That composite video out you mentioned at 1:52 is actually a FireWire 800 port. Also the PS2 port is actually an S-Video out. Macs have never natively supported PS2 mice/keyboards.
@Gaming York Next to the FW400 port is the FW 800 port. The aluminum PowerBooks from late '03 through '05 had FW 400 and FW 800 next to each other. I know this because I own an early '05 PowerBook and it's port arrangement is exactly the same.
yeah and back then apple was rather proud to make these thing back then the way they bragged out it's power not like they are now over just the things looks and not caring what it's running or how powerful it is over anything but the first gen ipad lol
@qL8Yv03vlT Ddh42hnG62hKv27934Hrs Well, it is a bit tricky, considering it’s an almost 15 year-old computer. Websites like RUclips aren’t the kinds of things you want to try and use on a G4, anyway. I mostly just use it for fun, anyway. One thing I must say though is that the speakers are amazing, they’re some of the best I’ve heard on a laptop.
If you want a more up-to-date OS on these things, along with modern, updated software, Debian Linux has a PowerPC port. I used to own a PowerBook G4 (back in 2012) and Debian Linux ran great on it, firefox with up-to-date javascript is available for it, and youtube videos do play. The downsides are that the PPC repository for Debian isn't nearly as large as the x86 repository, so some software might not be available - while LibreOffice, VLC, and Firefox are all there, along with a lot of other great open-source software, closed-source linux apps like Spotify aren't going to be there. You're basically depending on someone, somewhere updating and compiling software for PPC. But my point still stands: Linux for PPC is going to be a much more secure, reliable option for an OS on this hardware than OS X, simply because OS X is abandoned on PPC (and has been for almost a decade)
I just spent some time searching for a new battery for my PowerBook G4 - NOT available on Amazon or past Apple suppliers I have used. No solid state internal hard drives available.
@@tasteofnebraska - I have been a customer of Macsales.com for years, and obtained my last battery from them - the batteries are no longer available from ANYONE - it appears that they no longer supply much of any PowerBook G4 specific repair parts, including internal SSD's.
I went to the Apple Store in Portland when it first opened in 2005 to get a new iPod. I saw this laptop and was like god I have to have one of these. I went back a few weeks later and got one. Man I used that thing for 3 or 4 years then it started getting really dim and the keyboard stoped working.
They are awesome laptops but the screen does go dim on most if not all as the time goes by. I’ve looked into options like replacement screens but not sure if it is really worth it.
Windows isn't available for PPC. It's a completely different processor architecture, and they'd have to rewrite most of the underlying code to port it. Linux, however, is available and supported/updated on this architecture. I ran Debian on my old Powerbook and it was pretty good - Firefox, Libreoffice, and VLC all run without a hitch on it. The hardware itself is a little dated, particularly the graphics card, and you're gonna have a bad time if you try to play videos over 720p or browse any particularly heavy websites. Also, Flash just isn't going to work - it stopped being supported on PPC nearly a decade ago - although that's much less of an issue now than it was when I had this laptop back in 2012 (virtually nobody makes things in Flash anymore)
@@travisp11 just got mine! It is in mint condition! And it is the hi res model with 128mb vram! Didnt expected that! I wil post a video on my channel soon ;-) (sorry for my bad english im from belgium)
@@GewoonJelleYT it's cool! That is great that you got the hi res model, too! I'd say update the RAM as soon as you can. Also, look into installing a hard drive.
