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What can I do with an iBook G3?

WalnutSpice

WalnutSpice

Suspended
Original poster
Jun 21, 2015
456
92
Canton, Oh
I'm planning on fixing up all three iBook G3s. Cleaning them, new hard drives and a ghetto fix on the GPU. I'm going to keep one and sell the other two. But I was wondering, what can I do with an iBook G3? It's the later one that looks closer to an iBook G4. 256MB RAM, 16MB VRAM, 700MHz, 20GB HDD. I think I have a 512MB stick I can pop in as well. But I can't find anything to do with it. The last time I had a G3 they were a lot more supported than they are now. I can't even web browse at all, won't connect to my wifi and on ethernet it just gets very hot and very very slow. I just gotta say it's incredible how much better the G4 is.
 
It will run OS9 natively, so is ideal for apps running under that OS as many have issues running in Classic mode. Old Mac games, too. People bought and used laptops before the internet really became a thing.
 
WalnutSpice said:
I can't even web browse at all, won't connect to my wifi and on ethernet it just gets very hot and very very slow. I just gotta say it's incredible how much better the G4 is.
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You need to set your router up for 2.4GHz 802.11b and set security to either WEP or no password while you use it. If you have a newer AirPort Extreme, just set up an open Guest network and you're good to go. With a ram upgrade, the machine will run Tiger comfortably, although at 700MHz, OS 9 will absolutely scream.
 
WalnutSpice said:
I'm planning on fixing up all three iBook G3s. Cleaning them, new hard drives and a ghetto fix on the GPU. I'm going to keep one and sell the other two. But I was wondering, what can I do with an iBook G3? It's the later one that looks closer to an iBook G4. 256MB RAM, 16MB VRAM, 700MHz, 20GB HDD. I think I have a 512MB stick I can pop in as well. But I can't find anything to do with it. The last time I had a G3 they were a lot more supported than they are now. I can't even web browse at all, won't connect to my wifi and on ethernet it just gets very hot and very very slow. I just gotta say it's incredible how much better the G4 is.
Click to expand...

I got that exact model of iBook for €1 on eBay a while ago. I set it up for my mother for general use. She uses it for word documents and light Internet browsing. Currently runs tiger.

She is a patient person however.
 
They're great mobile gaming machines for old OS 9 era games(which-to me-have more appeal than modern games, although admittedly that's what I grew with).

The TiBook is-to me-the "gold standard" of mobile OS 9 gaming, but a snow iBook G3 isn't far behind. As a general rule, Tis tend to have better GPUs(although late iBooks have better GPUs than early Tis) although for the type of stuff I'm talking about a Rage 128 is high tech.

I think @eyoungren uses one as a Time Machine server. Initial backups may take a while with the 100baseT ethernet and if you're using a USB external(use FW if possible), but "maintenance" backups shouldn't take that long.
 
bunnspecial said:
I think @eyoungren uses one as a Time Machine server. Initial backups may take a while with the 100baseT ethernet and if you're using a USB external(use FW if possible), but "maintenance" backups shouldn't take that long.
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I used to. That job is for my QS now though. However, the two TM drives failed so it hasn't happened in quite some time.

I traded all three iBook G3s I had to RedCroissant plus $50 for the Quicksilver. Two of those iBooks went elsewhere when Red traded them for something else (Altemose has one).
 
Lol. I think Gav still has my MacBook Pro that I sent him (for the low price of $200) since he spilt coffee on his. He ended up getting a nice logic board upgrade. Late 2008 -> Early 2009. And he got a new top case, screen, etc. I think someone here sent me something else. I can't remember. I think at one point bunn was going to send me a replacement key for my iBook (which i haven't fired up in a year or so)
 
bunnspecial said:
Crap-I forgot about that! It's still kicking around in my car(there's also a 12" 1.33 G4 for altemose in there).

BTW, if @LightBulbFun has it cracked(I'm testing this evening), you can always install Leopard on it :)
Click to expand...
Its a G4 with Leopard already on it :D. I have a page for my Macs at http://128keaton.com/hardware. I need to do a proper writeup on some. I think the next part I'm on the lookout for is a 12" keyboard. My ZZZZZZZZ key doesnzzzzzzzzzzz stop being prezzssed. So it looks like what I typed. It sucks when typing passwords: abc12zzzzzzzz3.
 
