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vivian.

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 10, 2010
7
0
hey um if anyone one has any idea how to do this pleas please please tell me ! i want to like update it to a new macbok right and i asked the ppl at apple and they said all id have o do is like take the motherboard off a macbookpro nad then put it in this laptop nad like that kind of idea but im really new at all this computer stuff and really needsome help with all of it. like how to find a mother board and install it and a battery and if i had to install a new screen adn match the wires etc. please please tell me f anyone has ever heard of this being done before or how t could be thank you soo much ! :)
 

crazyrog17

macrumors regular
Jan 13, 2009
193
2
Michigan
if you really talked to a person at apple about it, they were high and drunk on the job.

there's no way that "all you have to do is put a macbook pro logic board in it" because you cant.

sure, you can make it fit, but it wont do anything but be a paper weight. there's no way it would connect to the keyboard, trackpad, display or anything else in there.

it'd have to be a true custom marvel to fit a macbook pro into the clamshell case. not impossible but barely plausible.
 

Hrududu

macrumors 68020
Jul 25, 2008
2,299
627
Central US
You can't do it. Its not going to fit any way shape or form.
 

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MacHamster68

macrumors 68040
Sep 17, 2009
3,251
5
my rough guess is it takes more then a couple weeks with a dremel to fit the macbookpro board in the clamshell case , not to mention the couple month you might need to dremel around to fit in a hdd and optical drive
and i forgot you need to fabricate a heatsink too , and you need to a figure out how to connect the keyboard too and the monitor as none of the parts of the two are interchangeable

but dont let that put you of :)
 

vivian.

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 10, 2010
7
0
Switching motherboard from a macbook pro to a mac os x clamshell tangerine laptop

HEY i was wondering if anyone has ever done this motherboard switch before or would no how to or want to attempt to. i was wondering how could i get a hold of a motherboard and like would i get a mac book pro 15 in or 13.3 in, which one would fit in ? thank you
 

lewis82

macrumors 68000
Aug 26, 2009
1,708
12
Totalitarian Republic of Northlandia
Both motherboards are small enough to fit in. However,

  • The ports are directly welded on the side of the mobo. You would have to cut holes for the ports.
  • You would have to fit the battery, which is pretty much impossible in this case.
  • How could you use the existing fans? I highly doubt the existing heatsink would end up near the iBook's.
  • Keyboard compatibility?

I wish you good luck;)
 

vivian.

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 10, 2010
7
0
What !?! really? are you sure it wont fit ? this is really upsetting how come they would tell me that all id have to do is switch the mtoherboards then? so like even if i tried the wires would never match up ? so then like it jsut would work at alll ? like it wouldnt even be a usuable computer ? and i dont want to dremel it guys! i want it to look pretty aha thats why im trying so hard to see if i can update this computer becasue i love the way it looks its tangerine! :) aha
 

vivian.

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 10, 2010
7
0
How do i like check if the keyboard is compatibile ? nad why is the battery im possible to fit in ? sorry im really new at this computer upgrading stuff and would love the help thanks so much :)
 

applefan1997

macrumors 6502
Yes, it might be possible, just barely at that, but what the Apple representative told you was completely misleading. It is NOT a simple switch job. First off, the screen would NOT fit, unless if you seriously modded the 13" panel in there. The ports would have to be rerouted because the current openings are not aligned, along with a whole other host of issues.

That's not to say it CAN'T be done in some form or another; modders have done CRAZY things before.
 

4JNA

macrumors 68000
Feb 8, 2006
1,505
1
looking for trash files
more please, it's like comedy central for free!

i love this tread. pic 1, pic 2, pic 1... nope. :eek:

all things are possible through our lord and savior dremel. and coffee. just sayin'...
 

Hrududu

macrumors 68020
Jul 25, 2008
2,299
627
Central US
i love this tread. pic 1, pic 2, pic 1... nope. :eek:

all things are possible through our lord and savior dremel. and coffee. just sayin'...
Normally I'd agree, but the powerboard, ports, display connection can't be changed with a dremel. I think even without those issues, there would be so much dremal'd out that there wouldn't be much G3 iBook left to look at.
 

