iBook G4 (or the beginnings of one)

[Sludgedragon]

Well, I took the plunge and got this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=170562977885&si=l9U628FIkYbQNuEJvmzQ4bR1TjQ%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT

The seller was scrupulously accurate in the description. I tried firewire target mode and my iMac could not find a hard drive; I tried mac-boot and it won't. And the optical drive is toast. And it needs its airport extreme card. It has a 512 RAM card in it. But all of those, I expected. And it seems to be fine otherwise, the display seems fine. Although I'm wondering why it doesn't chime when it turns on. So now, I'll be looking for a hard drive, combo drive, and airport card. And some more RAM. For sure I won't be opening it up until I have both drives, I've looked at what that entails and no way would I want to do that more than once! :lol: So I'll do those before I do the RAM and airport, just to make sure I don't screw it up!

 

[applefreak]

Apple iBook G4 for PARTS ....

There is a design problem with the logic board in some Macintosh G4 ibooks.

 

[Sludgedragon]

So far, that's not the problem. All deficits appear to be directly related to the hard drive and the optical drive. The display is fine, the power connection behaves properly, it doesn't seem to freeze, it basically just can't find a system folder because there's nothing working that has one. I will be looking into the absence of a startup bong, though.

 

[geeko]

it could have a bad ATA bus, I had a clamshell w/ that problem once. Also, have you tried to start another mac in target disk mode and boot the ibook off of that?

 

[Sludgedragon]

Never thought of trying that. I'll try it with my iBook G3.

 

[Bunsen]

There's an extensive discussion at Applefritter on iBook G3 and G4 logic board issues

 

[Sludgedragon]

Well, I tried booting the G4 off the G3 with the G3 in target disk mode. Nothing. I couldn't get a Panther disk (10.3.5, from 2004, says iBook G4 on it) into the G4's slot, and then when I finally did, (after also scratching the top surface of the disk), now I can't get it out. When I start up pressing C, it goes to the gray screen with the gray apple, and no sprocket, and doesn't want to go any further. I don't know if the problem is the drive, something else, or the scratch on the disk. But when I tried the G4 as a target again, the G3 did see the Panther disk as an external drive. Interesting.

I looked at the stuff about the logic board, and as far as I can tell, just from the things I have actually been able to get it to do, (open firmware, target disk mode), the display appears to be flawless. Right now it looks like it wants a new hard drive, new optical drive, and to figure out why it doesn't chime when I power it on.

 

[Gorgonops]

... and to figure out why it doesn't chime when I power it on.

If the sound was turned way down or muted the last time the machine was used it won't bong now. So the lack of a chime may be nothing to worry about. If you're really worried "zapping the pram" will probably reset the volume setting.

 

[Sludgedragon]

Oh duh. The bong is back! (ice cream cone to forehead)