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The last G4 Powerbook

Quadraman

68030
Managed to grab a Powerbook G4 15" High Resolution model off of ebay for $200. It has a battery charging issue, which seems to be a common ailment with the aluminum books, but it had a lot more problems when I first got. I did all the PMU/PRAM resets and that cleared up a lot of issues but it still won't charge. I got a good enough deal on it that even if I have to replace the logic board I still come out ahead and I've found a source for refurbished boards that will save me even more money. Even with a logic board it still comes out to less than what a fully working one would and less than what some people pay for a fully upgraded Pismo, but I spend more time plugged in anyway so lack of portability doesn't bother me much. It's still a good upgrade from my Digital Audio. I'm typing on it now and everything seems to work and the case is really clean for an AL Book. No major bruises from being dropped, just a few light scratches and keyboard wear that you would expect from a heavily used but not abused computer.

 
Have you tried it on a known-good power adapter? My 12" PowerBook would not charge for a while because the plug (actually the wiring to the plug where it bends before entering the plug housing) had deteriorated. I had to take it apart and do some resoldering.

Looks ugly now but it works perfectly.

 
Have you tried it on a known-good power adapter? My 12" PowerBook would not charge for a while because the plug (actually the wiring to the plug where it bends before entering the plug housing) had deteriorated. I had to take it apart and do some resoldering.
Looks ugly now but it works perfectly.
I only have one power supply, but that's on my list of things to check to see if I can get it working again. There's a couple of inexpensive parts I want to try replacing, too, before I do a logic board replacement. I believe the battery itself has some charge cycles left in it because the voltage reading and maximum charge the battery can hold are still in tolerances for a good battery. It won't take a full charge like a new battery, naturally, but still would take about 2/3 of a full charge if the numbers I'm seeing are any indication.

 
Thats a good deal for a high-res model. I'd like to compare one with my 1.5GHz 12" sometime just to see how much faster it is. Its crazy how much those things still sell for when in good condition. Are both RAM slots working?

 
Thats a good deal for a high-res model. I'd like to compare one with my 1.5GHz 12" sometime just to see how much faster it is. Its crazy how much those things still sell for when in good condition. Are both RAM slots working?
Yes, both slots working. 512mb DDR2 533 in each one.

 
Was randomly surfing for parts and found a place selling 1gb memory sticks for this machine cheap. I have 2 of them on the way for $37 shipped so I'll have the full 2gb of DDR2 533 in a few days. :)

 
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