Blue and White G3 - What to do?

[epicwelshman]

I dug my dad's old blue and white G3 from the attic. I have many fond memories of this thing, but I know that if I even consider using it for regular computing I'll get so frustrated with it's speed (or lack thereof, especially compared to my macbook) that it'll get thrown out of the window.

So the question is, what to do with it? What should I do with this Apple dinosaur?

Thanks

 

[MacsRgr8]

IMHO the G3 Blue & White was the most outstanding Mac of its time...
100 MB ethernet, FireWire, USB, easy-to-access-interior-by-gr8-door, etc. when its predecessor was a grey ugly piece of cr@p.

It's one of those Macs than do it all!!
Your choice:

- Mac OS 8.5.1 - Mac OS 9.2.2
- Mac OS X Server 1.x (Rhapsody)
- Mac OS X Developer Preview 2
- Mac OS X Developer Preview 3
- Mac OS X Developer Preview 4
- Mac OS X Public Beta
- Mac OS X 10.0 (+ server)
- Mac OS X 10.1 (+ server)
- Mac OS X 10.2 (+ server)
- Mac OS X 10.3 (+ server)
- Mac OS X 10.4 (+ server)

I mean... don't throw it away, please..!
Give it some sort of function.... Maybe a small FileServer, FTP Server, NAT, DHCP, DNS..... give it something to do. He'll love you for it.

 

[xraydoc]

Personally I think its lack of gigabit ethernet might limit its ability to function well as a photo server or file server with decent performance. But, using it as an iTunes music server (music files are nice and small), mail server (if you run your own domain) or print server (connect multiple printers to it and tuck it under a desk, turn on printer sharing) wont overtask the 100Mbit ethernet.

 

[Firefly2002]

It's really weird to hear it called a "dinosaur". The things came out when I was, I guess, 12, but it feels like yesterday... I remember being in some computer class and the teacher calling the computers we were using- Mac Pluses (LOL, they were all replaced by iMacs the next year) "dinosaurs." My memory's weird like that though, I don't consider anything that happened less than 10 years ago to be "a long time ago," even though it's about half my life.

Believe me, the difference between your MacBook Pro and the B&W G3 in speed is nothing compared to the diff between the B&W and an 8-bit 8 MHz Mac Plus with 4 MB RAM.

Actually, funny thing.... college I'm at right now has 20" iMac Core 2s.. and I can't wait to get home to my beige g3. Don't ask why, I just like it a lot better. I'm getting a new MacBook Pro soon to replace my 1.6 GHz Toshiba lappy.... and I'm sure I'll still prefer the Beige to the MacBook.

They're good computers, not really dinosaurs.

 

[epicwelshman]

Ok, so the Blue&White is up and running, and the CD drive even works (I thought it didn't, but I must have been confusing it with the graphite G4 that blew up).

Anyway, it has a 6gig hard drive and 128MB of RAM. What can I do with it? Also, it doesn't have a DVD drive. How can I get OSX on it?

I do want to use it, but what can I do with it?

 

[Yaris]

If I were you, I'd throw a larger drive in there and use it as a media/ftp server.

 

[Chaos123x]

My B&W is upgraded with a G4 Processor and runs Tiger great.

What do I use it for?

A decoration in my Editing Suite where my Mac Pro is


But it's makes a great internet browsing machine, word processor, and can even run photoshop pretty damn good.

But I have a 8-core Mac Pro, two 1.67ghz Powerbooks, and a Intel Imac.

So I don't turn it on, but it looks really cool.

 

[epicwelshman]

My B&W is upgraded with a G4 Processor and runs Tiger great.

What do I use it for?

A decoration in my Editing Suite where my Mac Pro is


But it's makes a great internet browsing machine, word processor, and can even run photoshop pretty damn good.

But I have a 8-core Mac Pro, two 1.67ghz Powerbooks, and a Intel Imac.

So I don't turn it on, but it looks really cool.

I am considering using it as decoration I'd put OSX on there but I'd rather not spend more money on RAM and it doesn't have a DVD drive, so...

I just have such great memories of the machine that I can't throw it away!

 

[THX1139]

So the question is, what to do with it? What should I do with this Apple dinosaur?

That's easy. Put it back in the attic where it belongs. Digging up the past is never a good thing.

 

[disconap]

IMHO the G3 Blue & White was the most outstanding Mac of its time...
100 MB ethernet, FireWire, USB, easy-to-access-interior-by-gr8-door, etc. when its predecessor was a grey ugly piece of cr@p.

It's one of those Macs than do it all!!
Your choice:

- Mac OS 8.5.1 - Mac OS 9.2.2
- Mac OS X Server 1.x (Rhapsody)
- Mac OS X Developer Preview 2
- Mac OS X Developer Preview 3
- Mac OS X Developer Preview 4
- Mac OS X Public Beta
- Mac OS X 10.0 (+ server)
- Mac OS X 10.1 (+ server)
- Mac OS X 10.2 (+ server)
- Mac OS X 10.3 (+ server)
- Mac OS X 10.4 (+ server)

I mean... don't throw it away, please..!
Give it some sort of function.... Maybe a small FileServer, FTP Server, NAT, DHCP, DNS..... give it something to do. He'll love you for it.

Plus several Unix and Linux builds that will outperform any of those. I have a b/w running an older build of Ubuntu server that we use as an isolated server for database and bookkeeping here in the office. Works like a charm, runs great, and didn't cost me anything to do as it was just laying around...

 

[disconap]

Ok, so the Blue&White is up and running, and the CD drive even works (I thought it didn't, but I must have been confusing it with the graphite G4 that blew up).

