Upgrading powerbook G4 15"

gurus,
hi! it's my very first post and also my first time using apple powerbook G4 15". i'm a newbie so pls bear with me.
I wanted to upgrade but i have no idea where to start. Below is the complete specification of my powerbook G4.
Powerbook G4 15"
Mac OS X Version 10.5.4
1.67Ghz Power PC G4
512MB DDR SDRAM
Should i upgrade the memory first or the OS or hard drive i really don't know the answer. i am only using it for personal use particularly facebook, yahoo etc.
What is recommended latest OS since i currently using OS X Version 10.5.4?
Excuse my tons of question. Anticipating your advice.
Thanks in advance.

You can update your operating system at no cost to version 10.5.8, which would give you all the security and other small updates that brought that next-to-latest major OS version to its final evolution.
There are no longer any 7200RPM hard drives in production that would work in your Powerbook — the last of them were discontinued two or three years ago, and when new ones are found on back shelves now, they are offered for sale at outlandish prices not justified in any way by their performance. None was ever larger than 100GB, which may be the same size you have in your Powerbook now (1.67GHz Powerbooks were shipped with 80GB, 100GB and 120GB drives). So installing a 160GB, 250GB or 320GB 5400RPM drive would be an upgrade for you, but only in terms of its capacity. It would not perceptibly improve performance.
Adding RAM is the only upgrade that would improve your PB's performance significantly.

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Buying Opinion - Upgrade Powerbook vs MacBook Pro

I'm thinking I may try to upgrade my laptop as my main objective is to get CS4 right now but I have a friend who is selling his MacBook Pro for $900. What's your opinion as you would know better what Macs can handle? My main problem is speed especially with CS programs and I do need a new battery. I have a PowerPC G5 Dual with a large glossy screen for my most intense work that I can do from home. But I like to have a laptop that I can take on the road for working on projects. It's mostly for Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign. So no animation or gaming purposes.
I have:
Machine Name: PowerBook G4 17"
Machine Model: PowerBook5,9
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (1.5)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 1.67 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB
Memory: 512 MB
Bus Speed: 167 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 4.9.5f3
His computer:
2.16 ghz Core 2 Duo Processor
3 GB RAM (Newly upgraded)
320 GB 7200rpm HDD (Newly upgraded)
Dual Layer Superdrive (DVD and CD recorder)
15.4" 1440x900 Widescreen Glossy Display
128MB ATI x1600 Video
DVI-VGA adapter Cable
Apple Wireless Remote
Brand new battery
It includes OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard, iLife 09, and iWork 09, all part of the "Mac Box Set," so this is all legal software.
The original box, discs and documentation are all included.
The condition of the system is excellent with one minor exception - there seems to be a very slight bend in the casing underneath the expresscard slot. One of my photos shows it.
Do you think it's doable with what I have (and what could I do?) or should I go with the newer MacBook and save myself the headache? What's the main difference with the computers?
Thanks everyone!
Tiffany

Re: Buying Opinion - Upgrade Powerbook vs MacBook Pro
You can get a brand new MacBook for $999 so don't bother with the used one. For the price difference, save up and buy new MacBook Pro for $1199. Faster than Macbook. Shop around. Everyone is discounting. You might get free ram upgrades (unless you're getting free ram, buy separately and install yourself), free shipping. Try Epercom, CDW and Small Dog in addition to Apple. If you go to Apple store don't be shy about asking for a 10% business discount. I asked and got one for my imac last summer.
He's offering it at $900...does that seem like a fair price for what I'd get?

How to Upgrade PowerBook Firmware( All Hardwares )

How to Upgrade PowerBook Firmware( All Hardwares )?
Thank U in advance

If there is a firmware upgrade available for your model of PowerBook, it will appear when your run Software Update and also be listed at http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/
Then you download the installer and run it. Usually you have to do something like hold down the Command key and Power button while you're restarting.
Firmware updates don't come along very often. The last one I can remember installing was for my B&W G3. The last firmware upgrades I can see listed for a PowerBook were for the 550MHz or 667MHz G4s back in 2002.
Is there a specific reason why you're asking about firmware upgrades?

Any way of upgrading Powerbook G4 to USB 2.0?

