Powerbook g4 (1Ghz) 15 inch,Which software restore disk do I need

Hello, I recently acquired a powerbook 15 inch g4 1Ghz laptop. I dont know alot about apple laptops. It did not come with any system disks. I wanted to do a complete harddrive wipe and use a system install/restore disk to start with a fresh hard drive. What restore disks do I need to do this. The laptop has a superdrive. Will any system install/restore disk work if it says "15 inch powerbook". Or is there only one specific /original disk that will work with it. Thanks Dave

Hi, David, and welcome to Apple Discussions. A 15" PB G4 could be either the last Titanium model, with most of its ports on the back, or the first 15" Aluminum model, with all its ports on its end panels.
Your best bet in either case may be to buy a retail OS X installer disc set. Either model mentioned above can comfortably run the latest version of OS X 10.4.x ("Tiger"), though if you now have only 256MB of installed RAM, you'll soon want to add more to make Tiger really happy. Alternatively, either model could also run OS X 10.3.x ("Panther"), which would be a bit less expensive now that it's not the latest and greatest version. But if I were you, I'd buy Tiger and be up to date from the outset.
Duplicates of the original discs that were shipped with the Powerbook when it was new may (or may not) still be available for a nominal fee directly from Apple — by phone only, not through the online Apple Store. But those discs will install OS X 10.2.x ("Jaguar"), an earlier and markedly inferior OS version. You would then have to purchase the upgrade to 10.3.x or 10.4.x if you decided you wanted it later. Better to start right off with it.
Do NOT buy an OS installer set that is specific to (was originally shipped with) any Mac model other than yours. It is very likely not to install at all, and if it does, the installation is apt to be flaky or nonfunctional. You should consider ONLY a retail set, or a duplicate of the original set that went with your PB when it was new.

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