Good review. It is good to see people appreciating these some. I collect and work on these old machines. A few useful comments to anyone in the market for an older mac. A- These powerpc models will barely run the web. Most sites run very slow, most don't load, and the browsers are about a decade behind in security, I wouldn't use one of these for anything financial or where you have to put a password in. Facebook takes about 2 full minutes to load, and most of the features don't work. B- The intel versions of these from 2007-2008 will run El Capitan, and are far far faster more capable machines. I can run everything i can on a new mac on a 2008 intel, my old 2005 wont run much of anything. The later 2007-8 machines are a far better deal. But these powermacs are still great if the price is right. The 2006s mac pros are intel, but will only run snow leopard, which limits them some. C- Even when these were a few years old they were outdated, as nothing compatible with intel chipsets is compatible with powerpc chipsets, so almost all software is not compatible if it was made after 2006 or so. A lot of people got real mad when they dropped 2k on one of these, only to find out it was outdated in 3 years. D- These are still incredibly well made laptops. I have one I use and bring to school, as i can use programs on it, and not be distracted by the web. It feels like using a $2000 laptop, which is roughly what it cost, even tho its a very slow one. I like your idea of giving one to a kid too, as they would not be able to get in as much trouble online. XD E- There is a ton of programs for these still floating around the web, if you search for vintage mac software, and if you find the original system discs with os tiger, and the second disc with os 9 on it, you can reaload the os to tiger, and add and run os9 classic support, which will support os9 applications.
This computer is good for very basic tasks like word processing, spreadsheets, power point presentations, etc. It runs ok on the internet but is outdated and has trouble running modern websites efficiently.
BTW - neither of my USB2.0 ports work. SOMETHING turned them OFF! FW ports are fine... Any ideas how to tune them on... USB bus is seen... Ports NYET! J.C.
@@lcaise You should not have any BIOS issues as the BIOS OS is on ROM chips on the mother board and should not be deleted when you remove the battery. Visit macsales.com and see if they don't offer one. They allow you to select parts by specific model. I'd say email or call them and see what they say.
@@tasteofnebraska thanx, will do it. As I'm Berlin based, will try to figure out something in Germany. I saw that battery replacement needs soldiering, but it's not a big deal.
@@tasteofnebraska It's amazing how good this old stuff works. All the machines I still have are my old computers I worked with. Only the Apple IIC I bought out my nerdyness. Greets from Germany.
Tenfourfox is better now. With tenfourfoxpep and the mp4 enabler presented as an optional download when you first open the browser RUclips should work at least at low quality. But nowadays the real powerpc users can get RUclips on a g3. That wasn't a typo. It's called choob and its pretty much the first thing on google, streams in 240p. On my g4 mac mini 1.2ghz 480p is perfectly playable using Choobs built in version of Tenfourfoxbox and PPCmediacenter from Macintoshgarden. A faster one like this might do 720p. Videos can be downloaded or streamed, and you can even watch live streams or twitch stream Unrelated side note, the g5 can do 720p video playback just fine and even 1080p when downloaded from ppcmc. Highly recommend
‼️Beware. You mentioned the battery not lasting as long. It has been noted by multiple sources that these Chinese battery suppliers are lying about the capacity. I trust my meter more than I trust 🇨🇳
I've just replaced the hard drive in one of these, as it failed. Fiddly sod to open, but replaced it with a new mSata SSD. Suprised to have brought it back to life, gonna try and sell it on. Not sure there are many takers, but if I can recover the cost of the SSD then i'll be happy!
OS-10.5.8 Leopard works a HELL of a lot better! As with my 2005 iBook 1.42 14... Firefox 21 is fine! There is a fix for RUclips.. Which was fine from the iBook, last year. Testing Leopard with my 2007 WMB 2.1... And all the others NOW getting the black screen Almost certainly an Adobe FLASH issue.. J.C.
I’m a bit fascinated with retro tech and this laptop worked for us for years but I don’t disagree with ya now. Especially with displays that eventually fade out and replacements hard to find but still, kinda fun just to mess around with
That composite video out you mentioned at 1:52 is actually a FireWire 800 port. Also the PS2 port is actually an S-Video out. Macs have never natively supported PS2 mice/keyboards.
Adam Buker OK! Thank you!
@Gaming York Next to the FW400 port is the FW 800 port. The aluminum PowerBooks from late '03 through '05 had FW 400 and FW 800 next to each other. I know this because I own an early '05 PowerBook and it's port arrangement is exactly the same.
surprisingly...the bezels are slimmer than their 2017 macbook air
yeah and back then apple was rather proud to make these thing back then the way they bragged out it's power not like they are now over just the things looks and not caring what it's running or how powerful it is over anything but the first gen ipad lol
I got An Apple iBook G4 in mint condition, a week ago. At an estate sale. My last $30. It had a built in 2004 world book encyclopedia. I love it!