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Purchase and install an USB 2.0 PCMCIA card. The included USB ports cannot be upgraded.
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Upgrading Powerbook G4 from USB 1 to USB 2

Can someone tell me is it possible to upgrade a Powerbook G4 15" which is fitted with two USB1 ports to USB2, please? I would probably take it to an Apple Store rather than attempt it myself.
Thank you.

The combination of a CardBus -> USB2 adapter card and an AC-powered USB2 hub, while not great for portability, should provide adequate power to any bus-powered USB2 device and enable you to connect it to your Powerbook.
USB2 adapter cards generally run $10-20. You can pay more, but you aren't getting more. Such cards are Mac-compatible even if their packaging doesn't say so. None of them can supply as much power as your Powerbook's built-in USB ports without either an auxiliary cable that connects the card to one of those ports, or an external AC adapter that supplies power to the card. With either of those accessories, an AC-powered hub is likely to be unnecessary unless you want to connect and operate two or more USB bus-powered devices at the same time.

Cannot upgrade Powerbook G4 to OS x 10.4 using external DVD drive

The internal drive of my powerbook is disabled as you cannot eject the disk. the bar olding the dvd in never unlocks. anyway another issue.
However I am trying to upgrade 10.3.9 to OS x Tiger 10.4 using and external DVD drive wirh USB.
I can see the drive and start the install process by double clicking on the install icon.
The splash page comes up and says click here to start the install and reboot.
Click and nothing happesn except the laptop reboots to 10.3.9, never boots from the external DVD drive.
Tried holding down the option buttonw but only get the hard disk as a boot option.
Is it possible to install OS X 10.4 from an externl USB DVD drive?????
thanks in advance for any help..

thanks for the info it's been very hard to get an answer to that question... I will try the upgrade with a firewire DVD drive tommorow...
thanks again,

Looking to upgrade Powerbook G4 to Power Mac G5 or faster

I currently have a 12" Powerbook G4 (40gHD/768RAM/1Ghz proc) from 2003 running 10.2.7. I'm having trouble surfing the net and stuff cuz most browsers require at least 10.4 as most of the sites like youtube,myspace and facebook and flash players as well. Not to mention I want to run Pro Tools for audio recording.
So I am thinking of just buying a used G5 instead of spending over $2k on a new machine or sinking in money by upgrading my PB. I have noticed that most of the used G5's on ebay do not come with the OS restore discs? I am guessing that most people keep them and install them on other machines? My question is, I always thought that you can only load the OS on the disc on the original machine it came with because of the serial number it asks you for? It seems like this is not true? any info?
One of the used machines I'm looking at is this one:
http://rochester.craigslist.org/sys/1559933824.html
I haven't puchased a new Mac since my Powerbook in 03, what NEW Apple computers you think would be comprable? I noticed that they can go up to $3k these days but I'm guessing thats WAY more than I need? Would it be better to just buy a used G5 for around $4-$600 or can I find something new for a little bit more thats just as powerful?
Any info would be appreciated- thanks!
Message was edited by: Frank Madonia

Hi Frank, they're supposed to include the OS Install Discs with them, it's the License to use it.
You might look into a new Mac Mini, faster than most G5s.

Upgrade Powerbook G4 from Panther to ?

I have a powerbook G4 bought 5 years ago. My computer is configured:-Hardware Overview:
Machine Model: PowerBook5,6
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (1.2)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 1.5 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB
Memory: 512 MB
Bus Speed: 167 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 4.9.1f1
Serial Number: W8506xxxRG3
Sudden Motion Sensor: Enabled
Sudden Motion Sensor Version: 1.0
And I need to upgrade to a higher level as more and more software updates for my other devices will not work with Panther. Can I go direct to snoe leopard or what should I do?

Leopard 10.5 is as high as you can go. Snow Leopard 10.6 requires an Intel processor Mac. You can also run Tiger 10.4. You should also up RAM to 1GB.
*Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard installation system requirements*
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA24950
Installing Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1544
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Installation and Setup Guide
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/leopard_install-setup.pdf
 Cheers, Tom
NOTE - Don't post your serial number. A forum host will remove.

Upgrade Powerbook from 10.5.8 to 10.6 or higher

Hello,
I use Powerbook G4 with OS X 10.5.8. Can i upgrade to OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard? Iwant use Icloud on my Powerbook! Its on Os X 10.5.8 not aviable!
Where i can load Snow leopard 10.6? Or is this not making real?
greets Jens

Powerbook uses PowerPC processor. The highest you can go is Leopard.
Sorry.

