Granite's iBook G3 Clamshells

[Jkj12]

These machines are fanless and with an SSD completely silent apart from the optical drive. Anything that increases internal heat build up sounds like a bad idea to me.

Having said that, speeds range from 300Mhz to 466Mhz. If the chips are the same and speeds only reflect the clock speed each can run at without falling over then I assume overclocking a 300Mhz up a notch or two might be possible without too many crashes. Others might help you on that as I have never overclocked a PPC machine before.

Ok thx. I guess that a maxed out 466Mhz is the best you can get then. :/

 

[GraniteTheWolf]

Perhaps I should change the title of the thread to "My New iBook G3 Clamshells"

Just bought another one. Its a 466 mhz one, naturally

 

[GraniteTheWolf]

Here are the seller's photos of the 466 iBook:

It has os9 and Panther on it. Since I already have os9 on my tangerine iBook, I plan to just dedicate the whole 466 graphite iBook's hard drive to tiger

 

[Altemose]

Here are the seller's photos of the 466 iBook:
Image

Image

It has os9 and Panther on it. Since I already have os9 on my tangerine iBook, I plan to just dedicate the whole 466 graphite iBook's hard drive to tiger

Beautiful machine! How much did this one run you?

 

[GraniteTheWolf]

Beautiful machine! How much did this one run you?

I got this for $193 with free 2 day priority shipping. 30gb hdd upgrade already done, airport installed, and ram already maxed out at 576mb. Its pretty much ready to install Tiger and go!
Seemed like a good deal considering all other 466 mhz models seem to be asking $240+

I plan to clean it up more and take some proper photos of it with my Tangerine iBook when it comes in

 

[Altemose]

I got this for $193 with free 2 day priority shipping. 30gb hdd upgrade already done, airport installed, and ram already maxed out at 576mb. Its pretty much ready to install Tiger and go!
Seemed like a good deal considering all other 466 mhz models seem to be asking $240+

I plan to clean it up more and take some proper photos of it with my Tangerine iBook when it comes in

As much as I love the older PPC machines, I use what I buy and not as collectible pieces. I couldn't justify that for any G3 even if gold plated

You seem to really enjoy these. They are pretty good machines if you ask me.

 

[GraniteTheWolf]

As much as I love the older PPC machines, I use what I buy and not as collectible pieces. I couldn't justify that for any G3 even if gold plated

You seem to really enjoy these. They are pretty good machines if you ask me.

Updated my thread title, I think its fitting!

Yeah, as far as useability goes they are very limited but something about them really attracts me to them.
I think I am done buying clamshell iBooks now. I got the first one, and now I have the last and most powerful one when it arrives from shipping.
The only thing I may do if I get bored and feel like sticking more money at them is to buy some pata SSDs.

 

[Altemose]

Updated my thread title, I think its fitting!

Yeah, as far as useability goes they are very limited but something about them really attracts me to them.
I think I am done buying clamshell iBooks now. I got the first one, and now I have the last and most powerful one when it arrives from shipping.
The only thing I may do if I get bored and feel like sticking more money at them is to buy some pata SSDs.

I use all of my machines all at different times.

PowerMac G5: Daily Driver Desktop
MacBook Pro: Daily Driver Laptop
PowerBook G4 15": Dedicated Coding Machine
PowerBook G4 15": Still Deciding on a Purpose
ThinkPad T60: Windows XP .Net Development PC
Dell Latitude D630: Older MS Office and Visual Basic 6 Projects
iBook G3 900 MHz: Audacity Recordings of Chapel Services
HP Chromebook 11: Forum Machine on the Go
iPad Mini: Media Consumption
G4 QuickSilver: Yearbook Rig

and many more. I can't justify adding another G3 into this unless it was a B&W PowerMac G3. That being said, I always wanted a graphite iBook G3 and maybe will get one soon. A few months ago I saw a lady working on a lime one at the library.

 

[GraniteTheWolf]

Yeah I like to think I have a specific use for each of my computers as well. I can name good uses for each with the exception of the last two.

