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PowerBook Upgrade and Repair Guides
kwiens writes "We had such a positive response from Slashdot with our Free-As-In-Beer Mac disassembly instructions last time around, we decided to do it again: We've made six more FixIt Guides, perfect for those intrepid road-warriors who refuse to trust anyone else to work on their 'Book. Now there's nothing stopping you from trying that LNO2 overclock on your PowerBook-- or just a hard drive upgrade. The new Guides have professional photos, a new GUI design, and screw guides (no, not this). Guides are now available for all iBook G3, PowerBook G3, and PowerBook G4 models (including the oft-requested 12, 15, and 17 Aluminum 'Books)."
1. Install Yellow Dog Linux
2. ???
3. Profit!
Everybody knows that Macintoshes are hermetically sealed at the factory and can never ever be upgraded.
I'm serious! There's a taser in there that zaps you in the butt if you try!
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Considering how Apple treats it's customers that did not shell out the several hundred bucks for Apple care those guides are badly needed.
At least in Germany you have to pay at least 350 Euros if you want Apple to repair your 'book that is older then one year. Of course it's very well possible that you have to pay even more if something seriouse is broken, but even if just a part costing 5 Cents and taking two minutes to replace is broken you'll still have to pay 350 bucks.
To sum it up, I really like Apple's hardware, I really like OSX but personally I'll never buy anything from Apple again.
I hack PC hardware all the time. Build my own boxes. I have an old "server" hanging on the wall like a painting, with no case (hurry up and die already please so I can throw it away...)
.. it .. SCRATCHED it.. OMG I can't stand this any more, I'm going to go hold my powerbook for a few minutes to make everything better. It's so warm and cuddly.
But I ain't taking apart my 17" powerbook. No way. I can't even stand looking at those pictures of somebody's grubby hands taking apart that powerbook, and all the sensitive guts exposed.
I know, it's just a motherboard and a hard drive, and all the stuff that's in my other computers. But no there's got to be something magical in there too, something you can't see, something that escapes when you open it.
And what if I were to get a screwdriver near it and
Stop looking at me like that!
especially this link
I don't know how many times in the last six months I've heard idiots on IRC claim powerbook 12 inch models don't have fans because apple skimped on the design.
It's nice to be able to show proof. All hail intarweb.
I have followed it 100% and I have LOST MY WARRANTY! Please be smarter than I was.
Paint it yourself. Think for yourself.
"Hey, this heatsink takes up loadsa room and it must really cut the airflow! There, problem solved" :)
When my fan kicks in (playing a movie or similar), it sounds like a small jet. Anyone hear about ways to reduce the noise level of the fan?
Unable to read configuration file '/bigassraid/htdig//conf/14229.conf'
Geocrawler error message.
Just open the thing up and figure it out for yourself. It's not rocket science, you know. I've done a bunch of upgrades on PowerBooks without a manual or guide, and it was pretty easy, once you've located the proper screws and whatnot. If it's a simple drive replacement or something, just make sure you have a torx screwdriver set and get crackin.
"I like systems, their application excepted", George Sand (French)
Just sandblast the thing and go for a 5uP3r-1337 look (make sure to tape over all the openings and all around the hinge first). Either that, or cover it in stickers... If you're just not 1337 enough, try this.
"I like systems, their application excepted", George Sand (French)
Those who want to upgrade or repair their Macs don't understand what liberal Apple is - a company that manufactures computers whose workings are impenetrable and hidden (i.e. information hiding), like parts themselves are in other PCs.
That's a good point, even though your other sentence is a little weird. It also makes me wonder what enthusiasts (like those here on Slashdot) see in Apple. Sure, OS X is a great OS, but Macs as hardware disempower the hobbyist compared to equivalent devices. Same goes for the iPod, whose HDD is deliberately inconvenient to move files from. While their quality is unquestionable, Apple's products perform functions not only without the user needing to understand how they work but where understanding how they work does not extend the user any extra power. That might be considered very good design, but to geeks, who get a kick out of the power of knowing how things work, you wouldn't think it would be so attractive.
While their quality is unquestionable, Apple's products perform functions not only without the user needing to understand how they work but where understanding how they work does not extend the user any extra power.
:-)
I've had my oft-mentioned iBook for a bit over six months now; it is quite probably the best computer I've ever had. Yes, it's got very little upgrade potential (memory's already at 640MB, and I don't need wireless networking) but I really don't mind.
