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PB G4 Needs New Organs

C

charleyfarley

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 26, 2009
23
0
Hello all

this site has been a source of many solutions for me over the period of my so called 'maclife' - 18months ago i bought a well cared for 17" g4 powerbook and never looked back, one of the best things i ever did....
If i could afford to i would upgrade to a macbook pro but as i'm looking for value i wonder how i could make this one suit my purpose. Basically i only use it for surfing, iphoto editing and occasional ps and office so its not too taxed but it does slow down a lot and lately i have been turning it off to reset more often than i used to. Also the hdd is almost always down 10gb or less so i'd like help/advice with how far i could go - with cost a considerable driver - to prolonging the life of my baby...

Machine Name: PowerBook G4 17"
Machine Model: PowerBook5.5
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (1.1)
Number of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 1.5GHz
L2 Cache: 512 KB
Memory: 1 GB
Bus Speed: 167 MHz
Boot ROM Vsion: 4.8.4fl
Serial Number: W84161JJQRV

any advice will be gratefully received.

seasons greetings :D
 
Ah a 1.5ghz, very nice, they still hold their own after so many years it's surprising.

Your machine can handle up to 2gb of memory. You can use any capacity PATA hard drive in this, so that's an easy upgrade as well. I wouldn't recommend upgrading more than those components, as well if you're borderline content with your 1gb of memory, 2gb should make your experience much better and alleviate most beachballs or stalls.

I don't know what OS you're using, but it can handle up to the LATEST release of Leopard, however OS upgrades tend to bog down a system more so if you're using an earlier version and it works for you, it's better to keep it.

If only I were so lucky as to inherit or be gifted one of these marvels. As odd as it sounds, with my 13" MacBook Pro I still lust after the 12" PowerBook G4 and TiBook, if just for a fun toy like my iMac G3.
 
Thanks Mr Cheeto... to all intents and purpose i am still very much in love with my first mac - you never forget your 1st love do you? - so the things you recommend sound good to me. I could do with some 'where to buy' reliable traders and online tutorials now. any ideas???

muchos gracias :)
 
You can get tutorials at ifixit

I buy all of my parts from, in order of preference:
1.Other World Computing
2.Crucial
3.Newegg, as a last resort

The type of memory you need is: 2 sticks of PC-2700 DDR333 SO-DIMMS (200 pin) no larger than 1gb each.

The type of drive you need is: Any PATA (ultra ata/100 or ata-6) or IDE drive that is 2.5" and any capacity.

Enjoy your first love :p
 
Honestly, I would sell it and get an Intel Mac. You can't even run Snow Leopard on it. As time goes on, it's going to get more and more obsolete.
 
First, those parts are just fine. I'm jealous of the 320gb :p

As for the ram, your machine has 2 slots. Both are occupied with a 512mb chip equaling 1024mb. If you only buy one stick, the most memory you will have is 1512mb or 1.5gb. If you replace BOTH sticks, you can have 2048 or 2gb. Both offer an improvement, the latter being the most effective.

The choice is yours.

To double check that the information I have provided is correct, click the Apple in the menu and click About This Mac. Click More Info>Memory and under the Memory Slots arrow list should be TWO sticks, each 512mb.
 
right again. i never considered that. idiot hole:eek:

ok i'll go with the 2 1GB and the WD HDD. Just been checking out the tutorials on ifixit, they're great, really easy to follow... which sets me up nicely for a fall :D

thanks for the input too mr melman but budget dictates here... though as i just said if i balls it up i'll be on the rebound and an intel might get it.
 
charleyfarley said:
right again. i never considered that. idiot hole:eek:

ok i'll go with the 2 1GB and the WD HDD. Just been checking out the tutorials on ifixit, they're great, really easy to follow... which sets me up nicely for a fall :D

thanks for the input too mr melman but budget dictates here... though as i just said if i balls it up i'll be on the rebound and an intel might get it.
Click to expand...

To the OP: I was wondering if you upgraded your HD? I have a 15" 1.5ghz G4 and recently up'ed the ram to 2gb and was wondering if I should replace the HD as well. I wasn't sure if it was worth it though. I plan on getting a new iMac in the spring (or before).

Just seeing if you experienced a noticeable difference when/if you replaced the HD. Also if you did replace it, did you run into any difficulties?
 
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