Should we upgrade PowerBook G4?

My wife has a last generation PowerBook G4 15" that she bought for her work 2 years ago. It was loaded with MS Office 2004 and some Adobe creative software such as Photoshop CS2 and Illustrator CS2, all licensed on her company which she doesn't work for anymore.
Recently we started thinking about upgrading to Leopard but we are also worrying about losing all the software that was once free to us. We want to be sure that there won't be any kind of performance issues for the computer or for the software. Just for your information, we upgraded the RAM to 2 GB and we have an external hard drive to back up the computer before upgrading to Leopard.
So, is there anyone out there who had problems, like losing installed software, or slowing down a perfectly running machine while trying to upgrade to Leopard?

I upgraded my iMac G4 to 1.25Gbytes of memory, then I did the "erase and install" upgrade variation. It's running great without any problems. MS Office 2004 reinstallation is "drag and drop" so it shouldn't be a problem. I cannot say much for Adobe CS2. I have it as well but I haven't reinstalled it on my iMac. I agree with W.L., you'll probably need the Adobe installation disk for CS2, but I could be wrong.
I do not recommend the "upgrade" installation procedure. Do either "Erase and install" or "Archive and install".
Tomorrow I am upgrading my son's PowerBook G4 with memory, then Leopard. I'll let you know how it goes. BTW, be careful with the screws on the memory cover. They are very very small. You definitely DO NOT want to strip the #0 phillips head.

Upgrading PowerBook G4 17" to OS 10.5

I have a PowerBook G4 17".
It is a 1.5GHz PowerPC G4 with 1BG RAM.
It was runing on OS X 10.5. I had to erase the drive and reinstal a fresh operating system.
First I installed 10.4 with no problem, then when I try to upgrade to 10.5 using 10.5's upgrade dvd for powerPC, it stops towerd the end of instalation. Then I installed 10.5 on an external drive using the same PawerBook and tried to restore to the internal drive on PowerBook G4.
I used the built in utilities, Corbon Cloner, SuperDuper and Lacie's Silver Keeper with no luck!
Could someone please help me understand what am I doing wrong?
Thanks

Thank You everyone.
The problem was the hard drive. It had too many bad blocks.
I've replaced the hard Drive, then reinstalled Leopard without any problem.

Upgrading Powerbook

Good Day,
I have a Powerbook G4 with a 1.67 GHz processor, 1GB memory, and the iLife package says that I cannot use iMovie as I need an Intel Processor. Can I upgrade the computer I have so that I can handle these labour intensive programs and, if so, what would you recommend I do? Or do I need to buy a new computer altogether? Further, it seems my computer has been running slower since I installed Leopard, so I believe something needs to be done soon.
Kind Regards,
Lyndon

Lyndon Jackson wrote:
... I have a Powerbook G4 with ...
Can I upgrade the computer
Or do I need to buy a new computer altogether?
Further, it seems my computer has been running slower since I installed Leopard, so I believe something needs to be done soon.
it is not only the CPU, which you can NOT 'upgrade', it is also the grafic-card (.. which you can't upgrade either..) of your Mac, which doesn't support iM08 ..
a nice new IntelMac, and you're done..
slow Mac.. be sure, your internal drive offers enough free disk space for 'breathing' (apps, and OS) .. at last 10-15GB should be free and speed up any Mac..

Upgrading Powerbook G4

Is it possible to upgrade the operating system of a Powerbook G4? If so, what operating system do I use. Thanks.

Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard installation system requirements
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA24950
You need to max out your RAM to run Leopard efficiently.
Leopard is no longer available at the Apple Store but may be available by calling Apple Phone Sales @ 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753).
If you can't obtain a retail install DVD from Apple, look on eBay or Google the installer part numbers to possibly find at an on-line store. Here's what to look for:
MB427Z/A Leopard 10.5.1 install DVD
MB576Z/A Leopard 10.5.4 install DVD
MB021Z/A Leopard 10.5.6 install DVD (single user)
MB022Z/A Leopard 10.5.6 install DVD (5-user family pack)
Installing Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1544
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Installation and Setup Guide
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/leopard_install-setup.pdf
After you install the base 10.5, download & install the 10.5.8 combo update at http://support.apple.com/downloads/Mac_OS_X_10_5_8_Combo_Update
The DVD should look like this
Caution - Leopard does not support classic mode. So, if you currently open OS 9 apps in classic mode, you won't be able to do this if you upgrade to Leopard.
 Cheers, Tom

Looking to upgrade PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.5 1.33GHz) Hard drive.