In a way, it's like there isn't a computer there at all, just MacOS X in a handy carrying case. It just works. The battery last absolutely ages, so I'm not worrying about when it's about to run out; it's incredibly quiet, so I can work without a constant computer whir and hum; all the hardware features I need are built in, so I'm not messing around with external cards or devices, fighting with incompatible devices...
I can forget there's a computer there, and get on working with the software.
People claim that Apple is a hardware company, I think I'd disagree. with MacOS X, they're a software company - except the software has a solid, physical presence in the real world.
Tedious Bloggy Stuff - hooray?
would be awesome to cool one's computer with liquefied smog though
I bought an iBook G4 fairly recently, and I'd like to upgrade the hard disk. I note that my laptop isn't included in the list on pbfixit.com. Does anyone know if it's feasible to do home upgrades on a recent-model iBook? Or if not, is there anywhere (in the UK) that will do it for me? :)
HEY, Let me tell you about our extended in-store laptop warranties! Did you know you'll need to pay the shipping yourself if you need to have it repaired? And it can take weeks!
What?? You decline? WOW, NOBODY has EVER declined this before. Are you sure? Can you tell me why you've declined? Geeze, let me tell you about all the risks of turning this down.
(other floor guy walks up)
Hey, this guys buying this laptop without the extended warranty. (Glances exchanged.) No way! Yep. Does he know about all the things that could happen if something breaks. Yep, I told him but he says he doesn't want it. Wow, I don't know if anyone has ever declined it before.
(trying to get to check out with laptop in escort, manager walks up.)
Hey, Bob told me you are passing on the extended warranty. This is a very expensive items so there are a few things we have to cover before you buy it. Do you know if it breaks you'll have to cover all shipping expenses to and from the service center? That laptop has lithium batteries so there are hazardous shipping charges involved. It can take weeks to get it repaired. It's very odd for someone to turn down the extended warranties. Are you sure? Well, I have to inform you of all the potential risks of buying without the extended warranty.
I've replaced the case on my aging rev-a 400mhz (hacked to 500) tiBook
You 'new-skool' alBook (HATE that moniker, and the new PB case) don't know how good you got it
I keep 'wanting' to upgrade (as if I could afford it) to a new powerbook, but then I keep 'wanting' some x86-mfr to take the design bait and lure me back to cheap territory with even sexier case specs, too
; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
It also makes me wonder what enthusiasts (like those here on Slashdot) see in Apple [equipment].
It's well designed, stylistically pleasing, functional and high performing.
Sure, OS X is a great OS, but Macs as hardware disempower the hobbyist compared to equivalent devices.
Mainly if you're a hobbyist modder who goes in for xenon lights on their fans. There's nothing wrong with doing so but is everyone meant to hobby around building their computers from parts?
I speak from experience when I say some hobbyists like to (eventually) spend time doing stuff other than bolting together cases, power supplys, and mainboards, and then ducting cables through paths to miss the fans, then spend a few days monitoring temperatures to make sure they've got it right.
I've built a few PCs in my time but am now a bit bored with it all and prefer instead to get quality machines straight from the factory floor instead of the work room, and devote the time saved to actually working on the machine rather than for it.
But anyway there's tons of modding going on in the Mac world - look at the cult of "Cube modding" which has seen 1.x GHz chips put into Cubes that only ever went up 500 MHz when Apple sold them.
Same goes for the iPod, whose HDD is deliberately inconvenient to move files from.
Doesn't make sense - FireWire mode is a breeze. Unless you're talking about ripping out the CF drive to use in a digital camera. Er, so?
While their quality is unquestionable, Apple's products perform functions not only without the user needing to understand how they work but where understanding how they work does not extend the user any extra power.
Yes, it does. I put a 10,000 rpm SATA Raptor drive in a mirrored door PowerMac G4 that was only ever designed for IDE drives, and by doing so cut many intensive disk operations times in half. My understanding of SATA-to-IDE interfacing extended directly to extra power, even on a Mac.
That might be considered very good design, but to geeks, who get a kick out of the power of knowing how things work, you wouldn't think it would be so attractive.
A lot of geeks also appreciate good design, and knowing how difficult it can be to come up with one, appreciate it even more.
This is quite cool.. when I bought my clamshell iBook (used) years ago, it was very cheap because of a damaged DC-in power jack. The soldering had come loose on the inside, and you have to apply pressure to the plug to make it charge (I use rubber bands to charge it - very ghetto). Apple wanted hundreds of dollars to fix the jack, as the computer was out of warranty when I obtained it.
