a few older Mac's

[AlphaTech]

I just picked up a FREE PowerMac G3 all in one system (233MHz) and will be picking up a second one tomorrow. The second one is marked as not working, but I will be taking it apart to see where the problem is. If it's anything exept the logic board, I will be able to repair it (fairly easily and for not too much green). I'm thinking of upgrading the one known good system to a G4 chipset (via upgrade), cranking the RAM to the max (768MB) as well as installing a 100Mbps network card and adding a FireWire/USB card. I'm also considering installing a larger hard drive (I think it has a 4GB drive now). I'm also debating upgrading the video card, depends on if that will be worth the effort or not. I could increase the VRAM to give the internal display some more umpf.

By the time I'm done, this should be a fairly decent system for some uses, and will be able to run OS X.

Anyone have any suggested uses for it??

I might be offering the other system for sale, depending on what I find is the problem, and if it can be fixed or not. I hope it's a fairly easy repair, so that I can do something with it. Would anyone be interested in the second system?? If it's just the processor that is the problem, I will be able to install the one from the good one, once I upgrade it. These systems use PC66/100 low profile memory chips, which can still be found and for not a lot of money. The one I have here now, as the cd-rom, floppy and zip drive installed (at least it looks like it, I won't know until I open it up).

 

[AlphaTech]

suggestions for use of either system?

Provided I get both all-in-one's up and running, does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do with them?? I'm thinking about also giving them both a PCI WiFi card so that I can place them anywhere and allow them to go online. I might consider allowing them to run the folding at home software, just to put them to good use... heh

Any other recommendations??

Oh, I'm thinking of installing the Sonnet card that has FireWire, USB (1.1 and 2.0) as well as two ATA133 ports into the system(s). Along with a faster ethernet connection, it would leave one more PCI slot open that I could use for WiFi. That is, unless I do away with the 100Mb ethernet and just go WiFi with them.

hmmmmmmm, decisions, decisions, decisions... any suggestions??? heh

 

[wsteineker]

You could use one as a fileserver. I'd personally love a machine like that to use as my personal web server, as I'm currently building a site that I'm looking to host out of my home. Slap Yellow Dog Linux on a machine like that and you've got an instant low cost and fast enough server for light web service. Just stick it in a closet and set the display to sleep and boom...smaller form factor than a tower and a seperate monitor, and I dare imagine it'd be quiter to boot.

 

[RandomDeadHead]

Teach me how to install os 9 on it.

I picked one just like it at a school auction recently and gave it to my mother. Recenly she has taken a likeing to one of the "all in one" printers. The one she want calls for os 9 but try as I might I can not get os 9 to install from any of my power mac, iMac, iBook, os9 install discs. It says that it is an unsupported computer. Right now its got os 8.6, and I have maxed out the ram. Its very frustrating.

Doesnt realy matter though, she is 68 and rarely uses the thing. But it still would be nice.

 

[AlphaTech]

RandomDeadHead, have you updated the firmware to the latest version on the computer? That could be the problem right there. All the information I have found (from Mactracker as well as Apple's database) indicate it will take OS 9 as well as OS X. How much memory does yours have, or the one for your grandmother?

wsteineker, IF I was to install Linux, I'd go with OS X instead. I've had piss-poor luck with any Linux distribution for the Mac.

I checked late last night, the zip drive slot is just that, the space for one. What I thought was the drive opening is a solid, dark, plate to cover the openening. I MIGHT get a zip drive for it, but I'd rather install a cdrw drive instead. That is, once I have the OS installed and everything else as well. This will probably be a good project to keep me busy at least for a little while. The one that is marked as not functioning could be a challenge, depending on what is the actual problem with it.

I wonder how loud these systems are... I might see if my sister will take one for her kids... so that they can learn on it as well as their home pc (an old compaq poc).

As for file serving, I have a pc for that. I typically just back up my files to either cd or FireWire drives, but occasionally, I need to move some files to the pc. It's a snap to connect to the shared folder on it (it's running win2k) from my TiBook (with OS X.2.4). I'll be rebuilding the pc over the next week or two, since I sold some rather important parts from it (motherboard, cpu and memory) to my cousin. He needed those parts fast, and the earliest I would have been able to get new parts to him would have been about mid-week. He didn't need the fastest stuff, since they are just going into his server. He intends to remove windows from it and install Linux as soon as possible.

Any other suggestions for the G3 all-in-one system(s)??

 

[alset]

If you're bored you could explore setting up other types of servers just for fun. Maybe IRC?

Dan

 

[boskie]

Originally posted by alset
If you're bored you could explore setting up other types of servers just for fun. Maybe IRC?

Dan

or hotline/carracho...

You could add a ATI Radeon 7000 PCI card and make it a TV/Media workstation hooked up to a tv/Hi-fi. Replace the internal cd-rom drive as it is slow (20x) and very noisey - mine sounds like a bloody lawn mower when it starts reading the disc, with a internal dvd-rom. Add Wi-fi as you say and stream your movies/mp3's to it and thus straight to the tv.

 

[AlphaTech]

boskie, I'll check out the 24x cd-rom when I power the thing up.

As for media streaming, puhlease... I have a dvd attached to my tv as it stands, so "streaming" to my tv would be a waste of money. For mp3's, I have my iPod.

Now, if there was a way to [easily] wirelessly stream my cable tv signal TO the all-in-one Mac, I'd consider it. That way, I could have one in the kitchen for when I was cooking and wanted to keep watching the show... heh

I'm already considering replacing the internal cd-rom with a combo drive, IF I can get one for a decent price that will work with it. I suppose that I could get one or two and if they don't work, use them in other systems... heh