Hypothetically speaking, could you gut an iMac G3 and put all modern hardware in it? New screen, new logic board, processor etc?

[devinpfox]

Apologies if this is a question asked all the time on here.

I'm aware this would be a pricey endeavor and you're better off just getting a new machine from Apple... but if someone had the expertise, expenses, etc to do this themselves, would it be possible?

I'm a programmer and love the Y2K aesthetic of the G3s, and thought it would be a fun project for me and my friend who builds his own computers all the time to work on. I know you guys are much more knowledgeable on these things, so I felt like here would be an appropriate place to ask.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Amethyst1]

People have managed to use the iMac G3's CRT monitor with other systems, so that base is covered. All that would be left to do is to stuff the new hardware in and hook it up to the original PSU. If you're going to replace the CRT as well and just use the empty housing, it should get even easier.

 

[Heindijs]

First result on YouTube for 'iMac G3 Hackintosh'.

 

[chabig]

It would be easy. Put an LCD screen where the CRT screen used to be and mount a Mac Mini behind it.

 

[devinpfox]

First result on YouTube for 'iMac G3 Hackintosh'.

Amazing! Good to know it is indeed possible.
You all are awesome, thank you!!

To the drawing board lol

 

[Rikintosh]

No! Never change the CRT for an LCD, it is ugly, ugly, the imac g3 has a curved design, the tube follows this design, but the LCD will be straight, causing inelegant edges and gaps. The crt mod is a pain in the ass, want a tip? Buy an LG 500 series monitor, remove everything from the imac and mount the lg monitor inside the imac, the tube is the same, you will have vga output more easily, and without making the imac horrible.

For the motherboard, you may be limited to a few mini itx options, but you can also use a notebook motherboard (easier to get discrete graphics since a video card wouldn't fit inside the imac). The main tip for imac of first revisions: Swap the black cooler for a noctua one or something, it will be silent. The fan is really necessary, because the case of the imac is poorly ventilated.

I think the only way to use an LCD on an imac would be for someone to develop a glass lens with a degree of compensation (similar to what happened with flat screen TVs, only in the opposite direction so that the emitter is flat, and the frontend be curved)

Let's not forget that the MAC TUBE is 15 inches, but the visible area is only 14", a 15" 4:3 LCD will have its edges cut by the bezel

I don't know if it would be possible or feasible, but maybe someone could cut the glass from the tube, remove the phosphor layer with some acid, and the curved glass in front of the LCD would soften this ugly aesthetic effect.

 

[lepidotós]

Amazing! Good to know it is indeed possible.
You all are awesome, thank you!!

To the drawing board lol

Before you go about destroying yet another 20 year old computer, check to see if there's someone else letting go of their own modded G3.
Edit: nevermind, just saw you wanted a project to do with someone. If you're going to go through with it, sell the parts off for someone else to use as spares, do not throw it away and cause further e-waste to pile up.​

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

I'm aware this would be a pricey endeavor and you're better off just getting a new machine from Apple... but if someone had the expertise, expenses, etc to do this themselves, would it be possible?

Of course it is, it is just a shell. You could gut the Eiffel tower and put a display and a Mac Mini in there, and call it a Hackintosh, if you wanted to.

 

[lepidotós]

I don't know if it would be possible or feasible, but maybe someone could cut the glass from the tube, remove the phosphor layer with some acid, and the curved glass in front of the LCD would soften this ugly aesthetic effect.

I think an easy option would to get a screen in a high resolution (like 1600x1200 or 1920x1440), then running it at a lower resolution with scaling disabled, so as to windowbox it. Also gives a CRT that hasn't been geometry adjusted to draw on all of the screen effect.​

 

[B S Magnet]

Before you go about destroying yet another 20 year old computer, check to see if there's someone else letting go of their own modded G3.
Edit: nevermind, just saw you wanted a project to do with someone. If you're going to go through with it, sell the parts off for someone else to use as spares, do not throw it away and cause further e-waste to pile up.​

To @devinpfox :

Following up on what @lepidotós wrote, if you do follow the path of gutting an old iMac G3 of its original internals, it is wise not to dispose of them, as they’re now very much hard-to-come-by components needed for surviving iMacs. Instead, may I offer that you add those spare parts to this WikiPost for when the time comes?

(Note: right this moment you won’t be able to view it — you need at least 6 months on here and at least 250 posts — but you ought to bookmark this post to reach the link when you’re parting out the original components from the donor iMac G3 on which you and your friend plan to do this project. Below are some screen caps from this new MR forums community project. It’s a kind of editable community bulletin board for posting available vintage Mac parts typically too small to merit creating new threads: )

(…and so on)

Cheers.

 

[bobesch]

a) get a gutted iMacG3 Cat-House. Remove the cat and throw in anything you want.



b) or install os9 and/or Tiger&Classic on Your fine working iMacG3and and use it as "Thin" Client for Screensharing (RDP/VNC) / FileSharing to a much faster host.
Replace the foam-rotting speakers and have a fine connected music-machine.

(Or get a bike for a faster machine ...)



... and then don't forget to comfort the cat! ?