Plastic Fantastic Club

[VirtuallyInsane]

This is a club for all the plastic iBook, iMac, and earlier Powerbook models who make the cut. That's the only requirement, and I wanted to make a club because pretty much everything I own that's PowerPC related is plastic, lol.

This is my iBook 12-inch running Tiger (still going strong, and works great), an iMac G5 running Leopard (also going strong, and running great but not as well as the iBook 12 inch) and I had an iBook 14-inch (RIP) running Tiger and Leopard but the fans crapped out on it last week, and when I turn it on, it doesn't boot up, and it has a smokey smell. And the fans run full blast. Must be a fan issue. I tried opening it up, but I could only get past a certain point before I just gave up. I thought people were exaggerating when they said they hated working with iBooks, but I totally get it now.

I hope to replace the 14-inch at some point, though. Just waiting until the prices go down on eBay a bit more to around 30 quid for a fully working, fully functional one. I really liked that machine. It worked well, for the short amount of time I had it functional.

 

[B S Magnet]

This is a club for all the plastic iBook, iMac, and earlier Powerbook models who make the cut. That's the only requirement, and I wanted to make a club because pretty much everything I own that's PowerPC related is plastic, lol.

This is my iBook 12-inch running Tiger (still going strong, and works great), an iMac G5 running Leopard (also going strong, and running great but not as well as the iBook 12 inch) and I had an iBook 14-inch (RIP) running Tiger and Leopard but the fans crapped out on it last week, and when I turn it on, it doesn't boot up, and it has a smokey smell. And the fans run full blast. Must be a fan issue. I tried opening it up, but I could only get past a certain point before I just gave up. I thought people were exaggerating when they said they hated working with iBooks, but I totally get it now.

I hope to replace the 14-inch at some point, though. Just waiting until the prices go down on eBay a bit more to around 30 quid for a fully working, fully functional one. I really liked that machine. It worked well, for the short amount of time I had it functional.

All this thread makes me want to do is to pull out Flesh for Lulu’s 1989 album — known best for its single, “Every Little Word” — and play the track, “Every Little Word”.

 

[VirtuallyInsane]

All this thread makes me want to do is to pull out Flesh for Lulu’s 1989 album — known best for its single, “Every Little Word” — and play the track, “Every Little Word”.

Lol, I didn't even know that there was an album called *Plastic Fantastic*. Just liked the name for the club. ;P

 

[B S Magnet]

Lol, I didn't even know that there was an album called *Plastic Fantastic*. Just liked the name for the club. ;P

It rolls off the tongue very nicely.

 

[VirtuallyInsane]

Today I betrayed the Plastic Fantastic Club and got my first aluminum PowerPC product It's a Powerbook G4 12-inch that I won from an auction at a good price, and it was listed as untested.

I tossed the 1GB RAM from my iBook G4 14 Inch into it, and it works a treat.

The only thing it needs is a new hard drive (or an SSD), which I will do sometime.

At the moment, it's running from the Firewire that the iBook used to run from.

I hope that the iBook likes their new sibling and they get on well together. I did a family portrait of them both, side by side. Look at the size difference, lol.

Yes, it's a 2003 model but it seems to run decently on the Tiger External SSD.

The case isn't too bad for its age but it needs a bit of cleaning, and the back has standard age-related scuffs but nothing too major. Oh, and the front has a dent where it opens, I dunno if you can see it. Other than that it's in very good condition.

 

[B S Magnet]

Today I betrayed the Plastic Fantastic Club and got my first aluminum PowerPC product

Fired. Clean out your desk. 🗑️

(Seriously, though: NICE.)

 

[VirtuallyInsane]

Fired. Clean out your desk. 🗑️

(Seriously, though: NICE.)

Thanks, and I am also getting a PB 17-inch that I won cheap, 1.33 GHz model and that's it for now.

I don't want to see another 15-inch laptop for a while since I have 3 friggin Macbook Pros (pre-unibody) and a Lenovo gaming laptop in that size. I'm gonna start dreaming about them, lol.

I'll post more pictures of it when I get it. But for now, I am enjoying the Plastic Fantasticness of my iBook and iMac (and the added pizazz of the PB 12-inch).

 

[B S Magnet]

Thanks, and I am also getting a PB 17-inch that I won cheap, 1.33 GHz model and that's it for now.

Congratulations! That’ll get you a pass into Club 17.

I don't want to see another 15-inch laptop for a while since I have 3 friggin Macbook Pros (pre-unibody) and a Lenovo gaming laptop in that size. I'm gonna start dreaming about them, lol.

