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Upgrade Your eMac

Posted by pudge on from the or-don't-what-do-i-care dept.

Leo Bodnar writes "This eMac upgrade proves that with some effort Apple's entry-level consumer models like eMac can be converted into reasonably serious workhorse system at very reasonable cost. Not for everyone, but some find it useful!"

30 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. Impressive by CptChipJew · · Score: 5, Informative

    This isn't the only old Mac that be somewhat upgraded.

    Companies like MCETech sell DVDRW drives for the G3 iMac and iBook.

    --
    Vonal Declosion
  2. Always have been upgradable by metalligoth · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This all goes back to the original Macintosh and Jobs thinking it was a piece of artwork that shouldn't be tampered with. Most people want a computer they can improve, much like people that mod and tune their cars.

    Obviously, it's not that big of a deal to most people, or they wouldn't be buying laptops in larger and larger quantities. I expect the old "you can't upgrade a Mac" argument to be history in a couple years.

    Then again, lot's of people have no idea OS X exists.

    1. Re:Always have been upgradable by trouser · · Score: 2, Informative

      In my experience most people don't upgrade computers anymore, they replace them. And most people don't modify their cars either.

      I actually know somebody who recently replaced a computer because she couldn't work out how to fix a simple virus infection and figured the machine was ruined.

      --
      Now wash your hands.
    2. Re:Always have been upgradable by vegetablespork · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If that person would have had to pay a professional $100 or $200 to clean up the machine, and it was an older machine, replacing it may have been the most cost-effective option for her. Now if they have friends or relatives willing to do it for free, on the other hand :) . . .

      --

      Call (206) 338-5780 COLLECT for information about a genuine BA, BS, MA, MS, MBA, or Ph.D.

  3. Is the eMac the only one? by stevebob2019 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The main upgrade I'm concerned about is the processor; 800 mhz to 1.33 ghz is a huge leap! Could this be done as easily on other models? I have a 1ghz TiBook (not that I'm willing to experiment on it) but it would be interesting to see what it's "full potential is." But, overall, this upgrade is a sweet way to get a over 1.3 ghz machine for around 1100 USD. That's less than a dollar a mhz.

    1. Re:Is the eMac the only one? by JoshWurzel · · Score: 4, Informative

      Sorry, you're gonna be out of luck. All of the titanium powerbooks have the CPU soldiered(sp?) directly to the motherboard. To upgrade, you'd have to completely disassemble the unit and get a new motherboard.

      Not cheap or easy. What you want is a machine which has a processor daughtercard (G4 towers, G3 powerbooks). Those make it easy to upgrade the processors.

    2. Re:Is the eMac the only one? by asquared256 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Well the author of this article did not actually *replace* the CPU, he only *overclocked* it from 800 MHz to 1.33 GHz by changing some traces on the motherboard. It should work on any motherboard that supports more than one type of CPU, without removing the actual chip. This also assumes, however, that the existing chip will run at the increased speed without additional cooling, which may be difficult in a laptop.

  4. Definately recommended, Emacs 21 rocks! by LeninZhiv · · Score: 5, Funny

    I upgraded my Emacs to 21.2 a couple years ago and I've never been happier. Having icons in X (even though no one ever uses them) brings a more modern feel, and colours in the terminal is nice to have too. Unicode and multilingual support is now seamless.

    By the way, has anyone else noticed how many typos there are on Slashdot these days...

    :-)

  5. Interesting. by tweder · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm writing this from an eMac right now - but mine is the latest revision with the 1GHz G4.

    All of those upgrades were available to me as build-to-order options in the online store @ apple.com

    I've got 160GB HD, 1GB of RAM, Superdrive, 1GHz G4 - seems to me I don't need to hack it to make it a decent workhorse out of the box.

    1. Re:Interesting. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      You can take them to 2GB RAM (mine has 1.5GB), and the 1GHz G4 I clocked up to 1.4, where it's been running stable for 4 days. I don't expect to have any problems with it either, after seeing others run slower G4s at 1.33 so well.

