PowerBook Sleeve

After much debate and consideration, I've decided to purchase a PowerBook 12". I'm a student, so I plan to carry it with me in my "regular" backpack. I've been looking at all the cases and sleeves that are available, but, because there are so many, I'm having a hard time choosing the right one.
I like the idea of a notebook sleeve inside the backpack that I already own (as opposed to purchasing a backpack designed specifically for notebook computers--as many of them seem bulky). Soft case, hardcase, brand? What would you recommend? Thanks in advance for your advice.
Andrew L.

I'd recommend one of Booq's sleeves (http://www.booqbags.com). I've found all of their products to be of a very high quality and to be extremely durable (although definitely not cheap). I'm a big fan of their original PowerSleeve cases (take a look at the closeout section of their site). I have one for my 12" PowerBook and they have enough room for a mouse and charger along with papers or other accessories. They are great for sliding into a backpack or other bag, but they still provide enough protection to be used on their own which is a big plus for me. From what I've seen of the newer versions of the PowerSleeves, it appears that Booq have better organized the compartments for your accessories and added slightly more padding to the case itself. Hopefully this will give you a place to start your search.

Similar Messages

Which Powerbook 15" travel sleeve should I buy?

I will be traveling to Europe with my 15" Powerbook in two weeks and I'm looking for a sleeve that I can put into my carry-on bag. I don't want to buy an entire laptop bag, so I'm looking for something that can hold my PB and a couple accessories, like an AC adapter and mouse.
The three that I have been looking at are the Incase Neoprene Sleeve, the
Incase Nylon Laptop Sleeve and the Marware Sportfolio. The Incase Neoprene Sleeve looks nice, but it seems like it's too soft and doesn't have much protection in case of an impact. The Marware Sportfolio looks better with a plastic shell and a handle, making it easier to carry it around.
Can anyone recommend any of these?

Hi Francis,
You might find this recent thread on PowerBook sleeves and form-fitting neoprene cases useful:
What do you think of the NeoCase?
best of luck,
...ben

Anyone know when the MacBook Pro MacCase Sleeve is set to ship?

http://www.mac-case.com/MacCase%20Sleeves.htm
MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.5)

The MacCase MacBook Pro Sleeve is scheduled to ship mid-April. MacCase is running a special offer on this product. If you order a MacBook Sleeve, they ship you a 15" PowerBook Sleeve now, (which fits the MacBook, but not optimally) and then the new MBP Sleeve when it arrives in April. You only pay once, but keep both and pay no additional shipping charges. MBP Sleeves will be available in Stealth Black and Pro Silver. They will feature a new, custom fit design for the 15" MacBook, a larger, zipperless closure flap and new rear panel graphics.
Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Getting a PowerBook: What should I know?

I'm almost positive that I'll be getting a PowerBook (15") within the next month or two. What should I know? I'll be moving from an iMac FP, so I'm used to a desk keyboard and MX1000. I'll get over the change. Are there any amazing laptop-centric utilities (I had a vision of tapping the corners of the trackpad to act as right, center, Exposé, etc. mouse buttons… cell phone interaction... battery monitoring)?
I'm a student. I'm used to carrying around a backpack with notebooks, textbooks, etc.. What would be the best way to carry the PowerBook? Does the battery last long enough for a day of school or should I bring the power adapter?
I'm just looking for any wisdom of experience from the Discussions community. Since you all secretly want points, the most helpful response gets the "answered" star, and the next most helpful get "helpful" stars.

Just wanted to throw in a plug for my case because a) it's very useful/convenient and b) I get tons of compliments. It's a black Timbuk2 quilted laptop sleeve, but on Timbuk2's website (Timbuk2.com) they sell a variety of models, colors and sizes. I like this particular model primarily because, as I am also a student, I am able to put my 15" PB in the case and then just put it in my backpack with all my other books without worrying about scratches, etc. It's not something extra you have to lug around in addition to your backpack. Happy shopping (and hey, if you buy online you can avoid the crowds!).