Right on!
Great video. I'm actually watching this on my 17 inch PowerBook G4, such a great computer.
DCVK Right on!
@@f37r24scbGescb2 it's ok but barely acceptable. I use a browser called ten four fox
@qL8Yv03vlT Ddh42hnG62hKv27934Hrs Well, it is a bit tricky, considering it’s an almost 15 year-old computer. Websites like RUclips aren’t the kinds of things you want to try and use on a G4, anyway. I mostly just use it for fun, anyway.
One thing I must say though is that the speakers are amazing, they’re some of the best I’ve heard on a laptop.
DCVK can’t you just download windows on it? I think it would work that way since the Mac OS on it is super old
If you want a more up-to-date OS on these things, along with modern, updated software, Debian Linux has a PowerPC port. I used to own a PowerBook G4 (back in 2012) and Debian Linux ran great on it, firefox with up-to-date javascript is available for it, and youtube videos do play. The downsides are that the PPC repository for Debian isn't nearly as large as the x86 repository, so some software might not be available - while LibreOffice, VLC, and Firefox are all there, along with a lot of other great open-source software, closed-source linux apps like Spotify aren't going to be there. You're basically depending on someone, somewhere updating and compiling software for PPC. But my point still stands: Linux for PPC is going to be a much more secure, reliable option for an OS on this hardware than OS X, simply because OS X is abandoned on PPC (and has been for almost a decade)
But Ubuntu 12.04 LTS PPC is buggy....
Will not run from external HDD...
Hi-res version was the first Mac I bought with my own money. Look at all those ports!
Cool!
I do Maintence at an apartment complex, I just found one of these in the trash and surprisingly it works great. Pretty good laptop
That is awesome!
I have one of the same model, very nice to use! It’s like the king of the powerpc’s laptops
It sure is! Thanks for watching!
Got mine for $25 near mint condition.
Awesome!
$23 Expedited from Hawaii!
eBay last week...
I should see it this coming Monday
Poor Mans MacBook Pro!
@@375GTB Awesome!
I just spent some time searching for a new battery for my PowerBook G4 - NOT available on Amazon or past Apple suppliers I have used. No solid state internal hard drives available.
Check Macsales.com, they may have an option for you. They are legit and I have ordered from them several times.
@@tasteofnebraska - I have been a customer of Macsales.com for years, and obtained my last battery from them - the batteries are no longer available from ANYONE - it appears that they no longer supply much of any PowerBook G4 specific repair parts, including internal SSD's.
I went to the Apple Store in Portland when it first opened in 2005 to get a new iPod. I saw this laptop and was like god I have to have one of these. I went back a few weeks later and got one. Man I used that thing for 3 or 4 years then it started getting really dim and the keyboard stoped working.
They are awesome laptops but the screen does go dim on most if not all as the time goes by. I’ve looked into options like replacement screens but not sure if it is really worth it.
great video i really want that model powerbook for my collection but cant find any in good condition for a reasonable price
Keep checking eBay!
I have one
I’m selling one
eBay! c.$25....
Can i install windows in it? I saw someone selling it on fb, and the price is tempting.
You may be able to run Bootcamp on it or find some sort of hack you can use but I'm not too well-versed in that kind of thing.
NOPE!
Windoze Dozer Ass Hole, fuck off!
Windows isn't available for PPC. It's a completely different processor architecture, and they'd have to rewrite most of the underlying code to port it. Linux, however, is available and supported/updated on this architecture. I ran Debian on my old Powerbook and it was pretty good - Firefox, Libreoffice, and VLC all run without a hitch on it. The hardware itself is a little dated, particularly the graphics card, and you're gonna have a bad time if you try to play videos over 720p or browse any particularly heavy websites. Also, Flash just isn't going to work - it stopped being supported on PPC nearly a decade ago - although that's much less of an issue now than it was when I had this laptop back in 2012 (virtually nobody makes things in Flash anymore)
I wish PPC Linux and good after market batteries were a bigger deal than they currently are - then I’d be using an old iBook or PowerBook all day
I agree!
