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iBook G4 graphics

stiligFox

stiligFox

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Apr 24, 2009
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10.0.1.3
Hi, this is my first post, sooo... here goes...

I'm purchasing a iBook G4 that needs a new harddrive, but my question is, how well does it run leopard? Are the graphics very good, or are they glitchy at all? Over all, how good is it as a laptop?
 
If by graphics you mean for gaming, forget about it. If you just mean visually for Internet/word processing they're fine. When the computer was new 5-6 years ago the graphics were pretty weak even.

IMO if you can swing the extra $$ go for a core duo macbook. Also leopard is going to be sloooooow on that system. Tiger is as new as I would go.
 
Leopard will run fine and do everyday activities just fine on a G4 if it meets the requirements (867 MHZ, 768 MB RAM, etc.). If it doesn't, it will still run, just slower, and some things won't work right. The graphics are fine for youtube, etc, if it is the one with the 32MB VRAM. If it has the 16, don't even bother with it, as it will be horrible with leopard. I have one, and I think it is a very good, reliable laptop, so if it is reasonably priced, I say go for it.:D
 
Thanks!

NewMacbookPlz said:
If by graphics you mean for gaming, forget about it. If you just mean visually for Internet/word processing they're fine. When the computer was new 5-6 years ago the graphics were pretty weak even.

IMO if you can swing the extra $$ go for a core duo macbook. Also leopard is going to be sloooooow on that system. Tiger is as new as I would go.
Click to expand...

hmm, thanks! I won't be doing games, just art stuffs... I have a PowerBook G3 with tiger on it, and I just wish I had the neat effects like the ripple on te dashboard... I mainly want leopard so I can have time machine, that would be a big improvement over my every-other-day-full-backup. I still don't have enough for a new MacBook... These lady only wants $150 for this laptop and I'm sure I can put in a new HD with a lot patience :)
 
Gracious!

foothead said:
Leopard will run fine and do everyday activities just fine on a G4 if it meets the requirements (867 MHZ, 768 MB RAM, etc.). If it doesn't, it will still run, just slower, and some things won't work right. The graphics are fine for youtube, etc, if it is the one with the 32MB VRAM. If it has the 16, don't even bother with it, as it will be horrible with leopard. I have one, and I think it is a very good, reliable laptop, so if it is reasonably priced, I say go for it.:D
Click to expand...

thanks... I'm doing light GIMP work, but since
it's doing okay on my pismo, which is 400mhz and only 8mb VRAM, I imagine that it would be okay on a iBook, right? I'm pretty sure this is the 32mb style iBook. But basically, leopard is very live-withable on the iBook, right?
 
I would say it runs leopard 'ok'. Just be sure to max out the ram. (i have the 1.33Ghz)
It's obviously very slow compared to most intels, but it will still do the job.

The hard drive replacement isn't exactly fun. But if you go slow and remember where which screws went where, you should be fine.
I used the ifixit site and an ice cube tray.

I would put in the biggest fastest drive you can afford, you won't want to be doing it twice.

It is still a very useable laptop, and for $150 it is very good value.
 
Great idea!

windowpain said:
I would say it runs leopard 'ok'. Just be sure to max out the ram. (i have the 1.33Ghz)
It's obviously very slow compared to most intels, but it will still do the job.

The hard drive replacement isn't exactly fun. But if you go slow and remember where which screws went where, you should be fine.
I used the ifixit site and an ice cube tray.

I would put in the biggest fastest drive you can afford, you won't want to be doing it twice.

It is still a very useable laptop, and for $150 it is very good value.
Click to expand...

thanks for the ice cube tray idea! That'll help wonders!
 
Here is what you will find. Good luck!
 

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YoshiGuy91 said:
... and I just wish I had the neat effects like the ripple on te dashboard...
Click to expand...

FALSE STATEMENT

You won't get that from the iBook , as the graphic card doesn't support Quartz Extreme (if it's that what it's called - it's called Core Image), which is responsible for that ripple effect.

Even the Menu Bar is not translucent on that iBook.

Correction:

iBooks with the Ati Radeon Mobility 9550 (from June 2005 and later) will support Core Image (the proper term, thanks Hrududu), and therefore the rippling effect and translucent menu bar.
 
Transparent menu bar

spinnerlys said:
You won't get that from the iBook , as the graphic card doesn't support Quartz Extreme (if it's that what it's called), which is responsible for that ripple effect.

Even the Menu Bar is not translucent on that iBook.
Click to expand...

I did find a few pictures online that showed a transparent menu bar... I imagine it depends one the kind of iBook I'm getting...
 
