Feeler/FT- 600Mhz 14" iBook

[MacDann]

Picked this up from a local FreeCycler. 600Mhz 14" iBook, 640Mb RAM, 20G HD, OS X 10.4.11, AirPort card, MacAlly power brick, battery with 16 cycles on it and 100% capacity according to Coconut Battery. Cosmetically it's great, too, with just a few inconspicuous scratches on the bottom.

Only catch is the CD-RW drive doesn't want to read. I have a known good CD-ROM replacement I am going to pop in it, so I don't see that as an issue.

I know there's not a lot of demand for something this old, especially since it's only got 8MB of VRAM, but it's still a good, strong laptop that doesn't appear to have gotten a lot of use.

Pics are attached - please note that because I took a close-up of the screen the picture has some distortion - there's nothing wrong with the computer!

If I sell it will go on eBay, since we all know it will garner a crazy price there. If anyone is interested in trades, I'm looking for an 8G iPod Touch or an 8G iPhone. If it's a new/refurb iPod Touch or iPhone, I have a near-perfect 3G iPod with box that I would consider tossing in to sweeten the deal...

Thanks!

Dan

[SthrnCmfrtr]

You can get good iBook G3/600MHz/CD-ROM's on eBay for $150 (I know because I've bought three of 'em recently, all from the same dealer, and he has a bunch more). Add $150 for the battery, RAM, and Airport card. Maybe. RAM tends to get neglected on eBay, and the batteries seem to get rewarded for about 50% of their value. So maybe $250?

If that's a CD-ROM drive you have, then it has 16MB VRAM and not 8MB. Makes a big difference in Tiger.

These are good machines. A little cramped, maybe, and not up to a lot of ****ing around, but adequate for most tasks. I downgraded to one from my MacBook, bought one for my sister, and am getting one for my friend (he's paying, I'm just fixing it up). My mom has a 500MHz, which is nice but short on VRAM.

[shu82]

ibook g3's don't go for that crazy anymore. I'd give you 150 shipped for it with the extra drive, and I'll install it myself. I replace the LB on those baby's blindfolded now.

Edit: noticed the ram. $180

[MacDann]

If that's a CD-ROM drive you have, then it has 16MB VRAM and not 8MB. Makes a big difference in Tiger.


Thanks for the info.

It is a CD-ROM, and System Profiler reports the VRAM as 8MB, so I'm a little confused about your comment on the VRAM.

I can't imagine that SP is reporting it incorrectly. Could it?

MacDann

[MacDann]

ibook g3's don't go for that crazy anymore. I'd give you 150 shipped for it with the extra drive, and I'll install it myself. I replace the LB on those baby's blindfolded now.

Edit: noticed the ram. $180

Thanks, but as I mentioned in the original post, if I sell it I'll put it on eBay and take my chances. People pay crazy money for stuff over there, and if I decide to sell it I'll do what I can to maximize my profit.

MacDann

[OrangeSVTguy]

that looks like a 14" to me? but yeah $200 shipped seems like a really good price. shoot i have 3 ibooks now... i think i might want 4 :p

[SthrnCmfrtr]

I replace the LB on those baby's blindfolded now.

My hero ;) I keep losing that goddamned Torx T8 bit... and my replacement hasn't arrived from t3h Amazon yet.

Seriously... taking these little guys apart is harrowing the first three times or so that you do it. Why Apple made it so ridiculously difficult to replace a hard drive is completely incomprehensible to me.

[SthrnCmfrtr]

Thanks for the info.

It is a CD-ROM, and System Profiler reports the VRAM as 8MB, so I'm a little confused about your comment on the VRAM.

I can't imagine that SP is reporting it incorrectly. Could it?

MacDann

Hmm. That's really weird.

There were two G3/600MHz iBooks. The first was the "high end" model, IIRC, and had a combo drive and 8MB VRAM, and then the second was the "low end" model and had the CD-ROM... but 16MB VRAM.

So maybe the CD-ROM is an aftermarket replacement. SP wouldn't report it incorrectly. That's odd, and I'm mildly confused by it.

OH -- IT'S A 14"... all bets are off on me knowing anything about anything. *shuts the hell up and goes somewhere else*

Hmm. LEM (http://lowendmac.com/pb2/ibook14.html) says the drive should still be a combo. Guess it's an aftermarket replacement or something. *shrugs*

[MacDann]

that looks like a 14" to me? but yeah $200 shipped seems like a really good price. shoot i have 3 ibooks now... i think i might want 4 :p

Whoops! It IS a 14". <head slap>:eek:

Don't know what I was thinking when I posted this - subject line has been edited.

Thanks!

MacDann

[shu82]

The market kinda fell out last year for those. I'll give you a cookie if you break 250 shipped. Just look at completed auctions, it's not that pretty. I would part out the battery(works with g4's)$35, ram $45, and the airport$50. You could make 120-150 on those on ebay. Then I would give you $90 shipped for what's left. That would make the most sense.