      You're correct that they run well right out of the box, though, I'm an interminable tinkerer.

    2. Re:Interesting. by BigBir3d · · Score: 2, Informative

      The point was it is the same processor for the 800MHz or 1GHz machines. The speed is limited on the motherboard. This is how processors from the same branch are made. Each is tested, the "good" ones are given higher speed rating, and sold as 1.33GHz, and the "average" are sold as 1GHz, and the "below average" were sold as 800/700MHz chips. Essentially, the chip was sold to be used in a underclocked application.

  6. Johnny see Warranty? by agent+dero · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Johnny see warranty go RIGHT out the window.

    Why not just hold onto it a year, extend AppleCare, and then later when you want to upgrade, sell on eBay for about 80%-90% of the current price, and get a new one.

    Sheesh, you don't have to mod everything, use some logic kiddos

    --
    Error 407 - No creative sig found
    1. Re:Johnny see Warranty? by bash_jeremy · · Score: 2, Informative

      I think it's a really great deal. You can buy a refurbished 800 Mhz emac for $529. If you overclock it to 1.33 Ghz, you get an inexpensive mac that should perform pretty well.

    2. Re:Johnny see Warranty? by hey! · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Why not just hold onto it a year, extend AppleCare, and then later when you want to upgrade, sell on eBay for about 80%-90% of the current price, and get a new one.

      No question Macs hold their value amazingly well. Also that, if you really look at what you get, you get a pretty good deal for the money. While the components are quite conservatively rated, leaving room for overclocking etc., the price of a more powerful machine is so reasonable that if you paid yourself anything for your time you could have a machine with the performance characteristics you want and a warranty. Also you'd have more time to actually use it.

      But all these things are equally true of a car like a Honda Civic; it still doesn't stop people from trying to customize them for higher performance.

      Wisdom, in these cases, doesn't consist of deciding to mod or not to mod. It consists of understanding why you want to mod or not mod.

      If you have plenty of dough and not much time, the idea that you'd be an idiot to do something like this to save money. However, if you do it for the challenge, or if you are somebody who needs the computer power, doesn't have much money, and has the time it may also make sense.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  7. Nope, most people don't... by SofaMan · · Score: 3, Informative

    This all goes back to the original Macintosh and Jobs thinking it was a piece of artwork that shouldn't be tampered with. Most people want a computer they can improve, much like people that mod and tune their cars.

    I used to sell Macs, and I can tell you this: people who buy eMacs are generally not these sort of people. They might add some extra RAM (which they can do easily), but that's it. If you want an upgradeable machine, buy a G5. eMacs are there for people who want something that will work out of the box, and don't want to take up space with room (or money) for upgrading they will never use. I use an eMac myself for this very reason: cheap, relatively small footprint, and will do what I need for a few years yet.

    I've lost track of the number of people I know with Windows towers that still have the exact same amount of empty space in them as the day they bought them, and they will stay that way until the day they are disposed of. They bought them, having been sold the "Well, you might want to upgrade..." line, but never do. Consequently, they end up with a computer that takes up 3 times more deskspace than it needs to, filled with expensive empty space (the hardware for those expansion slots isn't free).

    Most people are not l33t b0xen hax0r5. Don't knock the all-in-ones; they fill an important computing niche.

    --

    SofaMan -- Occasionally Battling Evil With His Mighty Powers Of Indolence.

    1. Re:Nope, most people don't... by Golias · · Score: 4, Informative
      Bah. I voided my eMac warranty with upgrades less than an hour after I bought it! It's a fantastic machine to hack around with. I will give this little bit of advice, though:

      Step 1: Know what the fuck you are doing.

