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Any Use for a 2005 PowerBook?

A

astrostu

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 15, 2007
391
32
I'm trying to trim some excess fat and get rid of stuff I really don't use anymore. I have a 2005 PowerBook that was mid- to upper-tier configured (I'd have to dig to find exactly what I got), 17". I haven't opened it but once in the last few years, and that was to be surprised that it still works fine. But, I have absolutely zero use for it at this point, and as a PowerPC, there's no real modern software for it (other than what I have on there now, I suppose).

Any suggestion as to what I could do with it? Could a library use it? School? Collector? Will an Apple Store take it?
 
S

sim667

macrumors 65816
Dec 7, 2010
1,462
2,934
I've got one too that just sits around in a Junk box, but still works. I've got no idea what to do with it. Its seems a waste to bin it, and its not worth anything to sell.
 
alectrona6400

alectrona6400

macrumors regular
Mar 1, 2019
221
120
you can try a linux distro, but later distros have performance issues with pbbuttonsd if memory serves me right. z970mp is working on sorbet leopard, which should revive these old macs while also keeping the tried and true leopard codebase.



yes i know it's gnu+linux, just in case anyone was about to do the funny
 
Dronecatcher

Dronecatcher

macrumors 603
Jun 17, 2014
5,249
7,887
Lincolnshire, UK
astrostu said:
I'm trying to trim some excess fat and get rid of stuff I really don't use anymore. I have a 2005 PowerBook that was mid- to upper-tier configured (I'd have to dig to find exactly what I got), 17". I haven't opened it but once in the last few years, and that was to be surprised that it still works fine. But, I have absolutely zero use for it at this point, and as a PowerPC, there's no real modern software for it (other than what I have on there now, I suppose).

Any suggestion as to what I could do with it? Could a library use it? School? Collector? Will an Apple Store take it?
Click to expand...

I'd imagine there's plenty of forum members that'd snatch your hand off for it - a 17" is quite a prize!
 
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eyoungren

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,663
28,438
astrostu said:
Will an Apple Store take it?
Click to expand...
No.

They won't even touch it.

There was a period sometime in late 2009-2010 that Apple actually looked at a Titanium PowerBook (circa 2001) for me, just to verify it had died and my then new (to me) 2003 17" PowerBook. With the 17" I was there to see if perhaps they had case screws (the previous owner didn't put them back).

All I got out of that trip was a business card for a local Apple third party repair store. And that was because the genius was sympathetic. But since 2014 or so customer service has declined (IMO) and they are now so busy that unless you're within the three year window of sell date they won't touch it.
 
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Doq

Doq

macrumors 6502a
Dec 8, 2019
547
815
The Lab DX
I dunno bout that one, chief.

In my time scouring the web and the one local shop in town I've found but a few 17" HRs. The 15" models are far more common, at least around my part of the world.

Probably just me, though.
 
M

Macbookprodude

Suspended
Jan 1, 2018
3,306
898
eyoungren said:
No.

They won't even touch it.

There was a period sometime in late 2009-2010 that Apple actually looked at a Titanium PowerBook (circa 2001) for me, just to verify it had died and my then new (to me) 2003 17" PowerBook. With the 17" I was there to see if perhaps they had case screws (the previous owner didn't put them back).

All I got out of that trip was a business card for a local Apple third party repair store. And that was because the genius was sympathetic. But since 2014 or so customer service has declined (IMO) and they are now so busy that unless you're within the three year window of sell date they won't touch it.
Click to expand...
customer service has declined (IMO) - Its horrible now worse than ever ! This will hurt Apple long term.
 
Slix

Slix

macrumors 68000
Mar 24, 2010
1,601
2,417
Definitely don't just get rid of it; someone will gladly make use of it if you don't want to keep it anymore! You can always post an ad on sites like Craigslist if you don't want to deal with eBay.

17" PowerBooks are indeed somewhat rare these days. I think they go for nearly $100 online if the right people find it and it's in good shape! Of course, there is plenty you can still do with one of these if you take some time to tweak some settings and get some different apps like web browsers. Most schools and libraries probably wouldn't want something that requires that much tinkering, though, sadly. Let us know what you end up doing!
 
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M

Macbookprodude

Suspended
Jan 1, 2018
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Yes, I have a good use I can recommend to you.. if you have kids, teach them and a new generation of PPC users will grow and maybe we will be a majority again.
 
M

Macbookprodude

Suspended
Jan 1, 2018
3,306
898
Teach your children if you have such.. how to use PPC machines and they will learn very well on that 2005 PowerBook. I have a 2012 MacBook Pro, a 2015 MacBook Pro which are both gathering dust, since I have my Mac Pro and Titanium I use. Typing this on my Titanium G4.
 
