Buying a Powerbook G4 Think I found a deal.

[goMac]

I never had a speed problem with my iBook G4. Sure, YouTube isn't the greatest, but it's very usable. And you shouldn't be expecting to buy new software for any machine that old.

A $600 MBP, even one of the Rev. A's, should be highly suspect. It's hard to even find MacBooks that low in price.

They were going for $900-$1000 before the last rev. It's not all that suspect.

Why would you buy a Powerbook to run Panther? You're not going to be able to run any software from the last 3-4 years. In addition, you're not going to be able to use most of the web. And the battery life on a machine that old is going to be pretty poor, so right away you're going to be springing for a new battery.

And, because it sounds like a titanium, you're going to be dealing with the machine physically breaking down (which seems to have already started), and the hinges breaking.

You might as well be taking your money, putting it in a pile and burning it, and then paying rent to use the fire pit you just threw your money into.

Also don't plan on watching YouTube on it... It's simply not fast enough. I have a friend with an 800 mhz iBook, and YouTube simply did not work at all for him. Completely unplayable.

Again, save your money for an Intel. They aren't too much more for a 13" Macbook, which despite the smaller screen size, will be much faster for your needs.

 

[Shake 'n' Bake]

All the PowerPC laptops are slow slow slow, and very soon you won't be able to buy any software for them.

It's not worth the money. And I owned a Powerbook G4 for four years.

Unless you're spending all your time in TextEdit, it's not worth it.

They also never made an 800 mhz with G speed wireless, so you're also getting ripped off. Bonus! (That means it's a Titanium, likely last rev, which have very high failure rates. I used to own one of those too...)

I'm seeing 15" MBP's on Craigslist for $600 USD. Save up a bit more and you could likely get a Macbook Pro, and I'm sure you could get a Macbook. Both will do much better for you.

Lie 1) PPCs are slow. I don't think so. My PM G4 (733 MHz) runs everything, including Adobe CS1, very smoothly. It all depends on the software.

Lie 2) You won't be able to buy any software for a PPC machine soon. A good chunk of Apple's user base is still on PPC, so I don't think we'll see that for at least 3 years.

...And, because it sounds like a titanium, you're going to be dealing with the machine physically breaking down (which seems to have already started), and the hinges breaking...

It is a titanium. The highest frequency titanium was 1 GHz.

 

[airplaneman]

Hi,

This one

http://cgi.ebay.ie/APPLE-iBook-G4-1...ms=65:3|66:2|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50

looks good. But I don't see why you can't bring your MBP to school. Tech class probably needs power anyway, right? Hope this helps, and good luck!

 

[Richard1028]

Can't my mom wont let me.Shes really over protective. And having an extra laptop gives off convienence.

Then ask mom why she bought it for you. (Wow, a top of the line notebook and you can't use it in a learning institution. LOL!)

And what's "convenient" about maintaining 2 different machines?

 

[Theclamshell]

i had a 500 MHz g4 powerbook and the thing was fine on the internet, also it would play youtube ok

 

[mcdj]

here's an ipod to go along with your new old crapbook...

 

[bluespaceoddity]

2.5K laptop to school. If it got stolen.... bascially i'd be dammed.

Something like this may be an option...?
http://www.studentinsurancepartners.com/sip/coverage

 

[techfreak85]

here's an ipod to go along with your new old crapbook...

[TIMGsnip/TIMG]

Where did you find that? im assuming thats a parody of something?

 

[Slurpy2k8]

Can't my mom wont let me.Shes really over protective. And having an extra laptop gives off convienence.

http://cgi.ebay.ie/APPLE-iBook-G4-1...ms=65:3|66:2|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50

That one looks pretty well

and so those this

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Apple-iBook-G4-1...ms=65:3|66:2|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50

Your 'mom won't let you'? Wow. How old are you? And who's laptop is it, your or your moms?

Anyway, I'd just get a modern netbook if my budget was $300 or so. Much better use of money, and at least you'll have something ultra-portable.

 

[Nocturnal22]

You also know the battery life on all these old apple notebooks will be short to nonexistent...So unless you buy a new batt or carry around a power adapter with you all the time (wich can get pulled out on accidently and F-up your day) There is no reason to get one... so i dont see why you would wana buy an old apple notebook as a "carry around" with no battery life...

 

[jay1118]

here's an ipod to go along with your new old crapbook...

ROFL.

 

[InsightsIE]

Bro I'm 16 and that MBP was a B-day gift. And as insurance goes we only have house insurance that would cover the mac. I think I will either go for the powerbook or the ibook

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Apple-iBook-G4-1...ms=65:3|66:2|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50

 

[clyde2801]

I hear ya, and I feel ya. Save your pennies and buy a macbook, even a 1st gen.

I've got a acquaintance of mine who bought a first gen macbook for $300 on CL. He simply found somebody who was looking to unload his older machine after they bought a new one and whose post was sitting around the site for a while. It is a little predatory IMO, but it can be done.

 

[InsightsIE]

I hear ya, and I feel ya. Save your pennies and buy a macbook, even a 1st gen.

I've got a acquaintance of mine who bought a first gen macbook for $300 on CL. He simply found somebody who was looking to unload his older machine after they bought a new one and whose post was sitting around the site for a while. It is a little predatory IMO, but it can be done.

Yay we understand each other.

@ Everyone I bought a Powerbook. It popped up and I went for it.15.2'' screen 1.2GHz G4. 512MB of Memory. 60GB HDD, Leopard. Now ocassionally yellow dots pop up but thats ok for me because it will be used only mon-friday if you get me. and the k key is missing but I ordered the key along with a a key for my macbook pro so it's all cool!!. Here it is:

http://cgi.ebay.ie/G4-powerbook-1-2...ms=65:3|66:2|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50

Looking at it I know i'll have to wipe it down.