76ShovelHead

macrumors 6502a
May 30, 2010
527
32
Florida
just a thought

I'd no doubt try to swap motherboards/displays, and the side the ports are on, well id just make one big slot, and perhaps later find some matching plastic and fit it/cut out the holes for the port and somehow attatch it to the case. But i don't have disposable and you and every one else probably don't either, so in this case try making a "case" out of it, its been done with iPads and mac pluses. Seperate the top from the bottom, taking out all the components, slipping the top over the screen of the macbook and the apply the idea of one slot for all the connectors and slip the bottom on. Then you wouldnt have to risk destroying a 1200 dollar Macintosh. This is just my theory.
 

alust2013

macrumors 601
Feb 6, 2010
4,779
2
On the fence
Basically what it comes down to is that you would have to have very advanced skills with both fabricating and computers, a lot of time, and possibly a good bit of money. So, it's basically all but impossible.
 

vivian.

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 10, 2010
7
0
well i would really really wnat it to be able to happen like i know it would take alot of knowlegde and time and moeny but im verry veryy willing to spend the money for this to pay someone to do it and for the parts
 

vivian.

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 10, 2010
7
0
and to the person who asked why i want to do this so badly , simply , becasue in Legally Blonde she gets this laptop ! :) and thats freaking awesome and im supa blonde lol but im going to be an engineer so i need a goood computer soo yea trying to combine best of both worlds
 

sick-of-dreams

macrumors newbie
Jul 15, 2010
1
0
not impossible

You could just gut it and build whole new laptop out of it. You can rewire the display and keyboard to whichever connectors you need to fit. You don't have to use mac parts. If you really want OS there are ways of installing it and the drivers. Oh and you can switch the screen for one of the LCD's later ibooks of the same size.

I'm actually on here because I'm doing research to do something similar. I'm trying to procure a Key Lime clamshell casing and build a laptop inside. I have seen other mods where firewire ports are easily dremelled to make room for an HDMI port.

Building from scratch would be your best bet. Otherwise you could try to fit parts from a G4 in there... I suppose you could solve the problem of the ports by using extensions that you can cut to the desired length and fit them into existing slots plus dremel what is needed.
Or if you got a hold of an as is one you could cut the long slot in yours and use the plastic from the broken one to fill it in.
 

alust2013

macrumors 601
Feb 6, 2010
4,779
2
On the fence
and to the person who asked why i want to do this so badly , simply , becasue in Legally Blonde she gets this laptop ! :) and thats freaking awesome and im supa blonde lol but im going to be an engineer so i need a goood computer soo yea trying to combine best of both worlds

If you're going to be an engineer, you really don't want to do that. The screen on it is tiny, and it nearly impossible to do engineering work on even the 13" display of the MBPs, which has a much higher resolution than the iBook. You would also have to write all the drivers for the keyboard, display, etc. after figuring out how to connect them. I don't think you realize quite how extensive and expensive this project would be, and it would be all but impossible to get it to actually look like the iBook it once was. It would be in no way practical, especially as an engineer (I am in school for engineering). My personal suggestion is to get a MBP to use for any sort of heavy work, and if you are really so attached to that iBook, get one, and just use it for web browsing and stuff that doesn't need a lot of power.
 

OrangeSVTguy

macrumors 601
Sep 16, 2007
4,127
68
Northeastern Ohio
If screen resolution is what you are after, there is a 12.1" LCD with 1400X1050 resolution that would work. I seen people swap the dual USB ibook's LCD for the one in the Clamshell. Going from 800x600 > 1024x768, 1400x1050 would just be incredible in the Clamshell.

I'm sure you can fit the logicboard, battery, optical drive and other components easily inside the Clamshell. You can run custom extensions to the exterior ports to retain them. I'm not sure on how to get the stock trackpad and keyboard to work. Maybe somehow shoehorning the multitouch trackpad to the Clamshell case somehow?

With a dremel and patience, nothing is impossible. :)
 

MacModMachine

macrumors 68020
Apr 3, 2009
2,476
392
Canada
and to the person who asked why i want to do this so badly , simply , becasue in Legally Blonde she gets this laptop ! :) and thats freaking awesome and im supa blonde lol but im going to be an engineer so i need a goood computer soo yea trying to combine best of both worlds

hopefully not an electrical engineer.....
 
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