Testing g4 powerbook barrel style ac adapter with multi-meter

I have an old G4 powerbook with a dead battery but it doesn't have an ac adapter.
I bought a cheap replacement one on Amazon. When I plugged it into the G4 nothing happens. It doesn't charge the battery and I can't power on the powerbook.
I wanted to make sure that the adapter I bought was providing the 24v that it should.
The problem is I can't figure out how to test it. It has the barrel style connector with the outside sleeve and a pin on the inside that looks like a male headphone jack.
Does anyone know what is the positive and what is the negative?
I tried testing with the probes on the outside sleeve and the tip of the pin but I get no reading. The pin in the center looks like it's a tip,ring,sleeve type of connector. I tried to test the tip and the ring but also got no reading. If I bridge the ring and the sleeve (that's the sleeve of the tip,ring,sleeve center pin, not the outside sleeve) there is a spark.
I've never seen a power adapter with this type of connector before. I'd like to find out if it is working or if I should return it. If it doesn't work then there may still be a chance that the powerbook is salvageable with a good adapter.
Thanks.

There were several adapters made for the PowerBook G4 and iBook G3/G4 series
and they varied in power output per the devices they were intended to function with.
You could use a higher power output (a 65W for a 45W replacement) though, and
those cheaper clones that have no illuminated DC-out plug provide adequate power.
OWC macsales & others offer generic replacement that did not look like the original.
(Also, they usually have exact replacements for the newer magsafe design, only.)
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer+Technology/APLPBI65W/ - 65W output
For the correct utilitarian purpose, the larger display model computer would need
to have the higher output AC Adapter, so it can power the Mac & charge it too.
An internal optical drive and other items, in addition to a 14" display, use more.
•PowerPC-Based Mac notebooks: Identifying the right power adapter and power cord--US - Apple Support
For instances where an original jack fails, or adapt a different power supply; note pin-outs:
http://faqintosh.com/risorse/en/guides/hw/ibook/pjack/
http://pinoutsguide.com/Power/apple_tibookpower_pinout.shtml
http://repair4laptop.org/wiki/Mac_iBook_G4_Power_Adapter_DC_Plug_Repair_Howto_Gu ide
You may note from reading these pages where someone took apart the power
supply DC-Out end to replace the jack, there is something odd about it. The
larger outer metal part is more of a guide to keep the item in the socket, to
illuminate the plug, and protect the small actual power contacts inside... A
third-party AC adapter without illuminated plug has one less active contact.
{And may not need as complex a chip inside the plug, either.}
How to repair (& understand how it works) a portable Mac G4 power cord:
http://www.instructables.com/id/EYVY1AXU2FEQZJIQHC/
A good multi-meter can tell you if you have Negative or Positive (reversed
power leads to meter) so that in itself should not be a problem...
In the pictured images within the linked sites, see how in concept of using a
replacement 2.5mm jack instead of failed OEM AC Adapter plug; the small
metal pin carries main current, not necessarily the outer barrel. So any voltage
(negative or positive) of the rated output that registers on a good multimeter
should be a clue, if anything is getting past a micro-chipped DC-out end...
In the original Apple AC adapter for PowerBook/iBook G4 this is so, not so
certain that any generic one not looking like the original would have this chip.
But the plug connectors you see, inside the barrel, would be the same power.
And the DC-in board is a minor chore into itself, a guide at iFixit.com shows methods
based on which PowerPC PowerBook model you have (iBook is also troublesome)
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/PowerBook_G4_Aluminum_Series
So, it looks like the two main connections are further down the center plug-pin
and the outer barrel is not a connection, so much, as it is a guide or protector.
Usually the three things that can be in need of replacement in the PPC portable
as well as the newer intel-based portable, are the DC-in board (magsafe board)
the battery, and the power adapter. To have known-good items including another
similar model Mac portable, on hand, helps immensely to troubleshoot these.
Not sure if what appears here will help all that much; the power adapter would
work on any 24v PowerPC iBook (dual-usb white) or PowerBook G4, so that
may be something if you know someone who has a working model of either.
Some of the older site URLs for information no longer work, so I looked online
in hopes of finding similar; but to no avail. So this is a patchwork from that effort.
One of the diagrams of how someone repaired the original dc- out plug by
replacement with a 2.5mm stereo jack, may yield which one(s) have power
and what amount. A generic without an illuminated plug, should be easier.
In any event...
Good luck & happy computing!

