Graphite City
The iMac has been working quite well lately. However, being a computer collector, I can't be content with owning just the latest and greatest; I must challenge myself with the oldest and moldiest... ;)
At the May MIT Swapfest, I came upon a Power Macintosh G4 selling for $100. Having seen them at previous meets for upwards of $200, I figured that it was a bargain. 'Course, when I got home, I realized that that wasn't quite the case. For one thing, it's the PCI graphics version (codenamed "Yikes!"). That is, the short-lived stopgap model Apple threw out there when the desired motherboard wasn't working out, and Steve Jobs wanted the PowerMac G4 released now... Outdated PCI graphics, ZIF socket CPU, CD-ROM drive; basically, a Blue & White PowerMac G3 (codename "Yosemite") with a G4 stuffed in it's processor slot.
Secondly, it's the 350MHz model. When Motorola was having problems producing the 500MHz version of the 7400 (G4), which would've completed Apple's three-tiered setup line (400/450/500MHz), Apple unceremoniously 'speed-bumped' the line 50MHz per notch (making it 350/400/450MHz), without lowering the price! That means that you got even less for your buck! Whoever bought this thing must've been kicking himself when Apple released the AGP graphics version of the PowerMac G4 (codenamed "Sawtooth"), with it's faster processor and better graphics.
Thirdly, whoever owned it before me upgraded it in the cheapest way possible. I was told that it had 256MB of RAM under the hood, which turned out to be correct; however, when I opened the case, instead of a single 256MB chip or two 128MB chips, what should I find but four 64MB chips! You can't even give those damned things away, and they would be all but useless for any of my other Macs, should I care to transplant them, since none of my Macs have more than four RAM slots.
Despite these issues, I managed to soldier on. I borrowed the two 256MB chips from my iMac G3 (mostly out-of-service since the Intel iMac came along), to see what kind of speed boost it would give me once I installed OS X 10.3 (it came with 9.2.2). Unfortunately, it seems little faster than my iMac G3, with it's 400MHz processor. Perhaps I'm not using the right kind of RAM (the chips from the iMac G3 are PC133, and register as such when installed in the iMac G3, but come up as 'unknown type' when installed in the PowerMac G4). With any luck, I'll find some RAM that's more suitable, find a faster ZIF processor, and be able to install a larger hard drive (the one in it is the stock 10GB, and some idiot managed to lose the dual-drive mounting bracket which it should've come with...), and turn it into a nice machine.
A couple of weeks later, a friend of mine offered to sell me an old iBook G3 which he had used throughout school. This is one of the original "clamshell" case iBooks, and one of the later models: 466MHz processor, DVD-ROM drive, AirPort card. Unfortunately, the iBook in question has seen a rough life. The DVD-ROM drive has had it's plastic front bezel break off, and now refuses to latch shut, rendering it useless. In addition, someone managed to break one of it's keys off (never mind the fact that the keyboard was replaced not too long ago...). Fortunately, through the use of Firewire Target Disk Mode and the above-mentioned PowerMac G4, I was still able to get OS X onto it's freshly-formatted hard drive (it refused to boot from an external Firewire CD-RW drive I have), and it is proving to be an adequate little machine, despite it's limitations.
In conclusion, both graphite-case Macs are working quite well, and are proving worthy additions to my squadron of vintage (and otherwise) Macs. With any luck, I will get many hours of use from both of them. Here are some pictures of the 'new' Macs:
The PowerMac G4
(Note: due to the design of that desk, I had to slide the tower case in from behind!)
"The Gang Of Three"
(From left to right: PowerMac G4 (on Hitachi 21" CRT monitor), iBook G3, Intel iMac, all sporting my favorite desktop wallpaper... ;) )
-Adam
At the May MIT Swapfest, I came upon a Power Macintosh G4 selling for $100. Having seen them at previous meets for upwards of $200, I figured that it was a bargain. 'Course, when I got home, I realized that that wasn't quite the case. For one thing, it's the PCI graphics version (codenamed "Yikes!"). That is, the short-lived stopgap model Apple threw out there when the desired motherboard wasn't working out, and Steve Jobs wanted the PowerMac G4 released now... Outdated PCI graphics, ZIF socket CPU, CD-ROM drive; basically, a Blue & White PowerMac G3 (codename "Yosemite") with a G4 stuffed in it's processor slot.
Secondly, it's the 350MHz model. When Motorola was having problems producing the 500MHz version of the 7400 (G4), which would've completed Apple's three-tiered setup line (400/450/500MHz), Apple unceremoniously 'speed-bumped' the line 50MHz per notch (making it 350/400/450MHz), without lowering the price! That means that you got even less for your buck! Whoever bought this thing must've been kicking himself when Apple released the AGP graphics version of the PowerMac G4 (codenamed "Sawtooth"), with it's faster processor and better graphics.
Thirdly, whoever owned it before me upgraded it in the cheapest way possible. I was told that it had 256MB of RAM under the hood, which turned out to be correct; however, when I opened the case, instead of a single 256MB chip or two 128MB chips, what should I find but four 64MB chips! You can't even give those damned things away, and they would be all but useless for any of my other Macs, should I care to transplant them, since none of my Macs have more than four RAM slots.
Despite these issues, I managed to soldier on. I borrowed the two 256MB chips from my iMac G3 (mostly out-of-service since the Intel iMac came along), to see what kind of speed boost it would give me once I installed OS X 10.3 (it came with 9.2.2). Unfortunately, it seems little faster than my iMac G3, with it's 400MHz processor. Perhaps I'm not using the right kind of RAM (the chips from the iMac G3 are PC133, and register as such when installed in the iMac G3, but come up as 'unknown type' when installed in the PowerMac G4). With any luck, I'll find some RAM that's more suitable, find a faster ZIF processor, and be able to install a larger hard drive (the one in it is the stock 10GB, and some idiot managed to lose the dual-drive mounting bracket which it should've come with...), and turn it into a nice machine.
A couple of weeks later, a friend of mine offered to sell me an old iBook G3 which he had used throughout school. This is one of the original "clamshell" case iBooks, and one of the later models: 466MHz processor, DVD-ROM drive, AirPort card. Unfortunately, the iBook in question has seen a rough life. The DVD-ROM drive has had it's plastic front bezel break off, and now refuses to latch shut, rendering it useless. In addition, someone managed to break one of it's keys off (never mind the fact that the keyboard was replaced not too long ago...). Fortunately, through the use of Firewire Target Disk Mode and the above-mentioned PowerMac G4, I was still able to get OS X onto it's freshly-formatted hard drive (it refused to boot from an external Firewire CD-RW drive I have), and it is proving to be an adequate little machine, despite it's limitations.
In conclusion, both graphite-case Macs are working quite well, and are proving worthy additions to my squadron of vintage (and otherwise) Macs. With any luck, I will get many hours of use from both of them. Here are some pictures of the 'new' Macs:
The PowerMac G4
(Note: due to the design of that desk, I had to slide the tower case in from behind!)
"The Gang Of Three"
(From left to right: PowerMac G4 (on Hitachi 21" CRT monitor), iBook G3, Intel iMac, all sporting my favorite desktop wallpaper... ;) )
-Adam
posted by Adam Vaughn at 2:59 AM
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