2012 6-core mac pro - Primary desktop/gaming rig/video or photo editing rig.
2010 15" macbook pro - Daily driver laptop
Alienware Area-51 M7700 D9T - Retro gaming rig windows XP and older.
Core 2 Duo mini-dell - HTPC / Retro arcade front-end
iMac G4 1.25 17" - 3rd Monitor for chatting, music, or looking things up when Desktop is busy.
iBook Clamshell Tangerine - My only Os9 & Osx combo machine, really just a toy...
iBook Clamshell Graphite - Just a more powerful toy of mentioned above, only to have OSX Tiger.

Ideally I should sell my Tangerine iBook since the Graphite can do everything it can do only much better. I just don't think I can let it go though since its a great condition, original run iBook.

Guess I can be called a collector on some very small scale for having 2 computers I essentially cant make purposeful. Nostalgia is a hell of a thing

 

[Altemose]

Yeah I like to think I have a specific use for each of my computers as well. I can name good uses for each with the exception of the last two.

2012 6-core mac pro - Primary desktop/gaming rig/video or photo editing rig.
2010 15" macbook pro - Daily driver laptop
Alienware Area-51 M7700 D9T - Retro gaming rig windows XP and older.
Core 2 Duo mini-dell - HTPC / Retro arcade front-end
iMac G4 1.25 17" - 3rd Monitor for chatting, music, or looking things up when Desktop is busy.
iBook Clamshell Tangerine - My only Os9 & Osx combo machine, really just a toy...
iBook Clamshell Graphite - Just a more powerful toy of mentioned above, only to have OSX Tiger.

Ideally I should sell my Tangerine iBook since the Graphite can do everything it can do only much better. I just don't think I can let it go though since its a great condition, original run iBook.

Guess I can be called a collector on some very small scale for having 2 computers I essentially cant make purposeful. Nostalgia is a hell of a thing

The only reason I even bothered with the iBook from RedCroissant a few months ago was because I knew I could use it. It actually runs pretty well in the scheme of things.

 

[weckart]

I got this for $193 with free 2 day priority shipping. 30gb hdd upgrade already done, airport installed, and ram already maxed out at 576mb. Its pretty much ready to install Tiger and go!
Seemed like a good deal considering all other 466 mhz models seem to be asking $240+

I plan to clean it up more and take some proper photos of it with my Tangerine iBook when it comes in

That is crazy money. They go for a lot less in the UK. Graphite seems to be the least popular colour. Specs seem to be irrelevant here when attracting bids.

 

[Cox Orange]

... $193 ...

obscene.


EDIT:

... Seemed like a good deal considering all other 466 mhz models seem to be asking $240+
...

Even without looking, I guessed, that this is for crazy "buy-it-now" fantasy asking prices. Oh, and I was right. If you go for auctions, the real price is 50-80USD depending on coulor, and your's is not even in like-new condition.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/Computers-T...ok+G3+clamshell&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc

I mean, I don't want to make you to feel sad, because you were robbed... I am just saying this for education of other people that are interested in buying a clamshell. (PS: even in Europe, where there are much less clamshells around on Ebay, the asking price is arround 50-100.)

 

[JohnnyH1012]

It is funny how so many ebay users either want to scam those looking for a macintosh or genuinely have no idea that their old macs are not worth that much. Honestly, I got my snow iBook g3 for $20, including shipping.

 

[Ih8reno]

Price may be high to us but the value is in the eye of the buyer. I have spent some cash getting my collection and to some people it wasn't worth it but to me it was an investment in my hobby. Take my Power Mac G5 Quad, I spent $50 on it and then as a gift I got an $80 ssd to speed up the system. Most people wouldn't agree with the ssd as its considered obsolete by Apple but to me it was worth every penny. Enjoy your laptops!

