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I like Mac haters

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Original poster
May 3, 2010
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I just got a good deal on an old iBook G4 12", from someone that hates Macs, for $20. I think it was the last iBook, (M9846X/A) from the specs.
1.33Ghz
built in wifi, and bluetooth 2
dual USB 2
512 built in RAM
40 G HDD
I'm trying to find the right battery on ebay, but some have 10.8 volt, and others have 11.1 volt. They all say their battery will work. I know there isn't much of a difference, but I want the right battery. Will it hurt the charger to run with a dead battery?

According to Istat Pro, the battery is at 100%, but it only charges up to 1%. The fan, never turns (0 rpm) even when the CPU top reaches 130 F. Most of the time it is between 110 and 120 degrees F. Do I need to replace the fan?

The last question has to do with the airport extreme reception. I only get two bars on the iBook, although my Intel iMac (late 2006) gets 100%. I tried moving it all around, with no luck. Did Apple improve the airport between mid 2005 and late 2006?
 
Check what voltage battery is in it now and replace it with the same. As for the wifi reception it's a toss up. I'm willing to bet money that the intel macs have a better antenna cause well their newer
 
-last top ibook was 1.42GHz
-wifi in my old g4 and present g3 ibooks was/is full and great all around my house.

nice deal btw
 
occams razor said:
Check what voltage battery is in it now and replace it with the same. As for the wifi reception it's a toss up. I'm willing to bet money that the intel macs have a better antenna cause well their newer
Click to expand...

I don't have the original battery. This one doesn't fit right. My iMac might have a better antenna.
 
Great deal, well done.

I have the same iBook - 12in, 1.33GHz, BT and AP, 40GB HD. Last of the line and the top spec processor for the 12in (the 14in had a 1.42GHz as mentioned above).

In 5 years I have only heard the fan come on maybe 3-4 times. A couple of of those were when I'd inadvertently blocked the exhaust slots by laying the thing on a blanket; the others were when simultaneously ripping CDs, downloading stuff and running other apps etc.

The fan on mine never comes on in normal usage...have just run a 20m YT video on mine and the CPU settled at 55C (~ 130F) and no fans at all.

If you have to, you can still get batteries from Apple online (at least you can in the UK); obviously you'll be paying top dollar but having spent only $20 on the iBook you may feel like it.

The other upgrade I’d consider is another 1GB or 512MB or RAM to add to the 512MB that’s fixed on board. It’s a very easy installation and should only cost $20-$30 or so.
 
I have the same one too. The video chip died after 4 years. I just found a third party service center that fixes this problem routinely, so its in the shop now.

130F is on the low side for the processor, so I'm not surprised you can't hear the fan. The fan usually starts speeding up at about 150F. The fan on that model iBook is very quiet though, so download iStat if you want to monitor the fan speed.

If you really want the "right" battery, get an original Apple one. They aren't too hard to find.

I also agree that you should max out both the RAM (1.5gb), and the HD (its a PATA, so that will go till about 160gb). Tiger will work just than fine with that setup. Leopard will be usable but a bit slow.

Does you mac-hating friend have any more? :)
 
IIRC the 12" used 10.8 volt batteries, as previously mentioned you want to add another 1GB RAM stick and stick on Leopard, it'll run fine on your setup with extra RAM. You won't damage your Mac by running it on just the power adapter so don't worry.
 
makinao and FourCandles, thanks for your replies. The ram is on the way, but for now I'm satisfied with the drive. My iBook will only be used for the web, while I'm away from home. I also have an external HDD, if I need it.

I know an Apple battery would be the best, but I don't want to spend that much on an old laptop. If it were a Macbook, I would consider spending more. Could one of you look at your battery, and tell me the voltage?

I guess I will relax about the fan and temp.

thanks again
 
There are two primary disadvantages to these old machines. First, the CPU to memory bandwidth is atrocious. A tiny fraction of what the intel chips have. So you really can't do anything intensive with them, just basic web browsing and such. Secondly, they take old PATA drives, which are becoming increasingly expensive. Compare the price of a same-size PATA and SATA drive; the PATA drive costs almost twice as much!

That said, $20 is a good deal, as you could flip it for $80 or $100 on ebay if its in good working condition.

Also, why would "someone that hates macs" own one? and for so many years? That seems bizarre.
 
Have you thought a Mac was just not to his liking? Not being a Mac Hater, I tried Snow Leopard recently after my terrible experience with Tiger at College, and just didn't particularly enjoy using it.
 
I exaggerated calling him a Mac hater(no interest in Macs would be more accurate) to get more views on my post. It worked, 437 in 2 days, a lot more than I usually get. It was give to him with a dead battery, and no charger. I got it because he wanted a video card, for his PC, and didn't have a Paypal account.

Dime21, I know my iBook is obsolete, so is my Intel iMac, but they both do what I do with computers. Most of the intensive programs that i read about on this forum, are above my head.
 
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