      Working on an eMac can kill you. I'm not saying that figuratively, I mean that if you touch the wrong parts just the wrong way, you can receive enough of a shock to stop a healthy young heart, and die. So if you don't know the proper way to work around exposed CRT's, make a point of learning before you even consider working on an eMac beyond a simple memory upgrade. Almost everything on the eMac is nestled inside a little Pita Pocket of shielding nestled under the picture tube. So do me a favor, and don't get yourself killed just for the sake of a little extra HD space. Buying a firewire drive is a lot cheaper than funeral services these days.

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    2. Re:Nope, most people don't... by EricWright · · Score: 4, Informative

      Doesn't matter. CRTs have some pretty hefty capacitors which store a charge even when unplugged. Hit it with a piece of metal in the right (wrong?) place and it'll ground the charge right through your body.

      The parent poster has it right... futzing around inside an open CRT is a good way to end up in a box in the ground.

    3. Re:Nope, most people don't... by Golias · · Score: 3, Informative
      You are a perfect example of my need to re-emphasize rule 1.

      Rule 1: Know what the fuck you are doing!

      A CRT can kill you, even if it is unplugged.

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    4. Re:Nope, most people don't... by Midnight+Thunder · · Score: 4, Informative

      As the othe two posters mentioned, you are a likely candidate for doing something wrong. The issue is with capacitors. Capacitors are used to increase the voltage available to the CRT. The voltage they build up is many magnitudes higher than what comes through the mains. The catch is even when unplugged they maintain their charge, unless they are either properly discharged, or find themselves the nearest human tinkering with them.

      Just to give you an idea, from Repair FAQ :

      "TVs and monitors may have up to 35 KV on the CRT but the current is low - a couple of milliamps. However, the CRT capacitance can hold a painful charge for a long time. In addition, portions of the circuitry of TVs and monitors - as well as all other devices that plug into the wall socket - are line connected. This is actually more dangerous than the high voltage due to the greater current available - and a few hundred volts can make you just as dead as 35 KV!"

      --
      Jumpstart the tartan drive.
    5. Re:Nope, most people don't... by lbodnar · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not only they have hefty capacitors but also hefty discharge resistors that savvy engineers placed there to prevent brothers on repair floors from sitting on their benches until lunch, waiting for hefty capacitors to lose their hefty charges. As well as keep those brothers away from poking their hefty charge dischargers right into the guts of CRTs and summoning hefty sparks that kill hefty capacitors much sooner than aforementioned engineers have planned.

  8. % of people who upgrade? by G4from128k · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Most people want a computer they can improve, much like people that mod and tune their cars.

    I wonder if the percentage of upgraded computers is really that high? I know people think they "want" expandability, but I doubt that many consumers actually take the plunge and upgrade anything. Likewise, I wonder how many large corporations routinely upgrade the hardware on their desktops (rather than replacing them with all new models).

    As with cars, I suspect that a small minority actually modify their machines. I'd bet that the vast majority of computers get discarded with the same hardware that they came with. I know that most of the old computers that I see at garage sales are factory stock.

    Anybody any numbers?

    --
    Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
    1. Re:% of people who upgrade? by York+the+Mysterious · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Think of it like an SUV. Everyone wants and SUV they can go offroading in. They all want the AWD or 4WD models, but how many ppl see anything more than going over a curb in a parking lot?

      --

      Tim Smith - Ramblings from Nerd Land
    2. Re:% of people who upgrade? by Golias · · Score: 2, Informative
      No, it's a myth that people are buying SUV's for the fantasy of off-roading.

      People buy SUV's because the CAFE standards have made it nearly impossible for a middle-class family to own a large car. Vehicles with truck frames are exempt from these standards, so the SUV (and to a lesser extent, the mini-van) have replaced both the station wagon and the luxury sedan. Notice that nobody makes station wagons anymore, and Lincoln no longer makes the Town Car.

      The AWD and 4WD are popular packages because they make the vehicles safer for on-road driving. This is especially true in places like my home state of Minnesota, where snow, ice, and sleet are all factors which can compromise your ability to control the vehicle.