Bookshell Pro case on a Powerbook

After searching I can't seem to find a Shell case for my Powerbook G4 they make them for the Macbook Pro can I just buy one for the MB PRO and use it on my PB ??
Or what about one of those clear plastic shells?here is a link to macally.
http://www.macally.com/en/Product/ArticleShow.asp?ArticleID=205
Thanks

Yes, I remember that thread, which I thought at the time dwelt far too much on the aesthetics and mechanics of sleeves, skins and shells, and far too little on cooling and whether any significant protection was actually provided.
Anyone whose Powerbook gets hot on the bottom should think about how much heat it's dumping that way before sealing that bottom panel inside a layer of plastic thick enough to prevent scratches to the aluminum. Plastic is a better insulator than conductor of heat, so more heat will be trapped inside the PB, and the fan(s) will have to run substantially more to keep it at a safe temperature. In a dusty environment, that means more dust sucked inside through the vents and clogging up the fan(s) and heat sink.
And using a Powerbook inside a shell isn't at all the same thing as using it on a tabletop, because its rubber feet create an airspace between the bottom panel and the table surface through which air can move (and moves much more readily if the back edge of the PB is propped up on something). In a shell, the only airflow across the bottom panel is outside the shell, with most of the heat retained inside it instead of being transferred to the air.

Sleeve for mbp in montreal????

I was wondering if anyone was able of buying a sleeve for their mbp's in the montreal area. My computer store sells sleeves for powerbooks, but the are keen on the fact that it doesnt fit a mbp. I have tried several stores on st catherine, futurshop, and not being lucky. any hint would be appreciated....

The sleeves for powerbooks are 1 inch shorter but depending on the make and material, some do fit.. Just take your MBP along and ask to try it yourself.. They can't refuse that.

Cant restart / shut down Powerbook G4

My powerbook works fine with the exception that I cant shut down. I go to apple>shutdown or restart, the icons on the desk top disappear and it looks like it is going to shut down but then the pin wheel starts to spin in the center of the screen indefinitely. I have to force shut down with the power button every time. Anyone know what might be the problem?

Hold on now we may still have a few trick up our sleeves...
1st - If you are having trouble with the drive and can not boot... the try to boot int safeboot (safemod): http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455 Safemode will automatically run disk verification and I believe try to fix any errors. So try to boot into safemode and if it is successful then reboot and see if that helped.
2nd - If safeboot does not work then you can try to boot into single user mode: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1492 Once you are in the Single user mode type the following:
fsck -fy <then press enter>
If this command returns with an error or reports that is found an error but fixed it then run the command again and repeat until the drive checks good.
Once you are done with the repair or feel satisfied, type 'reboot' and press enter.

Wrong 'mini dvi to video' adapter for my 12" Powerbook 1.33

I recently bought the M9319 mini dvi - video adapter for my 12" Powerbook 1.33 to find that the mini dvi on the adapter is a different size to the one on the computer and the adapters supplied with the computer.
I've been doing a bit of research into this and it seems a bit of a grey area. Apple have not made it clear in advertising this product that it is only suitable for the newest 12" Powerbooks and even state that it will work with a 1.33 machine in their following article:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86507
Has anyone had a similar experience, or suggest an alternative product that will work? Did Apple make an older version that works with the 1.33?
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks, Graeme.

Just took the adapter to my local Apple store and they identified it as a mini VGA to video adapter - not what it said on the packaging!
I've noticed a few posts with this problem, so just double check before you leave the store that the packaging matches the product.