Cassie said:
I could be wrong, but when I ran Leopard on my iBook, it was transparent. :confused:
Click to expand...

I have the 12" G4 1.07 GHz, 1.25 GB RAM with ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 released in April 2004.

The last iBook model from July 2005 had the ATI Mobility Radeon 9550, maybe that's a card that supports Core Image (>see post below).

My bad.
 
spinnerlys said:
You won't get that from the iBook , as the graphic card doesn't support Quartz Extreme (if it's that what it's called), which is responsible for that ripple effect.

Even the Menu Bar is not translucent on that iBook.
Click to expand...
Any card that is a Radeon or GeForce2 will support Quartz Extreme, so any iBook G4 meets that requirement (as do most G3's). What you're thinking is is Core Image. Core Image has heftier requirements, but my 1.5GHz 12" Powerbook G4 supports it. Here are the cards supported by Core Image. Included is that last iBook.


ATI Mobility Radeon 9700
ATI Radeon 9550, 9650, 9600, 9600 XT, 9800 XT, X800 XT
nVidia GeForce FX Go 5200
nVidia GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
nVidia GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL, 6800 GT DDL
 
Hrududu said:
Any card that is a Radeon or GeForce2 will support Quartz Extreme, so any iBook G4 meets that requirement (as do most G3's). What you're thinking is is Core Image. Core Image has heftier requirements, but my 1.5GHz 12" Powerbook G4 supports it. Here are the cards supported by Core Image. Included is that last iBook.


ATI Mobility Radeon 9700
ATI Radeon 9550, 9650, 9600, 9600 XT, 9800 XT, X800 XT
nVidia GeForce FX Go 5200
nVidia GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
nVidia GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL, 6800 GT DDL
Click to expand...


Thank you for clarifying that for me. The proper term escaped me long time ago, since I had nothing to do with it anymore (in terms of having a Mac, that lacks the appropriate hardware).

I will correct that.
 
i have an 800mhz ibook and it runs leopard decently, i had to install leopard in firewire target mode though because it did not meet the requirements. i also have a 1.07 and it is fine to run leopard. the hdd change is so messed on the ibooks ive had to do it, you have to take the whole sucker apart, good luck
 
showcow45 said:
i have an 800mhz ibook and it runs leopard decently, i had to install leopard in firewire target mode though because it did not meet the requirements.
Click to expand...

You can also just change the firmware at bootup so that it thinks it is over the 867MHz limit. HERE is instructions. I could never get it working in target mode..can't remember why..:confused:

We have a 800MHz imac at work running leopard and it runs..not very fast though. But the benefits of using leopard as opposed to tiger (or panther) just about outweigh the waiting. Just have to be patient with it.. :cool:
 
YoshiGuy91 said:
Hi, this is my first post, sooo... here goes...

I'm purchasing a iBook G4 that needs a new harddrive, but my question is, how well does it run leopard? Are the graphics very good, or are they glitchy at all? Over all, how good is it as a laptop?
Click to expand...

I'm typing on my iBook G4 w/ 1GB RAM.

I can tell you that Leopard was slower than Tiger... period. I just could never get Leopard to run as well as Tiger did, and I even just posted a thread about how I downgraded to Tiger.

With Tiger it's pretty snappy and I'm happy. It is, however, an older machine that was at the time the bottom line of what Apple offered. It was in general a less than middle-of-the-road option in 2005; that is to say, there were many much, much more powerful machines for the same price or less.

That being said, know that although it's a great machine for what it is, it can't handle some things that today have become common. HD video, for one. I cannot get my iBook G4 to run HD video for nothing... it just can't do it. It skips and the frame rate is akin to 1FPS, no joke. On the plus side, it actually has a "real graphics card," so you can play some MUCH older 3D Mac games. Heck, mine came with Nanosaur 2, a 3D game.

I wouldn't buy anything less than a Macbook in terms of performance. An iBook freshly purchased nowadays will feel like a limitation for anyone who does more than word processing, internet, and e-mail.
 
Thanks to everyone

who replied to my question... I'll be picking up the laptop friday, and I'll see how it goes. It turns out I'll have to get a stuck CD out of it too... I may have to try installing leopard from a USB (legally, of course, I have another, older mac that I would use to create a DMG)
 
YoshiGuy91 said:
who replied to my question... I'll be picking up the laptop friday, and I'll see how it goes. It turns out I'll have to get a stuck CD out of it too... I may have to try installing leopard from a USB (legally, of course, I have another, older mac that I would use to create a DMG)
Click to expand...

If the drive functions, try holding the trackpad button down while booting. That forces the disc out, assuming the eject mechanism works.
 
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