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naujoks

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 6, 2008
301
59
London, UK
I find these machines are still quite usable, but browser speed is very slow.
I have the 300MHz iBook. Would the 466MHz give me a noticeable faster user experience?
Tenfourfox is great, but it's just so slow. Safari works faster, but is still really slow...
 
I find these machines are still quite usable, but browser speed is very slow.
I have the 300MHz iBook. Would the 466MHz give me a noticeable faster user experience?
Tenfourfox is great, but it's just so slow. Safari works faster, but is still really slow...

Are you using the Classilla option in TFF - it will render websites differently but will be faster and don't forget TenFourFoxBox to make mini webapps.
Tiger Webkit is a much faster browser but less secure/featured.
Also you can try OneWindowBrowser:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...er-for-jaguar-through-to-high-sierra.2104363/

At these speeds, you have to start messing with user agents, javascript options and making allowances.
 
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My lime 466mhz clamshell's screen stopped working the other day(the sound card was first to die). I used it with OmniWeb and TenFourFox - both with javascript disabled unless otherwise required. When Javascript was needed I would use TenFourFox. OmniWeb without executing javascript in every single page is responsive, and it's bundled with it's own webkit framework that's much comparable to TenFourKit. OW is the only browser I use aside from TFF on tiger.
Would the 466MHz give me a noticeable faster user experience?
Never owned an non-firewire clamshell, but I believe it would be noticeable. Firewire models have 256kb L2 cache at full processor speed while non-FW ones had 512k backside at 1:2 speed. Both are comparable. It would get about 20% faster in most cases I think. Though 20% of a 300mhz G3 isn't enormous.
 
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FireWire vs. USB1.x is a big improvement, especially, when it comes to connectivity.
I've installed os9/Panther on the 300MHz iBook and mainly use os9 with Classilla and a few os9- favorites.
Panther/Classic as a dual-boot option is mainly used as a backup-option to convert XML-files to Office_97-04-files via the "MS Open XML Converter", because 'everything_os9' is simply faster.
Another drawback of OS X on the Clamshell is the bad adaptation to the low-res screen. Working on Excel-sheets is far better with MS Office'01 for os9.
On the other hand OSX/FireWire offers the option of TargetDiskMode and a fast ad-hoc-network-connection to another Mac through FW - also to share the internet-connection.
If I was a novel-writer ... the iBookG3 would be my favorite machine to work with! No distraction, good typing and silent if provided with an SSD-upgrade.
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My lime 466mhz clamshell's screen stopped working the other day(the sound card was first to die).
Oh, sorry to hear about that! Hope you'll find another Clamshell for hardware-transplantation, since the key-lime ones are so unique and rare!
 
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When I bought my Blueberry iBook, the previous owner had installed 10.2 on it, and it was near unusable, so I installed OS 9 instead. How well does Panther run on there?
 
The 300MHz models are noticeably slower than 466, but neither is a particularly pleasant experience online. As you’ve noticed, TenFourFox is a dog even with 576MB of RAM and WebKit for Tiger is getting harder to use. Panther runs beautifully on these iBooks, but the internet era of Panther has been over for quite some time.
 
My lime 466mhz clamshell's screen stopped working the other day(the sound card was first to die). I used it with OmniWeb and TenFourFox - both with javascript disabled unless otherwise required. When Javascript was needed I would use TenFourFox. OmniWeb without executing javascript in every single page is responsive, and it's bundled with it's own webkit framework that's much comparable to TenFourKit. OW is the only browser I use aside from TFF on tiger.

If this isn't a Logic Board issue but just the display's expiring, then you could replace the screen with any iBook panel and improve the screen resolution. The problem is getting hold of one with the same Logic Board cable connector as the original one in the Clamshell. You used to be able to buy an adapter which solved the issue but these are hard to get hold of today.

