Picked up some old machines from a friend

[Cory5412]

I picked up a few machines from a local friend.

Here's what I know so far:

• iBook "SE" Indigo, 366MHz, 320MB/10GB, probably Combo. (Firewire!) - works, great condition, but needs its hard disk replaced probably. Gonna use this as my main mobile OS9 machine, esp. for vtools admin & dreamweaver. Have an original restore set. I could use one of the a/v output cables if someone's got one.
  
• iBook G4 12-inch 1.33GHz. 512MB/100GB, probably Combo. Also works, need to reformat. Unsure what I'm going to use this for yet. Possibly use it instead of a Mac mini for vtools file transfers w/ orig 10.4 install + patches, or 10.5.
  
• PowerBook 145B - unsure of details on this, except that I have a SCSI adapter, it looks like it has a modem, and a microphone.
  
• MacBook Pro (Late 2007 or early 2008) GF8600/2.0 - probably dead.
  
• iMac 'DV" 400. Probably 64/10, has box + accessory kit, original CDs.
  
• iMac Core/2Duo 2.0/[forgot] - also still in the car, is reported to be dead.
  

Depending on how much time I have and what they look like when I finally bring them in, I'll probably recycle the MacBook Pro and the iMac. Tough saying what I'll do with them if they work, because I've not got a handful of machines from that particular era. If it ends up working, I'll likely use the iMac for some 10.5/10.6 utility stuff, perhaps the file transfers I mentioned above, but we'll see.

There were also a couple spare ibook/powerbook AC adapters and a few zip disks in the lot. At least one serial cable, an HDI50-CEN50 SCSI cable, (might be the target disk mode cable, I need to look) and one or two firewire and USB cables from random peripherals the previous owner had.

I'm going to swap a newer PC laptop I'm not using to them, since they mentioned being interested in repairing the macbook pro to give to a friend who is using something even older. (ouch).

They might have some more stuff laying around, I'll put out a casual reminder to consider sending any e-waste to me.

 

[LaPorta]

The iMac DV was a nice machine. I still have my graphite DV SE with everything in box, I really enjoyed it until I got my iMac G4. Very nice all around, and having FW for the first time was huge. I used it to run dedicated Q3 and Red Faction servers on my other desk in my room while my brother and I played the game with others on the net via our iMac G4s. The good days of being on summer vacation in college...

 

[CC_333]

That's a good haul there.

If you can tell me what year the iMac Core2 Duo is, I *may* be interested in harvesting any unbroken parts for mine, especially if it's the 17" model (as mine is). 

Also, I'm *very* eager to get rid of one of my eMacs (I have two, and one's enough). Not sure both work, however. Maybe we could work out some kind of trade?

c

 

[Cory5412]

The iMac DVs are great, I use one I got from 積 読 as my main OS 9 machine currently.  I need to get this one in and test it out. If it's not working, unfortunately that's two non-working slotload iMac G3s, and I don't really have the skill or wherewithal to fix them myself. To make that worse, when I pried the bottom off one of the ones I've got here to do a PRAM battery swap or something similar, I accidentally spilled a screw into the display chamber. Fortunately, it stuck itself somewhere harmless, but.

(Incidentally, I love road trips if anyone wants to fix these G3s or wants me to give them money to do it, at some point.)

As for the Core/2Duo iMac - I believe it's the 17-incher. I saw 2.0GHz and i don't remember anything else and haven't yet pulled it out of the car. I'm interested in an eMac, but I already have a lot of potential projects. I would be open to a trade, though, because I do have Mac minis that I can use instead of the iMac.

I'm reinstalling the original version of OS X on the iBook now.

I'll probably poke at the 145b later today.

 

[LaPorta]

My parents have a vacation place in Tucson. Maybe some day...

 

[CC_333]

@Cory5412Re: the iMac G3s, depending on the problem(s), I might be able to help out, if you'd like?

c

 

[Cory5412]

iMac Core/2Duo report:

It turns on and chimes and the LCD display comes on and displays a HEAVILY corrupted image. Moderately hilariously - the mouse cursor displays perfectly, even as it gets moved around.

Just for fun, I intend to burn a 10.6 install DVD and boot from it and see what happens, but I'm guessing that the Radeon X1600 graphics have died.

If you want it, @CC_333 - we can probably organize something.

The iMac G3 is still in my car.

I'm told that it turns on but the display doesn't work, if I remember correctly. I'm guessing it's the analog board, but I'm not well educated in iMac G3 problems.

I have another iMac G3 (slotloader) that turned on, I popped an OS 9 CD in, then drove it from OR/WA back home to AZ and it never turned on again. Same thing again there, I kind of suspect analog board or power supply issues there, too. The other issue with that iMac G3 is that some of the plastics involved in the power button are broken and that might be involved. I tried it with an early iMac G3 keyboard that still had the power button and I tried the side buttons as well.

 

[Cory5412]

imac G3 report:

It's a 400/dv "Strawberry", 576 megs of RAM installed. Has the box - and more importantly, the original foam. I've got most or all of the original CD set plus a few printer driver discs. Plus, a red keyboard/mouse and an iMac power cable. Gotta have the essentials after all.