No matter how you sling it, You won't make any more than 250 for it. Unless its Christmas or something. My recommendation will net you over 200 for it. I have slung a dozen ibook g3s in the past year.

[MacDann]

Hmm. That's really weird.

There were two G3/600MHz iBooks. The first was the "high end" model, IIRC, and had a combo drive and 8MB VRAM, and then the second was the "low end" model and had the CD-ROM... but 16MB VRAM.

So maybe the CD-ROM is an aftermarket replacement. SP wouldn't report it incorrectly. That's odd, and I'm mildly confused by it.


Nahh, it's me that screwed up here. I just pulled it out to take a picture, and was relying on my memory for the specs. Hence the goof with the size, too.

It does only report 8MB of VRAM but a CD-RW, NOT a CD-ROM. What threw me was the replacement I got (dang it) is a CD-ROM.

Thanks again - I'll get it right eventually.

MacDann

[bamaworks]

lol I agree southern. I replaced the optical drive and I felt like I had to take every possible part out of it to get to the drive :).

[OrangeSVTguy]

no problemo.

also i think they came with 384 stock so it's got a 256mb card in it? i was also just wondering out of curiosity do the 14" have a max screen res of 1024x768 like the 12".

besides it's the 12" models that bring more money that i've seen.

[SthrnCmfrtr]

:) No worries.

If you went with shu82's recommendation, I'd buy the battery and RAM in a heartbeat. You could still sell the iBook itself for $150 or more on eBay, I bet, and you'd make more money than selling it as a unit. Shipping would bite you, I think. (At least, it always bites me, but my dumb ass apparently hasn't figured out what things are cheapest to send which way)

[nate13]

id give you 150 shipped and you keep the airport card

[MacDann]

no problemo.

also i think they came with 384 stock so it's got a 256mb card in it? i was also just wondering out of curiosity do the 14" have a max screen res of 1024x768 like the 12".

besides it's the 12" models that bring more money that i've seen.

It has 128MB built in and a 512MB PC133 DIMM in the slot. And yes, it has screen resolution of 1024 x 768.

MacDann

[shu82]

:) No worries.

If you went with shu82's recommendation, I'd buy the battery and RAM in a heartbeat. You could still sell the iBook itself for $150 or more on eBay, I bet, and you'd make more money than selling it as a unit. Shipping would bite you, I think. (At least, it always bites me, but my dumb ass apparently hasn't figured out what things are cheapest to send which way)

Yea you really should part it out.

You may get a little screwed on shipping sthrn. But your packing was immaculate! Flat rate USPS boxes are the cheapest way to go.

[nate13]

Yea you really should part it out.

You may get a little screwed on shipping sthrn. But your packing was immaculate! Flat rate USPS boxes are the cheapest way to go.

haha, i think it'd be nice to sell it to me! :) I have an extra airport card or two laying around... if i dont get this im going to sell em.

[MacDann]

that looks like a 14" to me? but yeah $200 shipped seems like a really good price. shoot i have 3 ibooks now... i think i might want 4 :p

I would seriously consider $200 shipped. Let me know and in the meantime I'll watch the thread.

I don't want to hassle with parting it out, even though I know I could net more $$ that way.

MacDann

[shu82]

PM'ed you, Lets make a deal!

[SthrnCmfrtr]

Yea you really should part it out.

You may get a little screwed on shipping sthrn. But your packing was immaculate!

That's why my wife married me :cool:

Seriously, I should revise that statement. I don't really feel like I get screwed on shipping, and obviously I'm okay with the prices things go for and the prices to ship or I would never ship them :)

I do think (okay, I know) that I pay probably 2X the amount I need to for shipping. At the same time, it's kind of outweighed by being able to choose the box dimensions more freely. I'm sort of paranoid, and so I try to pack everything very carefully -- not just for my own protection, but because I know how it feels to pay for something and get it in a box three times the right size without any sort of packing material. "Great... I wonder how long this hard drive will last now..." I hate that sinking feeling (of having paid for something that is possibly completely unreliable now) almost as much as I hate the feeling of paying $800 for forty-seven different parts to avoid paying $500 for one part (my ex-RAID array and new Drobo, I'm looking at you).

Flat rate USPS boxes are the cheapest way to go.

I'll have to keep that in mind. Due to my circumstances right now, I have to have most of these packages picked up here rather than dropped off at some other place, so I've been using UPS. I should probably have made a single trip to the post office and bought a few boxes in all sizes, though. Thanks for the suggestion :) I'll definitely do it if I ever go on another selling spree.

(Sorry for Off-Topic)

[MacDann]

That's why my wife married me :cool:

Seriously, I should revise that statement. I don't really feel like I get screwed on shipping, and obviously I'm okay with the prices things go for and the prices to ship or I would never ship them :)


For what it's worth, if I can't do it in a USPS Priority Mail flat rate box, I use FedEx Ground. They are, by far, the least expensive, most reliable and easily tracked carrier in my book.

MacDann

[shu82]

Paypal Sent!