Whaddaya mean? Everybody’s got a kitchen table. Plop it down in the middle & run a background of your wife’s favorite flower bouquet.
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iMac G4 refurbishment
- Thread starter CooperBox
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A winner for sure!
Sadly there comes a time when you realize, space or not, having so many systems sitting around doesn't make sense. I recently thinned out my computer collection by "rehoming" all but one of my G5s, all of my PowerBooks, a couple of Mac Books (older models), and some of my earlier Mac Pro's. While I didn't need the space and they weren't in the way I just decided after many years of barely any use (which is really just a short way of saying I powered them on just for the sake of it) I decided to thin out my collection and find them new homes where they may see more regular use.
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I’ve thought of that! I live in south Texas and it sure if they’ll find a good home down here. I bought the G4 in Houston and the G5 in Austin, I think.
I do have a project planned for the G5. I just need to get it done.
Hello blast from the past. I just picked up a second-hand iMac G4 myself: a 20" widescreen model that had not been opened since the day it came home from the Apple Store with its first owner.
I was only planning to upgrade the internal RAM module, but once I opened it and saw how dirty it was, I had to do a deep clean.
At this stage of disassembly, I've unplugged everything except the TDMS display connector. It has a protective plastic cover, which is stuck to the PCB with a thick strip of some double-sided material (possibly 3M VHB?), which had gotten so gummy it was very difficult to remove.
I had to use an X-Acto knife and a nylon spudger to carefully lift it. There aren't any good photos of this process or the underlying connector online, so I figured I should document it for posterity.
BE VERY CAREFUL with the X-Acto knife. Go slow, and make your cuts as close to parallel with the board as possible so you don't gouge the PCB, and only insert the knife about 1/8". You won't be able to cut the tape much on the other side, so concentrate on the one side and lift it up.
Due to the lack of references images and removal technique on Apple Service Source and iFixit — the OP's post has the only known reference to the level of difficulty involved — it took me a solid 15 minutes to figure out how to remove this thing surgically without causing any damage.
I was only planning to upgrade the internal RAM module, but once I opened it and saw how dirty it was, I had to do a deep clean.
At this stage of disassembly, I've unplugged everything except the TDMS display connector. It has a protective plastic cover, which is stuck to the PCB with a thick strip of some double-sided material (possibly 3M VHB?), which had gotten so gummy it was very difficult to remove.
I had to use an X-Acto knife and a nylon spudger to carefully lift it. There aren't any good photos of this process or the underlying connector online, so I figured I should document it for posterity.
BE VERY CAREFUL with the X-Acto knife. Go slow, and make your cuts as close to parallel with the board as possible so you don't gouge the PCB, and only insert the knife about 1/8". You won't be able to cut the tape much on the other side, so concentrate on the one side and lift it up.
Due to the lack of references images and removal technique on Apple Service Source and iFixit — the OP's post has the only known reference to the level of difficulty involved — it took me a solid 15 minutes to figure out how to remove this thing surgically without causing any damage.
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Great job and good luck!
So this is how poorly protected electronic-equipment will look like,
when exposed to Mars-environment for about a couple of months ...?
Hi, good post and very helpful photos! I'm always pleased to see new refurbishers of G4 iMac's, and in your case having found a 20" it's the best of the series.
Back in 2017 I too ran into the problem of removing that connector boot (link HERE), and after the help offered in the thread succeeded in it's removal by careful use of a craft knife. So you did well to renew & highlight the problem to others.
Incidently I hadn't seen posts #15 & #16 of the above link at the time, so didn't get a chance to answer that the 'white stuff' referred to on the PSU circuitry is in fact RTV silicone adhesive that helps prevent component vibration and excess movement that can add to the chances of broken solder joints.
When you've completed the refurbishment, could you please post some photos. Do you plan to add an ssd or not? They don't significantly improve the boot time but certainly do enhance performance in general - especially with the addition of Sorbet Leopard.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to document this. I balked at removing this connector on my 17" iMac, becuase it was stuck so firmly to the motherboard.
I'm diving into my iMac G41.25 USB 2, and appreciate every post like this wherever found.
I also appreciate YOUR appreciation for the English language, i.e. "scarce" vs. "rare." Well played!
I also appreciate the right (write? Sorry: I suffer from punitis!) word. "It's" is the contraction of "it is." Always. Every time. "Its" is the possessive of "it."
As a former teacher of writing, my eye is (too) finely tuned to word-choices.
Thanks for your fine write up. Learned a few new things about the well-loved iMac G4
I also appreciate YOUR appreciation for the English language, i.e. "scarce" vs. "rare." Well played!
I also appreciate the right (write? Sorry: I suffer from punitis!) word. "It's" is the contraction of "it is." Always. Every time. "Its" is the possessive of "it."
As a former teacher of writing, my eye is (too) finely tuned to word-choices.
Thanks for your fine write up. Learned a few new things about the well-loved iMac G4
Apologies, a bit off topic, but I have one of these G4's, with Wicknix's Lubuntu Remix installed, but I am totally unable to get any sound on the various browsers I have. Deezer, BBC sounds, etc etc. FM radio's. Does anyone have streaming sound? Please let me know.
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If you don't have the original Speakers installed, there's no sound available from within the iMacG4.
You may attach a USB-Soundcard instead and connect external speakers of your choice (via USB-Soundcard-Klinke3,5).
No, I have speakers. It's just the sound from any websites that is completely absent. So if anyone has Lubuntu internet sound on a G4 working , I'd like to know.
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Do you have sound from yr browsers ?
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Yes always, before and after install of the SSD. Which browser are you using? Incidently I never use Safari on any of my Macs, always FireFox (which imho can be tweaked for improved security) and with the DuckDuckGo search engine.
You may be interested to know that as I have several G4 iMacs, on finding that Juicy Crumb do a modified motherboard that transform a G4 iMac into an external display, I purchased the mboard, installed it to one of my 17" G4's and harnessed to an out-of-sight MacMini M2Pro which can obviously run the latest and future Apple OS's. Ref my related links:
https://forums.macrumors.com/attachments/imacg4m2pro-jpg.2490306/
https://forums.macrumors.com/media/imacg4m2pro_2-jpg.1035986/full
In it's original config the G4 iMac used to be an interesting topic of conversation with visitors, but since the modification, after powering up the machine I've noticed more than one jaw drop with amazement.
I also have a 20" iMac but have yet to perform a similar mod to it. Incidently the modified motherboard can be installed without any 'butchering', so if/when required the machine can be returned to it's original configuration. A definite win-win!
https://forums.macrumors.com/attachments/imacg4m2pro-jpg.2490306/
https://forums.macrumors.com/media/imacg4m2pro_2-jpg.1035986/full
In it's original config the G4 iMac used to be an interesting topic of conversation with visitors, but since the modification, after powering up the machine I've noticed more than one jaw drop with amazement.
I also have a 20" iMac but have yet to perform a similar mod to it. Incidently the modified motherboard can be installed without any 'butchering', so if/when required the machine can be returned to it's original configuration. A definite win-win!
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That's good to know. Thank you. I'm actually using Lubuntu Remix but have come up short as I am unable to get any sound from any of the browsers available so I might just have to go down the Juicy Crumb road.
Prior to installing Lubunto did you have sound on the iMac? I've never had a problem with sound when using OS Tiger, Leopard or Sorbet Leopard on any of my G4 iMacs.