Upgrading Ibook g4

I have already upgraded to Mac 10.4.11 and running the Safari 4 beta. Will I be able to get the combo drive and install a super drives that can burn dvds, upgrade memory to 2 Gigabytes & Hard drive to 160 or more Gigabytes and upgrading to Mac os 10.5.6? I would like to use it to create movied

Duane wrote:
Will I be able to get the combo drive and install a super drives that can burn dvds...
If you want a super drive why would you get a combo drive?
Depending on which iBook G4 1.2 (judging by the sig) this particular one may or may not come with a combo drive. Some come with SuperDrive as a build-to-order option. The machine is old, so I guess one takes what one can get. Not sure if this was the early 2004 14" or the late 2004 12".
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/ibook/stats/ibookg4_1.214.html
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/ibook/stats/ibookg4_1.212.html
...upgrade memory to 2 Gigabytes...
No. Depending on your iBook G4 the maximum RAM would be 1.128 GB, 1.256 GB, or 1.512 GB.
1.25 GB. Both iBook G4 1.2 versions came with 256 MB standard (on the logic board) and will accept a 1 GB upgrade.
...Hard drive to 160 or more Gigabytes and upgrading to Mac os 10.5.6?
Yes
I think there are a few 250 or 320 GB 2.5" PATA/IDE hard drives on the market. It's a royal pain to disassemble an iBook to get to the hard drive though. I would pay someone else to do it.

Similar Messages

How Can I Upgrade iBook OSX 10.0.4

My ibook's 10.0.4 operating system doesn't support most OSX capatible applications (Like quicktime 100 and must launch into the slower glitchy OS 9 operating system . Yet I can't seem to find a way to upgrade, since all OS upgrades seem to require 10.1. or higher WHICH I DO NOT AS YET HAVE. Can anyone suggest a solution?

Hi, Caverly. Welcome to Apple Discussions.
What size is your hard drive? How much space remains available on it?
If you want to upgrade, you are going to have to purchase the upgrade.
You will also need to upgrade your RAM (I recommend a 512 MB RAM module to do this) in order for a more recent version of OS X to run smoothly.

Upgrade iBook G4/1.33GHZ/ Hard Drive

I've been reading through multiple posts and am a bit intimidated by the problems related to HD upgrade so maybe this question could help summarize all the answers from other posts.
I have an iBook G4 with FUJITSU MHV2040AT OEM drive. I run 10.4.11 with 1GB RAM. I will likely pay to have a new drive installed because although I would like to do it myself, I simply can't make the time right now. So here are my questions:
1) How critical is it to have the exact system CDs that came with this specific iBook? Our family has multiple iBook/MacBooks, etc. and these disks are now scattered. Is the only way to figure out which of two sets of CDs (or DVDs) came with the computer to call Apple Support? [1 iBook G4 was purchased late 04, the other actually in July 05]
2) I understand this iBook requires what is known as an EIDE, a.k.a. IDE, a.k.a. ATA, a.k.a. PATA type drive. Is this correct? Are they all the same?
3) Drives of this type seem to be available as large as 325GB from Western Digital for little more $ than a 160GB or 250GB. Is there a capacity limit I should consider in terms of useable formatting? I know they all have the same statistical probability of failure so why not buy the highest affordable capacity?
4) I see no mention of physical size in the posts. Is this a consideration or do all PATA drives have the same physical dimensions and will fit in the iBook case?
5) I also want to upgrade to newer OS. I understand 10.5.xxx will run on this iBook but I want to make sure I am aware of any limitations.
6) Lastly, is there a smooth way to transfer everything to the new drive. By this I mean applications, preferences, documents, iTune play lists, etc., etc.? So often I find backups are great for files but nothing else. Is a "Disc Image" what I should be researching for this?
Thank you for any help you can provide. I admit, many of these individual questions may be answered in previous strings I have not yet read, but I haven't found any that really deal with these in one place. Perhaps this may help others thinking of doing the same?

