thinking of buying pb g4 need some advice

[crewkid89]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Power...pple_Laptops&hash=item3cbfec0e90#ht_971wt_922

It seems to have a problem where it randomly crashes. I was thinking it sounded like a problem with the hard drive (easy swap). It says there was already a motherboard replacement. I know it's difficult to tell without starting it up but does this sound like an easy fix or something indicative of a more serious problem?

 

[jbsmithmac]

I too am thinking of a PB G4. Specifically the 1.67Mhz models (either 15 or 17 in).

So I can't comment on the ebay post above. My question was more along the lines of continued functionality and where to buy.

First - My main uses will be mostly using the web, some web design (dreamweaver - I know the newest versions wont run on PPC), word processing, etc. Should I be concerned that it's not an Intel machine? I have a G4 MDD but that's a server, and I also have two other Intel machines so if I had to I could use those (granted they are a few years old).

Second - has anyone had any experience with powermax.com? Looks like they have a good selection of all kinds of used machines and what seems to be in good condition, prices are inline with ebay as well...


Looking for thoughts!

Thanks!

 

[Subish]

Hijack Much?

Anyway that eBay PB don't really sound like a bad HDD, does sound like bad RAM. Then again it cold be a number of things you never know till you get it and start testing it.

If you looking at just because it is cheaper then most then just think of the money that you might have to spend to fix it. When you can just put the money to one you know that works. So almost same money and one less headache.
If you just looking for something to work I wouldn't get, but if you willing to take the risk and also put the time/money into it could be a good deal.

This is pretty much a gamble.

Now I'm different I like buying thing broken and trying to fix them, almost like a hobby.

 

[crewkid89]

It ended up getting bid up a lot higher. I thought it might get ignored but the ending price wasn't really worth the headache. Thanks for the advice I'll keep that in mind as I am shopping.

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whoops I am looking at the wrong one. it is still going on at a really low price. I might give it a shot.

 

[crewkid89]

oops I was looking at the wrong listing. I might try to snipe it

 

[tom vilsack]

unless you already have a better hardrive and more ram and a copy of tiger or leopard lying around...i would stay away (as your going to have to spend too much with those 3 items to make this worth it)

if however you do have and could get for $46...might be worth the gamble

 

[crewkid89]

I won it at $46 hopefully it is just the ram as I will be maxing it out anyways. If not I am sure you will be hearing back from me soon!

 

[crewkid89]

what exactly is the benefit in upgrading the hdd. do you mean for speed or more storage?

 

[tom vilsack]

speed...ive done in ibook and mac mini before...you would be surprized at how much faster tiger/leopard runs compared to original drives.

 

[PowerPC80]

Sounds similar to one I bought a few days ago. I got a 1.0GHz 12" that was acting up. Turns out it was a bad hard drive. Replaced the original one with a 160GB 7200rpm drive and it works great. This is my first PowerPC mac as well, and it's not as sluggish as I thought it would be. I'm used to my Core i5 iMac.

 

[crewkid89]

what is the best way to go about determining the source of the problem on these types of situations?

 

[PowerPC80]

I used my Apple Hardware Test CD that came with the powerbook. I booted it up and ran all the tests and it failed on the "Mass Storage" test.

 

[goMac]

Logic board failures were pretty common on the early aluminum Powerbook G4s. It's certainly not a guarantee (RAM is also a good option), but I'd put my money on the logic board.

 

[AdrianK]

EDIT: Sorry, didn't realise your issue was resolved (got confused between you and the OP).

I used my Apple Hardware Test CD that came with the powerbook. I booted it up and ran all the tests and it failed on the "Mass Storage" test.

That would be referring to the hard drive (link).

 

[quasinormal]

i have a 12" 1.5Ghz PB with a dead video card. It powers up fine and does Target disc mode, but the screen is either blank or garbled.

From what I remember when trying to fix it, it was fairly common problem for that integrated GPU in the 12".

I have a feeling these 12" PBs could be worth fixing. That have that delightful solidity about them which I think will appeal to collectors.

 

[burnout8488]

I have a feeling these 12" PBs could be worth fixing. That have that delightful solidity about them which I think will appeal to collectors.

They really do. Mine is solid as a brick and makes my MacBook feel cheap by comparison, to the point where I'm considering using my 12" or 15" PB for school next semester and selling the MB. The 12" is so sturdy it almost feels like a Unibody!

 

[crewkid89]

Logic board failures were pretty common on the early aluminum Powerbook G4s. It's certainly not a guarantee (RAM is also a good option), but I'd put my money on the logic board.

That's what I would normally assume except that the listing said it had already been replaced once by apple. How good are the odds of getting two duds?

 

[burnout8488]

Well, if the lower RAM slot fails on the new unit (usually warranting a replacement logic board) you can still use 2Gb of ram in the form of 1 stick, so you wouldn't *need* to replace the board to be able to use the max amount of ram. If it's another type of logic board failure, then that's another thing.

 

[crewkid89]

Thanks everyone! My powerbook came today along with 1gb of ram from OWC. It turned out the only problem with it was an unseated airport extreme card. Looks like I lucked out. The only problem seems to be a dead battery. My total investment so far ~$95.

Thanks again!