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Modifying ibook Hardware...

V

visor

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 13, 2003
341
0
in bed
Hi Guys,

I can't help but wonder if one can modify an ibook with some new parts.
I have a Nov 02 700Mhz ibook with 20 gig HD - which is a little to little. Most of the time, I'm wondering what i should delete next.

Obviously it should be possible to put a bigger HD into to book. Now the question is, has anyone done this before, and what needs to be taken into account?

Also - what about changing graphic cards? While I'm happy with the radeon 7500, I'm not at all happy with it's 16mb memory. i wonder if I could add some to it, or just get a 32mb card - that would make extended desktop operation much smoother.

Now, btw. I hear the G3 and G4 are Pin compatible. if so, Theoretically a g4 could fit in the g3 socket - now would it run? how different are the chipsets of g3 and g4 boards?

Obviously, all kind of considerations have to be made. heat issues, power issues etc.
Has anyone got a good source to get informations about this kind of thing?
 
A good first guideline for how complicated/possible modifications are is whether Apple thinks that these things can be done at the user level.

I think that they have downloadable instructions on how to change your harddrive (at least for PowerBooks) -- having done this, I can tell you it's not rocket science (more like Tinker Toys, actually).

My suspicion about the video card is that it's not going to be a reasonable project for anyone other than a logic board tech -- too many people complain about the substandard video support in the laptops and no one talks about buying/replacing them.
 
Re: Modifying ibook Hardware...

Originally posted by visor
Hi Guys,

I can't help but wonder if one can modify an ibook with some new parts.
I have a Nov 02 700Mhz ibook with 20 gig HD - which is a little to little. Most of the time, I'm wondering what i should delete next.

Obviously it should be possible to put a bigger HD into to book. Now the question is, has anyone done this before, and what needs to be taken into account?

Also - what about changing graphic cards? While I'm happy with the radeon 7500, I'm not at all happy with it's 16mb memory. i wonder if I could add some to it, or just get a 32mb card - that would make extended desktop operation much smoother.

Now, btw. I hear the G3 and G4 are Pin compatible. if so, Theoretically a g4 could fit in the g3 socket - now would it run? how different are the chipsets of g3 and g4 boards?

Obviously, all kind of considerations have to be made. heat issues, power issues etc.
Has anyone got a good source to get informations about this kind of thing?
Click to expand...

The white iBook is the hardest machine I've ever had to upgrade the hard drive of. You have to pry the case open with your fingernails and that can hurt your fingers a couple days. Best to leave an authorized service provider to do the work. Remember, the drive itself has to be a smaller height than the Powerbook drives. http://www.powerbook1.com/ knows which height drives are needed. The graphics chip is saudered on. The only way to upgrade it is to swap it for a newer iBook's motherboard.
 
The only way to accomplish a video upgrade is to replace the logic board (ie expensive).

To trade up to a newer model, or plain buy a new machine.

Basically everything is integrated onto a single board, so there are no card upgrades. And anyone that upgrades the logic board must remove and replace soldered components.
 
OK, so what will be new?

Thanks for your replies,

in the end, it comes down to a simple calculation: sell the old book, and buy a new one, versus spend the money directly on replacement parts and accept the 5% probability of wrecking the thing in the process.

Hm, since I wouldn't be going for a new ibook because of the lame G3, I'll just see what the new PB's look like - when they will eventually appear.
 
yes the white iBook is a pain to upgrade the hardrive. there are about 40 screws and you have to remember which one goes where. if i were u i would take it to compusa or another computer store
 
I upgraded to the 12" powerbook from an ibook 500 in June and it's at least twice as fast in everything (except for booting, that's still slow as death).

Anyway, for people who have gotten hard drive upgrades on their laptops, can you take it to any mom and pop's apple shop and get it done? Does the official apple store do this work? I'd like to put a faster 80 GB drive in my powerbook with a larger cache someday.
 
Originally posted by NavyIntel007
I upgraded to the 12" powerbook from an ibook 500 in June and it's at least twice as fast in everything (except for booting, that's still slow as death).

Anyway, for people who have gotten hard drive upgrades on their laptops, can you take it to any mom and pop's apple shop and get it done? Does the official apple store do this work? I'd like to put a faster 80 GB drive in my powerbook with a larger cache someday.
Click to expand...

The Official Apple Store will only install Apple hardware. Many mom and pop shops which are authorized service technicians may be able to install the hard drive. There is no guarantee though that the machine will stay under warranty if you do it. Unless you order a machine build-to-order with a bigger hard drive, the warranty may not last if you buy a bigger hard drive and try to put it in, unless you keep the old hard drive and have a mom and pop shop put it back in before you send it in for warranty service.
 
Re: Re: Modifying ibook Hardware...

Originally posted by gopher
You have to pry the case open with your fingernails and that can hurt your fingers a couple days.
Click to expand...

Or you could use a "nonconductive nylon or plastic tool" like it says in the instructions :)
 
i hope apple picks up the technology like voodoo and i think dell have picked it up too. the seperate the video card with a mini slot that you can upgrade later on in the future.

iJon
 
Actually, depending on your machine, swapping HDs is not a warranty-voiding action. With the iBook, it is recommended by pretty much everyone who sells HDs to have it done by a tech. Even MCE warns you about this. PowerBooks (especially nice ones like the Pismos) are not as big a deal as the iBook. I have swapped two drives on two 15" PowerBooks this year. RAM is also another item you can install yourself.

Regards,
Gus
 
I just upgraded the memory in my iBook today. Nice and painless. Now I need an excuse to get an AirPort card :D

Changing the HD is possible but tricky. I've got the service guide here, and it's a multi-multi-multi-step process. Including needing two different #0 screwdrivers.
 
one of the biggest apple warranty companies is based in texas and...maybe not supposed to say this... is and was run from a company that is famous for making computers in the PC world from a founder with the initials MD

come on, people, this is a business...that's why apple or anybody else, does not want YOU to do too much to your equipment so WE could

-jef
certified techie and former warranty techie

ps - is it fair?
no, but it's a business
 
Originally posted by jefhatfield
one of the biggest apple warranty companies is based in texas and...maybe not supposed to say this... is and was run from a company that is famous for making computers in the PC world from a founder with the initials MD

come on, people, this is a business...that's why apple or anybody else, does not want YOU to do too much to your equipment so WE could

-jef
certified techie and former warranty techie

ps - is it fair?
no, but it's a business
Click to expand...

MD, no really? Then why did MD say time and again that Apple should close up shop and return all its shares to its shareholders? Why did he claim to have put wireless in notebooks first (when it came in the iBook a year earlier)? Why did he claim so many innovations to his company's name that were actually Apple's? If MD's company is providing Apple support, they have a strange way of showing it. I'll admit it, they did soften their stance when their own store finally started selling iPods.
 
Originally posted by gopher
MD, no really? Then why did MD say time and again that Apple should close up shop and return all its shares to its shareholders? Why did he claim to have put wireless in notebooks first (when it came in the iBook a year earlier)? Why did he claim so many innovations to his company's name that were actually Apple's? If MD's company is providing Apple support, they have a strange way of showing it. I'll admit it, they did soften their stance when their own store finally started selling iPods.
Click to expand...

the warranty company, owned by dell, will fix anything it can get its hands on

a lot of pressure there, and low pay...but good for beginning techs to get experience...but i am not sure if the pressure to make money for the warranty company coupled with low pay have anything to do with mike dell at all or not:p

i know apple owns a few entities, but i wonder how many more dell owns?

or microsoft?
 
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