Got myself a PowerBook G4!

[KawaiiAurora]

Hey,

On Friday, I got a PowerBook G4 17" and I'm very happy about it :3

Specs are as follows:

1GHz G4
1.5GB DDR RAM
Geforce 4 MX 64MB
AirPort Extreme
160GB HDD
1440x900 17" screen

The price, in my opinion at least, was quite decent at roughly $55 in my local currency considering that finding old Macs locally is a very painful business.. Ironically, it was from a foreigner who came to live here recently so I think they spent more tax on bringing it over since it weighs in at 3kg than profit they made on selling it to me xD I'm overall very happy with it after restoring a stripped down Leopard image for PowerPC I downloaded a few years back.

Only issue I have with it is Linux.. Ubuntu MATE 16.04 booted from my pen drive once but then it didn't boot :/ I get an i2c-powermac issue (modalias failed) and it stays there.. It happened after I rebooted and split the main partition into 3 partitions (120GB for OS X, 25GB for Linux, 4GB for swap). Anyone have an idea why it's not booting?

Thanks,
Aurora!

 

[pochopsp]

One of the best looking laptops ever! I'm happy for you

As regards your Linux problem, if you have a working CD/DVD burner so I'd say burn a Linux iso on a CD/DVD. I once installed Ubuntu 12 from a pen drive but it wasn't easy and got a lot of errors before managing to install it. A CD/DVD won't give you all these problems.

 

[KawaiiAurora]

One of the best looking laptops ever! I'm happy for you

As regards your Linux problem, if you have a working CD/DVD burner so I'd say burn a Linux iso on a CD/DVD. I once installed Ubuntu 12 from a pen drive but it wasn't easy and got a lot of errors before managing to install it. A CD/DVD won't give you all these problems.

My Lubuntu 16.04/14.0.4.5 has the same issue... Heh, thanks It doesn't even have a dent :O

 

[eyoungren]

Congratulations!!!!

You have the A1013, the very first PowerBook that attracted me to Apple and the one I currently have.

It's the only 17" PB that does NOT have USB 2.0 (can be fixed with a PC card) but DOES have L3 cache.

Welcome to Club 17!

 

[KawaiiAurora]

Congratulations!!!!

You have the A1013, the very first PowerBook that attracted me to Apple and the one I currently have.

It's the only 17" PB that does NOT have USB 2.0 (can be fixed with a PC card) but DOES have L3 cache.

Welcome to Club 17!

Thanks Thought Club 17 was only for DLSD owners ;P

Yas, I know about the USB 1.1 :/ It's very painful lol What can ya do with PC cards? Can ya suggest me a cheap USB 2.0 card off ebay? (Or do all work?)

Thanks!

 

[eyoungren]

Thanks Thought Club 17 was only for DLSD owners ;P

Yas, I know about the USB 1.1 :/ It's very painful lol What can ya do with PC cards? Can ya suggest me a cheap USB 2.0 card off ebay? (Or do all work?)

Thanks!

I use the AKE BC168. It's got two USB ports and it fits flush to the case (does not stick out).

For me, it's more of a permanent solution type thing so if you plan to use the PC card slot for a lot of different cards you may wish to find a different card.

But I know this one works.

Here is an auction on eBay to show you what it looks like. Less than $7 USD.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Laptop-...power-cable-/112069788367?hash=item1a17e142cf

MODS!!! Not my auction!

PS. Club 17 is for ALL models of 17" PowerBook plus the Aluminum series MBPs.

 

[KawaiiAurora]

I use the AKE BC168. It's got two USB ports and it fits flush to the case (does not stick out).

For me, it's more of a permanent solution type thing so if you plan to use the PC card slot for a lot of different cards you may wish to find a different card.

But I know this one works.

Here is an auction on eBay to show you what it looks like. Less than $7 USD.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Laptop-...power-cable-/112069788367?hash=item1a17e142cf

MODS!!! Not my auction!

PS. Club 17 is for ALL models of 17" PowerBook plus the Aluminum series MBPs.

Thanks! Went ahead and bought it It's not like I'll be able to live with USB 1.1 ports on a laptop that I'll use a lot anyway.

 

[eyoungren]

Thanks! Went ahead and bought it It's not like I'll be able to live with USB 1.1 ports on a laptop that I'll use a lot anyway.

Cool! Glad I could help.

The benefit is that it gives you two more USB ports, leaving the 1.1 ports free for non-important stuff like printers and scanners that don't really need full 2.0 support.

You'll like the card. It's sleek and because it sits flush just becomes part of the PowerBook.

 

[KawaiiAurora]

Cool! Glad I could help.

The benefit is that it gives you two more USB ports, leaving the 1.1 ports free for non-important stuff like printers and scanners that don't really need full 2.0 support.

You'll like the card. It's sleek and because it sits flush just becomes part of the PowerBook.

Yeps Went ahead and bought a 1GB RAM stick too, 2GB is better than 1.5GB for Leopard (and Linux). Very happy with the machine and its looks are just.. awesome

 

[1042686]

Congrats. That's a great looking laptop. I am on the hunt for one too but my PBg4 fund went to a diesel glowplug relay instead

There's always next month

 

[eyoungren]

I know a few users here are partial to the HD-DLSD (A1139) but I've always been fond of the 1Ghz model (A1013). I think, being the first 17" PB that Apple ever made there was something extra special about it. The later models refined the 17" series, but characterwise there's just something I really like about that first model.

Maybe it's just because it was my first ever eBay Apple purchase, IDK. But just how I feel about it.

 

[bobesch]

Cool! Glad I could help.

The benefit is that it gives you two more USB ports, leaving the 1.1 ports free for non-important stuff like printers and scanners that don't really need full 2.0 support.

You'll like the card. It's sleek and because it sits flush just becomes part of the PowerBook.

Great idea about the two extra USB-ports!!! - Made me go and get a card like that for my 15" PB too.
A lot of PCMCIA-card stuff/extensions did actually become obsolete and except this great idea about a USB2.0-card I can only think of memory-card-adapters to be an enhancement for the Powerbook. It would be great, if an mSATA-PCMCIA-adapter would exist...

 

[KawaiiAurora]

Congrats. That's a great looking laptop. I am on the hunt for one too but my PBg4 fund went to a diesel glowplug relay instead

There's always next month

Let me tell ya, once you get a PowerBook G4 17" you won't regret it lol Heck, it even suits me for day to day tasks. Never thought a PowerPC mac would be fine as my main computer haha

 

[eyoungren]

Let me tell ya, once you get a PowerBook G4 17" you won't regret it lol Heck, it even suits me for day to day tasks. Never thought a PowerPC mac would be fine as my main computer haha

Once you have used the 17", using any other PowerBook size is just torture. Especially if it's the 12" PowerBooks.

You can't really lounge around on the couch with a 17" but it's far more comfortable on the lap. And on a table in a coffee shop like I usually use mine - no comparison!