how to get the G4 to show up on the MacBook Pro? I’ve tried firewire 800 and Target mode but just get the Firewire icon circling on the MacBook monitor.

I’ve sent for a Firewire 400/800 converter but am reading that may not work either.

The MacBook Pro 2012 is running OSX 10.14 Mojave ( I didn’t upgrade as wanted to continue to use my CS software) and has Firewire, USB and Thunderbolt ports. The G4 ( family M5183) is 1999 model with PCI Graphics, SDRAM 10gb, USB1.1 Firewire 400, and I think the Graphics card is ATI Rage 128 ( means nothing to me, I’m baffled by these details). I added RAM and the HD is partitioned, but I don’t think that makes any difference to how I can connect these two machines.

Alternatively what flat screen monitor would work with the G4? I had it connected to a huge monitor before by SCSi but don’t have room for that now. Here is a photo of its backside!

MacBook Pro

Posted on Dec 7, 2022 6:42 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 9, 2022 4:05 PM in response to LizHartist

That connector is likely a DVI-I connector (combined Digital or Analog, pick one).

It can be connected up several different ways. All the signals for Analog VGA are generated directly, and presented in the bar at the end, the four pins around it, and the nearest pin on the top row of the grid. Salmon Pink in this illustration from wikipedia:

Other possibilities if your display is 1920 wide or less, you can use Single-Link DVI or convert to HDMI with a cheap adapter.The middle two columns of the grid (medium blue) may be present or absent or not connected.

Displays over 1920 wide require a Dual-Link DVI plug and Dual-Link cables, which have the medium blue pins connected all the way through. This can not be converted to something else at a reasonable cost.

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If you are NOT doing full-motion Video, you can put it on your Home network and enable Screen Sharing and/or File Sharing. Over Wi-Fi will be slow, over Ethernet is plenty fast (except as I said, not for full motion Video).

Mac screen sharing overview - Apple Support

Use file sharing on Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 2

LizHartist Author

Level 1

12 points

Dec 9, 2022 2:52 PM in response to LizHartist

You just needed a VGA monitor for the G4 -the port with 3 rows of 5 pins on the back of the computer I mistook for SCSi

Firewire is for drives not video.

Any older screen with a VGA port (and cable) connects fine (max resolution is 1600x1200)

The above is information I was very grateful to receive from Gavin N.

[Link Edited by Moderator]

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Answer 3

LizHartist Author

Level 1

12 points

Dec 9, 2022 4:41 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks Grant, the port with 3 rows of 5 pins on the back of the computer was what I mistook for SCSi and is in fact now working with an old VGA monitor I got hold of and the cable I had already. It had previously worked with my original Mitsubishi SCSi monitor so I thought I needed a convertor.

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Answer 4

Dec 9, 2022 5:04 PM in response to LizHartist

<< the port with 3 rows of 5 pins >

oh, that is Much simpler -- that's a VGA connector!

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