 

[GraniteTheWolf]

Even without looking, I guessed, that this is for crazy "buy-it-now" fantasy asking prices. Oh, and I was right. If you go for auctions, the real price is 50-80USD depending on coulor, and your's is not even in like-new condition.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/Computers-T...ok+G3+clamshell&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc

Add the numbers 466 after your search there:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...+466&_nkw=ibook+G3+clamshell+466&_sacat=58058

You will see that my buying price is about right in the upper-middle. All those cheaper ones you are finding are not the special edition 466 mhz model. They are mostly 366 and 300mhz models coming up.

Its a lot to pay, yes, but I feel I didnt get "robbed" at all. When searching for what I baught, you HAVE to make sure its a 466 MHZ special edition otherwise prices will seem way off balance.
As far as condition goes for the one I bought, it looks good in the photos- despite the photos being rather poor. If I were to guess its in the same or better condition then my current Tangerine iBook, and I am perfectly ok with that.

It is funny how so many ebay users either want to scam those looking for a macintosh or genuinely have no idea that their old macs are not worth that much. Honestly, I got my snow iBook g3 for $20, including shipping.

You also cant compare a clamshell g3 to a white g3 of any kind. Apples to oranges there. People seem to give the white ones away for almost nothing these days!
Thanks for trying to look out for people. That is understandable, completely. I purchased the least expensive one that I felt would make me happy and also would not be a beat up machine like some of the really low priced ones.

These laptops clean up really easy by the way. My tangerine one posted a couple pages back had a lot of "scuffs" and "scratches" that actually cleaned off the machine. People didnt call them tough for nothing

 

[Cox Orange]

I still like the orange one better colour wise.
How did you get off the scuffs and scratches? Looks great!

----
on the graphite 466:
sorry, I am a nit-picker
Here 38,-USD, missing AC-adapter, battery unstable, 10GB HDD (you get a 30GB IDE HDD for 5,-EUR, don't know for what they go over there), 100MB RAM, but with airport card http://www.ebay.com/itm/Applei-Book...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
here 49,-USD with power supply etc. (no word about signs of wear) http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-iBook...tage_Computers_Mainframes&hash=item3a96268606
102,-USD with "great condition" in the title (battery doesn't hold charge) http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-ibook...01263533?pt=Apple_Laptops&hash=item3392810ead
99,-USD 60GB HDD, AC-adapter has to be slightly twisted http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-iBook...87830231?pt=Apple_Laptops&hash=item1c43474bd7
132,-USD bad description http://www.ebay.com/itm/apple-clams...83372103?pt=Apple_Laptops&hash=item4183c18547

It is interesting that the one with the bad description got the highest price.
Yours came with airport and maxed out RAM, as well as AC-adapter and a battery that still hold charge, right? (If I am correct, the SO-Dimm RAMs you need there are expensive, if you buy them seperately so you may have saved some money over the ones that are offered with 320MB.)

As far as condition goes for the one I bought, it looks good in the photos- despite the photos being rather poor.

what are the white dots in the grey area on the top case?

 

[weckart]

It is interesting that the one with the bad description got the highest price.
Yours came with airport and maxed out RAM, as well as AC-adapter and a battery that still hold charge, right? (If I am correct, the SO-Dimm RAMs you need there are expensive, if you buy them seperately so you may have saved some money over the ones that are offered with 320MB.)

what are the white dots in the grey area on the top case?

A 512MB sodimm costs about £5-£7, if you are prepared to wait for shipping from China/HK. Nothing money. Airport card was another £4.50. I could have haggled on that one but thought it was cheap enough since it was shipped locally for free.

I found an aftermarket battery for my 466 for £21 on Amazon UK. The largest expense was £25 for a 64GB SSD because I wanted a silent computer. The design of the clamshell means it will amplify HD noises.

It doesn't have to be expensive to spec one of these up if you are prepared to look and wait a little for the best prices. And live in the UK.

I have noticed that unless you are prepared to settle for a beaten up Clamshell that prices on eBay.com tend to be a lot higher, especially from those dealers who strip out the white panels from the earlier Clamshells to make them translucent. They do look cool, though.