Airport Card no longer recognized by PowerBook

I always take my PowerBook G4 to class with me for the purpose of taking notes during class. I was connected to the internet there, over the wireless network (on campus) with no problem.
When I got back home, my PowerBook wasn't seeing the wireless network (at home, seperate from the wireless network on campus), but I knew it was working because my iMac is connected to it just fine, along with two other computers in my house. I tried restarting a couple of times, and actually typing the name of the network into the Airport drop-down menu. This all did nothing, as did repairing the disk permissions.
I find it very unlikely that the card is not seated correctly, because first of all, when I brought the PowerBook back from campus (when it was working properly) it was tranported in my TUMI bag, which has a dedicated padded holder for PowerBooks, and then immediately took it out and sat it on my desk next to my iMac only to find the PowerBook no longer seeing the wireless signal.
And at this point, I could still turn Airport on and off, and I restarted the computer a couple of times to see if it would pick up the signal, all the while Airport was still recognized by the system (I could still turn it off and on from the drop-down menu, but no wireless networks were present).
So, I popped in my OS X DVD to boot from it to use the Repair Disk feature. It came up with an error that said something to the tune of "incorrect number of threads." It repaired the disk without any probems, or so I thought (and so it thought).
Now, the computer wouldl not function because it runs into a kernal panic, forcing me to hard shut-down the computer. It happened everytime, sometimes during startup, sometimes not until I got into OS X, but always soon after the OS starts.
I then booted the computer as a "Safe boot" and this seemed to stop the kernal panics, and I shut down the computer and started it again with no panics. There was no longer any recognition of the Airport card, either. Not even through the Airport Setup Assistant. It keeps telling me there is no card installed.
I have tried two seperate cards, as I thought maybe the one went bad, but nothing came of this. I tried zapping the PRAM, booting into Open Firmware to reset to defaults, all leading to nothing. I even went so far as to completely erase the drive and do a clean install of OS X, which now drops my system down to 10.4. NOTHING.
Please, anyone willing to help that would be great, even if you would like to contact me through iChat and we can discuss this over iSight to get to the root of the problem. Screen name is CoreyAtMiamiU.
Sorry about the long post and thanks for taking the time to read it.

This is a user to user discussion area. So it is unpredictable as to when someone with a suggestion will respond to your post. An hour in the middle of a work day isn't a long time.
Since the card is recognized, there isn't anything wrong with that side of the card. If the card isn't receiving a signal, either the RF side of the card has failed, the antenna wire isn't connected properly, or the antenna in the PowerBook has failed.

Powerbook 520c no longer boots?

Hi,
I recently got hold of a PB520c (System 7.1 installed.) Everything booted fine to start with, but now something seems to have gone wrong. When I try to boot it I get the Mac logo for about half a second, then the screen flickers and an picture of a floppy disk with a question mark appears on the screen.
The last thing I installed before this happened was Apple's Intelligent Battery software (the battery seemed dead and I wanted to see if I could revive it.) However, I had rebooted several times since then.
THe problem first appeared when I restarted while running on battery power only (I don't know if this had anything to do with it.) As the OS shut down it came up a message about the Autoremounter preferences file not being found, but it had restarted itself before I had a chance to do anything about this.
Is there any way to revive the Powerbook? Unfortunately I don't have any install disks for it. Would I be able to create install disks from the System 7.5.3 disk images Apple has for download? (I don't have any Macs with floppy drives apart from the 520c unfortunately.)
In case this matters (I doubt it does) the Powerbook only boots from the AC adapter, once it's running it will work from batteries, but I have to boot from the mains.
Thanks in advance.
Matthew

