Connecting a current LED screen to an old BW G3

>It has VGA and dual HDMI ports (with HDCP support). Pretty sure I need to change out the video card and find the appropriate cables

You should be able to connect the monitor to a VGA port on the computer (http://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Manuals/desktops/0340687APWRMA CG3SU.PDF), but tests may have to be carried out in order to check whether different resolutions/formats will work.

>also like to make this wifi operational, but not sure which hardware is best to install.

The easiest way is to connect a wireless Ethernet bridge (examples include Netgear WNCE2001 and Linksys WET610N) to the Ethernet port of the computer. Since a wireless Ethernet bridge does not need special drivers, it can be used under almost any operating system.

If it hasn't been replaced in the past, your B&W G3's graphics card is an ATI Rage 128 PCI graphics card, having just a VGA port. If you're going to continue using the B&W, you might want to buy a slightly better graphics card that has an HDMI port so you can take advantage of the digital clarity. You can only use a PCI (not AGP or PCI-e) graphics card (all now discontinued) that was factory-programmed and marketed for use in older Macs or an equivalent PC graphics card that has successfully been re-programmed for use in Macs. For $18 (USD), here's an ebay listing for the same card that I have in my B&W G3. The ATI Radeon 7000 Mac Edition is a decent card with 32 MBs of DDRAM and a good upgrade from the existing Rage 128 with 16 MBs of SGRAM.

Radeon 7000 cards listed as Mac-compatible and having 64 MBs of DDR memory are undoubtedly PC cards that have been re-programmed for use in Macs. Many of these only have a VGA port on them. I re-programmed (8) ATI retail boxed "PC" cards for use in my Macs and never had a problem with any. Some had 32 MBs of DDR memory and a few had 64 MBs, with no discernible performance difference between them. My B&W G3 actually has a "Mac Edition" card in it. In my first reply, I should have written "a slightly better graphics card that has a DVI port," given the limited scope of PCI graphics cards that are available for older Macs. There are newer graphics cards that have HDMI ports, but they wouldn't be compatible with your B&W. The final product manufactured/marketed by ATI for older Macs with PCI slot graphics was the Radeon 9200 Mac Edition, which has 128 MBs of DDR memory. An ebay search will produce some listings - sometimes one that's still sealed in the box, but the prices tend to be closer to $100. Listings for the PC-compatible Radeon 9200 or 9250 will also show up, but they don't have their EEPROM chip programmed with Mac code. You have to ask yourself what your intended use will be and if it's worth investing as much as $100 in a 1999-vintage computer, that has no market value today, I couldn't justify spending that much on mine, so I settled for the Radeon 7000 Mac Edition. If your display doesn't have a DVI port and only has HDMI ports, you'll need to use an adapter cable to connect the display's HDMI port to the DVI port on the graphics card. There are adapter cables that have a DVI plug at one end and an HDMI at the other. There are also small adapters (without a cable), that plug into the graphics card's DVI port and convert it to an HDMI port. In that case, you'd use a standard HDMI cable to connect the display to the card.

"I strongly suspect that the Radeon card is factory installed."

If it has a Radeon, it couldn't be factory-installed. The B&W G3s only shipped with either of two versions of a graphics card having the pre-Radeon generation of ATI's GPU - the "Rage128" or "Rage128 Pro." The SGRAM was the same for both at 16 MBs. If the computer has been disconnected from electricity for 10 years, the internal battery has undoubtedly been drained of all charge, as it attempted to preserve the PRAM settings. It's a 3.6-volt, ½AA lithium battery, like this one. A very weak or dead battery can cause a number of startup anomalies, so it's better to just replace it.

"I still have my old 6500. Still works!"

I've still got a pair of them. They were great when new (1997) and still make nice MP3 players, because the internal speaker in the base of the chassis functions as a sub-woofer when external speakers are connected. That computer used a less expensive 4.5-volt alkaline battery, that was secured to the motherboard with a velcro base. Unfortunately, they'll begin to leak after they're fully discharged. The corrosive effect of the solution dripping down the vertically-oriented motherboard damages every component in its path. If one of them is to be put in storage, I always recommend removing the battery first.

The hard drive in a 6400/6500 is installed/removed from the front of the chassis, so it's actually in front of the motherboard and not in the path of a leaking battery. If stored upright, a 6500's leaking battery might not cause enough damage to prevent running, given its location on the motherboard. If stored flat on one side, the leak could run in any direction. You can remove the 6500's hard drive and connect the bare drive to a USB port on the B&W, using a generic USB-to-IDE adapter that plugs into the data connection on the back of the drive and has a cable with USB plug on the other end. The adapter includes a separate power supply. Because the adapter isn't platform-specific, you can buy one at a PC store. Once connected, the drive will mount on the desktop and its files can be accessed - although the B&W G3 has a slow USB 1.1 bus speed. Realistically, you should be running OS 9.1, 9.2.1, or 9.2.2 for improved recognition of various USB peripherals. If you're ever interested in removing the 6500's hard drive, post back and I'll describe the procedure that I've used, that prevents cracking the large plastic bezel on the front. No tools are required because you won't be prying it off, it will actually pop off in your hands. Once removed, you'll see the hard drive, installed on its side in a slot. As for your iMac and 8500, they use the same lithium battery as the B&W G3. I haven't seen one of them leak when fully discharged, unlike those Rayovac alkaline batteries used in different Performa models and the Power Mac 6500s. On a smaller scale, your collection of Macs mirrors those in my fleet - including an 8500 and a G3 iMac, but I've reached the point where I'm beginning to e-cycle some of them. The Apple products were expensive, very well-built, and last forever. At some point, you realize that you've lost the motivation or need to get out the old computer and hook it up, so it continues to sit in storage. Fortunately, technological obsolescence makes the decision to e-cycle a lot easier, with the added bonus of reclaiming the space that the computer occupied.