Installing OS X on PB G3 Wallstreet

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Installing OS X on PB G3 Wallstreet

For this aging but elegant Wallstreet powerbook, which I intend to give to a friend who needs a laptop, I have tried to install OS X.3 Panther (or Tiger, which would be better) in addition to the OS 9.2.1 presently installed. (I'm assuming this model can be dual-boot.) I get the OS X Install screen, but when I click on the install button I get an error message saying the disc cannot be used as a start up disc.

I can't read the Read Me pdf as the installed 4.0 Acrobat Reader isn't recognizing the doc. for some reason, and I can't find a way to open with SimpleText, either.

This PB has only 32 MB of memory installed, with an unused block of 19.8 MB. There is also a 2GB HD with 1.46 GB available. Are either or both of these sizes preventing an OS X installation? Or what can be done?

Additional Question: to go online with the current Internet Explorer, v. 5, I need some sort of phone connection. What would that be that connects to this computer? There seems to be a PB G3 internal 56k modem accessible through the Printer-Modem port - which looks to be on the back next to the power cord input.

Thanks,

K

Posted on Dec 30, 2011 4:15 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Niel

Level 10

726,845 points

Dec 30, 2011 4:19 PM in response to keithgvp

You need to install more RAM and a larger hard drive.

(62753)

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Answer 2

keithgvp Author

Level 1

14 points

Dec 30, 2011 4:23 PM in response to Niel

Can you give some specifics?

How much for both would be minimum requirements?

thanks,

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Answer 3

Niel

Level 10

726,845 points

Dec 30, 2011 4:28 PM in response to keithgvp

The minimum requirements are 128MB/256MB RAM and 1.5/3GB of free space on the hard drive. You should install 512MB RAM(that computer's maximum) and at least a 10GB drive.

(62754)

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Answer 4

keithgvp Author

Level 1

14 points

Dec 30, 2011 4:52 PM in response to Niel

Thanks!

I have located reliable eBay supplier of low cost used parts - 20 gb drive and 128 MB RAM - (will look around for 512MB stick)

happy new year!

k

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Answer 5

Allan Jones

Level 9

68,648 points

Dec 30, 2011 6:51 PM in response to keithgvp

i have installed 10.3 on three Wallstreets. The least RAM any of them have is 384MB. Two are maxed at 512MB.The run better with 10.3.9 (officially unsupported) than they did with OS 10.2.8 (supported).

Because OS 10.3 is not supported on the Wallstreet, you need a free helper app, XPostFacto:

http://eshop.macsales.com/OSXCenter/XPostFacto/Framework.cfm?page=XPostFacto3.ht ml

Scroll WAY down to the download section and get version 3.1 (without parantheses following). It has a release date of April 18, 2005. That version works best for installing Panther.

You need an OS9 install disk in addition to the OSX disk. The helper app has to run in OS9.

Before doing anything, partition the new hard drive so the first partition is just barely under 8MB. This is required even if you ran OS 10.2.X Jaguar. Install XPostFacto in the larger partition with OS9.

Boot into OS9. Insert the OSX disk (it has to be a full retail install disk, not the gray one that came with another Mac), then launch XPostFacto. It will ask you to select a destination drive---select the small first partition. I did not have to use any of the XPF options on the right side of the XPF window when installing Panther on the three Wallstreets.

Once installed you will be able to dual boot. To get from Panther to OS9 you simply use the startup disk system preference. However. getting from OS9 back to OSX requires running XPostFacto again, so I simply leave its alias on the desktop. When you use XPF for switching boot partition, it is not like the involved initial installation; it runs as easily as a system preference when used as a switch.

My friend who owns the three Wallstreets still uses them daily and, having never owned anything faster, he is quite happy with OS 10.3.9 except for the fact that browser support is getting hard to find. He's also on dial-up(!). Fortunately, he.s a patient man.

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