Anyway, it has a 6gig hard drive and 128MB of RAM. What can I do with it? Also, it doesn't have a DVD drive. How can I get OSX on it?

I do want to use it, but what can I do with it?

More RAM (get 4 256mb PC100, super cheap these days, and max it out to a gig) and a bigger HDD (check ebay, IDE drives are kinda pricey new these days). Actually, PM me if you want a couple more drives, I have a pair of 10gb stock G4 drives that will work fine in that that I'd let go for really cheap.

I may have some PC100 sticks if you don't care about size and just want to up the RAM and use the slots, and I can test them in mine. Let me know if you're interested and I'll dig them up.

As for other upgrades, you can put SATA drives in there for about $50 with a PCI sata card, but it's really only worth it for the lower price/higher capacity (the b/w will only recognize drives up to 128GB) of SATA drives, as the bus will bottleneck you and you won't get the most out of the SATA interface. Still, it might actually end up being cheaper than using standard PATA drives...

As for what to do with it, I suggest Jaguar or Panther and a tv interface and you have your own b/w Tivo...

 

[Cox Orange]

... (the b/w will only recognize drives up to 128GB)...

There is another way to overcome the 128GB limit, other than software-hacking or installing PCI-cards! Apple reports it itself!

I know this thread is old, but maybe this additional info will help someone searching for it later, so I would like to share a link with you:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2544?viewlocale=en_US

I am German and I do not know whether I have understood everything under this link, but as far as I got it, it says:

There are to ways:

1. you have a mac that already supports drives larger than 128GB (or 137GB respectively), which is Macs from until June 2002. (Beware there are some Quicksilver Models that do support it and some don't, due to Apple using other parts in one model it seems.)

2. If not:
a) install an OS X, higher than 10.2 and you can utilize a bigger harddrive
b) For OS 9 Users, they should use OS 9.2.2 and make partitions of not more than 200GB each. (Example, if you have a 320GB HDD make one with 200GB and one with 120GB)

(if you have lets say OS 9.2.1 installed and use a 160GB HDD it will use the drive, but somewhen it will write out of the 128GB space and the drive will get problems. (concerning the last point I got an answer from hitachi, they confirmed that the computer will somewhen start writing in places over the 128GB and will get problems including not booting, corrupted data). You will not notice that in the beginning of use.

PS: I am crossposting, 'cause this is still not familiar to most people and it saves one from buying expensive PCI-cards or messing up your computer by hacking or buying several 120GB drives, which are priced high on EBay, because many people do not know this and there are Win-people who have the LBA45 problem, still.

 

[max¥¥]

There is another way to overcome the 128GB limit, other than software-hacking or installing PCI-cards! Apple reports it itself!

I know this thread is old, but maybe this additional info will help someone searching for it later, so I would like to share a link with you:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2544?viewlocale=en_US

I am German and I do not know whether I have understood everything under this link, but as far as I got it, it says:

There are to ways:

1. you have a mac that already supports drives larger than 128GB (or 137GB respectively), which is Macs from until June 2002. (Beware there are some Quicksilver Models that do support it and some don't, due to Apple using other parts in one model it seems.)

2. If not:
a) install an OS X, higher than 10.2 and you can utilize a bigger harddrive
b) For OS 9 Users, they should use OS 9.2.2 and make partitions of not more than 200GB each. (Example, if you have a 320GB HDD make one with 200GB and one with 120GB)

(if you have lets say OS 9.2.1 installed and use a 160GB HDD it will use the drive, but somewhen it will write out of the 128GB space and the drive will get problems. (concerning the last point I got an answer from hitachi, they confirmed that the computer will somewhen start writing in places over the 128GB and will get problems including not booting, corrupted data). You will not notice that in the beginning of use.

PS: I am crossposting, 'cause this is still not familiar to most people and it saves one from buying expensive PCI-cards or messing up your computer by hacking or buying several 120GB drives, which are priced high on EBay, because many people do not know this and there are Win-people who have the LBA45 problem, still.

hmm... thats strange my g4 quicksilver (2001) running osx 10.4 can only see 128gb of it's 160gb hdd (so there is no way to format the full drive).

Anyway, what i would do with the g3 is turn it into some sort of fileserver, if you want a very easy way to overcome the 128gb drive limit install linux (i chose ubuntu 10.04) and throw in a pc sata card (becuse linux isn't limited to using mac sata cards) Note. ubuntu 10.04 isn't easy to get on the g3, i can help you if you need though

 

[Cox Orange]

I was informed by member zen.state, that I got this apple note wrong. He says it only says, that if you have a Mac that can hold more than 128GB, you have to have an OS higher than 10.2.8 installed. So, I apologize. (but I find the apple note not very clearly understandable...).

I also was warned by Hitachi not to use a 160GB Drive in a computer with 128GB limit, cause it will start data corruption over the time. There will be files necessary for startup, that will sometime be written in the area above 128GB and the computer will not start anymore, one day.

 

[zen.state]

B&W G3 + SATA PCI card + modern, cheap, fast and large SATA drives = a great file server. I recommend the FirmTek SATA cards. They work seamlessly on 10.2+ and cost about $70. The Sonnet SATA cards are also made by FirmTek so buying one of them is the same.

Also, any B&W G3 can be overclocked by 50MHz without issue. All you need is 5-6 hard drive jumpers and this info.

50MHz isn't much on it's own but when you're computing in the 300-450MHz range the extra 50 is noticeable. Also clean the old thermal paste and add new paste. The thermal paste and jumpers combined should be under $10.