iBook G4 upgrades and mods

[jchase2057]

I have a G4 iBook that I'm about to do some upgrades to and want to know who has done this and if it is worth it. I just got this iBook from a guy and its a good machine. I'm about to upgrade the ram, hd, etc and I'm wondering if it would be worth it to add an ssd hard drive over a 5400 or 7200rpm drive. Obviously I'd get the benefit of battery life and temp but would it be any faster with the ide transfer rate limit? Also I think the keys from the titanium powerbooks will fit the ibook keyboard. I want to get one so I can remove all the keys and put them on my keyboard so i will have a black keyboard. Also I am wondering if the top casing from a G3 iBook will fit mine. I'd like to use it so I can remove the paint and paint it black to go with the keyboard.

please no it's not worth the money comments. obviously it's not worth the money. and please no it's a tough job to do as I am fully capable and experienced in doing such things.


Thank You

 

[Cox Orange]

I can't help you much, but if you do not know the HDD options I can provide this at least

Samsung Spinpoint M5P HM160HC, 5400rpm, 8MB cache
(there is another version I think it differs in number of platters, HM160JC)

Western Digital WD3200BEVE, 5400rpm, 8MB Cache, biggest capacity.
Has two 160GB platters and is considered/reported the same speed as the Samsung.

Hitachi HTS721010G9TA00 or HTE721010G9TA00 (enterprise version for 24/7), 7200rpm, 8MB Cache. considered to be slightly slower than the newer ones above. The Hitachi is only available as used, since it was produced till 2008. Prices on Ebay vary from 36-99EUR (though 50-70 is the case most often). Last sunday I forgot to bid on one and it was sold for 18EUR (ebay germany), seems no one woke up in the early sunday morning

I always have the fear of SSDs not being that realiable (short lifetime), but I do not KNOW a lot about it, to be honest. It would definitely be cooler I think, though the HDDs above are reported to be of the same noise/heat as the stock HDD in the ibook G4.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

An SSD would be faster, no question about it. Quite expensive, but faster.

I do not believe an iBook G3 top case would fit.

 

[tom vilsack]

when you do go ahead and do the mods...hope you keep us updated...pics ect

another option is to use a "CF/IDE adapter and a CompactFlash Card"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXTzaao5FrA

http://forums.macnn.com/73/hardware-hacking/360945/replace-hard-drive-flash-card-ssd/

as for top case...they do appear different,but nothing a bit of creative modding couldn't fix

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-iBook-G3-12-Inch-Upper-Case/124/9

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-iBook-G4-12-Inch-800-MHz-1-2-GHz-Upper-Case/161/8

 

[jchase2057]

thanks for the replies

so i ordered a 250GB 5400rpm western digital drive and a 1GB stick of ram. I'm trying to find a titanium powerbook keyboard at a reasonable price. I decided that instead of putting a g3 top case on I'm going to cut a new design into the case instead of the apple and make the design black by just replacing the paper behind the lcd like i have already done to the standard apple with blue paper.

the challenge in this would be also getting the clear plastic to fill in the shape but i dont see that as that big of a challenge. finding the right thickness will be the hardest part.


any shape ideas? I'm thinking the batman symbol.

 

[Cox Orange]

any shape ideas?

A pear (though I have seen it quite often in TV-Series and comic/animation-series as a side-reference. For example the animation series Free For All).

 

[jchase2057]

A pear (though I have seen it quite often in TV-Series and comic/animation-series as a side-reference. For example the animation series Free For All).

yeah all the computers on nickelodeon are pears. they look cool but im not too interested in an "iCarlyBook" lol

 

[Cox Orange]

yeah all the computers on nickelodeon are pears. they look cool but im not too interested in an "iCarlyBook" lol

Haha, great!

 

[macgeek18]

I had a Lord Of The Rings these going for awhile. Frodo was my 300Mhz Clamshell, Samwise was my 466Mhz Clamshell, Aragorn was my PM G4, and Gandalf was my PM G5.