ThisOldMacHead said:
You need to set your router up for 2.4GHz 802.11b and set security to either WEP or no password while you use it. If you have a newer AirPort Extreme, just set up an open Guest network and you're good to go. With a ram upgrade, the machine will run Tiger comfortably, although at 700MHz, OS 9 will absolutely scream.
Click to expand...
Am I right that this WEP restriction only applies, when he uses OS 9? If he was able to use Tiger he could do "modern" password protection. I don't know what encryption/password standards 10.3 included, so, if Tiger should be to slow for him, he could maybe try 10.3 (with all the shortcomings of limited software support vs 10.4).
 
Cox Orange said:
Am I right that this WEP restriction only applies, when he uses OS 9? If he was able to use Tiger he could do "modern" password protection. I don't know what encryption/password standards 10.3 included, so, if Tiger should be to slow for him, he could maybe try 10.3 (with all the shortcomings of limited software support vs 10.4).
Click to expand...

Under Tiger(may late versions of Panther) you can do WPA/TKIP. Many newer routers are WPA/AES or WPA2, which the Airport card will not connect to(Airport Extreme cards are fine).

I can't even get an airport card to see the WPA2 enterprise/802.11x networks at work.
 
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WalnutSpice said:
But I was wondering, what can I do with an iBook G3?
Click to expand...
Well…nothing I can think of that does not involve guns, bombs or kicks down sharp inclines. But that's just me.

Sorry, just don't care for iBooks - even G4 iBooks. ;)
 
bunnspecial said:
Under Tiger(may late versions of Panther) you can do WPA/TKIP. Many newer routers are WPA/AES or WPA2, which the Airport card will not connect to(Airport Extreme cards are fine).

I can't even get an airport card to see the WPA2 enterprise/802.11x networks at work.
Click to expand...
Tiger 10.4.11 on my PowerBook G4 works just fine on my WPA 2 WiFi. I think the iBook just has an old outdated Airport card. PowerBook uses Extreme. I think the iBook just says AirPort on it.
 
eyoungren said:
I traded all three iBook G3s I had to RedCroissant plus $50 for the Quicksilver. Two of those iBooks went elsewhere when Red traded them for something else (Altemose has one).
Click to expand...

I passed that iBook along to bunnspecial and he is going to give one of his iBooks as well!

bunnspecial said:
Stuff gets around in this community :)

I think I have one now
Click to expand...

Take good care of it!
 
What can I do with an iBook G3?

I'm not personally familiar with the iBook series (I prefer desktops & towers),
but I remember back in the day when Apple ran TV ads that made iBooks look cool & useful
while making their male owners look either goofy or worth a sucker punch by Air Marshal Liam Neeson ;)

Baby Jack iPhoto:

Middle Seat:

1st iPod TV Ad:
 
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QSDP-User said:
What can I do with an iBook G3?

I'm not personally familiar with the iBook series (I prefer desktops & towers),
but I remember back in the day when Apple ran TV ads that made iBooks look cool & useful
while making their male owners look either goofy or worth a sucker punch by Air Marshal Liam Neeson ;)

Baby Jack iPhoto:

Middle Seat:

1st iPod TV Ad:
Click to expand...
Truly classic ads. I'm really excited about getting my G5 iMac working for that cool "from the creators of the iPod" deal.
 
I have a G3/500, which I use whenever I need to take a laptop into truly rugged terrain, or whenever I go somewhere where I think a more modern computer getting nicked is a significant chance/risk.

Naturally this is as I have two more modern and powerful laptops so I can be choosy.

The G3 ibook I'm talking about used to be an acclaimed writer's travelmachine until a couple of year ago (when I got it)...
 
QSDP-User said:
What can I do with an iBook G3?

I'm not personally familiar with the iBook series (I prefer desktops & towers),
but I remember back in the day when Apple ran TV ads that made iBooks look cool & useful
while making their male owners look either goofy or worth a sucker punch by Air Marshal Liam Neeson ;)

Baby Jack iPhoto:

Middle Seat:

1st iPod TV Ad:
Click to expand...

Hilarious ads....funny how Apple's notion of 'cool' people is diametrically opposed to real cool people :)
 
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