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Going the mSATA Route in my PowerBook G4
- Thread starter sawpits
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As far as I'm aware, as long as the adapter is correct, none. When I installed mine, it was as simple as plug it in and install the OS.
I did a CCC block level clone to a DMG via TDM to my Quad.
Once I had the adapter and drive in, I put the PB in TDM again and used CCC again to block level clone back to the mSATA.
I had zero issues. Mac booted right up like normal.
Once you install the drive the only issue you should face is not ever being able to stand using a PB with a spinning drive ever again!
I have two 15in Alu G4s, I fitted an SSD to the first one years ago, a Samsung **IDE** SSD (that long ago!) and it was the best thing I ever did to the PB, recently it started having DC board issues so I bought another one to tide me over while I find a DC board and fix it, and having to go back to one with a 5400rpm drive is torture by comparison.
So I've bought an mSATA card and an IDE to M2 adapter to convert this one too ;-)
I'm putting an mSATA in an iBook G4 tomorrow, alongside adding a SuperDrive and replacing the top keyboard bezel. Though I look forward to the end-result, I do not look forward to the process whatsoever.
Afterward, I'm going to see if I can somehow get Fienix running on the thing.
Wish me luck, all.
Afterward, I'm going to see if I can somehow get Fienix running on the thing.
Wish me luck, all.
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As much as I also hate working on the iBook series, at least we can replace individual components unlike 2013+ Macs...
Even still, there remains soldered RAM, GPUs, CPUs... Hey, there's a reason as to why I prefer workstations.
Did I mention I have to open up a PowerBook G4 12 at the same time because I want to put its SuperDrive in the iBook? Personally, I see those as worse to service than the iBooks. The battery compartment screws are horrible.
I would agree with you on the 12" PB. I broke several parts the first time around with my wife's old 12". The 15" and 17" PowerBooks though are much easier.Even still, there remains soldered RAM, GPUs, CPUs... Hey, there's a reason as to why I prefer workstations.
Did I mention I have to open up a PowerBook G4 12 at the same time because I want to put its SuperDrive in the iBook? Personally, I see those as worse to service than the iBooks. The battery compartment screws are horrible.
I'm no fan of the iBook though, especially when every time you try to work inside them it feels like something is going to snap off.
Okay, I get the "Idiot of the Year" award.
Opened up both notebooks expecting to transfer something, and ended up discovering the two optical drives use different connectors to the logic board. One a proprietary piece that physically clicks, and another being a ribbon cable.
Amusingly enough, that was the only component I did not research, so now I have a 12" PowerBook open for very little reason.
Have not tried installing the mSATA yet. Hopefully, all goes well.
I deserve TWO Idiot of the Year awards.
Opened up both notebooks expecting to transfer something, and ended up discovering the two optical drives use different connectors to the logic board. One a proprietary piece that physically clicks, and another being a ribbon cable.
Amusingly enough, that was the only component I did not research, so now I have a 12" PowerBook open for very little reason.
Have not tried installing the mSATA yet. Hopefully, all goes well.
I deserve TWO Idiot of the Year awards.
Well, I'm in the same club. When I added my mSATA to my A1013 I merrily tore the connector off the optical drive ribbon because I had some stupid idea that it was causing my noise issue (when I booted for the first time). It wasn't, it was something else and now I have no functioning optical drive until I replace the ribbon cable with one from the garage. Just haven't gotten to it yet.
Of course the optical drive was functioning perfectly before that, so, yeah. I'm an idiot too.
Can't you just swap the ODD connectors over? AFAIK, optical drives from the PowerBook G4 and iBook era used a standard "Slim ATAPI" connection.
I did not know that. Though to be fair, in order to properly remove the optical drive from the PowerBook, you need to strip the machine down to the bone.
It also has a newly failed DC-In board, so you'd need to do the same thing to replace it. Neither task I am willing to do for the end result, which will always be a slower, hot running portable in (in my case) poor condition.
In other news... I got the iBook back together and made SURE to test the mSATA's connection before reassembling. But there are problems.
1. The original keyboard bezel had a faulty left speaker, and a non-perfect right speaker connection. The replacement I bought was stated to be in full-working order, and...it still has a faulty left speaker, which means the signal coming from the computer is bad, and I wasted my money. Plus, the "full working order" replacement came with a trackpad that requires you to push farther than the initial "click" to register. The original trackpad did not have this issue.
2. While testing if the machine recognized the mSATA before it was reassembled, the fan would not spin. I'm not sure if this is some kind of precautionary measure (with questionable logic) as a result of one of the bezel's plugs not being seen by the system, but after it was reassembled, Apple Service Diagnostic did confirm the fan functionally works, but I have not heard or felt any air being blown out the back, though I did not put it under any heavy loads yet.
My local AASP fixes PowerPC Macs and has a collection of them (or at least they did 2 years ago) for spare part purposes. I'm going to ask them if they have any 15" PowerBook G4s (what I should have gotten in the first place instead of bothering with this 12" stuff) in the back in exchange for the 2 12" notebooks. They know us, and we've given them a lot of business in the past, so I wouldn't call it unlikely they'll agree. Wish me luck.
But that's a direction for the coming week... I've got a (normal) SSD (Crucial BX500) in a laptop that isn't being used, and I'd like to know how it feels about being in a G5.
Update: It feels great about being in a G5.
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