I"m setting up a Powerbook G4 as a dual boot MacOX/MorphOS unit.
Nice!
I just bought a Powerbook g4 with the 1.67ghz processor and 1GB DDR2 for 30 euros! But it does not have the high resolution screen.
That is still a great deal! Thanks for watching!
@@travisp11 just got mine! It is in mint condition! And it is the hi res model with 128mb vram! Didnt expected that! I wil post a video on my channel soon ;-) (sorry for my bad english im from belgium)
@@GewoonJelleYT it's cool! That is great that you got the hi res model, too! I'd say update the RAM as soon as you can. Also, look into installing a hard drive.
@@travisp11 yeah! Now it has 1GB ram in it and it has 1 empty slot :-)
So i will soon upgrade to 2GB!
@@GewoonJelleYT Right on!
I can not get the DVD out!!!! I have tried everything, any ideas??
There may be a hole you can poke a paper clip through to force it out. Or take out the back panel and remove the DVD drive
I’ve used a popsicle stick and tape before to get CDs out. The tape can stick to the top of the CD.
I stil missing the number luck key on Mac computers, super useful
Download Tenfivetube for youtube and webkit for browsing, youtube works ok on that as well.
Pretty cool to know if you just need to access the internet as would be perfect for me....Good stuff...
It is a decent machine for not too much $$$!
Right on! Thanks for watching!
if you refresh the youtube page 2-3 times it will load the video
This is good to know! Thanks!
Good review. It is good to see people appreciating these some. I collect and work on these old machines. A few useful comments to anyone in the market for an older mac.
A- These powerpc models will barely run the web. Most sites run very slow, most don't load, and the browsers are about a decade behind in security, I wouldn't use one of these for anything financial or where you have to put a password in. Facebook takes about 2 full minutes to load, and most of the features don't work.
B- The intel versions of these from 2007-2008 will run El Capitan, and are far far faster more capable machines. I can run everything i can on a new mac on a 2008 intel, my old 2005 wont run much of anything. The later 2007-8 machines are a far better deal. But these powermacs are still great if the price is right. The 2006s mac pros are intel, but will only run snow leopard, which limits them some.
C- Even when these were a few years old they were outdated, as nothing compatible with intel chipsets is compatible with powerpc chipsets, so almost all software is not compatible if it was made after 2006 or so. A lot of people got real mad when they dropped 2k on one of these, only to find out it was outdated in 3 years.
D- These are still incredibly well made laptops. I have one I use and bring to school, as i can use programs on it, and not be distracted by the web. It feels like using a $2000 laptop, which is roughly what it cost, even tho its a very slow one. I like your idea of giving one to a kid too, as they would not be able to get in as much trouble online. XD
E- There is a ton of programs for these still floating around the web, if you search for vintage mac software, and if you find the original system discs with os tiger, and the second disc with os 9 on it, you can reaload the os to tiger, and add and run os9 classic support, which will support os9 applications.
Awesome information! Thanks for watching!
It is still sutable for used 2018??
This computer is good for very basic tasks like word processing, spreadsheets, power point presentations, etc. It runs ok on the internet but is outdated and has trouble running modern websites efficiently.
Yes, for very specific uses. I still run old versions of Photoshop, Illustrator, and various audio workstations on mine. Works great.
OS-10.5 Leopard installer DVD..
$5 to $20 on eBay...
SOME need 10.4 Tiger to work with..
No problem
BTW - neither of my USB2.0 ports work.
SOMETHING turned them OFF!
FW ports are fine...
Any ideas how to tune them on...
USB bus is seen...
Ports NYET!
J.C.
That is a good question. I’m wondering if some electronic component or solder failed on the motherboard.
got mine for 10€ in mint condition , 15" PowerBook G4 1Ghz + 1.25GB Ram. Only issue is with date - I guess battery needs to be replaced?
