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Just wanted to throw this on here! iBook G3 Mint!

I

iDutchman

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 9, 2010
676
32
Amsterdam, NL
Hi. I'm not really into these particular Macs, but I came across these very cheap iBook G3's in very good condition.

I think these iBooks are nicely priced for some PowerPC lovers out there!

http://bit.ly/TNNyk2

That's the eBay link. It's a 'buy now'.

Especially if you live in the US (i would pay even more for shipping). Anyways, maybe for someone here!
 
Last edited:
iDutchman said:
Hi. I'm not really into these particular Macs, but I came across these very cheap iBook G3's in very good condition.

I think these iBooks are nicely prices for some PowerPC lovers out there!

http://bit.ly/TNNyk2

That's the eBay link. It's a 'buy now'.

Especially if you live in the US (i would pay even more for shipping). Anyways, maybe for someone here!
Click to expand...

It's a nice price. Just not sure what I'd use it for.
 
joepunk said:
Word processing (typing mostly) and an OS9 game or three.
Click to expand...

It would be great for OS 9. Word processing too. I never really cared for those keyboards that much (or the iBook keyboards). I think the G4 PowerBook keyboards are fantastic.

The drawback to any G3 Mac these days is that you just won't be able to stream any video of any kind.
 
Well, you can stream...

...240p with some G3's, if you like pixels. And 3GP files, if you really like pixelated video. And you can always download and then playback avi's, mov's and mp4's on G3 macs with VLC, quicktime or mplayer. The method the luddite showed for using the extracted mplayer binary and tweeking the settings via the command line works quite well, actually.

I'd use a G3 for OS 9, free software via Macintosh Garden and lotsa retro fun. And forget about OS X and streaming video all together.
 
Fyi

Just note, as a previous owner to some prospective buyers, that (from LowEndMac specs page:

MacInTouch has called the dual USB G3 iBooks Apple's most unreliable notebooks ever. According to their survey of iBook and PowerBook Reliability:

...by affected percentage of models, the G3 iBooks were the worst by far, with more than half requiring logic board replacements. Apple created a warranty extension program for some versions, but not all. (MacInTouch readers are still reporting newly failed iBook G3s, and the warranty extension program has ended.)

The white 12" iBook G3 series became much less reliable through its first five revisions, reaching a 73% failure percentage! The last revision dropped to a 49% failure percentage - much improved over the previous model, but still unconscionably high. The problems appear to have been solved, for the most part, in the newer iBook G4 series.

Keep in mind that Apple had an extended replacement program on many iceBook models, so most problematic motherboards have already been replaced.

Also note...the adhesive on the keyboards, when it broke down over time, started smelling like B.O.

I guess the other way to look at it is: if the iBooks survived *this long*, then they must not be the defective ones. Note that if you want to run OS 9 on it, it has to be OS 9.2, and install disks for that are hard to find.
 
Unless you have a Mac older than OS 9 you probably need a system specific installer. I don't think apple made a retail install disc with 9.2 on it but only update discs requiring an existing install. Macintosh Garden has quite a few system specific installs. I have noticed that the full system folders for 9.2.2 are pretty generic and will work on most machines.
 
blesscheese said:
I guess the other way to look at it is: if the iBooks survived *this long*, then they must not be the defective ones. Note that if you want to run OS 9 on it, it has to be OS 9.2, and install disks for that are hard to find.
Click to expand...

I have and use one of the G3 iBooks that could be affected by the logic board issue. I don't think you really can know that the iBook you are purchasing is safe from the issues. They were cause by the logic board bending, which caused the solder joints holding the GPU to the logic board to become loose. If they are on eBay and still work, it could be that they have only seen light use, and thus have not had the logic board bent repeatedly. If you purchase one and use it a lot, there is a good chance that it could happen to you. I assume that as these get older, there is even more of a chance that it could happen.

About the BO smell, mine has it, and it's not the end of the world.
 
iDutchman said:
Hi. I'm not really into these particular Macs, but I came across these very cheap iBook G3's in very good condition.

I think these iBooks are nicely priced for some PowerPC lovers out there!

http://bit.ly/TNNyk2

That's the eBay link. It's a 'buy now'.

Especially if you live in the US (i would pay even more for shipping). Anyways, maybe for someone here!
Click to expand...
Just a note of caution. I think your post is great, but the one time I did this for a deal on a PowerBook G4 on eBay the mods came down on my post within an hour or so. I was violating forums rules for showing a sale outside of the marketplace. Nevermind it wasn't my sale, just what I thought was a deal to alert the forum users too.

Hopefully this post escapes the notice of the mods.
 
MisterKeeks said:
I don't think you really can know that the iBook you are purchasing is safe from the issues. They were cause by the logic board bending, which caused the solder joints holding the GPU to the logic board to become loose. If they are on eBay and still work, it could be that they have only seen light use, and thus have not had the logic board bent repeatedly. If you purchase one and use it a lot, there is a good chance that it could happen to you. I assume that as these get older, there is even more of a chance that it could happen.
Click to expand...

Your logic is absolutely correct...I had a G3 800MHz, sold it to my brother-in-law, and several years later it developed the the GPU issue (I think there are multiple issues with the logic board). There was a "fix" in which you would place a shim between the GPU and the casing, which cause a little bulge, which would actually work...at least for a while. It died again later, for some related issues.