33ju8gl.jpg
 
If this isn't a Logic Board issue but just the display's expiring, then you could replace the screen with any iBook panel and improve the screen resolution. The problem is getting hold of one with the same Logic Board cable connector as the original one in the Clamshell. You used to be able to buy an adapter which solved the issue but these are hard to get hold of today.

View attachment 799041

I haven't had a closer look yet, but I believe it's not the logic board. It's possibly the backlight, a faulty contact or the LCD itself; since the computer otherwise seems to work normally. However, the machine itself has become nearly unusable. I've replaced the sound board once and still have no sound, the charger board has been resoldered 4 or 5 times and it's fragile as heck. It has been used daily by two members of my family during 10 years and my sister didn't always treat it with care. The case is in really bad shape. Although it's a shame, I'm more or less interested in fixing it in the state it is right now.

EDIT: I decided to look for what's going on. Turns out it's just the backlight that gave out. The LCD still works fine. I may fix it at a later time.
 
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I haven't had a closer look yet, but I believe it's not the logic board. It's possibly the backlight, a faulty contact or the LCD itself; since the computer otherwise seems to work normally. However, the machine itself has become nearly unusable. I've replaced the sound board once and still have no sound, the charger board has been resoldered 4 or 5 times and it's fragile as heck. It has been used daily by two members of my family during 10 years and my sister didn't always treat it with care. The case is in really bad shape. Although it's a shame, I'm more or less interested in fixing it in the state it is right now.
I guess people will be standing in line to get your non-working key-lime Clamshell iBook ...
 
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EDIT: I decided to look for what's going on. Turns out it's just the backlight that gave out. The LCD still works fine. I may fix it at a later time.

I haven’t confirmed this, but I plan to replace an aging backlight in my Blueberry iBook with a bright one from a cracked iBook G4 12” display.

So long as the CCFL tube is the same length I imagine it should work.

Can anyone confirm whether the clamshell iBook LCD panels were the same width as the 12” panels in the later iBooks and PowerBooks?
 
I haven’t confirmed this, but I plan to replace an aging backlight in my Blueberry iBook with a bright one from a cracked iBook G4 12” display.
So long as the CCFL tube is the same length I imagine it should work.
Can anyone confirm whether the clamshell iBook LCD panels were the same width as the 12” panels in the later iBooks and PowerBooks?

Here two pages about display switch with a later iBook G4:

https://ibook-clamshell.com/index.p...-to-identify-the-display-panel-lg-samsung-ibm

https://ibook-clamshell.com/index.p...amshell-lg-tft-800x600-1024x768-from-ibook-g4
 
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I haven't had a closer look yet, but I believe it's not the logic board. It's possibly the backlight, a faulty contact or the LCD itself; since the computer otherwise seems to work normally. However, the machine itself has become nearly unusable. I've replaced the sound board once and still have no sound, the charger board has been resoldered 4 or 5 times and it's fragile as heck. It has been used daily by two members of my family during 10 years and my sister didn't always treat it with care. The case is in really bad shape. Although it's a shame, I'm more or less interested in fixing it in the state it is right now.

EDIT: I decided to look for what's going on. Turns out it's just the backlight that gave out. The LCD still works fine. I may fix it at a later time.

Just a small update to say the backlight is now working again. Luckily the CCFL inverter was to blame and I didn't have to look for a CCFL replacement. It's been through a lot, but at least works. No pics.. though right now it's connected to an aging Technics sound system via an usb audio device and acts as a jukebox.
 
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I guess people will be standing in line to get your non-working key-lime Clamshell iBook ...

It's true, the KeyLime version is certainly getting very difficult to find at anything resembling a reasonable price. Of course the multi technicolor versions one sees on a certain site may appeal to some (and their corresponding hefty wallets), but personally no way would I want one in my collection. I mean, a key-lime/polka-dot or pink 'barbie' version for well over 1.3k US$ !! I'd want to throw-up over that colour scheme - and the price!
Keep 'em simple and original for sure-fire investment potential, but also use them from time to time as I do. Still very enjoyable........:)
Just added a few Clamshell photos in a new thread.
 
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