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Bought a PowerBook G3
- Thread starter Mr. Dee
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I am kinda using a theory of the hardware is likely optimized for the version of the era. Even though this Wallstreet goes back to 1998. The Titanium PB4 I have is from early 2001, so I would say it’s 10.0/10.1 optimized machine. I got the 2003 PB 15, which in great condition, it has Leopard installed. But looking at the era, this likely would have originally had Panther on it. But it runs Leopard superbly and well!
10.0 and 10.1 are terrible. I remember a few years back deciding I would set up a computer with every version of OS X, and ended up using a GigE. 10.0, bar none, gave me the most issues with installing.
10.2 finally got to somewhere usable, and whatever speed hit I get running 10.4 I'll take for much better software support. In general, though, I find too that 10.4 is the sweet spot of OS X for a lot of systems.
10.2 finally got to somewhere usable, and whatever speed hit I get running 10.4 I'll take for much better software support. In general, though, I find too that 10.4 is the sweet spot of OS X for a lot of systems.
I think the issue with 10.0 back in 2001 was graphics and memory. 128MBs was recommended and considering the premium on memory especially from Apple, users were between a rock and a hard place, choosing performance/compatibility (OS 9) versus the slick new UI and stability offered by OS Xs preemptive multi tasking and memory management.
but for a 300 MHz machine with 160 MBs of RAM, it feels really fast.
but for a 300 MHz machine with 160 MBs of RAM, it feels really fast.
Yeah, 10.0 was so not all that bad that Apple released 10.1 after 6 months AND gave everyone who had bought 10.0 a free upgrade to 10.1.
I've had it KP multiple times on install using hardware that should have been more than adequate for it, and found that it can get fussy if I give it too much RAM. It seems to not like more than ~256mb or so.
I wouldn't call a 10.0 even a ready-for-use OS-my experience with it is that it really is more of an extension of the OS X Beta program.
I've had it KP multiple times on install using hardware that should have been more than adequate for it, and found that it can get fussy if I give it too much RAM. It seems to not like more than ~256mb or so.
I wouldn't call a 10.0 even a ready-for-use OS-my experience with it is that it really is more of an extension of the OS X Beta program.
The issue with 10.0 was that it was buggy, slow, unfinished and had no apps.
In other words, it sucked to hell and back.
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It's amazing how things change. As few as 12 years ago, you couldn't give a Wallstreet away. Now they're desirable and pricey. As the world turns...
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10.2 was the first usable OS X, even without QE support. It was also the first OS X I used on my B&W G3 back in '03 (I think; memory is shot). I think it was somewhere in the middle of 10.2's updates that they really ironed the bugs out.
It's amazing how things change. As few as 12 years ago, you couldn't give a Wallstreet away. Now they're desirable and pricey. As the world turns...
Funny enough too, I gave away a couple of PDQs because I had them running out my ears and no one wanted them.
The Wallstreets that seem to pop up most often are the "Mainstreet" version without L2. I waited patiently and finally found a 292mhz/14" TFT on Ebay, but IIRC I had to dig a lot deeper than I wanted to get it. You don't see the high spec ones often, and the Mainstreets are all but unuseable as far as I'm concerned. At least there are plenty of 266mhz PDQs around, which are a nice all around experience.
Yeah, I was lucky that my 12.1" 233 PDQ was the better one with 512KB L2 and an active-matrix display.
I have one of these Mainstreet 233 Mhz, with the 12” passive screen. Got it cheap for the sake of completing the collection.
These are really funny birds, it’s a bit like going back to using a passive screen PB1400cs or a PB5300cs with a few Mhz more and case too big for that small screen. Comical how backward.
Got it with the floppy drive, but maybe you could order it with the cd drive too.
It’s getting difficult (was difficult for me anyway...) to find these lo specs Mainstreet/Wallstreet in very good shape nowadays.
Often when hinges got broken, people would toss them. Also the black painted aluminum case parts usually got heavily scratched...
These are really funny birds, it’s a bit like going back to using a passive screen PB1400cs or a PB5300cs with a few Mhz more and case too big for that small screen. Comical how backward.
Got it with the floppy drive, but maybe you could order it with the cd drive too.
It’s getting difficult (was difficult for me anyway...) to find these lo specs Mainstreet/Wallstreet in very good shape nowadays.
Often when hinges got broken, people would toss them. Also the black painted aluminum case parts usually got heavily scratched...
I have both the Main Street and a 233 Mhz PDQ. I bought the Main Street first and I learned that I did not like passive matrix screens, so I bought the PDQ to replace the Main Street. I got my PowerBook G3s for maybe $60-75 each 3 or 4 years ago. They cost more than that nowadays. I like the design of the Wallstreets and having the floppy module is great for writing floppy images to real floppies. I got the floppy module from the main street and then put it in my PDQ once I got that.
PDQs all had a 14.1" active matrix and L2. One of the things that was drastically changed on them was the smorgasboard of options. Wallstreets came with 3 screen options-two different sizes of active matrix in addition to the 12" passive. There was also the fact that the higher speed models ran the FSB at 87mhz rather than 66mhz, which the Mainstreet and all the PDQs used. I actually find my 292mhz Wallstreet a bit faster than my 300mhz PDQ thanks to the faster FSB, but that's splitting hairs.
@bunnspecial - I'm sure mine was a PDQ. It had a 12.1" active matrix and 512KB L2. Mactracker calls it a Limited Edition.
