Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

ILoveComputers

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 6, 2007
4
0
I was recently given an old iBook (the one with the Clamshell design) from a friend and was wondering how would I go about hooking it up to my Television, and to the Internet? What do I need to do this?
 

Scarlet Fever

macrumors 68040
Jul 22, 2005
3,262
0
Bookshop!
i dont know about the TV, but to connect it to the internet, there are a few different ways.

If you have dial-up, just simply connect the iBook to the phone plug, put the numbers your ISP gave you into System Preferences, and you're good.

For broadband, get the numbers you ISP gave you, put them into a gateway (Netgear make some good ones), and just plug your iBook into it with an ethernet cable; no setup on your iBook should be required

Do you know if your iBook has an AirPort card in it? If it does, you can also set it up for wireless internet use a well. Set it up on your wireless router/gateway, click the AirPort icon in the top menu bar, and the network should be available. :)
 

mkrishnan

Moderator emeritus
Jan 9, 2004
29,776
15
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
For the television part, you have to be more specific about what kind of television you have. What kinds of video inputs does it have? Composite, S-Video, Component, VGA, DVI, or HDMI? And which clamshell iBook do you have? (start with what color the clamshell is and what the processor speed is -- you can get that from the Apple Menu -> About This Mac).
 

ILoveComputers

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 6, 2007
4
0
Thanks Scarlet.

For the television part, you have to be more specific about what kind of television you have. What kinds of video inputs does it have? Composite, S-Video, Component, VGA, DVI, or HDMI? And which clamshell iBook do you have? (start with what color the clamshell is and what the processor speed is -- you can get that from the Apple Menu -> About This Mac).

Video Inputs - As for the Inputs, I don't know anything about that. I know I have the thing on it where you put the Red, Yellow, and White cables into.

iBook - It's Blue, it tells me the speed is 300Mhz

Thanks for your help guys.
 

mkrishnan

Moderator emeritus
Jan 9, 2004
29,776
15
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Video Inputs - As for the Inputs, I don't know anything about that. I know I have the thing on it where you put the Red, Yellow, and White cables into.

iBook - It's Blue, it tells me the speed is 300Mhz

Okay, videowise, that's called "composite." Only the yellow one carries video; the other two are the L and R audio.

If your iBook is blue and 300 MHz, it's this one. From what I understand it doesn't have a video out port of any kind. Meaning, AFAIK, you're SOL.
 

ILoveComputers

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 6, 2007
4
0
Okay, videowise, that's called "composite." Only the yellow one carries video; the other two are the L and R audio.

If your iBook is blue and 300 MHz, it's this one. From what I understand it doesn't have a video out port of any kind. Meaning, AFAIK, you're SOL.

Alright, thanks for all your help. Is there anything you can recommend that is relatively cheap, but would be able to connect to the TV and have Wireless Internet?
 

mkrishnan

Moderator emeritus
Jan 9, 2004
29,776
15
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Alright, thanks for all your help. Is there anything you can recommend that is relatively cheap, but would be able to connect to the TV and have Wireless Internet?

What's your definition of cheap?

Pretty much every iBook after that one (well, not literally. After the 300 MHz, there was a 366 that also had no video out; but starting with the Firewire iBooks, they all do). Certainly any iBook that has the all white form factor, G3 or G4.

For, as far as I know, all of the white iBooks, you will get a mini-VGA port (looks kind of like a little USB-ish port, but it is different from USB). You will use an adapter like this:

m8734ga_125.jpg


Available from Apple for $19 in the US.

From there, a single RCA cable will go to the yellow plug on the TV. You will also need a cable or adapter that goes from the 3.5 mm (headphone) jack on the iBook next to it, to two RCA cables, which will attach to the red and white ports, if you want audio.

Also certainly most Windows notebooks from the past two or three years.
 

ILoveComputers

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 6, 2007
4
0
What's your definition of cheap?

Pretty much every iBook after that one (well, not literally. After the 300 MHz, there was a 366 that also had no video out; but starting with the Firewire iBooks, they all do). Certainly any iBook that has the all white form factor, G3 or G4.

Also certainly most Windows notebooks from the past two or three years.

Ah, ok, thank you. My definition of cheap? Something within the range of $200-300.
 

mkrishnan

Moderator emeritus
Jan 9, 2004
29,776
15
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
See the additional info I posted above. You can probably find a "dual USB" iBook G3 (looks almost just like the iBook G4) in that price range...The additional adapters and accessories will cost you about $30-40 new, perhaps can be done in about $20 used, if you can shop around on eBay and so on.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.