Hey MacTrue and Welcome to Apple Discussions,
1) How critical is it to have the exact system CDs that came with this specific iBook?
Not too critical since you'll want 10.4.11 on them anyway. So that's the installer you'd need 10.4.2.
2) I understand this iBook requires what is known as an EIDE, a.k.a. IDE, a.k.a. ATA, a.k.a. PATA type drive. Is this correct? Are they all the same?
Yes sort of. Actually they are referred to as 2.5 PATA to distinguish them from the 3.5 which are for desktops. What you don't want is a SATA which is totally different.
3) Drives of this type seem to be available as large as 325GB from Western Digital for little more $ than a 160GB or 250GB. Is there a capacity limit I should consider in terms of useable formatting?
No.
I know they all have the same statistical probability of failure so why not buy the highest affordable capacity?
Right. Here's the ones that OWC has for the 2004 model:
http://tinyurl.com/ckdr2s
You should call them and talk to their knowledgeable sales people. That way if there's a problem you will have someone to go back to.
4) I see no mention of physical size in the posts. Is this a consideration or do all PATA drives have the same physical dimensions and will fit in the iBook case?
No and that's why it's important to deal with a place that will stand behind what they recommend. If you did have a problem with size it would be in a much older drive that was higher than the newer ones.
5) I also want to upgrade to newer OS. I understand 10.5.xxx will run on this iBook but I want to make sure I am aware of any limitations.
The requirements for Leopard are 887 MHz G4 and above so you're fine. The larger amount of RAM is good also.
6) Lastly, is there a smooth way to transfer everything to the new drive. By this I mean applications, preferences, documents, iTune play lists, etc., etc.? So often I find backups are great for files but nothing else. Is a "Disc Image" what I should be researching for this?
If I were doing this I'd clone your entire hard drive over to an external FireWire hard drive using an appt like Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper. That way when your new drive is in you can just boot from your clone and CCC or SuperDuper it back onto your new drive after you format it.
You also say "iBookG4 and multiple others" so if one of the multiple others was a Mac w/ a firewire port another way would be to use target mode.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661
Richard

Can't play videos on a newly upgraded iBook

I have recently upgraded my iBook G3 to 10.4.11. I also added an Airport card and a 512 MB RAM card. I can do pretty much anything on the internet (Safari 4.0.4) but can't play videos. The picture is really jumpy & laggy and the sound continues out of sync with the picture. Am I missing something or is the computer just not advanced enough to keep up?

Hi, and welcome to Apple Discussions.
Streaming video on an iBook G3 is a toughie.
Some suggestions which I found to help:
Restart the computer and open only the browser you want to use. Don't have any other applications open when you're attempting to watch streaming video.
Sometimes Firefox worked better for me than Safari (but I never used 10.4 on my iBook G3).
Some people have reported luck using VLC:
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-macosx.html
As a last resort, if possible, download the video and watch it from your hard drive.
Keep in mind that the last, best iBook G3 (900 MHz) was last produced in October of 2003, so you have a very old iBook attempting to play the latest versions of video, so things are often not very workable.
Good luck.

Upgrade ibook or buy macbook?

Hi
Here is my question
I have a ibook G4 12" (1.07GHz, 256mb ram, OSX10.3.9), and I am no longer satisfied by its performance.
Instead of buying a new computer (Oh I know macbook is attractive), I am considering about using that nice chunk of money to upgrade my ibook.
If I add another 512mb ram, do you guys think I can run a Tiger smoothly? And if I lengthen my AppleCare plan as well, do you think I can stand the coming 2 years? (I am not doing crazy things but just use it to access the internet, IM and ftp....stuff like that)
Also do anyone know generally how long is the lifespan of an apple notebook? Mine is 2 years old, and I am worrying about the LCD monitor...
Maybe I'll be better off if I grab a macbook and worry nothing for the next 4-5 years. Which way is a wiser to invest in?
Thanks
ibook G4 Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Hi, and welcome to Apple Discussions.
You are asking someone to make a decision only you can make.
Only you know what kind of applications you need or want.
If you want Tiger and more RAM, chances are you would be happiest with a new MacBook and your money would be better spent on putting it toward the new computer.
You cannot "lengthen" your AppleCare plan. Three years is as long as it goes.
Although some original iBooks from 1999 are still going strong, it looks like you are not going to be satisfied with any computer that is that old if you're dissatisfied with one that is two years old, now (assuming that Apple continues to upgrade the OS and hardware at the pace they have been going).
The lifespan of an Apple notebook varies greatly. Most people want or need a new one before theirs is worn out. It depends on how well you take care of it and how strenuously you use it.
I've found that I can live behind the curve a bit and let others hit the kinks first so I know what to expect. But I also find I need to upgrade about every two years to keep up with things. (I buy on eBay and usually buy the one just behind what is current, and would never buy one that didn't include the system discs with it.)
If you're sure you have to upgrade, if I were you, I'd buy the new MacBook, and forget about it for a little while (however long you can stand it).
Can you stand a compromise? Can you stand waiting until Leopard comes on the scene? I think that would be the wisest move. Those MacBooks look so nice, I may even bite when they release Leopard.

