Post Your "About This Mac" Screenshots (PowerPC)!

[LightBulbFun]

speaking of that upgrade

I noticed in sonnets user guide for it they mention the computer doing some sort of low level firmware thing during the first boot after installing the Sonnet software in Mac OS and then installing the G4 CPU and that if this is interrupted it can brick the PB more or less...

http://www.sonnettech.com/support/downloads/manuals/crescendo_ws_qsg.pdf

Have you tried installing the Sonnet Software http://www.sonnettech.com/support/kb/kb.php?cat=364&expand=_a1&action=a3#a3 shutting down once its done installing then shove the G4 in and seeing if it does the 8 Beeps thing?

(im really curious what this 8 Beeps thing is all about, as the OWR macs dont normally have user programable BootROMs...)

if all else fails, what might you want for that card? id be very interested in having a bash at getting it going (although I dont own a WS/PDQ yet...)

 

[pl1984]

Here is a screenshot of my recent acquisition.

 

[weckart]

Have you tried installing the Sonnet Software http://www.sonnettech.com/support/kb/kb.php?cat=364&expand=_a1&action=a3#a3 shutting down once its done installing then shove the G4 in and seeing if it does the 8 Beeps thing?

I haven't but mostly because it is a PowerLogix BlueChip card. There were a few other vendors with upgrade cards apart from Sonnet.

A similar process occurs: You install the card and run a firmware programming update on bootup, which either marries the card to the lobo or the model of PowerBook, not sure which. All I know is this is a one time, unrepeatable and irreversible process and probably why this card refuses to play nicely with any of my PDQs/Wallstreets.

All I get is no chime and racing fans when I put the card in. It was sold as a working pull so unlikely to be a virgin card.

 

[LightBulbFun]

I haven't but mostly because it is a PowerLogix BlueChip card. There were a few other vendors with upgrade cards apart from Sonnet.

A similar process occurs: You install the card and run a firmware programming update on bootup, which either marries the card to the lobo or the model of PowerBook, not sure which. All I know is this is a one time, unrepeatable and irreversible process and probably why this card refuses to play nicely with any of my PDQs/Wallstreets.

All I get is no chime and racing fans when I put the card in. It was sold as a working pull so unlikely to be a virgin card.

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/PB_G3/powerlogix_bluechip/index5.html

http://lowendmac.com/2001/powerlogi...rd-drive-recovery-coolpad-trial-and-more/#blu

it looks like what they are doing is, dumping the BootROM of the old Card, then somehow getting the machine to load the boot Rom from the hard drive? (I wonder if they are some how storing the ROM in NVRAM) and flashing the ROM onto the new CPU upgrade card

the reason they do this is because they cant ship a new Product with Apples ROM on it otherwise Apple could take em to court.

should be a fairly easy fix (ie by possibly re running the processes, or by erasing the EEPROM on the card and then doing the setup again )

my only worries are, did the card from the factory ship with some very basic boot rom PowerLogix wrote that patches the existing ROM in some way then flashes it or did it ship with a blank EEPROM? and also AFAIK All WS/PDQ CPU cards are compatible with each other machines so even if the card had another machines BootROM I imagine it should still work. in fact the review unit in XLR8s article came pre-programmed... (going by the LEM article they make it sound like the card ships with some sort of custom BootROM.)

Just gotta find the software that would of shipped with these BlueChip WS cards...

 

[weckart]

I think we talked about this before

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/lombard-g4-upgrade.2010811/

 

[LightBulbFun]

Yeah But we never got this far in that discussion

Just trying to get it working...

 

[weckart]

so im curious if Apple had a custom spec/speed MPC750A spun or used an XPC750P. (I also have the same question for the 292/300Mhz WS/PDQs if they use XPC750Ps then it should be very easy to slap a G4 7400 onto/into one )

Well...

 

[LightBulbFun]

very interesting looks Apple did have a 300Mhz 750A done for them... (does anyone own a 333Mhz G3 beige they can photograph the CPU from? since those where only sold later on i wonder what CPU they have as well)

its also worth noting the Core voltage is set to 2.7V on this ZIF. (the MPC750A PDF says 2.6V is the nominal core voltage) sadly I cant find any data sheet outlining any special MPC/XPC750A parts on the NXP website.

Thanks for the photo (CPU was made 20th week 1998 if im reading that right)

 

[weckart]

And now something to warm the cockles of eyoungren's heart: A 17" 1GHz PBG4 sporting the OS it was born to run, despite Apple's best efforts.

