anyone still use a ibook g3

[drewdle]

There is no fan in the iBook. There are simply slits on the top-side of the case that allow the hot air to escape. Closing the book would cover these vents.

No fans for the win! And it still only manages to get a bit warm on the underside when playing YouTube in mobile mode. If you put an SSD in the machines, they become completely silent.

Also worth noting, I'm not sure if the video card is partly to blame. Most of the Clamshells didn't even have a video out connector, and when they finally added the feature to the SE models, it was through a composite connector/adapter that you plugged into the headphone jack.

Since we're posting screenshots

 

[MrCheeto]

Youtube?! On a 4xxmhz G3?! Hell, I can just get 360p video to play on Youtube on my PowerBook G4, even in HTML5...

I wish video playback on the older macs was a bit more smooth. It just seems high bitrates destroy playability. I could get about a 3mb/s 4**x3** video to play, but it required the entire CPU =\

Oh well! They still make themselves useful in today's world! Now let's talk about PowerBook G3 users

 

[drewdle]

Youtube?! On a 4xxmhz G3?! Hell, I can just get 360p video to play on Youtube on my PowerBook G4, even in HTML5...

I wish video playback on the older macs was a bit more smooth. It just seems high bitrates destroy playability. I could get about a 3mb/s 4**x3** video to play, but it required the entire CPU =\

Oh well! They still make themselves useful in today's world! Now let's talk about PowerBook G3 users

Here's my dirty little secret: http://www.m.youtube.com

Basically, it's the YouTube page that non-Flash enabled cellular devices use. It launches the videos in either 240 or 360p in a QuickTime Player window. Small and low quality, but it IS YouTube. Think of it as HTML5 but without the HTML5, as it uses the same video formats, it just doesn't play them in the browser window (which of course doesn't work very well).

 

[max¥¥]

damm i should have posted a screenshot of my ibook, but i am playing with my b/w g3 that my friends dad just gave to me

 

[Yaboze]

I have a white 14" G3 ibook 800mhz kicking around still. It works great still and can play Diablo II and the old Starcraft. I have have the airport card in it. It's running 10.4.x I think. It has 640mb.

It's stored away in a dry spot and I haven't turned it on in a looong time.

 

[crazyrog17]

Hey Crazyrog, would you be willing to point me in the direction of a source for the LCD? Is it a rather hit or miss process getting one from an old iBook, or can you order the specific parts from somewhere? I'd love to do that mod to my Clamshell.

LEM Swap google group (low end mac) is a pretty good resource for used mac stuff. Some people on there like to disassemble computers and sell off the parts which is very handy.

I posted a WTB (want to buy) for an LG iBook G4 LCD. LG because there were also LG LCDs used in the Clamshell iBooks and they happened to use the same connectors. I sourced a Clamshell iBook LG display cable (unless your clam's already got an LG panel, take it apart and look at the label to check) and got the LG LCD from LEM Swap. Put them together and did the open firmware patch to change the display family to family2 to support 1024 and I was in business.

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING THOUGH... make sure your iBook has the latest firmware (9.1.4...?). I know you have to have OS 9 to install the firmware which was the biggest PITA in the world because I had all the parts, just couldn't get the firmware installed for the longest time.

Google 'iBook uprez' to get more info. There's a blog that has all the information on it somewhere out there and it also ended up on macnn(?) I believe.

 

[sick70malibu]

I use and I book G3 I actually just got it yesterday but so far so good. I really like it for its simplicity and its dashing good looks
.

 

[XaPHER]

I'm posting from a green FW400 clamshell with 466 mhz

 

[Fmckerjee]

What exactly makes the G3 incompatible for daily use? I need a laptop for generating basic documents, searching the web, streaming, & uploading photos. I like the clamshell for the retro aesthetic, but I'm worried if you can't handle modern capabilities.

 

[Dronecatcher]

What exactly makes the G3 incompatible for daily use? I need a laptop for generating basic documents, searching the web, streaming, & uploading photos. I like the clamshell for the retro aesthetic, but I'm worried if you can't handle modern capabilities.

You just have to choose your software carefully, anything away from the web - if you use software from the period it will work fine. For the web you have to box clever and do a bit of research.
The fastest OS on a Clamshell is OS9, however that will give you a web browser choice of just one and without additional hardware, primitive wifi capabilities.
Moving up to Tiger (OSX 10.4.11) gives you more options and being online is doable but it is slow - so all the criteria you listed can be done (after research) but at a slower pace.
Post again for any specific questions - you will get help.