Upgraded IBook,IPod will not work

I upgraded my IBook from Jaguar 10.1.4 to Tiger 10.4 and in the process ITunes2 was updated to ITunes4,the problem is my First Generation IPod won`t do anything,the software is out of date,i`d appreciate some insight as to what i can do.
thanks

the link for the updater is above - its free
you should also have it on the disk that came with the ipod
also, go thru the following:
http://www.apple.com/support/ipod/tutorial/
you'll be glad you did
I don`t use my IBook for the internet so i can`t download anything,
but you are online right now????

Upgrading iBook Hard Drive?

Hi Everyone,
I was just wondering if it's possible to upgrade my iBook's hard drive? If so, how do I go about doing it and is there a way of doing it with a relatively easy transfer of information? (ie. files, drivers, authorizations, etc.)
Thanks!!

Hi Ryan
I would go for an external drive. Some to look into are Smart Disk, LaCie, or Western Digital. From Smartdisk I would say you have two options. First being the FireLite and the second being the CrossFire. The FireLite (second smallest) goes up to 100GB, which will cost you about $259. The CrossFire is slightly bigger yet still portable, which holds up to 250Gbs for about $200. Its basically the size that is the difference. I have the CrossFire 160Gb because its size is good for its space and cost. There is a third "Fire", the FireFly. I don't recommend it because it doesn't support Firewire, only USB 2.0. The advantage of having Firewire is you can boot a copy of OS X off it in a sticky situation when your computer isn't working. From LaCie I would suggest any of the Porsche drives. And lastly from Western Digital I would recommend the Passport or the Extreme. The Passport is extremely thin and small, but the downside is poor RPMs, less space, and higher price per Gb. The Extreme is bigger and thicker with up to 320Gb for around $269. It really depends on if you care about size rather then speed, space, and price.
Jon

Apple Employees only--upgrading iBook hard drive, not under AppleCare

Does anyone know how much it would cost to upgrade my hard drive from 14 GB to maybe 30GB? Also if I can upgrade, would the workers at the Apple Store transfer the data I have on my old hard drive to my new one for free?
Thanks
iBook G3 Mac OS X (10.1.x) 14 GB hard drive

Do you mean you only want responses from Apple Employees? If so, you are barking up the wrong tree, I'm afraid.
This is a user-to-user forum, hosted by Apple for its users to help one another.
If you have a local Apple Store, you could enquire there.
If you are interested in some resources outside Apple's auspices, there are several hard drive upgrade services:
MacService
DT & T Computer Services
MCE Technologies
Good luck.

Upgrade iBook G4 for 11 year old's use?

I am trying to determine whether it would be worth upgrading my old iBook G4 for my, very soon to be 11 year old son (5th grade). Would appreciate comments and suggestions. The iBook needs a new battery ($40.00). It has 256 MB RAM (upgrading to 512 MB - $17.00, upgrading to 1GB - $30.00). Currently running OS 10.3.9. Could upgrade to 10.4 alternatively, to 10.4 then on to 10.5. My son's interests are mainly sports (fantasy football - which I know little about), otherwise it would be used mainly for school work and some games (which again, I know little about, but they do not appear overly sophisticated, yet). Welcome comments on browsers for these OS's (I have used Firefox for years), and other software (iWork?). Thank you.

Hello,
To a point, it doesn't matter which OS you choose to install on this iBook. If it will be OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or OS X 10.5 (leopard) They both come with very similiar problems. They are out of date and don't cope all that well against modern computing. Indeed Mac OS X 10.5 leopard does handle a little better and from my personally experiences doesn't have many restrictions other than out of date Flash player and Java versions. It has some issues rendering web pages for some social web sites, like Facebook and Youtube is very glitchy on playing videos.
Don't let this deter you though. If your son is simply doing word processing, a bit of web browsing and maybe play 'Old' versions of games. Then this iBook could suite him well.
I currently use a PowerBook G4 running Mac OS X 10.5 and have adapted this laptop well for my own personal needs. It does everything I need it to do.
You will suffer from old versions of software, software this is no longer supported and very much out of date.
I doubt very much if new versions of football games are going to work at all well with this iBook.
I wouldn't install Mac OS X 10.4 and then 10.5. Just obtain a retail copy of Mac OS X 10.5 and do a fresh install. It's not going to be cheap to upgrade,as the DVD of Mac OS X 10.5 can be expensive.
With everything else you require to increase it's specifications could be an expensive option for an out of date unsupported computer.
If you wish to processed with upgrading this iBook, my strong suggestion is, buy secondhand parts where possible. There are some cheap good used parts on eBay that will save you lots of $$$
I hope this has helped.