Indeed! I have one, and one is quite enough. It’s a bit too in-between for how I like to use laptops.

 

[Doq]

To the Club I present a machine that needs little introduction. The original Golden Mac. Of eBay Bargain fame and recently re-setup, of course I'm talking about the Six Dollar eMac.

View attachment 2179707

 

[za9ra22]

And here, joining this most august of clubs, is my Clamshell. An SE 366 in its 23rd year, and still playing on the internet. Only just of course, but downloading PageMaker 6.5.2 from The Garden.... No idea why I didn't FTP it from my MBA instead, except if you're going to use a Clamshell, you might as well make it as hard as you can.

 

[B S Magnet]

And here, joining this most august of clubs, is my Clamshell. An SE 366 in its 23rd year, and still playing on the internet. Only just of course, but downloading PageMaker 6.5.2 from The Garden.... No idea why I didn't FTP it from my MBA instead, except if you're going to use a Clamshell, you might as well make it as hard as you can.

View attachment 2181166

Clean, well-kept and still doing work in 2023. This is awesome.

Whenever I see a graphite SE 366, I realize how infrequently I ever ran across them. It leaves me to ponder whether they are as scarce as, say, a key lime 366 — which, compared with the 466, never turned up as often.

 

[za9ra22]

It was a graphite SE I wanted, and this one wasn't expensive, but it does work rather well!!

 

[B S Magnet]

It was a graphite SE I wanted, and this one wasn't expensive, but it does work rather well!!

And unlike the later graphite model, this one can actually be upgraded to a G4!

 

[MysticCow]

She has served me well for over a decade! (And continues to do so) This is my 600 MHz workhorse. I also have a graphite 700 that I’ll post another day.

 

[VirtuallyInsane]

And here, joining this most august of clubs, is my Clamshell. An SE 366 in its 23rd year, and still playing on the internet. Only just of course, but downloading PageMaker 6.5.2 from The Garden.... No idea why I didn't FTP it from my MBA instead, except if you're going to use a Clamshell, you might as well make it as hard as you can.

View attachment 2181166

It’s great to see one of these in good condition and still being used.

I’m impressed that it can still go onto the internet, even to download some programs. 23 years is a long time, well done for keeping it so well maintained and loved for so long.

I'd like to pick up a Clamshell G3 someday, but as of now, my oldest running laptop is that 12-inch iBook G4 and it's still in pretty good condition for being 20 tbh. I've seen some with yellowed keyboards and they're scary.

She has served me well for over a decade! (And continues to do so) This is my 600 MHz workhorse. I also have a graphite 700 that I’ll post another day.


View attachment 2181432

I love the keyboard for that. Random question, but what's it like to watch media on? (If you've done it before). I've always thought those iMac G3 look like some TVs from the era as well. Brings me back in time.

It's also great that you've been able to keep your iMac running for so long. It looks good for its age as well.

 

[B S Magnet]

It’s great to see one of these in good condition and still being used.

I’m impressed that it can still go onto the internet, even to download some programs. 23 years is a long time, well done for keeping it so well maintained and loved for so long.

I'd like to pick up a Clamshell G3 someday, but as of now, my oldest running laptop is that 12-inch iBook G4 and it's still in pretty good condition for being 20 tbh. I've seen some with yellowed keyboards and they're scary.



I love the keyboard for that. Random question, but what's it like to watch media on? (If you've done it before). I've always thought those iMac G3 look like some TVs from the era as well. Brings me back in time.

It's also great that you've been able to keep your iMac running for so long. It looks good for its age as well.

My 466 clamshell permanently has an ethernet cable connected to it. At least once a month or so, I update macports on it and sometimes pull open a browser to check performance on a specific site. They may not be running at speeds becoming of later PowerPC systems (Geekbench has mine, purportedly the fastest 466 ever posted on their scores, at roughly one-fourth the scores one would see with a 1.67GHz PowerBook G4), but they still hold their own whilst using Tiger.

 

[MysticCow]

I love the keyboard for that. Random question, but what's it like to watch media on? (If you've done it before).

The keyboard is a knockoff of one of those “As seen on TV” keyboards from several years ago. It does the job quite well.

As for video I personally haven’t done it in a long time. In its heyday it played videos well. Not sure anymore because I simply haven’t done it. I know a few have and there are tricks, but an Office station was the perfect job for this one.

