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Modifying my iBook G4 12" 1.33GHz

R

RedCroissant

Suspended
Original poster
Aug 13, 2011
2,268
96
Hello all.

I'm getting bored and would like to change a few things about my computer and was wondering if certain parts were available or if anyone knows where to acquire them.

I would like to have a transparent or clear iBook and will gladly remove the paint from the top and bottom case if I have to, but would prefer to find ones that have either already had their paint removed, or where I can find some extra pieces so that I can still maintain a set of unaltered iBook pieces.

I was also wondering if anyone knows of the existence of clear or transparent section where the keyboard and palm rest are located. I don't think that piece can have the paint removed, so I'm not going to try it.

I have other modifications in mind as well, but I think I'll start with what I can see and then go from there.

Thanks in advance!
 
RedCroissant said:
Hello all.

I'm getting bored and would like to change a few things about my computer and was wondering if certain parts were available or if anyone knows where to acquire them.

I would like to have a transparent or clear iBook and will gladly remove the paint from the top and bottom case if I have to, but would prefer to find ones that have either already had their paint removed, or where I can find some extra pieces so that I can still maintain a set of unaltered iBook pieces.

I was also wondering if anyone knows of the existence of clear or transparent section where the keyboard and palm rest are located. I don't think that piece can have the paint removed, so I'm not going to try it.

I have other modifications in mind as well, but I think I'll start with what I can see and then go from there.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Are you also going to remove the foil thingy under the logic board? You can't really see the inside at all with it there even though it's a lot less durable without it.
 
RedCroissant said:
Hello all.

I'm getting bored and would like to change a few things about my computer and was wondering if certain parts were available or if anyone knows where to acquire them.

I would like to have a transparent or clear iBook and will gladly remove the paint from the top and bottom case if I have to, but would prefer to find ones that have either already had their paint removed, or where I can find some extra pieces so that I can still maintain a set of unaltered iBook pieces.

I was also wondering if anyone knows of the existence of clear or transparent section where the keyboard and palm rest are located. I don't think that piece can have the paint removed, so I'm not going to try it.

I have other modifications in mind as well, but I think I'll start with what I can see and then go from there.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Cool when you get it done just don't remove any of the rf shielding or they won't let you take it on a plane trust me I tried :rolleyes:
 
RedCroissant said:
Hello all.

I'm getting bored and would like to change a few things about my computer and was wondering if certain parts were available or if anyone knows where to acquire them.

I would like to have a transparent or clear iBook and will gladly remove the paint from the top and bottom case if I have to, but would prefer to find ones that have either already had their paint removed, or where I can find some extra pieces so that I can still maintain a set of unaltered iBook pieces.

I was also wondering if anyone knows of the existence of clear or transparent section where the keyboard and palm rest are located. I don't think that piece can have the paint removed, so I'm not going to try it.

I have other modifications in mind as well, but I think I'll start with what I can see and then go from there.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...


Hey! You should take a look at this
I'm sure you can find parts on ebay. Here in Italy i saw a loooot of parts, like back-cover, keyboard, bottom-case, etc...
Good luck, and don't forget to post pictures!

:)
 
gaboshenia said:
Hey! You should take a look at this
I'm sure you can find parts on ebay. Here in Italy i saw a loooot of parts, like back-cover, keyboard, bottom-case, etc...
Good luck, and don't forget to post pictures!

:)
Click to expand...

That's an iBook G3, which is painted white over clear plastic, which was used in the Late G3s. In the early white G3s, they put a white layer on the inside to give it a similar look to the iPod line.

With the G4s, you can't do this. Their plastic is solid white.
 
spyguy10709 said:
That's an iBook G3, which is painted white over clear plastic, which was used in the Late G3s. In the early white G3s, they put a white layer on the inside to give it a similar look to the iPod line.

With the G4s, you can't do this. Their plastic is solid white.
Click to expand...

Didn't think of that. I remember now that the casing on a G3 is translucent, and on the G4 is pretty solid...
Anyway...i'm still curious on how's it gonna' look at the end :)
 
I have also really thought about having a clear one trust me you can pick a g3 up on ebay for dirt cheap!I also love to modify and I had a whole list of stuff to do but havent got to it yet because I kinda like the white ibook.

1.Clear the case or paint it blue.
2Put one of the clear style g3 keyboards on it.
3.Print some type of logo and put it in between lcd and outer case so it glows at night.
4. Put in the max size hard drive.
5.New thermal paste.
6.Max ram.
7New battery.

Other things I have thought of .

8.Put new fans in it and cut my own vent holes and hardwire the fans into your old fan or some other point on logic board.But then I decided it to be too much work.
9.Use it as a sort of mac min/imac and take the keyboard out and get a good external keyboard and cut a slot in the metal under keyboard and put a BAD A?? liquid cooling system in it.Then I thought again and came up with a decision that it would be crazy.

I thought all of this stuff over and I decided I like my ibook too much the way it is and just put a bigger hard drive in it maxxed ram and did me an eye in behind the apple logo
 
spyguy10709 said:
That's an iBook G3, which is painted white over clear plastic, which was used in the Late G3s. In the early white G3s, they put a white layer on the inside to give it a similar look to the iPod line.

With the G4s, you can't do this. Their plastic is solid white.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I just learned this last night and am now looking for iBook G3 parts to use instead. I'm hoping that I can get them for cheap because I am BROKE. Here's a link to what made me want to do this:

http://www.applefritter.com/hacks/tronbook

So...this project is going to have to wait until I have the parts and the money because for now I will have to stick with my white one. Oh well. I will update this thread though in the future.
 
In addition to the body, I was thinking.....

So, after looking at a few sites regarding parts for the G3(which are not cheap enough yet for me to consider buying them) I started thinking of the hardware mods I was considering a while ago, but also thinking of a new one that I wanted to run by people.

As far as I know, there are two PATA connections(one for the HDD and one for the ODD). What if i: removed the ODD, placed a new HDD in the ODD bay, extended the cable for the other PATA connector to where the modem connection is located(but remove the modem port and modem hardware) and make the superdrive a pseudo-external ODD that still relies on the PATA connection(this way, I can still use it to reinstall the OS if need be).

At this point I would find a wireless adapter and place it in the traditional HDD bay but solder the cable to the usb port on the inside of the machine. The other usb port would be used in a similar way, and I would run a usb hub to the right side of the machine and secure it so that I would now have 3 usb ports on the right side of the machine.

Does anyone know of special I/O port plugs that close off a port that would make the left side of the machine seem flat for the most part? I want to close off the mini-DVI port and the 2 usb ports. I considered doing the same with the firewire port, but that would mean that I would have to put a large capacity FW drive in the ODD bay instead. Essentially, I would like to move as much as I can to the right side of the machine.

----------
skateny said:
That's a beauty. Would love to attempt something like that after I replace my iBook with an MacBook.
Click to expand...

If I can find reasonably priced parts, then this would be a reality for me within a month. Otherwise, since people around here are pricing their parts for proportionally more than what the machine is worth, I don't see it happening any time soon.

I'm going to copy your sig by the way, except for the 80GB HDD part though; mine's only 40GB
 
Ariii said:
Are you also going to remove the foil thingy under the logic board? You can't really see the inside at all with it there even though it's a lot less durable without it.
Click to expand...

Yes I will as long as the bottom cover piece from the G3 fits. If not, then I'll be limited to customizing only the top cover and will leave the bottom as is. I would also do it with the top one so that I'd be able to see the other mods that I've made(as long as I can find a clear section).
 

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