 

[airplaneman]

Then ask mom why she bought it for you. (Wow, a top of the line notebook and you can't use it in a learning institution. LOL!)

And what's "convenient" about maintaining 2 different machines?

yea, it's a pain maintaining 2 different machines, especially when you want to sync your files. just try asking- it wouldn't hurt

 

[airplaneman]

Yay we understand each other.

@ Everyone I bought a Powerbook. It popped up and I went for it.15.2'' screen 1.2GHz G4. 512MB of Memory. 60GB HDD, Leopard. Now ocassionally yellow dots pop up but thats ok for me because it will be used only mon-friday if you get me. and the k key is missing but I ordered the key along with a a key for my macbook pro so it's all cool!!. Here it is:

http://cgi.ebay.ie/G4-powerbook-1-2...ms=65:3|66:2|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50

Looking at it I know i'll have to wipe it down.

oh, great! congrats!

 

[goMac]

Lie 1) PPCs are slow. I don't think so. My PM G4 (733 MHz) runs everything, including Adobe CS1, very smoothly. It all depends on the software.

That's a Powermac G4. You have fast 7200 rpm drives you can upgrade. You can upgrade the graphics card. You can take the RAM much higher. You don't have to worry about the battery.

A Powerbook G4 with a Radeon 9000 and a degrading case is not quite the same thing. Laptops age so much faster than desktops.

Again, I had a Powerbook G4 until two years ago...

Lie 2) You won't be able to buy any software for a PPC machine soon. A good chunk of Apple's user base is still on PPC, so I don't think we'll see that for at least 3 years.

Errr... Snow Leopard. Already done.

You'd have to run iLife and iWork 06, because the 08's require Tiger, which probably is not going to run so hot.

Safari 3 requires 10.4, so have fun with Safari 2, you will have a lot of compatibility issues.

Flash/YouTube is going to run slow, especially with that Radeon 9000...

For what the poster said he wants to do, it's just not a good idea at all...

It is a titanium. The highest frequency titanium was 1 GHz.

I owned a Titanium 1 ghz. The maintenance on it was hellish. The case was just awful.

(Edit: I see the poster got a 1.25... That's better. I ran Tiger on one of those for a while...)

 

[Shake 'n' Bake]

That's a Powermac G4. You have fast 7200 rpm drives you can upgrade. You can upgrade the graphics card. You can take the RAM much higher. You don't have to worry about the battery.

The drive doesn't make much difference. I've got a 40 GB and 60 GB and could go without the 40 GB easily. I only have 1 GB RAM - within the PB's limit. The battery makes no difference.

Errr... Snow Leopard. Already done.

You'd have to run iLife and iWork 06, because the 08's require Tiger, which probably is not going to run so hot.

Safari 3 requires 10.4, so have fun with Safari 2, you will have a lot of compatibility issues.

Flash/YouTube is going to run slow, especially with that Radeon 9000...

For what the poster said he wants to do, it's just not a good idea at all...

So run 10.4. Not a big deal. And a rather large piece if Apple's user base is still on PPC, so we'll still see universal apps for a while.

I'm also running Safari 4 on my PM and I can watch YouTube perfectly, not HD of course, using the stock GeForce2 MX.

 

[InsightsIE]

That's a Powermac G4. You have fast 7200 rpm drives you can upgrade. You can upgrade the graphics card. You can take the RAM much higher. You don't have to worry about the battery.

A Powerbook G4 with a Radeon 9000 and a degrading case is not quite the same thing. Laptops age so much faster than desktops.

Again, I had a Powerbook G4 until two years ago...



Errr... Snow Leopard. Already done.

You'd have to run iLife and iWork 06, because the 08's require Tiger, which probably is not going to run so hot.

Safari 3 requires 10.4, so have fun with Safari 2, you will have a lot of compatibility issues.

Flash/YouTube is going to run slow, especially with that Radeon 9000...

For what the poster said he wants to do, it's just not a good idea at all...



I owned a Titanium 1 ghz. The maintenance on it was hellish. The case was just awful.

(Edit: I see the poster got a 1.25... That's better. I ran Tiger on one of those for a while...)

Actually upto present day the flash protocall relies on cpu

 

[TheShinyMac]

Yea your really 16 http://www.youtube.com/geekofcomedy:mad:

 

[175170]

I never had a speed problem with my iBook G4. Sure, YouTube isn't the greatest, but it's very usable. And you shouldn't be expecting to buy new software for any machine that old.

A $600 MBP, even one of the Rev. A's, should be highly suspect. It's hard to even find MacBooks that low in price.

Funnily enough, I found a rev 1 Black MacBook for 600 on eBay. Battery wasn't working, charger was defective. However, the seller didn't know he had AppleCare, so I called up AppleCare, and got everything fixed.
Hard Drive then died, CPU started making high-pitched noises, called AppleCare, they fixed it.
CPU started making high-pitched noises again, so I called up Consumer Relations, and got a brand new 13" MacBook Pro.

To the OP, that PowerBook seems okay. IMO, a MacBook would've treated you better though.

 

[techfreak85]

Yea your really 16 http://www.youtube.com/geekofcomedy:mad:

ya im not too sure either....Im 16. I dont look like it, but i dont look as young him at '16'. but does it really matter?

 

[lixuelai]

You have the perfect case to get a netbook hackintosh. OSX already sucks for flash, having a lower clocked G4 is just going to make it worse.