 

[za9ra22]

I am also rather partial to this - a 2001 G3 iBook 600, still working and regularly used. The battery holds about 30 minutes of charge, and other than a few scratches I guess all these tend to suffer, the only signs of wear and tear is that the feet all fell off. One of the USB ports is a bit intermittent, but still works and it seems to run 9.2 really well - it had 10.4 on it when I got it, but I upgraded it backwards!

 

[doctor_dog]

I am also rather partial to this - a 2001 G3 iBook 600, still working and regularly used. The battery holds about 30 minutes of charge, and other than a few scratches I guess all these tend to suffer, the only signs of wear and tear is that the feet all fell off. One of the USB ports is a bit intermittent, but still works and it seems to run 9.2 really well - it had 10.4 on it when I got it, but I upgraded it backwards!

View attachment 2182907

That thing is mint! Amazing find, I would be rather partial to it as well 30 minutes of charge is pretty good if you ask me, my iBook G4 batteries fare a bit worse. Good stuff!

 

[za9ra22]

That thing is mint! Amazing find, I would be rather partial to it as well 30 minutes of charge is pretty good if you ask me, my iBook G4 batteries fare a bit worse. Good stuff!

The seller who was parting with it kindly warned me that it was quite old and 'not very capable these days'. He offered my money back if I was disappointed!

I was certainly not disappointed!

 

[Dronecatcher]

I was certainly not disappointed!

I remember feeling the same way

New G3 iBook

I've just got myself an 800Mhz G3 iBook and I'm blown away by the condition it's in - near immaculate! Unbelievably, the original Apple battery, which is at 46 cycles, reports nearly 6 hours at full charge..after 13 years - what are they - nuclear? It came with Jaguar & OS 9 installed but I...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[B S Magnet]

I remember feeling the same way

New G3 iBook

I've just got myself an 800Mhz G3 iBook and I'm blown away by the condition it's in - near immaculate! Unbelievably, the original Apple battery, which is at 46 cycles, reports nearly 6 hours at full charge..after 13 years - what are they - nuclear? It came with Jaguar & OS 9 installed but I...

forums.macrumors.com

Nice. It’s an ice 800, not an opaque 800!

All this time in my mind, I thought yours was an opaque model. I feel like ice case 800s, compared with the later, opaque 800 and 900s, are fairly uncommon. Plus, you get four times the amount of VRAM and faster GPU than the one in my 2000 iBook and twice the VRAM of its opaque counterpart.

I reckon if there was a sweet spot for the post-clamshell iBook G3s (which didn’t fail from their GPUs), this would probably be it: a bit of the past, a bit of the future (with that new-style brand mark), bundled with higher-end features like the combo drive, and just getting the job done.

 

[Dronecatcher]

All this time in my mind, I thought yours was an opaque model

Maybe you're thinking of my current 900Mhz 14" ? The one above I sadly sold way back.

 

[VirtuallyInsane]

My 466 clamshell permanently has an ethernet cable connected to it. At least once a month or so, I update macports on it and sometimes pull open a browser to check performance on a specific site. They may not be running at speeds becoming of later PowerPC systems (Geekbench has mine, purportedly the fastest 466 ever posted on their scores, at roughly one-fourth the scores one would see with a 1.67GHz PowerBook G4), but they still hold their own whilst using Tiger.

It's cool that it can run MacPorts better than my 1.07 GHz iBook G4 can *cough* bad machine *cough*. It's good that it can still run Tiger for the age of it.

The keyboard is a knockoff of one of those “As seen on TV” keyboards from several years ago. It does the job quite well.

As for video I personally haven’t done it in a long time. In its heyday it played videos well. Not sure anymore because I simply haven’t done it. I know a few have and there are tricks, but an Office station was the perfect job for this one.

As long as it does the job well, that's the main thing.

That's cool. I bet when it played video it felt like you were watching TV in fullscreen mode lol. But it's good that it still has a use as an Office station. I bet Office runs well on it.

 

[za9ra22]

Oh, wait... plastic fantastic?! You can't get much more plastic than this, even if it is somewhat on the smallish side.... My fairly recently acquired 2400, having undergone some software installation. They keyboard is rather cramped, but it's not hard to see why these became a bit of a cult....

I don't use this every day, but it is used often, particularly after installing Office 4.2.1. It's a useful 'bridge' machine since it has a floppy drive (poorly designed, short and stiff cable) and PC Card slots on the back, and it runs beautifully - including about an hour of charge in the battery.

Only 16Mb RAM, and the original 1.3Gb HD - but a bit of a classic.