iMac 500 parts in a iMac 333?

[Dont Hurt Me]

I have a iMac 500 who's internet connection was fried by lighting many years ago but other then that all is well. Im wondering how far can I go in taking 500 parts and putting them in my older 333? The 333 is running OS 9.2 the 500 is running OSX. Memory? CPU? Hard drive and anything else. All comments are appreciated.

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

The motherboards on the 233-333MHz's and the 350MHz+ are completely different. Only the hard drive is compatible between the two. I'm not sure about the CRT part, but I wouldn't go there if I were you (it's extremely dangerous and can be fatal if you touch something inside you're not supposed to).

Just the hard drive, I'm afraid. If you had a 350MHz and a 500MHz, it'd be a different story.

 

[trainguy77]

Is only the ethernet port fried? other then that it works?

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Is only the ethernet port fried? other then that it works?

Thats the deal, everything is fine but it wont hook up to ethernet. Im guessing the whole bus is messed up though I have never tried the modem to be honest. I have a 333 thats still great and was going to make a retro computer.

The 100 mhz memory from the 500 should work in the 66 mhz bus of the 333 if im not mistaking. So im trying to max out this 333 as much as possible with this 500 parts. Guess when Im all done the 500 would make a nice aquarium?

 

[Bfat567]

Thats the deal, everything is fine but it wont hook up to ethernet. Im guessing the whole bus is messed up though I have never tried the modem to be honest. I have a 333 thats still great and was going to make a retro computer.

The 100 mhz memory from the 500 should work in the 66 mhz bus of the 333 if im not mistaking. So im trying to max out this 333 as much as possible with this 500 parts. Guess when Im all done the 500 would make a nice aquarium?

Its not the memory speed thats the problem its take physically different memory

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Its not the memory speed thats the problem its take physically different memory

you certain on that?

Guess I should mention im trying to make a retro Max OS9 gaming machine out of the 333 since the 500 has had a firmware update to take it to OSX and has the bad ethernet.

 

[MacTech68]

Given that the old iMac 233-333Mhz has a 8GB limit on the size of an OSX boot partition, I'd be suggesting that you get a Wireless card and card-carrier for the iMac 500Mhz (check that it has the antenna cable and motherboard socket) and a wireless base-station. Either that or (if you can find one with Mac drivers) a USB to Wireless dongle or a USB to Ethernet dongle for your 500MHz machine.

The above poster is correct, only the hard drive is swappable - nothing else. I have replaced the Broadcom ethernet chip on a slot load iMac motherboard for this kind of fault before but it's tedious work and NOT for the inexperienced solderer.



EDIT: one thing you might want to try first is using a 10base ONLY ethernet hub. I had one slot-loader that could negotiate an Ethernet Link to a 10baset Only port but when attached to a 10/100baseT Ethernet port would not. - worth a try if you can find one.

 

[Bfat567]

you certain on that?

I believe the 333 is 144 pin and the 500 is 166 pin.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

You guys are right I just looked at the 500 and checked and it is longer meaning more pins. Guess I could throw a 256 in it , it has 160 at the moment and swap out the drives. Anyone know if the cpu's are soldered onto the board?

 

[MacTech68]

you certain on that?

Guess I should mention im trying to make a retro Max OS9 gaming machine out of the 333 since the 500 has had a firmware update to take it to OSX and has the bad ethernet.

Ahhh... Well, the firmware update won't affect it's ability to run OS9, but your alternatives for Networking devices diminish dramatically with OS9.

EDIT: CPUs on slot loader iMacs are soldered. The CPUs in the 233, 266 & 333Mhz tray loaders are on a socketed card.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Ahhh... Well, the firmware update won't affect it's ability to run OS9, but your alternatives for Networking devices diminish dramatically with OS9.

EDIT: CPUs on slot loader iMacs are soldered. The CPUs in the 233, 266 & 333Mhz tray loaders are on a socketed card.

Is there a way to undo the firmware in the imac 500?. It was changed when I took the machine to OS X. The internet isnt that important to me but having this as a Mac OS9 machine is.

 

[MacTech68]

Is there a way to undo the firmware in the imac 500?. It was changed when I took the machine to OS X. The internet isnt that important to me but having this as a Mac OS9 machine is.

Nope, once it's done, it's done - there's no going back. Which is a good thing since OSX can render slot loaders with verison 1.x.x firmware un-usable.

I'm curious as to why you think it now won't run OS 9. It will run OS 9 quite happily. The firmware update doesn't prevent it from running OS 9.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Nope, once it's done, it's done - there's no going back. Which is a good thing since OSX can render slot loaders with verison 1.x.x firmware un-usable.

I'm curious as to why you think it now won't run OS 9. It will run OS 9 quite happily. The firmware update doesn't prevent it from running OS 9.

Your talking about the classic layer arent you? At the moment its running as a pure OSX machine, doesnt have the OS9 folder etc.

 

[MacTech68]

Your talking about the classic layer arent you? At the moment its running as a pure OSX machine, doesnt have the OS9 folder etc.

Nope. I mean "real" OS 9. Native "real" OS9 will still run.



EDIT: you just need to make sure you have an install with the appropriate "Mac OS Rom File" version to boot the machine.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TA22055

You'll need the "Summer 2000" or "Summer 2001" rom file version (both series have a 500Mhz version).

EDIT 2: Don't try using a 9.2.2 from another (later) machine. It may have problems with machine specific chipsets (like ethernet, video, ATA controller etc)

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Nope. I mean "real" OS 9. Native "real" OS9 will still run.



EDIT: you just need to make sure you have an install with the appropriate "Mac OS Rom File" version to boot the machine.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TA22055

You'll need the "Summer 2000" or "Summer 2001" rom file version (both series have a 500Mhz version).

I still have the original boot disc that came with the machine, guess Ill wipe the drive and install from the disc holding down I think it was the c key Its been so many years since I have played with OS 9 and this iMac.

 

[Bfat567]

I still have the original boot disc that came with the machine, guess Ill wipe the drive and install from the disc holding down I think it was the c key Its been so many years since I have played with OS 9 and this iMac.

c for correct sir

 

[MacTech68]

I still have the original boot disc that came with the machine, guess Ill wipe the drive and install from the disc holding down I think it was the c key Its been so many years since I have played with OS 9 and this iMac.

Yep, that's it - though you might want to pop the disk in and make sure the drive can read it under OSX. You can also use Startup Disk in System Prefs in OSX to select it and then reboot. Or, hold down the option key at boot time to select it in startup manager.



Have fun!

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Well it seems I am having issues wiping this drive. OSX wont let me erase the drive and starting up from the old 8.6 disc that came with the machine wont let me wipe this drive either. Anyone have any idea how to get rid of OSX from this 500 imac and install 8.6?

Disc utility just wont let me erase this thing.

 

[MacTech68]

Well it seems I am having issues wiping this drive. OSX wont let me erase the drive and starting up from the old 8.6 disc that came with the machine wont let me wipe this drive either. Anyone have any idea how to get rid of OSX from this 500 imac and install 8.6?

Disc utility just wont let me erase this thing.

If you're able to boot from the 8.6 CD there should be a folder on the CD called "Utilities". In there is "Drive Setup".

If you want to completely obliterate all the data on the disk, use the "Options" button and select "Write Zeros" - this will take time, but has the added bonus of ensuring all blocks are readable & writable.