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Need monitor for Mac G3 Blue and White.

Does anyone have a suggestion for getting a monitor for my old Mac G3 Blue and White? I currently have a ViewSonic E70f hooked up, but it is starting to behave badly. Can I purchase a new small flat screen monitor and simply find the right adapter for my old Mac?


It wouldn't be so important but I still use Claris Homepage to help me build and maintain a web site. I know this is an old, old program, but it allows me to control everything I want the web site to do including adding my own html.

Earlier Mac models

Posted on Apr 21, 2023 2:13 PM

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Posted on Apr 23, 2023 10:00 AM

Fortunately with a display, you don't need to shop a Mac-centric retailer. I still think your money and effort would be better-spent looking for a used (1st generation) flat screen display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The usual thrift stores in the U. S. do sell them, like Goodwill and Salvation Army. In Orange County, California, electronic items donated to any of the Goodwill stores are sent to one retail location called "Computer Works." It's a great place for the electronics customer to shop, without having to navigate past racks of clothing and shelves filled with housewares. A web search may find similar retailers in your area. Ebay is also an option, but many sellers leave the buyer on the hook for the return shipping expense, if there's a problem with the item.

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Apr 23, 2023 10:00 AM in response to lboston27

Fortunately with a display, you don't need to shop a Mac-centric retailer. I still think your money and effort would be better-spent looking for a used (1st generation) flat screen display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The usual thrift stores in the U. S. do sell them, like Goodwill and Salvation Army. In Orange County, California, electronic items donated to any of the Goodwill stores are sent to one retail location called "Computer Works." It's a great place for the electronics customer to shop, without having to navigate past racks of clothing and shelves filled with housewares. A web search may find similar retailers in your area. Ebay is also an option, but many sellers leave the buyer on the hook for the return shipping expense, if there's a problem with the item.

Apr 22, 2023 4:56 PM in response to lboston27

Claris Homepage has some very old formatting on webpages. For more thorough consistent webpage editing, I recommend BBEdit, available on all Mac OS versions.

Does your existing video adapter support DVI or VGA? There are old Mac adapter to VGA adapters that enable using VGA on older Blue and white G3s. VGA is still available on many LCDs. Viewsonic is a great brand if you depend on color matching with the Mac OS.


Apr 23, 2023 9:18 AM in response to lboston27

If there are any retailers in your area that sell older computer peripherals, you might check with one of them. The bulky CRT-type displays that were originally used with those computers are often not accepted at thrift stores anymore, because they're heavy and take up too much shelf space. You can always check, but keep in mind that thrift stores typically offer a short amount of time for return (if any), if there's a problem. A 20+ year-old display that hasn't been stored in a climate-controlled environment for years could have a short service life, once put back into use. Even if the display has been stored properly, sometimes a component will fail for no apparent reason. An older, flat screen LCD display with a 4:3 aspect ratio would be a better choice, because if your B&W G3 has the original ATI Rage 128 PCI graphics card, the optimal resolution of current widescreen displays will likely not be supported. Because these resolutions didn't exist when the card was programmed, you would likely be looking at a distorted or stretched image. I installed the (now-discontinued) ATI Radeon 7000 in my B&W G3s, which supported my 2007 display's optimal setting of 1440 x 900 @ 60 Hz.

Apr 23, 2023 9:24 AM in response to Jeff

Thanks. I've thought about that, but the best Mac shop we had closed down late last fall and now I'm at a loss as to find anyone who might have some expertise in repairs and/or old CRTs. Best Buy has a ViewSonic with a VGA port, but, like you said, the resolution I need would probably not be displayed correctly.

Need monitor for Mac G3 Blue and White.

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