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Plz help me with your wisdom

Ok so a few days ago I bought two untested iBooks labeled as g4's but ended up being g3's some questions

1 how hard are they to kill. (do you think they are DOA??)

2 how long do the hard drives last and do you think I will have to replace them soon

3 only one of the computers has ram (not really a question but [ if I do upgrade what ram card should I get])

4 both computers do NOT have airport cards can I get wireless another way?

5 both of them look kinda different. One has a clear shell around the screen and the other is solid white and the keyboard look different. One is clear white and the other is almost a solid white does that mean anything?

6 one of them the disk drive door (the thing that pops open) dosent stay closed why?

7 what programs can I run on these?

8 if I get a external hard drive....what size and kind do I get?

9 if they have a operating system what is the best to update too?

10 both battery's are dead...(power wise--I am still waiting for a charger to come in). Will the iBook g4 battery fit because I have heard good things about it compared to the g3 battery

11 can I connect my iPod touch 4g to it?

12 if I need a new keyboard will a g4 keyboard work?

13 for the Bluetooth to work do I need a airport card?

14 is the computer going to be slow?

15 I payed around $31 for both did I get ripped off?

I am sorry about the long post

If you need pictures plz tell me

iBook, Two g3's.

Posted on May 26, 2012 2:20 PM

Best reply

Knucklesmac

Level 4

2,240 points

Posted on May 26, 2012 3:56 PM

Hello

A lot of good questions here, I'll do my best to answer some of these and maybe others will help enlighten us further.

1. Don't understand what's meant by that, the life expectancy of an iBook depends on it's treatment.

2. Hard drives can last up to 8 year with continued daily use, but depends on the usage and treatment. If it's working fine, then why replace? Unless you require lager capacity.

3. Fitting RAM depends on the maximum the unit will take. If it's a G3 then 512 I believe is the max you can add.

4. Yes you can use a USB wireless dongle on both units, but make sure it's compatible with your version of Mac OS X installed on your iBook

5. Yes, one is a later model than the other. The whiter is a later 800mhz or 900mhz unit around 2002-2003. While the more milky clear iBook is 2001.(500 Mhz to 800Mhz)

6.Could be a number of reasons, more than likely it's due to the metal plating above the drive door that has come away and blocking the door from closing. These are easily broken when the unit is taken apart.

7. Programs depend on the version of Mac OS X, if it's the maximum version it will handle which is 10.4.11 then it's dependant on the application, but mostly office, web, graphics based applications. You can download some apps from oldapps.com from web browsers to unility software.

8. You can use any external drive I believe (Don't think the OS restricts the size in any way)

9. Best would be tiger 10.4.11 and the most a G3 iBook would handle.

10.Yes I believe they are the same wattage and will fit the G3's. The only difference is the feet color (brown being G3 and gray being G4)

11. You wont be able to sync an iPod touch with 10.4 version of iTunes, but it will charge it and may allow you to download any pictures.(If it see it as a digital camera)

12. I don't think the G4 connectors fit on a G3 iBook keyboard (I may be wrong here)

13. Don't think a G3 iBook comes with Bluetooth??? A Bluetooth dongle via USB would work fine if compatable drivers for Mac.

14. Depends on what's installed and how much memory it has. Most case I've never found a problem with my G3 iBook running 10.4.11. (Tiger)

15. No, not if they are both working units and in ok condition, That sounds like a deal. Seen them go for more than that on eBay.

I hope this help.

If you need further details let me know.

Good Luck with your iBook's

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59 replies

May 27, 2012 3:36 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

I have no clue if they work!!! I bought them as untested! I'm using the 600 as a parts one if I need parts. I don't think my question about ram came through. The 600 didnt come with a ram card. Can I start it up and try to use it without ram card?

May 27, 2012 3:38 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

It should work fine without a RAM card installed as it has a built-in 128 Meg of RAM. However it does depend on which version of Mac OS X is installed, as I think Tiger needs at least 256 Meg to run correctly.

May 27, 2012 3:42 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

I don't know the os x yet either.....and yes the 600's battery is a non aple replacement battery. But I also figure that I am going to need a new battery because when I press the button I don't get any lights. So another $30 plus I say around 15 for a wireless thing

May 27, 2012 3:52 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

If they don't work then I'm guessing you need a power adaptor?

Not always does it mean the battery needs replacement, just may need to be put on a full charge as it's completely dead. It's not a good sign that the light doesn't come on, however it might be a working battery, as I found out when a brought a load from eBay for little money.

But it should boot fine without any RAM installed in it 🙂

Sounds like you have an interesting project on your hands. I hope they are working and if not you can get them working (or at least one)

May 27, 2012 3:57 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

Good news. I have a power adapter coming

Bad news....Monday is a mat holiday and mail dosent go on sunday so it will probably be here Tuesday I hope!!

As for the battery's if they don't hold a charge I can just keep it on the charger

You seen how the disk door dosent close right?? What causes that? I can push it shut (takes no force ) but it dose not catch and stay closed.

And yep my first computer

May 27, 2012 4:11 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

It could be due to a very thin plate at the top of the dive which has become bent or loose. (they break easy) If you pull the draw fully open and look at the inside top, check if there is a metal plate bending down and obstructing the draw from completely closing. The other thing it could be due to the closing mechanism on the side of the tray. if the little rounded thing don't stay in place the drive door pops open. You can check that by placing your finger on the right side of the tray and pushing the clip inwards. It should retract a little, but maybe stiff. If it has become stiff maybe a tiny bit of something to lubricate it. It could be an obstruction in the sliders and that would require disassemble. Taking off the lid of the drive and checking the inner sliders.Hope this helps.

May 27, 2012 4:17 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

Ok I will do that!! Do you think it not staying shut is due to it being dead?

May 27, 2012 4:21 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

No, as you can close the drive door even when the iBook is powered off. I would more than suspect it to be the top plate become loose or bent which is preventing it from closing.

May 27, 2012 4:30 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

How do I get to the disk drive?? Do I take off the bottom or the top under the keyboard?

May 27, 2012 4:36 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

This should help you

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-iBook-G3-12-Inch-Optical-Drive/133/1#.T8I RnI6kDvw

This shows you how to access the drive, by taking off the top cover.

May 27, 2012 4:42 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

Aww man this is gonna be a butt load of work

May 27, 2012 4:47 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

Once you have done it, it becomes a lot easier 🙂

May 27, 2012 4:48 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

Thinking about dropping the ram into the 600 and same with the keyboard

May 27, 2012 4:57 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

Is the 800 better than the 600??

May 27, 2012 7:55 AM in response to Mac-aroni man1

The 800 is a faster computer and in my personal option looks better than the 600. But being both 12" there isn't a lot of difference in it. You may find the 600 works and the 800 don't or the 800 does and 600 don't.

Plz help me with your wisdom