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    3. Re:% of people who upgrade? by John+Harrison · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I think you are misstating the cause and effect here. People don't buy SUVs rather than station wagons because of CAFE. The average consumer is unaware of CAFE. Automakers push SUVs because of CAFE. SUVs are less expensive than a car of similar size because of CAFE.

      People do buy SUVs because they like the sense of power, and it is nice to sit up higher and be able to have a clearer picture of the road. The 4WD is nice in a pinch too.

      --
      Lasers Controlled Games!
    4. Re:% of people who upgrade? by BigBir3d · · Score: 2, Informative

      ahem...

      AUDI, M-B, BMW, Volvo, Subaru all make good station wagons, all available as AWD, IIRC.

      BIGGER == BETTER (for most Aemricans)

  9. Other Mac Mod'ing Resource... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    For anyone interested in accelerating/modifying/etc your Mac, there is a huge repository of information at www.xlr8yourmac.com. In particular, it has searchable database of Mac upgrades rated by the people who installed them, often with useful comments appended by the Mike Breeden, the site's owner. It also has a fairly extensive FAQ (although it's not always easy to find the answer you're looking for) on a dizzying list of mac system & upgrade tweaks, gotchas, and little known issues that might be relevant to someone mod'ing a Mac. Finally, the site has a daily news page on all manner of Mac related topics, but most typically involving updates, tweaks, compatibility info, etc...

    The compatibility database is great because it's really the only relatively complete resource for figuring out whether something like an aftermarket CD-RW drive is likely to be compatible with iTunes, etc... (A lot of drives are clones of one another, or really similar, and Apple doesn't list all of those on its site, so having a reference of actual compatibility reports is especially useful.)

    Unfortunately the forum isn't currently accepting new members, and it seems like it has been that way for a really long time. : (

    NOTE: I'm not affiliated with xlr8yourmac.com in any way, except that I visit the site and find it useful.

    1. Re:Other Mac Mod'ing Resource... by questamor · · Score: 2, Interesting

      If anyone wants to overclock an older mac (yes, way back into the 68k machines) take a look at http://homepage.mac.com/schrier/.

  10. 17" iMac 800 to 1.33Ghz as well? by numbski · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I can't help but wonder if the iMac model can see a similar performance gain. I own that one...should probably tear it down and see if I can find a similar resistor bank. Anyone able to beat me to it and look?

    --

    Karma: Chameleon (mostly due to the fact that you come and go).

    1. Re:17" iMac 800 to 1.33Ghz as well? by m_gear · · Score: 2, Informative

      Possibly, BUT there is one little problem. The iMac is a pain in the arse to get open. You can't tip it on any side, or you'll wreck the screen! How do you get around it? Simple, Apple gives all authorized service providers a foam shell that cradles the bottom and the screen in the perfect position to open it up. How a normal person such as you or myself would get one... that I do not know.

  11. Mac user != not tech savvy!!! by Cybrex · · Score: 2, Informative

    Your argument is based on the assumption that Macs are an inherently inferior platform because they're not as hardware hackable. This simply isn't true. I'll certainly grant that the open architecture of PCs makes them more conducive to hardware hacking, but since my "O/S of choice" is Mac OS X it doesn't really matter.

    I very much enjoy doing upgrades and case mods, and I've been doing hardware hacking since before it was called modding (1993). At home I run a mixed networked environment that (at the moment) consists of 4 PCs, a 12" PowerBook (connected via WAP) and the iMac I'm typing this on right now. All but one of the PCs are homebuilt from the ground up (the fourth was a freebie), and I've done some minor upgrades to the iMac (replaced the hard drive with a beefier one- a snap in a PC but a much more significant endeavour on an iMac!). I've also homebuilt PCs for friends who wanted something better than a stock Gateway machine but lacked the ability to do it themselves.

    That said, when I want to play Call of Duty I use a PC. For everything else, however, Macs provide a much more enjoyable and productive environment. I can get into the OS nitty-gritty much moreso than I can with Windows, and there's simply no comparison in the user interface.

    Cheers,
    -Cybrex

    --
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