If it won’t keep the time or date, even with a charged main battery it sounds like you need a new motherboard battery.
@@tasteofnebraska yeah exactly what You said. Any ideas what's type of battery should I buy AND more important: can I move old one without bios probs?
@@lcaise You should not have any BIOS issues as the BIOS OS is on ROM chips on the mother board and should not be deleted when you remove the battery. Visit macsales.com and see if they don't offer one. They allow you to select parts by specific model. I'd say email or call them and see what they say.
@@tasteofnebraska thanx, will do it. As I'm Berlin based, will try to figure out something in Germany. I saw that battery replacement needs soldiering, but it's not a big deal.
Good narration. Subbed.
Welcome to the channel!
As always. I have the same still working.
Right on! Ours is still fun to get out once in a while and she still runs like a clock!
@@tasteofnebraska It's amazing how good this old stuff works. All the machines I still have are my old computers I worked with. Only the Apple IIC I bought out my nerdyness. Greets from Germany.
which macbook had the best keyboard of all time?
PowerBook G3 "Lombard" (bronze keyboard). I still write HTML on it!
its old but still a SEXY looking laptop
I agree!
Great deal
Yup!
Thinner bezels than in 2019
Good point!
I’m going to sell my 2018 mac book pro and buy one of these
Man, I hope you are joking! LOL!
At least you’ll be able to plug a flash drive in ;)
Sweet sticker Decepticons forever
When I was a kid I loved the Transformers and thanks to eBay, I have Autobots and Decepticon logos on everything.
Tenfourfox is better now. With tenfourfoxpep and the mp4 enabler presented as an optional download when you first open the browser RUclips should work at least at low quality. But nowadays the real powerpc users can get RUclips on a g3. That wasn't a typo. It's called choob and its pretty much the first thing on google, streams in 240p. On my g4 mac mini 1.2ghz 480p is perfectly playable using Choobs built in version of Tenfourfoxbox and PPCmediacenter from Macintoshgarden. A faster one like this might do 720p. Videos can be downloaded or streamed, and you can even watch live streams or twitch stream
Unrelated side note, the g5 can do 720p video playback just fine and even 1080p when downloaded from ppcmc. Highly recommend
Thank you for the advice!
That is resolution of HRDL 15 inch one or old 17 inch
HRDL 17 inch have 1680x1050
Fill in the bits and pieces at mackintosh-depository
I want to see no passcode
Drive, or Mobo?
Drive is easy...
Mobo another story...
I'll be finding out...
‼️Beware. You mentioned the battery not lasting as long. It has been noted by multiple sources that these Chinese battery suppliers are lying about the capacity. I trust my meter more than I trust 🇨🇳
I've just replaced the hard drive in one of these, as it failed. Fiddly sod to open, but replaced it with a new mSata SSD. Suprised to have brought it back to life, gonna try and sell it on. Not sure there are many takers, but if I can recover the cost of the SSD then i'll be happy!
Check out PPC Luddite for many software hacks for OS-10.5 Leopard.
WebKit Safari
G4 Fan Control at Git Hub
can I change the processor for a new one? like a i3?
I am sure there are some hacks out there for it but I am going to have to say "no". You may be able to somehow get Windows 10 to run on it, though.
Absolutely not, its a completely different architecture! Get a MacBook Pro if you want intel.
PRECISELY!
OS-10.5.8 Leopard works a HELL of a lot better!
As with my 2005 iBook 1.42 14...
Firefox 21 is fine!
There is a fix for RUclips..
Which was fine from the iBook, last year.
Testing Leopard with my 2007 WMB 2.1...
And all the others
NOW getting the black screen
Almost certainly an Adobe FLASH issue..
J.C.
That is what it sounds like.
Answer:
No. Why the heck- Maybe as a media consumption thing but other than that...
I’m a bit fascinated with retro tech and this laptop worked for us for years but I don’t disagree with ya now. Especially with displays that eventually fade out and replacements hard to find but still, kinda fun just to mess around with
A 500 GB SSD into this would be a WASTE
Depends on the OS you want to run and if it would recognize 500 GB.