Rubber-banding it all this time, I'd been planning on a hack to solve the jack problem - but this site has complete instructions for replacing the DC-in jack, as well as where to buy a new jack! Perfect.
Use an ice cube tray (or two) for all of the screws, separating them by size, and draw detailed charts and notes as to where each one came from.
If you don't do this, you won't get it back together. Good luck!
Before buying from TiPaint, you might have a look at Google Groups. There have been a number of a complaints ranging from poor product to non-delivery.
One CPU cycle wasted on digital restrictions management is ONE TOO MANY.
I recently opened up my AlBook (15") to hopefully to upgrade from a combo drive to a super drive. Lemmie tell you - opening up this case is HARD! Undoing all of the right screws is nothing, but removing the top deck with those tabs - It's murder. I scratched the heck out of my computer and even when I took it to my Apple-Certified technicians (Yes, they claim there's a special tool for unclipping those little metal tabs.) they scratched the heck out of my computer and bent the bit of metal above the CD slot.
If anyone knows more details about a magic tool to help "pop the top" on an AlBook - Please, let the world know about it. Otherwise, I strongly recommend you get a thin plastic-coated pry bar for popping those tabs, and DON'T use a lot of force.
"One touch of Darwin makes the whole world kin." George Bernard Shaw
That's a load of crap. Macs have standard parts just like any other PC. Everything is pretty much as upgradable as possible (except for iMacs and eMacs, which are somewhat limited, unless you're really dedicated). I've always mucked around inside my PowerMacs and PowerBooks, and purchased standard high-quality PC parts, and they've pretty much all been a joy to work inside of. The cases are thoughtfully laid out (since the days of the infamous Performa line), and upgrades of all kinds are about as easy as they can be. The drives are ATA, RAM is standard DDR, the cards are PCI or AGP, the CPU is on a ZIF socket in most cases (in the PowerMacs), power supply is standard, etc., etc. Apart from the initial building of the machine, Macs are ideal for tinkering, thanks to very good case design and layout.
Then there's the OS. Since it's POSIX-compliant (all except in name thanks to licensing issues), and all the config files are either text or XML, there's a whole world of tinkering to be done. This includes compiling your own nix software, building apps in XCode (free and included with all Macs), hacks aplenty, etc. This is in addition to all the main commercial titles available. It's really a tinkerer's nirvana; one where you aren't limited by anything, and yet can still forget all that and just be productive. It's amazing how liberating an experience it is to use hardware and software that were crafted with care and thoughtfulness. Macs are not about dumbing down, but about excellent design and efficiency, as well as quality. You can still muck around the internals to heart's content, but you'll find you're too busy getting stuff done, and playing in OS X. In short, it's the perfect system for geeks who don't feel they have to prove themselves with completely custom setups and a dremel tool.
"I like systems, their application excepted", George Sand (French)
If you wish to compare equivalent devices then you really need to compare how Apple acts to how Dell or IBM acts and it becomes pretty obvious from such a comparison that all companies "disempower" the hobbyist culture (we are talking about laptops here, dude). And, laptops are devices which are just not meant to be taken apart. I mean it's a silly arguement since its impossible to take apart any laptop from any manufactor and even more so if you what to upgrade the CPU or graphics card.
However, If you extend the comparison to desktop systems, Then I think your will find that Apple goes out of there way to allow people to play with their hardware (apart from changing the CPU), For example Power PCs are incredably easy to work on since they have doors on them, and almost any component of the new IMAC can be replaced. Its just that tragically no one does. Probally because third party support is disgusting, espcially if you've ever tried to upgrade your graphics card (hint; it involves bending over) - but how can Apple be blamed for that?
Sadly, I don't know whats so great about having an enthusist hardware culture nowadays. Since the one on the PC side seems to have degenerated into some lame otaku (SP?) scene where dudes spend all there time and money riceing up their boxen so they can have pissing contests with benchmarks. Alot, like those dudes you see who spend all there time adding neon lights and Type R stickers to their Honda's, usually in a desperate attempt to be individual which only ever succeeds in making them look like every other sad sack out to do the same thing. Only sadder.
The reason I say this is that hardware is getting to the point where its fast enough. Where harddisks from the POV of your average person are infinant. Nowday's you can upgrade your PC and all you can have to show for it are some slightly bigger numbers in your about box. This extends to the gaming scene who only ever seem interested in playing counterstrike. Playing around with hardware seems to be becoming illreleviant. Be honest, there has not been a reason for anyone to upgrade their computer for the last five years. Doom3 maybe a good game but its not worth buying a new computer for.