maffoo
Intelligent Battery Recondition (IBR) and VST's EMMpathy can often do in tandem what neither can do alone to revivify the PB 500 series batteries. It is more than probable that not being able to charge your batteries yet has caused the internal (deep) 616-0021 rechargeable backup battery to drain to the point that:
1) it no longer buys the three minutes of time after the main batteries reach last gasp in which you can swap in a charged battery, or shut down gracefully, and
2) cannot maintain PRAM settings, such as 'where is the startup volume?', and
3) allows the Power Manager to get very confused indeed.
With batteries out and AC adapter disconnected, allow the PB to sit for 10min. Hold down the command-option-control-power keys together (the 500s lack the reset/interrupt switches of other PBs and desktops) for 20-odd sec. to reset the Power Manager. Reconnect the AC adapter, start up and immediately hold command-option-p-r to reset the PRAM (and point the PB at its hard drive). If the PB successfully boots from its hard drive, you can insert the batteries, but don't attempt to power the PB from them. Let them take what charge they will as you use the machine and after shutdown.
If they show no sign of charging after 24hr of opportunity to charge from the adapter, begin the head-banging exercise of resuscitation. EMMpathy gives more info. as it diagnoses battery condition, but it is not more successful by itself than is Apple's app. in overcoming the first hurdle: the microprocessor (EEPROM) in the battery. Start IBR with a battery half-inserted into the right bay. When IBR asks 'wheresabaddery', push the battery right in. With luck, IBR will then fast charge the battery to the point that the microprocessor will remember that it is intelligent, and perhaps continue to charge the battery. If IBR tells you to return the battery to Apple, resist the urge and repeat the process several times until ...
EMMpathy can be employed when this initial phase of reanimating the zombie is over. It will give you a dossier on the battery's present state, show the current proportion of full charge as the battery continues to charge, and install the Sleep Drain Bug Fix that supposedly supplies an antibiotic after the boil has been lanced. Above all, however, nil desperandum. Just leaving the PB on the AC adapter night and day may also help in the reanimation. In the meantime, the PB 500 will be a snappy performer on the adapter.
The backup battery reputedly recharges only as the main batteries reach full charge, but often much sooner, such that you may find that the PB remembers its hard drive's whereabouts at the next startup. While the batteries are reawakening (and permanent return to health is only about 50% likely at best) you can proceed to test the HDD with Disk First Aid, reinstall the HDD's driver with Drive Setup (both from a suitable '040-savvy Disk Tools diskette) and re-install or upgrade the OS. How far depends on your RAM complement, which is 36MB at maximum.

Networking powerbook to a new printer

i have a power book G4, this is my first mac and i have no idea what to do...
i just purchased the Dell Laser Pinter 3100cn and am trying to get my powerbook to connect to this networkable printer but don't know how.
i can print when my powerbook is connected to the printer by USB, but i want to be able to print from my powerbook from without having to be directly connected -- please help i am completely clueless as to what to do...
thanks...Song.

Song
It can be tricky I can't explain it clearly. But go to the mac help at top of your screen and enter windows printing in the search box and try this first.
It took me a while to get it working because of firewall problems.
sorry can't tell more
Dav

Powerbook G4 can't connect via ethernet but connects via airport

We have a small office network connected to an Efficient Networks DSL router that's managed by our isp. The router has 4 ports and a linksys 8 port switch is connected to one of those ports. Another D-Link wireless router/switch is connected to another port.
2 i-macs connect without problem via ethernet cable. They are set to DHCP and get 192.xx private addresses. Both run 10.4.5. Another older imac running 9.2.2. also has no problems.
I recently purchased a powerbook G4 and it will not connect via ethernet to the Efficient networks router. At first it was connected to the linksys, so decided to connect it direct to the Efficient Networks router. With DHCP, it acquires a 169. internet address which is self generated (i.e. no real connection). I tried to give it a static private address (talking to the isp provider). They could see the powerbook but saw all zero's (presumable mac address). By the way the Powerbook works perfectly at home connected via ethernet cable to a D-Link router connected to a cable modem so it's not a physical problem. I even checked the ethernet cable I used in the office with another computer - no problem.
When I switch to airport in the office, the powerbook connects to the network and the internet. I get some strange warning messages showing the server's and the router's private ip addresses. I click ok, and the powerbook finds an unassigned private ip address. It's the only way it will work, but it causes problems, because I can't connect to one of the network printers. Speed also isn't great.
Can anyone give me advise how to proceed. I am no expert on this stuff so keep it as simple as possible.
Tks