Note...opening up and playing around with the innards of a G3 iBook is *NOT* for the faint of heart.

----------
MisterKeeks said:
About the BO smell, mine has it, and it's not the end of the world.
Click to expand...

I'll disagree with you there:D

The BO smell from my old iBook was awful...I never noticed it the year I had it; when my brother-in-law brought it visiting with him over the next several years, I thought it was him! The smell was disgusting...

For prospective buyers: I imagine if you google "ibook body odor smell" you would get some good hits/info about it.
 
blesscheese said:
I'll disagree with you there:D

The BO smell from my old iBook was awful...I never noticed it the year I had it; when my brother-in-law brought it visiting with him over the next several years, I thought it was him! The smell was disgusting...

For prospective buyers: I imagine if you google "ibook body odor smell" you would get some good hits/info about it.
Click to expand...

Well, it's certainly not going to get any better... I'll go try and stick a drier sheet under the keyboard and report back on how we are doing.
 
blesscheese said:
Your logic is absolutely correct...I had a G3 800MHz, sold it to my brother-in-law, and several years later it developed the the GPU issue (I think there are multiple issues with the logic board). There was a "fix" in which you would place a shim between the GPU and the casing, which cause a little bulge, which would actually work...at least for a while. It died again later, for some related issues.

Note...opening up and playing around with the innards of a G3 iBook is *NOT* for the faint of heart.
Click to expand...

I've had my fair share of run-ins with the G3 iBook (had a 14" 700 Mhz back in the day, and a used 12" 800 Mhz later on too), and IMO, the iBook was one of the worst laptops Apple ever released. If it wasn't the dreaded GPU BGA failure that got you, it was bad capacitors on the motherboard, or a voltage regulator module failure (a problem common with the early model G4 iBooks).

Shims, etc. will work but are only a short-term solution, as flexing from heat expansion/compression will lead to a worsening of the cracks in the solder between the GPU and the motherboard; I shimmed my 14" and it worked just long enough to rescue the data from the hard drive; I shimmed my 12" and it worked too, but I ended up having to use a C-Clamp to firmly press the computer against a tabletop to keep it useable. Eventually that failed too.

The next level would be to reflow the solder and resolidify the GPU connection to the motherboard. I really can't attest to the value of "Professional" Reball/Solder Reflowing Services; unless there's a reputable shop in your area, they can very expensive and even unreliable. There are all manner of DIY solutions (all accessible via Google), including tea lights souped up with alcohol, heat guns, and baking the motherboard in an oven (!). At this point you either risk (a) burning your house down, and/or (b) totally frying the motherboard. At this point, I'd say that it's not really worth it unless you really love your G3 iBook.

G3 iBooks are simply a bad investment, even if you're a tinkerer. Best to put that money towards a used MacBook, IMHO. I'd rather take a cheap MacBook with a broken screen over a perfectly working G3 iBook that's living on borrowed time.
 
eyoungren said:
Just a note of caution. I think your post is great, but the one time I did this for a deal on a PowerBook G4 on eBay the mods came down on my post within an hour or so. I was violating forums rules for showing a sale outside of the marketplace. Nevermind it wasn't my sale, just what I thought was a deal to alert the forum users too.

Hopefully this post escapes the notice of the mods.
Click to expand...

It got instant attention and the post got blocked. I, then, replied with the fact that this is not a sale. Since I have no personal interest in the sale or the particular machine. I know there are some on this forum, so this just a great place to share.

Then, they opened it up again.

----------
einmusiker said:
this might make a nice gift for my 7 yo niece. have to think about it
Click to expand...

I agree. I think it's mainly aimed for people with those purposes. For this amount and the condition of the machines, I think you can't go wrong.
 
rampancy said:
I've had my fair share of run-ins with the G3 iBook (had a 14" 700 Mhz back in the day, and a used 12" 800 Mhz later on too), and IMO, the iBook was one of the worst laptops Apple ever released.

G3 iBooks are simply a bad investment, even if you're a tinkerer.
Click to expand...

Again, I'll agree...however, the G4 iBooks appear to have had all the problems ironed out. (BTW, the 12" 800 MHz model was probably the worst of the worst; that is what I had :mad:)

On a positive note...I am about to "inherit" two G4 1.4 MHz 14" iBooks this Christmas...my mother-in-law and "aunt-in-law" have finally moved on to newer Intel MacBooks, and are ready to give up their old iBooks. I am amazed at how long those things lasted; when I look at the coffee stains on my "aunt-in-laws" iBook, I just cringe. Come to pappa, you two little gorgeous iBooks! :D
 
blesscheese said:
I'll disagree with you there:D

The BO smell from my old iBook was awful...I never noticed it the year I had it; when my brother-in-law brought it visiting with him over the next several years, I thought it was him! The smell was disgusting...

For prospective buyers: I imagine if you google "ibook body odor smell" you would get some good hits/info about it.
Click to expand...

I too had a good whiff of the iBook's BO. The later original macbook had a BO-ish smell too whenever it got too heated, though that came directly from the plastic body.

China replacements of the keyboard are roughly $20. It solves the biggest problem of old ibooks. Clean the keyboard recess and let it air for a few days before installing the new keyboard, no more bad smells.
 
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