I used to hold the view that the otaku were the one driving technology, That it was because of them that I could buy last years computer cheap, used. But recently I found, from slashdot, that a middle of the road graphics card will set you back $200 - this is just insane. These guys may drive technology, but it seems to me they are also the ones making prices leet. IMHO.
Also being a geek does not mean being on some power trip because to have to constantly tune your hardware. Most of us get quite enough of that at work, Having to reflash your bios to install a new DVD drive should never have to be a part of the computer experience. And my feelings about having to contend with issues about drivers or irq conflicts are not those making me feel part of some cool underground hobby scene. Only retards could possibly think like that. Computers are tools for doing stuff and the time I have to spend making stuff work is time I'm not doing stuff. Anything else is bullshit.
I'm a geek becasue of my blog review of Hikaru no Go not because I know the timing of my ram or the temp my CPU is running at.
Personally, You kinda get driven to using Mac's because of how sad things are getting in relation to PC's and because it gets depressing waiting for linux to develop into a decent desktop system.
BTW, I can't understand the issue you seem to be having with the IPOD. WTF you just plug it in and it acts as a regular firewire drive - it is not inconveient at all. Ofcourse if you mean copying MP3's Apple have to do this overwise they will have the arse sued off them by the RIAA. However its trivial to get programs which allow you to do this anyway so whats your prob?
It is darned service unfriendly. No matter how good you are, you will leave a few little marks on that case when you open it.
Odds are your discman, although cheaper, is service unfriendly. When was the last time you replaced a part in a discman?
Now when was the last time you replaced a part in your laptop? Probably slightly less frequently than your desktop, and slightly more frequently than your discman/ipod.
Some products are designed to be serviced - some to be replaced
...and that's all there is to it.
In the G3 Pismo guide, only one I checked, they tell you how to pull the heatsink OFF, make no mention of the quiet little popping noise you'll hear when you do (it's the double-sticky thermal transfer tape, a tiny little rectangle on top of the CPU that fails when the heatsink is moved even slightly).
And they say to replace the heatsink. just do the reverse.
Well, NO. Apple made it very easy to break the contact between CPU and heatsink, even accidentally, and once that's impaired overheating is going to become a problem.
Look for posts in MacFixit forums, about G3s, Powerlogix, heatsinks, thermal transfer -- best advice I've seen has been put together by a fellow named Bruce Miller.
The reason people get upset over stuff like this is simple though: you didn't pay $400 for that discman.
If it breaks, I'll just toss it and get myself a new one for $30 at Walmart. You just expect cheap CEs to have a very limited lifespan. No biggie, they're cheap. That's why you bought them in the first place. Having to replace them every once in a while is no surprise.
If you're buying an iPod though (and I absolutely love mine), you're not just buying any ole MP3 player. You're buying a design, an image and I'd even say, in a way, you're buying an experience. The big deal isn't $400 (which is a lot of dough to many people, but - in comparision to other CE items (big screen TVs, good stereo equipment, etc) - isn't really all that much money).
You just expect more for those $400. Afterall, you're not buying some $250 clone, you're getting the original, the real deal. And if you pay extra for it, you just want it to work.
If my the $200 TV you keep in your kitchen breaks, you probably won't even think about getting it fixed. You'll just replace it. If your $10k+ big screen projector breaks, you'd probably be really pissed if the dealership you bought it from told you to "just buy a new one" (and rightfully so).
Again, I'm not disagreeing. Just offering some perspective.
I like to keep my Powerbook silent and cool by placing it in a medium-sized ATX tower. Then I hook up the display to my CRT monitor which I place on my desk. Finally I attach an external mouse and keyboard and it's ready to roll!
my laptop came with a 3 year limited warrenty...
:)
the laptop cost $2k canadian.
i was a little worried about theft and if i dropped it since those weren't covered.
so i got third party insurance from an insurance company that covers EVERYTHING for about $100 one time payment. (lasts about 2 years)
much cheaper than most extended warranties
-judging another only defines yourself
You're being modded down for being a bollocks. Go back to your Young Republicans circlejerk.
Besides instructions on how to upgrade and repair Apple notebooks, at TuxMobil there are disassembly guides for laptops and notebooks, dissection pictures of PDAs and handhelds, take apart manuals for mobile (cell phones), as well as images from the inside of mobile media players. Guides on how to maintain other mobile electronic gadgets will follow.