400mhz is all I know about it.
Should I jump on it?
Should I jump on it?
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Pismo - $100 - Jump?
- Thread starter sambapati87
- Start date
Also - will a Duo power adapter work on a pismo? The connectors look similar.
Thanks -- this has no power adapter -- good to know as I have several duo adapters lying around.
I would say to go for it, Pismos are very capable machines, if the one you get is in decent configuration. you can take 'em to a gig of ram, put a 550MHz G4 in them, and get a whole lot of battery life, with the appropriate installation of two fairly new third-party batteries.
Yep it's local -- I'm going to check it out. Don't plan on upgrading it to heavily, maybe RAM but that's cheap.
I don't need a G4 -- I have a MacBook Pro. I'd just like something secondary that I can carry around the house with me regularly and to class because of late my MBP has been tethered down by all its peripherals (cinema display, hard drives, etc. -- its basically a desktop machine).
my 500mhz pismo cost me only $75 shipped a few months back, but that was a really lucky shot. The auction was un-descriptive, and the photos were blurry, but I could tell what it was, as well as the specs. It was also pretty much stock, 12gb HD, 128mb RAM, airport, DVD, and battery.
My first Pismo, which I got last year, was a supposedly dead unit. It read as a 400mhz 64mb 6gb machine. It turned out to be perfectly fine upon supplying an AC adapter. I even got a charge out of the battery (which I now wish I had kept).
But, your mileage may vary. These days, a pismo should be going for less than $200 and in some cases, less than $100. But all macs have inflated prices. I have even seen B&W prices rise sharply lately.
It really is up to the buyer. Since YOU will be buying it, YOU have to justify the amount you spend on it. If YOU think it's worth that much, then go for it.
-digital
My first Pismo, which I got last year, was a supposedly dead unit. It read as a 400mhz 64mb 6gb machine. It turned out to be perfectly fine upon supplying an AC adapter. I even got a charge out of the battery (which I now wish I had kept).
But, your mileage may vary. These days, a pismo should be going for less than $200 and in some cases, less than $100. But all macs have inflated prices. I have even seen B&W prices rise sharply lately.
It really is up to the buyer. Since YOU will be buying it, YOU have to justify the amount you spend on it. If YOU think it's worth that much, then go for it.
-digital
$100 is a good price for a Pismo if it works, even without a power supply. Unfortunately, without a power supply, you won't have any way of knowing if it does work or not unless you can provide a battery with a charge in it. You can still get $250 for a decent Pismo on ebay, so if I had a way to power it up to make sure it works, I'd get it.
I'm gonna bring a Duo power supply over when I look at it (probably tomorrow) which according to a few sources will boot it.
PowerBook Duo power supplies come in two flavours: 24w and 36w, the latter being for the 280c and 2300c. There is a document on Apple.com that gives you the part numbers, the only way to know which is which.
A Wallstreet will boot and run from either of the two, but is happiest with the 36w one for charging etc. A Pismo should do likewise, but bring along a 36w adapter if you have one.
Pismos, however, have a reputation for needing functional backup batteries to boot (though this experience is not universal - it's not mine, anyway). This too you should check up on before "jumping" on anything, one informative discussion being here: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=248158&tstart=946 .
I bought a Pismo a few weeks ago (with a dead 2400c) for around the price you cite. Mine turned out to have a broken hinge (which I fixed by cannabalizing some parts from a broken 12" display from a Wallstreet, which worked fine after a little filing and drilling). I suspect that the hinge broke long ago, as the machine turned out to be otherwise pretty much pristine; it was, I think, laid aside and left until I got it and bestowed a little TLC. It will now fulfil one of several roles I have for Powerbooks.
I used a Wallstreet for years, and long thought they were great machines; now that I have a Pismo, I can say honestly that it is a much nicer unit. And it will run OS8 and 9 - which some of us still prefer for some purposes to X.
A Wallstreet will boot and run from either of the two, but is happiest with the 36w one for charging etc. A Pismo should do likewise, but bring along a 36w adapter if you have one.
Pismos, however, have a reputation for needing functional backup batteries to boot (though this experience is not universal - it's not mine, anyway). This too you should check up on before "jumping" on anything, one informative discussion being here: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=248158&tstart=946 .
I bought a Pismo a few weeks ago (with a dead 2400c) for around the price you cite. Mine turned out to have a broken hinge (which I fixed by cannabalizing some parts from a broken 12" display from a Wallstreet, which worked fine after a little filing and drilling). I suspect that the hinge broke long ago, as the machine turned out to be otherwise pretty much pristine; it was, I think, laid aside and left until I got it and bestowed a little TLC. It will now fulfil one of several roles I have for Powerbooks.
I used a Wallstreet for years, and long thought they were great machines; now that I have a Pismo, I can say honestly that it is a much nicer unit. And it will run OS8 and 9 - which some of us still prefer for some purposes to X.
Thank you -- great info. I have 3 duo adapters -- I'll check the part numbers now. Looks like (from the Apple discussions link you sent me) the *quick* fix for the PRAM battery problem is to just disconnect and reconnect. If it doesn't boot tomorrow when I check it out I'll offer him something much lower and take a stab at it.
Score! Typing on it right now.
It was actually a Lombard, but I got the following for $80:
400mhz G3
256mb RAM
6GB HD (might upgrade), 10.3.9
DVD Module, zip drive module, two imation "superdisk" modules.
Power adapter
WORKING battery (I am amazed -- it's the original battery as far as I can tell and the menu bar estimates 3 hours with a full charge -- ive been running it battery only for about 45 minutes so far and its at 77%
No Airport card but im considering buying a 3rd party one.
Overall, a success!
It was actually a Lombard, but I got the following for $80:
400mhz G3
256mb RAM
6GB HD (might upgrade), 10.3.9
DVD Module, zip drive module, two imation "superdisk" modules.
Power adapter
WORKING battery (I am amazed -- it's the original battery as far as I can tell and the menu bar estimates 3 hours with a full charge -- ive been running it battery only for about 45 minutes so far and its at 77%
No Airport card but im considering buying a 3rd party one.
Overall, a success!
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