Upgrade ibook g4

Hello I was wondering if any one knew a web site I could look at for logic boards. because I have an ibook g4 with a 800mhz processor which works great! But I have recently looked into software programs for mac and there is this one program called guitar rig 2 that requires at least a 1ghz processor in order to run on a mac. so was thinking of upgrading the logic board to a 2ghz but a 1ghz would satisfy me just as well. I know I should just buy a new one that has the processor speed I am looking for but i have grown attachd to my ibook and can't let it go!!!!
Any suggestions and information would help thanks.

As far as I know the fastest mobile G4 ever in an ibook is the 1.42ghz chip that was in the last generation. The PBs had 1.5 and 1.67ghz processors, but to be honest I don't think swapping out logic boards is worth it. You can get a refurb macbook for under $1000 and aside from being much faster it will be under warranty.
Look at ebay/craigslist/etc. to see what your machine is worth and reconsider your options.

Problems upgrading iBook to 10.3

I recently received a "Tangerine" iBook 300 mhz, 3GB HD, etc (upgraded to 288MB RAM), that I am trying to tune-up and return to service. It was running OS 9.2 fine when I got it. I have a set of 10.3 install CD's so I thought I'd just pop those in and I'd be good to go.
Well I erased the HD with another disk and when I put the 10.3 install disc in, it won't load that CD, basically it just stutters and starts and clicks and rev's up a little but it never really goes anywhere. I am noticing that it seems to have trouble loading some CD's but not others. I am not sure if it is having a hard time reading them or perhaps it is reading the install CD and trying to execute the instructions but failing.
Anyway, I am feeling kind of stuck right now. I have some hardware to work with that might help: my 2.4 Ghz MacBook (BlackBook) running 10.5.5, my wife's 1.83 Ghz Macbook running 10.4.11, my old iMac G4 running 10.3.9, a USB/FireWire external hard drive, and a couple jump drives with up to 8GB capacity. Maybe I could use my iMac to load 10.3 onto my external hard drive and then plug it into the iBook? Or maybe buying a new 20-30GB HD for the iBook, but putting it in an external case first, loading the OS on it via the iMac and then putting that new HD into the iBook? Can I load an OS on a jump drive and use that? Any other ideas?
I am also having trouble with the battery. Basically, if the power cord is not plugged in it does not work. I am not sure if the battery is shot or the power system that would get energy from the battery is shot. Any thoughts?

Neo Office was unbearably slow on my iMac G5. On a G3 it is likely to be unusable. You will have better luck with Appleworks 6 which runs in version 6.2.9 on Mac OS X natively. I'm not sure which version of Appleworks came with your iBook, but if it is version 6 or later, you can upgrade that first, and then you won't have to use Classic. Safari is not as likely to be as usable as Firefox. You can't really run Mac OS X with less than 1 GB of hard disk space free. You can upgrade the hard drive to at most 120 GB and it has to be Parallel ATA/EIDE and not SATA, and it has to be a 2.5" drive. The battery is best to be replaced by one from http://www.macsales.com/ if they have one or one of the vendors that sells used Mac parts*:
http://www.macmaps.com/usedrefurbished.html
As far as the optical drive operation, if you feel technically capable, http://www.ifixit.com/ or http://www.xlr8yourmac.com most likely have directions. Otherwise, you should use an authorized Apple service center that can make sure that the machine's installations are done properly.
- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

IPhoto Upgrade iBook G4 so can continue to order books & prints?

Hi,
Trying to determine the lowest v iPhoto upgrade for continued ability to order books and prints...would that be the iPhoto version in iLife 05? ...don't want/need GarageBand, iDVD, etc., just iPhoto! Recommendations appreciated.

This page
http://www.apple.com/support/photoservices/ordering_options/
tells us that you can order books with v6 or later.
You can place orders for Print Products using iPhoto 6, iPhoto '08, and iPhoto '09, as well as Aperture 2.
As you're on 10.4.11 you might want to go to iPhoto 08 as it's the highest you can run, and will probably be easier to find. Note that you cannot upgrade to any version without purchasing the iLife suite.
Regards
TD

Upgrade Ibook G4 with WD2500BEVE harddrive?