Tim,
Thanks for your help. Here's what I've done before reading your e-mail. The D-Link DI-524 wireless router is connected to the Effiicent Neworks DSL router as you mentioned. One ethernet port of the EFF.Net. router is connected to the WAN port of the DI-514.
Because I have a D-Link router at home which works flawlessly with my powerbook, I decided to connect the ethernet cable of the powerbook to the D-Link which has 4 ethernet ports. Lo and behold, the powerbook acquired a private ip address and connected to the LAN and internet!
When I connected the powerbook direct to the Efficient Networks router, it could not communicate. I believe that there must be some software incompatibility between the powerbook and the Efficient Networks router. By connecting to the D-Link, the D-Link assigned an ip address to the powerbook, and it could connect to the server, lan, etc..
Only problem is that I have a Brother network printer that cannot connect to the powerbook. My powerbook cannot find it on the network. Because there is a linksys switch connected to the efficient networks router's third ethernet port, maybe as you said, going through the D-Link via DHCP (when the Linksys is also acting as a DHCP server, might cause this type of problem. What do you think?
As a final note, other imac G5's connected to the linksys switch (which then connects to the Efficient Network's router) have no problem connecting to the lan or internet and have no problem connecting to any of the printers. When I put the powerbook on that switch, I could not connect to the internet - i.e. whether connecting via the lynksys switch or direct with the efficient networks router - same results: no internet connection whether manually or via DHCP.
So the imac G5 has no problem with the efficient networks router but the powerbook G4 hits a brick wall. The G4 likes the D-Link router. I am concerned (and I will have to check this) that if I turn off the dhcp server feature from the D-Link, that whatever software issue crops up between the powerbook and the Efficient Networks router, will rise up again, because the D-Link will act like a simple switch (just like my linksys switch), and we'll be back to square zero. In any case, no harm in trying. This may be the cause of the Powerbook not seeing that Brother printer (even though it sees another printer and other macs).
Having spent hours reading about network problems, I think it's safe to say that macs have problems with certain routers. Why a G5 works and a powerbook G4 doesn't is beyond me, but clearly software must play a role.

OS 10.2 / Powerbook G4 - install CD not recognised

Hi all,
I hope you can help. A colleague has brought in her Powerbook G4 to see if I can install 10.2 for her. The Install CD was stuck in the drive. At startup, the old Mac icon appears, as does the bouncing beachball of doom. Not much happens at all, although the drive spins.
I should point out at this point that this machine looks like it's been through a threshing machine - apparently at one point it was rolling around in the back of a car with a spare tyre whilst the car was being driven rather, er, enthusiasically. However, the machine itself has functioned just fine ofr several years before the attempted upgrade.
I've fsck'ed, reset the PRAM and tried target disk mode, and the HD appears to be fine. As far as I can tell, the OS itself is a bit of a state.
I've tried two different external USB CD drives, the internal drive and two different copies of 10.2, to no avail. Variously, I get a hang when booting with the option key down, the Prohibited sign and a few other variations. I've not been able to get the machine to boot into anything other than single user mode. Does anyone have any suggestions? As I said, I can view the filesystem when the machine is in target disk mode using my Macbook, and the install disks appear to be fine when tried in that system, too.

If this is an 867 MHz/1 GHz version it requires 10.2.1 or 10.2.3. Earlier models can use 10.1 or higher. If it's the first Gigabit model (500 and 667 MHz) then it requires a firmware update.
You cannot boot the computer from an external USB drive - only Firewire. Be sure you have a retail copy of Jaguar - the CD has the Jaguar "spotted pelt" label. If the disc you have has a gray OEM label then it's probably not going to be usable unless it's the disc that came originally with the computer. This would be unlikely inasmuch as you say the version you have is 10.2. If the disc has the word "Upgrade" on it you can only use it if a prior version of OS X is already installed.
The computer meets the minimum requirements for hardware. The hard drive must be formatted Mac OS Extended and Jaguar requires about 4 GBs of free space during installation.
It's possible the installer disc you have is defective, scratched, or dirty making it unreadable or the computer's optical drive is defective or out of alignment.