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netsrot39

netsrot39

macrumors 6502
Feb 7, 2018
360
502
Austria
I'm writing this on my 17" PowerBook G4 (Early 2005) now. Those 2005 PowerBook G4s aren't bad nowadays per se, they are just old. I still use mine from time to time to do some university work on it like reading and writing papers. It is still good for that. I also use it for basic web browsing and DVD/SD-video playback. Hence usability (for the right purposes) isn't off the table. If you do work in a time-critical environment where you can't wait let's say 10 seconds more for a website to load then I'd suggest a more recent machine. I have to admit that when I'm in a hurry and critical work has to be done, I don't do it on a PowerPC system because 15+ years on a computer do show. For me they are more of hobby machines that I use here and there (for work) in not too stressful phases. Long story short, I'd keep the 17" PowerBook G4, it still looks awesome, it is still usable for the right tasks, it is a piece of history, it is very repairable and it probably has the best keyboard Apple ever made.
 
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za9ra22

za9ra22

macrumors 65816
Sep 25, 2003
1,441
1,932
I have a PowerBook 145B which dates from 1993 - it is still in use, and works well, though not for any internet task obviously. But it means that without doubt there are uses for a 17-inch G4 PB, and people who would be interested in it.

Not everything depends on internet access, even if it seems like it sometimes. With period-appropriate software, it is still possible to do things such as create HD movies, for example.
 
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Jack Neill

Jack Neill

macrumors 68020
Sep 13, 2015
2,272
2,308
San Antonio Texas
astrostu said:
I'm trying to trim some excess fat and get rid of stuff I really don't use anymore. I have a 2005 PowerBook that was mid- to upper-tier configured (I'd have to dig to find exactly what I got), 17". I haven't opened it but once in the last few years, and that was to be surprised that it still works fine. But, I have absolutely zero use for it at this point, and as a PowerPC, there's no real modern software for it (other than what I have on there now, I suppose).

Any suggestion as to what I could do with it? Could a library use it? School? Collector? Will an Apple Store take it?
Click to expand...
You can mail it to me! I always wanted a 17" PB..
 
TheShortTimer

TheShortTimer

macrumors 68040
Mar 27, 2017
3,271
5,677
London, UK
eyoungren said:
No.

They won't even touch it.

There was a period sometime in late 2009-2010 that Apple actually looked at a Titanium PowerBook (circa 2001) for me, just to verify it had died and my then new (to me) 2003 17" PowerBook. With the 17" I was there to see if perhaps they had case screws (the previous owner didn't put them back).

All I got out of that trip was a business card for a local Apple third party repair store. And that was because the genius was sympathetic. But since 2014 or so customer service has declined (IMO) and they are now so busy that unless you're within the three year window of sell date they won't touch it.
Click to expand...

I had a similar experience with my 2006 MBP where a sympathetic Apple employee gave me a personal recommendation for a third party who could be trusted but they insisted that I could carry out the repair myself for next to nothing and urged me to visit a few of the extortionate repair shops nearby and obtain quotes: in order to bolster my resolve that I was more than capable of doing it myself and avoiding being ripped off.*

If they wouldn't touch a 2006 MBP in 2012 then they certainly wouldn't touch a PowerBook now.

*(Earlier this year I encountered someone who told me that they "paid a lot of money" to a repair shop in order to correct issues with their MacBook Air, which the staff had informed them were due to a lack of regular defragging. It took me a few seconds to recover from my confusion before realising that they'd been conned out of "a lot of money" by a crook who'd capitalised on their ignorance regarding Macs.)
 
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eyoungren

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,663
28,438
TheShortTimer said:
I had a similar experience with my 2006 MBP where a sympathetic Apple employee gave me a personal recommendation for a third party who could be trusted but they insisted that I could carry out the repair myself for next to nothing and urged me to visit a few of the extortionate repair shops nearby and obtain quotes: in order to bolster my resolve that I was more than capable of doing it myself and avoiding being ripped off.*

If they wouldn't touch a 2006 MBP in 2012 then they certainly wouldn't touch a PowerBook now.

*(Earlier this year I encountered someone who told me that they "paid a lot of money" to a repair shop in order to correct issues with their MacBook Air, which the staff had informed them were due to a lack of regular defragging. It took me a few seconds to recover from my confusion before realising that they'd been conned out of "a lot of money" by a crook who'd capitalised on their ignorance regarding Macs.)
Click to expand...
Defragging wow.

And the Apple forums are full of proud Apple fanboys who take any opportunity to remind you that defragging is a Windows thing and with Mac you never have to worry about it.

SMH!
 
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