Hi everyone.
Would you please tell me if the WESTERN DIGITAL WD2500BEVE 250GB will work in my old iBook G4?
Thank you very much

Hi, and welcome to Apple Support Communities.
It looks like it should work fine:
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Western%20Digital/WD2500BEVE/

Upgraded ibook g3 from 10.2.8 to 10.4.11 now airport wont connect

I was previously running 10.2.8 on my 800mhz ibook g3, i purchased tiger off of ebay and installed it. Now my ibook wont connect to my wifi at home i type the password and it says airport could not connect to this network. (and it previously did with 10.2.8). I have the orig. airport card firmware 9.52. Please let me know if there is some type of update.

Have you tried turning AirPort off and then turning it back on again?
What kind of network setup do you have? DSL or cable modem? Router?

Upgraded ibook g3 A1005. What to do now?

Hello everyone.
I bought a used ibook g3 a1005 600mz from ebay, and I bought the following replacement parts for it
-CD read write DVD read drive,
-512 RAM chip,
-120GB harddrive from seagate
-Restore cds for iMac, with 4 software restore iMac cds with mac OS versions 10.1.3, 9.2.2, and a Worldbook media CD version 6.0.2 and and an apple hardware test cd for iMac. The reason I bought these is because I read in other blogs that you could use these cds to restore an ibook g3, even though the cds are for an iMac, because they are 'generic'.
I have just replaced those parts and I have switched the computer on. It has a briefcase-looking icon (similar to the finder icon found on an iMac) that is blinking. I tried to run the software restore cds but they could not be run. First, a message soon after loading the cds 'the built-in memory has detected a problem,please contact a service technician for assistance' message comes. When you click on ok, it brings you to a box, where it says that the disk 'restore image' is the restoration disk and cannot be restored'. When I click on 'switch disk', I get a message 'the imac restore cd' is the configuration source disk and cannot be restored' Even when I install the apple hardware cd, it says that the cd does not support this system.
I have a feeling that it may be because of the fact that I do not have the correct restoration cds for the ibook g3. I looked for them over the internet but could not find them. Or is it because I have a new hard-drive?
Since I have a dvd drive, and I have a new hard-drive, what should I do to have the lap-top up and running? What operating system should I install? Panther, Jaguar or Tiger?
Is there anyone who has replaced the hard-drive and ram on this specific ibook g3 and successfully installed the operating system after replacement? Which is the best OP for this kind of ibook? I don't mind not having the 9.2.2 version, since I don't think I shall need it. Please let me know the steps you took.
Thanks in advance.
Message was edited by: 123know

Thanks Ronda,
Let me list what I did to have my little ibook up and running:
1. I bought the original software restores that came with the ibook g3 from ebay. Without these, it shall be a nightmare (see below)It is a set of 6 cds listed above.
2. Run both the OS 9.2.2 and the OS X software restores. Do not avoid running the OS 9.2.2 (See below)
3.
a) Once you have completed the download, use OS 9 as your start-up OS and try and log onto the internet. If you have wireless, then this might be the best option.
b) Once you enable wireless (via airport), then you can switch your start-up OS to OS X. This is because, trying to use the OS 10.2.1 just downloaded to get onto the internet, either via ethernet or wireless shall be impossible because you don't have the updates 10.2.8. Now, I initially downloaded the updates from the Apple website (called stand-alone installers) and burned them into CDs to work around the problem of not having internet, from my iMac and was successful in downloading the 10.2.4 update combo, but when I tried to download the 10.2.8 combo or the 10.2.6 update, it brought the dreaded message with a red exclamation point on the hard drive stating that it could not be downloaded, listing the MB of the updates, even though the hard-drive was virtually empty!
c) Once the internet is running and the wireless is on, then switch to OS 10.2.1 as your start-up OS and go to software updates under system preferences. The downloads shall take a couple of minutes, but you shall now be able to access the internet via your ethernet cable and wireless (airport) with your OS 10, which now shall have the 10.2.8 update.
4. Get a full retail version of Tiger. (ibook G3 does not support Leopard) This is because, the Jaguar OS shall be a hindrance when surfing the web, because a lot of the newer browsers (Firefox 3, Safari are not supported under Jaguar.
Hopefully, these steps shall save you the many hours of aggravation and numerous burnt cds for stand-alone installers (and surfing the web and getting conflicting information)
Message was edited by: 123know

Upgrading Ibook g4

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