The hard drive crashed it was an 80GB apple model that is the biggest that originally came with the. powerbook. I was wondering if it is wise to put a larger one and if so which type can I order IE... how big data storage and type IEE etc.
Thanks

Not a computer guru by any means but I just went through this with a 1.67ghz G4 PB 15" with a crashed hard drive that I was given to me by a relative.
You can replace your HD, the only large ATA drives currently available, I believe, are from Western Digital, their 320gb drive is the largest and is available through Amazon for about $90. Other vendors sell the drive as well.
Go to ifixit.com for excellent instructions on how to do this mod. The HD replacement is a little complicated and you should go through the ifixit instructions to see if you are comfortable tearing into your computer to that degree BEFORE you buy a HD.
Good Luck!

How to upgrade PowerBook G4 1.67Ghz to 10.5.8?

So I just bought the last PowerBook model made, the awesome 1.67Ghz with 128mb vram, bluetooth, airport extreme, ect. I bought it for $75 and when I got it OS 10.5.1 was installed. I decided to update it to the latest version of leopard. When I try installing through the upater, it just freezes right away. Then I tried downloading it not through the updater and installing it that way, but that didn't work either. It got stuck at the same screen. So I am wondering what I have to do to get this thing running 10.5.8??? I have heard this is a common problem with this model. Should I install an earlier update like 10.5.6 and then try going to 10.5.8? Also, the laptop will freeze up often. It stays cool with the fan I bought for it, yet it still does it. Should I run disk utility to check the HDD? Other than that the machine is in pretty good condition. Just put 2GB of ram in it! Help is appreciated!

The Combo update for Leopard 10.5.8 should be all you'd need to update
an OS X 10.5.x from any step to the last update step; as that had been
a consolidated Combo to include earlier fixes & patches. Then, after a
Combo update, restart, repair disk permissions in Disk Utility, than then
run Software Update again.
Two things, one is: compatible quality RAM tested on Mac computers
and specificially for Macs running OS X. Secondly: hard disk drive free
or unused capacity, since OS X in a PowerPC relies on Virtual memory
that's free space used as swap file temporary read-write system memory.
Sometimes, the applications + OS X need more RAM than is physically
possible to install; and it may not use what it has efficiently.
•Problems from insufficient RAM & free HDD space:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/lackofram.html
•Freeing space on your Mac OS X startup disk:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/freeingspace.html
This is slow enough, so if the hard drive has little free space and not
necessarily in a large block, the OS X has to hunt and find the scattered
places it can use to write temporary VM files to. At hard drive rates of
speed, so that is also slow.
•Mac Performance guide - thesafemac:
http://www.thesafemac.com/mpg/
•The X Lab: X-FAQs:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/faqs.html
Do you have an externally enclosed hard drive in FW400/800 case, with
its own power supply? With oxford-type chipset... suitable for OS X clones?
You could clone the system to an external, if you may want whatever is on it,
then be sure it is a bootable clone by starting up the Mac from it; then go in
and erase/install (over-write drive at least 7-pass) to test the HDD and see if
it really should not be replaced with a new one. HDDs fail after a shorter time
span in a portable, than a desktop. Yet new models can fail in short order.
If temped to try an SSD, see what OWC has in the way of Legacy SSDs for
older portables, as they are most compatible with the hard drive data rate
and the ATA/IDE (PATA) specification. Certain rules tend to apply to using
a solid state drive, instead of a platter & styli hard disk drive.
Hopefully if you have the original grey-label install-restore disc DVD set,
you could run the Apple Hardware Test on the bootable disc, to see if
there is any hardware reason why it could be acting up.
Check to see if there are any "previous system" folders in the Mac,
since they can't be used to run it, but they do take up space... Trash
old previous user-created content, but not system parts, if the HDD
capacity is near too-full. See the link above about freeing space.
Checking Console (utility) for Clues:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/checkconsole.html
Not sure what else to say...

Upgrading powerbook G4 15"

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