Powerbook G3 series 8.6 to 9.2.2 upgrade

Hi,
I just joined the discussions (today) so pardon my "novice" level - in advance.
Background:
=========
I have a Powerbook G3 series (bought in 1999) 333Mhz, 256Mb RAM and 4GB HD. It is running OS 8.6 (came with it).
I know that this is a "dinosaur" but remarkably it has "worked fine" (see further below).
I would like to keep it and "make it more useful" as I contemplate a newer MAC purchase.
So, I would like to upgrade from 8.6 to 9.2.2.
I checked in Apple's "Mac OS 8 and 9 compatibility with Macintosh
Computers" table and it shows that the G3 series can go up to 9.2.2
I considered OSX V10.4 but this G3 is not a "built-in Firewire" and also does not have sufficient RAM and HD for OSX (as I was able to surmise upon further research). Also it appears that even if earlier OS X versions were compatible they might run too slow on such an old machine.
Specific Questions:
==============
I wanted to get educated on the "8.6 to 9.2.2" upgrade for any tips and warning so I searched the discussions topics re: such an upgrade and found very useful information from the various Q&As.
After absorbing all of the relevant discussions, I still have the following questions:
1) It was suggested in one of the threads that "....a firmware update would be required before installing OS9..."
Would I need this for my G3 ? If so where would I obtain a copy ?
2) It appears that to get to 9.2.2, I would have to do the following:
a) do the firmware upgrade as per answer from 1) above.
b) get a retail OS9 (white with gold 9) from one of the suggested sites
and do the install
c) download the 9 to 9.2.2 upgrade from one of the suggested sites
and do the 9 to 9.2.2 upgrade
I am not restating the suggested site names here.
Are the above steps a) to c) correct ?
3) Is there any reason or "gotcha" to not upgrade from 8.6 to 9.2.2 ?
4) Would it make sense to consider some earlier version of OS X vs 9.2.2 ?
Surprisingly and remarkably, my G3 has been working fine for the "most part" but I continue to run into snags when I want to upgrade Apps or when browsing certain sites or wanting to use later peripherals, e.g., flash disks.
For example when I switched to Gmail - it does not show all the features and suggests later browsers which all require 9.x or higher. Gmail does work for older browsers but with limited features.
Also, I am stuck with IE 5.1 (for Macs) and Netscape 6.x and can't use others, e.g., Mozilla.
I am hoping that with 9.2.2 (or some version of OS X) I will be able to bring this G3 to a much more usable level without much $$ expense.
Any help on my questions would be greatly appreciated.
I hope my question information is not overly long.
Thank You.
Powerbook G3 series Mac OS 8.6 or Earlier 333Mhz, 256M RAM. 4GB HD

macd-sm,
There are 6 updates (7 if you have an iPod what can be used with OS9) that can be applied after OS9.2.2 update has been applied.
CarbonLib v1.6 - extremely useful for your system, read all about it and download it here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120047
AppleScript v1.8.3 - again, useful for your use of OS9.2.2, it's all here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120128
Authoring Support v1.1.9 - useful if you plan to burn CD on a supported replacement internal drive (that burns CD's) or a supported external drive, using iTunes or the Disc Burner in the Finder. It replaces Authoring Support v1.1.3 that was installed with OS9.2.2, so it's not going to break anything installing it. It's here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120083
QuickTime v6.0.3 - It's up to you if you want to upgrade to QuickTime v6, or stick with v5 (that is installed with OS9.2). I keep an OS9.2.2 system as a retro system, for once in a while to run older software. As such I don't need the latest QuickTime for web surfing, so I stuck with v5, but you may want to use v6. It's here: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/quicktime603formac.html
Mac OS Runtime for Java 2.2.6: Pretty much essential if you're going to be using the web: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120209
iTunes v2.0.4: This is the latest version of iTunes for OS9. It was a bit of pig to find this download page, so download it and keep it, even if you decide not to install it straight away: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120073
I can only add to a possible source of OS9.2.1 retail CD's, eBay. Make sure you get a good clear picture of the OS9 install CD, along with any other software they may be selling with it. All the usual "caveat emptor" warnings about eBay apply. I've never bought this CD from eBay - ironically I gave mine away with the PowerBook.
Maybe just another little note about the upgrade. You may find that some of your older apps, utils and games will cease to work under OS9. Maybe 90% of what I used, worked no problem. Then 90% of the rest worked after downloading a patch or two. I can only think of one or two very old games that stopped in OS9. If you have any "must-have" apps that you need to work in OS9, post details of them here and we'll do our best to let you know.

PowerBook Sleeve

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