Plastics are mostly good It turns on, the display lights up, but extremely inconsistently. It wiggles around and lights up and dims down. Plus it falls out of focus/convergence. I've never personally witnessed a display doing this. Flyback/capacitors?

MacBook Pro report:

I haven't tried an external display yet, but I'm around 90% sure this is dead. I might TDM boot it to wipe the disk, or just take the disk/RAM out to use them in things like ThinkPad R61s and an old Core1 Vaio I have hanging around. It also has its box and foam, and a power adapter, which has a frayed end, so I haven't tested it. (Used witha known good 85w adapter from work.)

Probably destined for recycling as, to be honest, I don't know that this machine is salvageable per se.

 

[Scott Baret]

Does the iMac G3 make any noises when the display does this?

I saw (and heard) this problem in a Bondi a few years back. I'd suspect the flyback first but wouldn't rule out any component driving the video or on the analog board. Best to take this one component-by-component.

 

[LaPorta]

imac G3 report:

It's a 400/dv "Strawberry", 576 megs of RAM installed. Has the box - and more importantly, the original foam. 

Is the styrofoam for these particularly rare?

 

[CC_333]

MacBook Pro report:

I haven't tried an external display yet, but I'm around 90% sure this is dead. I might TDM boot it to wipe the disk, or just take the disk/RAM out to use them in things like ThinkPad R61s and an old Core1 Vaio I have hanging around. It also has its box and foam, and a power adapter, which has a frayed end, so I haven't tested it. (Used witha known good 85w adapter from work.)

What model is it? If it's a Late 2007 in either 15" or 17", I may be interested, if you'd be willing to send it my way rather than recycling (I have one of each, and they're both in good working order, and I'm always looking for spar parts so I can keep them that way).

imac G3 report:

...

...it turns on, the display lights up, but extremely inconsistently. It wiggles around and lights up and dims down. Plus it falls out of focus/convergence. I've never personally witnessed a display doing this. Flyback/capacitors?

What happens if you try gently banging on it? My Tangerine 400/DV has had a somewhat similar problem almost from new, wherein the display will shake and pull up from the bottom, with slightly off red convergence. I found early on that banging it once or twice on top almost always fixed it. 

It seems like it might be a bad solder joint somewhere on the A/B....

c

 

[Cory5412]

Is the styrofoam for these particularly rare?

I don't know - I just like having the packing material for something like this, if the need to ship it or move it comes up.

What model is it? If it's a Late 2007 in either 15" or 17", I may be interested,

It's a 15-incher, it's got the GeForce 8600, and if I remember correctly it's 2.0GHz. I'd be willing to send it to you. It's in okay physical shape.

Does the iMac G3 make any noises when the display does this?

I don't remember, but I might put my iPhone on a tripod and record the bootup. It seemed to change at random, and it also seemed like it might have changed based on activity. For exmaple (machine booting 10.4.11) when I opened system preferences to try to change the resolution, things got weird.

Incidentally - no change in overall behavior at the three different available/supported resolutions.

I think this one has the VGA port at the bottom, I haven't tried plugging anything in there, yet.

 

[Cory5412]

I have just learned I am going to be traveling to northwestern Nevada for an appointment this coming week. @CC_333 - are you interested in coordinating a meet-up to pass off the Intel iMac and the MacBook Pro?

Incidentally, if anyone in the area wants a project, I also have another slotloading iMac G3 that doesn't turn on at all, and I have the pink iMac that turns on but has problems (Though: at present moment I'd also kind of like to get the pink/strawberry iMac fixed up for my own use.)

The best timing for me would be to hit up California before Friday and then decide after how I'll get back to Arizona (via Utah perhaps?).

 

[CC_333]

I have just learned I am going to be traveling to northwestern Nevada for an appointment this coming week. @CC_333 - are you interested in coordinating a meet-up to pass off the Intel iMac and the MacBook Pro?

Perhaps! Not 100% sure where, though. Kinda depends on how far you're willing to go (see below).

Incidentally, if anyone in the area wants a project, I also have another slotloading iMac G3 that doesn't turn on at all, and I have the pink iMac that turns on but has problems (Though: at present moment I'd also kind of like to get the pink/strawberry iMac fixed up for my own use.)

I already have too many projects with the MBP and Intel iMac!

The best timing for me would be to hit up California before Friday and then decide after how I'll get back to Arizona (via Utah perhaps?).

That's next Friday, I assume? If you can swing by Ukiah, CA (which is located north of the Sonoma Wine country (the scene of the worst of the October 2017 firestorms) in Mendocino county, along US-101), I might be able to meet up sometime in the late morning/early afternoon? Else-wise, it'll be super tricky to meet anywhere else, because my car's being serviced and thence can't get around much.

c

 

[Cory5412]

Hey - sorry for the delay on this. Spent some time mapping things out on the ol' goog yesterday and ended up deciding on a route. That's, admittedly, pretty far out of the way.

The trip is for a job interview and cash is a little tight at the moment, so I'm going to say no on that diversion for now, but at some point in the next couple years I need to get out that direction, and I'll definitely make a post when it happens.