 

[GraniteTheWolf]

what are the white dots in the grey area on the top case?

I'm leaning towards those dots are a camera ISO problem from the bad lighting/bad photos in general. Otherwise if it is something on the rubber, they certainly are not scuffs or scratches so they will clean off. Hell, I'll be able to clean it up and make it look almost brand new like I did my orange one

I also want to add- Yeah the 466 I bought includes a new battery, airport card, yoyo charger, 30gb hdd, and maxed out ram.

This was honestly the best "Buy it now" deal I could find at the time without settling for something less and more beatup.

Again, we all will have to wait until I receive it in the mail so I can clean it up and take proper pictures.

 

[Cox Orange]

A 512MB sodimm costs about £5-£7, if you are prepared to wait for shipping from China/HK. Nothing money.*1 ...

It doesn't have to be expensive to spec one of these up if you are prepared to look and wait a little for the best prices. And live in the UK.*2

I have noticed that unless you are prepared to settle for a beaten up Clamshell that prices on eBay.com tend to be a lot higher*3, especially from those dealers who strip out the white panels from the earlier Clamshells to make them translucent. They do look cool, though.

1. OK, then... Last time I looked was 4 years ago, when I was searching 256MB 66/100MHz SO-Dimms for an iMac G3 tray-loader (yes, they use SO-dimms), it was 20-25,-EUR in auctions at the time and I mean they had been obsolete tech long since at the time already. You got 64MB sticks for 1,-EUR, though and there seemed to be plenty.

2. OK, then my impression wasn't that wrong.

3. I wonder why this is so in the US, since in the EU the supply with used Macs (even Clamshells) is much lower.

 

[GraniteTheWolf]

Its here... and its in WAY better shape then the seller's photos portrayed. Much better condition then my Tangerine one and the hinge feels perfect on it! (I had to oil the hinge on my tangerine one, was way too tight)

Little teaser:

I'll take proper photos of it later.

Currently setting up Tiger and transferring over some stuff from my Tangerine iBook

Seems like its noticeably faster then my Tangerine one as well.

 

[weckart]

The only thing I could never get to work on mine was video out. I have an appropriate Apple cable and the iBook recognises it when inserted and provides all the TV resolutions in the Displays Pref Pane; however, I cannot get a signal on any LCD TV. I have tried on the two I have at home.

 

[GraniteTheWolf]

Snapped a few pictures today!

My Graphite 466 isn't perfect, but is in excellent useable condition

 

[GraniteTheWolf]

Whoops, I screwed up my Graphite's OS.

I entered a line of code to disable the dashboard so I could use a program called Spark to add a few key functions to the blank F-keys on top of the keyboard.

Ever since I disabled Dashboard and replaced the f12 key with the disc eject key, it has caused the trackpad and/or mouse movement to get interrupted randomly. I can run my finger in circles and the mouse will start and pause, start again for a bit and pause. Just be very unresponsive.

I ran the opposing command to turn Dashboard back on and it still does it. I can make the mouse function again by hitting f12 and making the dashboard pop up and then hit f12 again to make it go away.

After that I stopped the process for Spark and uninstalled it, and still no go... Still screwed up!

Oh well. Live and learn. Currently have Tiger reinstalling over the old OS, leaving my music and other documents on it still intact.

 

[GraniteTheWolf]

Turns out this is a software problem. I can get my trackpad to act up on my Tangerine iBook as well.

Found out if you hold F12 it ejects the disc drive, even on an un-modified Tiger install. For some reason after doing that the mouse gets very unresponsive, or sometimes actually has a total mind of its own wandering off by its self.

Has anyone ever made a fix for this?

 

[weckart]

Ah. I have noticed the funky mouse behaviour on occasions. Mostly it manifests itself in a reluctance to follow orders, as if someone had put a brake on it or was trying to drag it in the opposite direction. The cursor then springs back to its starting position regardless of where it has been moved to. I can clear that by opening a Finder window but it does take some effort getting the cursor to cooperate.

Never made the connection with F12, although that sounds plausible.