 

[Dronecatcher]

And now something to warm the cockles of eyoungren's heart: A 17" 1GHz PBG4 sporting the OS it was born to run, despite Apple's best efforts.

Recent ebay win?

 

[LightBulbFun]

@weckart very Nice I find it very interesting how most of the hardware in the 1Ghz 17 inch PowerBook G4s will work OOB in Mac OS 9.2.2 especially the Graphics (IIRC GeForce4 based iMac G4s that are made to run 9 dont have properly functioning graphics in 9)

the guys over on os9lives got the GPU in the iBook G4 (Radeon Mobility 9200) fully working in OS 9 http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,4319.0.html

and that was the last major non working component under 9 (apart from wifi) as such iBook G4s run Mac OS 9.2.2 very nicely now (they also got the Mac Mini G4 running Mac OS 9.2.2 then got the GPU on that one working too. theres still some quirks with the Mac mini G4 tho http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,2408.0.html )

 

[weckart]

Recent ebay win?

Indeed. Had a stuck scratched MacBook Install disc in the Superdrive. In the end, I had to detach the metal strengthening guard around the inside of the slot as it prevented the drive from ejecting discs. Otherwise, nothing wrong with it.

the guys over on os9lives got the GPU in the iBook G4 (Radeon Mobility 9200) fully working in OS 9
and that was the last major non working component under 9 (apart from wifi) as such iBook G4s run Mac OS 9.2.2 very nicely now

Well, my iBook G4 has a Radeon Mobility 9550, so not all iBooks will run OS9 or are likely to. OS9 looks like being a good fit for the Mac Mini, though, if they can sort out the remaining issues.

 

[Dronecatcher]

Indeed. Had a stuck scratched MacBook Install disc in the Superdrive. In the end, I had to detach the metal strengthening guard around the inside of the slot as it prevented the drive from ejecting discs. Otherwise, nothing wrong with it.

Good catch! I might have passed on it - I've been tracking a few spares/repairs 1Ghz models for the OS9 experiment but all been a bit pricey for the risk.

Do you have a 1Ghz TiBook to compare it to in terms of performance in OS9?

 

[weckart]

I have 3 of those. Might try some benchmarking if I can get hold of something suitable. Prices have risen since I bought one two years ago and the seller bailed out because it died before shipping. The shipping made this a bit pricier than I ideally would have liked but this seller threw in three 65W adapters including the original Apple power cords so I am content.

 

[Dronecatcher]

seller threw in three 65W adapters

I remember the listing...with hindsight was worth it for adapters...next time

 

[weckart]

Do you have a 1Ghz TiBook to compare it to in terms of performance in OS9?

With regard to this, I managed to get a hold of Macbench 4.0 and Cinebench 2003. The latter refused to run on the TiBook and Macbench 5.0, which would be a much better fit, only does a few I/O and CPU tests until someone can dig up the full CD version so I only have these results for what they are worth. I had to run the tests from the CD as it would not detect the graphics test files from the HD (presumably as it is expecting a SCSI drive, given the age of MacBench 4.0). Even so, there is a pretty stark difference.

 

[LightBulbFun]

thats quite a impressive gap, I know the 1Ghz AlBook has a 167Mhz Bus where as the 1Ghz TiBook has a 133Mhz bus

it is worth mentioning. that the 867/1Ghz TiBooks if they dont have a 65W charger and a working battery will clock the CPU down to 667Mhz and disable the L3 cache so its worth making sure you have those 2 things sorted/working otherwise you can end up with a System thats slower then expected (I figured this out when trawling through the Dev documents for the TiBook as @Gamer9430 had a 1Ghz TiBook that was running abnormally slow, once he got a proper charger and battery setup it ran much faster )

 

[weckart]

thats quite a impressive gap, I know the 1Ghz AlBook has a 167Mhz Bus where as the 1Ghz TiBook has a 133Mhz bus

it is worth mentioning. that the 867/1Ghz TiBooks if they dont have a 65W charger and a working battery will clock the CPU down to 667Mhz and disable the L3 cache so its worth making sure you have those 2 things sorted/working otherwise you can end up with a System thats slower then expected (I figured this out when trawling through the Dev documents for the TiBook as @Gamer9430 had a 1Ghz TiBook that was running abnormally slow, once he got a proper charger and battery setup it ran much faster )

Aha. I took the battery out of the TiBook temporarily. I thought something didn’t smell right with those results and it couldn’t be down to the bus. I shall rerun.

