Unexpected Utility

[LCARS]

Last night I needed to burn a CD-R in an attempt to resurrect my 5,1 MacPro from bootROM woes. In the process of saving the 5,1, I rediscovered my little 12" PowerBook 1.33 and spent hours realizing that despite its age and 10.4.11, it packs quite a bit of utility for me in an unmodified state.

I found it on eBay early in 2020 and had plans to put in an SSD, SorbetLeopard, and rebuild the cells in the batteries that it came with. It arrived in virtually unused condition and when the pandemic unfolded, I put it away and didn't use it again until last night. After it did its CD burning duties I thought, "Well I can't just put you back on the shelf." So I decided to see what TenFourFox and Tiger could still do online.

*Stream NPR, SomaFM, a few others in iTunes with the lovely peak meter that is so sorely missing from the dull "Music" app.
*Display RSS feed from NYT with images.
*Surf GitHub and Macintosh Garden to find the two-finger scroll app among other applications.
*Download Coconut Battery and find out that despite an age of 233 months, the pack was at 88% health and ran the machine for more than two hours at 80% brightness with the original HDD. I'm sure it will adjust lower but for now the run time is impressive for the age.
*Connect to my MacBookPro from the living room.
*Query and download updates from Apple's servers.
*Albeit slowly, perform basic Internet research with the added benefit of a lap warmer.

Speaking of Tiger, I hadn't used it in a few years and I was amazed at how many shortcuts, messages, and general operation aspects haven't changed from Tiger to Monterey. Save as PDF? Yep, that looks the same. Screenshot keyboard command? Hello System 7... Its nice to have some consistency.

I have to test the other battery packs but I'm very impressed so far. Move over iPad, my PowerBook G4 is now my morning news machine. I'm thrilled that my MacPro isn't toast but also very happy to rediscover such a cool little PowerBook that has aged so well. Please excuse the spring cleaning mess in the pictures.

 

[matthew28845]

They're great machines, and excellent for productivity. The keyboard might be my favorite on any Mac laptop.

 

[LCARS]

Yes, those keyboards! I used my 2003 17" daily from 2003-2014 and the keyboard still looks new; no shiny worn off bits. They are my favorite non-mechanical keyboard.

 

[Lucretius]

It's Soul Satisfying to see your PowerBook G4 still up & running...I own a 15" and 17" that came from Ebay, and I use them both for an hour or so each month, simply to enjoy the experience. Ebay was also there for me when a few iBook G4's became available, and the 12" and 14" Models ( one of the 12" / three of the 14" ) are ready for use, too.

All of my IBM-era Apples ( well, there's still one waiting...) have had their HDD's replaced with mSATA SSD's, usually 60 GB. They are very inexpensive, and I house them in a plastic case that plugs right in to the board. The PowerBooks are really easy to work on, and the iBooks are really no problem, as long as you remove the aluminum shield without pulling the little, white plugs from the motherboard: I simply use a very sharp blade to make a few cuts in the metal, then slip it out over the still-connected plugs. Easy, and takes just a minute. I use a little Kapton tape to cover the cut-area upon reinstallation, and that's that: a new SSD, and still happy iBook G4.

I use InterWebPPC to go online, and it's just fine. I can play YouTube music videos easily, although the video, itself, is usually jerky and not smooth. The music is great. I can use Gmail, and have sent quite a few emails. Works very nicely.

The 17" A1052 is a real sweetie. I found it on Ebay, and bought it from the original, NYC owner, a business woman who took really good care of it. Looks about New, and runs very nicely.

 

[LCARS]

I use InterWebPPC to go online, and it's just fine. I can play YouTube music videos easily, although the video, itself, is usually jerky and not smooth. The music is great. I can use Gmail, and have sent quite a few emails. Works very nicely.

I didn't know about that browser. That's wonderful! And for my next project...

Thank you. Its wonderful to have that machine up and running. I got through weird periods where I feel like daily use is going to ruin them and put them in a drawer and other times when it feels like, "Use them or lose them."

 

[akator70]

I love those 12" PowerBooks. I've never had one but wanted one since the first time I used it in an Apple Store. I had a 15" and loved it, but the 12" is my favorite — I think maybe because it is one of the most kawaii computers ever made. One day I hope to finally acquire one.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

The 12” is the one G4 revision that eludes me. I’ve got a Titanium, a 15”, and a 17”, but no 12” yet. From what I’ve seen they’re very nice little laptops though. Would be nice if they had given it a higher resolution 1400x1050 LCD though. As it is it feels a bit like a 12” iBook in a metal case. Still worth owning for me though, I think they’re neat.
Just waiting for a 1.5GHz one in good shape to show up for the right price, at the right time.
They are certainly nicer than a 12” iBook.

 

[MacUp72]

I had different versions of the G4 series, also the very last of the 15" and 17" but the 1,5Ghz 12" is the one machine that I will never sell.
it doesnt take much space, easy to disassemble, quite powerful and with mSata even quieter.
Installed Sorbet Leopard and Tiger on it, Sorbet App Store/ iLife/ PowerPc Store. Icab is a light and modern browser.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Is it easy to disassemble? I’ve heard you need to remove two keys to take it apart….

 

[MacUp72]

Is it easy to disassemble? I’ve heard you need to remove two keys to take it apart….

actually you dont have to pop out the F1, F2, F11, and F12 keys..if you lift up the F1 key slightly on the side and stick your tiny screwdriver between/ slightly under the keys you can unscrew the tiny screw between them.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Ah, good to know. So it’s easy after that? Gotta look more into that as I’d probably want to install an SSD at some point if I got one.

 

[MacUp72]

I have disassembled it about 5 times now I think..a lot of tiny philips screws but no prob.

PowerBook G4 Aluminum 12" 1-1.5 GHz Repair

Model A1010 or A1104

de.ifixit.com

 

[MacUp72]

I wish there was an widescreen version of this 12"..

 

[Hopfenholz]

They are great. I have 3. The 867 runs Mac OS 9 which really flies with that horsepower and an SSD

 

[LCARS]

The 867 runs Mac OS 9

OS 9 resided(s) on an interesting array of Macs. I imagine 9.2 looks elegant on the 12" screen with aluminum body.

 

[Hopfenholz]

Yes it does. And 1024x768 is a decent real estate for 9.

God knows how I got it to install though... took many hours of messing around with OF and hours reading macos9lives.com. If asked to repeat it... I simply couldn't