I am using the same charger on both.
[doublepost=1522273190][/doublepost]And things are a lot closer as might be expected. Just the expected difference in i/O metrics due to hardware improvements.

 

[LightBulbFun]

Aha. I took the battery out of the TiBook temporarily. I thought something didn’t smell right with those results and it couldn’t be down to the bus. I shall rerun.

I am using the same charger on both.
[doublepost=1522273190][/doublepost]And things are a lot closer as might be expected. Just the expected difference in i/O metrics due to hardware improvements.

View attachment 755919

ah yes that looks much better, as you say the bus speed diffrent would not of made that much of a difference hence why I mentioned the 667Mhz Battery/charger thing (its one of those obscure facts that can make a big difference )

 

[weckart]

I suppose the AluBook wins because of a larger, nicer screen, better cooling hence less fan noise and FW800 under OSX if that matters to someone, otherwise it is more of a wash.

Coincidentally, I installed G4FanControl on the AluBook only to discover that it has no detectable temp sensors. Let's hope Apple's thermal settings are sufficient to prevent overheating.

 

[LightBulbFun]

I suppose the AluBook wins because of a larger, nicer screen, better cooling hence less fan noise and FW800 under OSX if that matters to someone, otherwise it is more of a wash.

Coincidentally, I installed G4FanControl on the AluBook only to discover that it has no detectable temp sensors. Let's hope Apple's thermal settings are sufficient to prevent overheating.

well you do get 2GB of RAM vs 1GB of RAM in the Tibook on top of that the AlBook has an ATA100 Bus for the HDD vs ATA66 one in the TiBook

so although on the surface the TiBook and 1Ghz 17 inch AlBook look quite simular the AlBook has the potential to be a bit better (shove an SSD into and Mac OS 9.2.2 would prolly boot up quicker then it takes to the POST )

it would be very interesting to see how the GeForce4 440 Go compare To the Radeon Mobility 9000. if you look at the Schematics for the 1Ghz 17 inch AlBook they where actually considering using GeForce FX Go 5600/5650 but chose not too in the end, which is "good" for us down the line as that would of broken Full Mac OS 9.2.2 compatibility

 

[weckart]

I'm just curious now whether your iBook actually bests the AluBook. It has a faster CPU and at least as fast a bus. Less RAM but I have no idea where the 9200M stacks up against the 440 Go.

 

[LightBulbFun]

I'm just curious now whether your iBook actually bests the AluBook. It has a faster CPU and at least as fast a bus. Less RAM but I have no idea where the 9200M stacks up against the 440 Go.

I just got round to testing the Card in Openmark https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/some-ppc-openmark-benchmarks.1848060/page-6#post-25933965

if OpenMark is to be believed the GeForce4 Go 440 is faster then the Radeon Mobility 9000 which is Faster then the Radeon Mobility 9200 in my iBook G4 (so my iBook has the slowest GPU) it would be interesting to run some other benchmarks (in OS 9 too)

The iBook G4 does have the least amount of VRAM and im not sure exactly how the clocks compare (especially to the 9000 in the TiBook)

its also worth mentioning that although my CPU is clocked faster I only have 512KB of on Die L2 cache (and a 133Mhz bus). whereas the 1Ghz 17 inch AlBook and 1Ghz TiBook both have 7455s with 256KB of on Die L2 plus 1MB of DDR L3 so that can very much affect the speed of programs

im also curious if a 17 inch DLSDs LCD panel would work in a 1Ghz 17 inch AlBook that would make for one hell of an OS 9 machine... (I know the DLSD panel works in a SLSD 17 inch PB G4)

 

[weckart]

im also curious if a 17 inch DLSDs LCD panel would work in a 1Ghz 17 inch AlBook that would make for one hell of an OS 9 machine... (I know the DLSD panel works in a SLSD 17 inch PB G4)

Didn't someone retrofit a MBP HD panel into a PBG4 and got it work or was this repressed false memory syndrome on my part? I suppose pushing more pixels might strain the system a tad more than it might like when running on battery but otherwise I can't see why it wouldn't work.

 

[DearthnVader]

Well, my iBook G4 has a Radeon Mobility 9550, so not all iBooks will run OS9 or are likely to. OS9 looks like being a good fit for the Mac Mini, though, if they can sort out the remaining issues.

I have both iBook G4's, one with the 9200M and one with the 9550M.

I did post an 'NDRV' for proper screen resolutions under OS 9 for the 9550, sadly no GFX Acceleration for R/RV3xx under OS 9.

Also, no sound for that iBook under OS 9.