Is it worth the hassle of converting my (currently broken) old G4 Powerbook into a "desktop"?
Asked by
shilolo (
18085
)
August 12th, 2009
I have a broken Mac G4 Powerbook. Basically, the stem of the power supply broke off inside the DC input, making the machine unable to charge its battery or run off the adaptor. I recently bought a new Macbook Pro, which I like, but I’ve thought about trying to repair the computer myself or paying Apple to do it, and then buying a nice cinema display and keyboard, and turning into a “desktop”. Either I have to try and remove the broken piece, which is like a tiny version of the old game “Operation”, or I have to install a brand new DC adaptor, which I’ve seen online is no small feat.
Does this make sense, or is the outdated nature of the machine and the hassle involved not worth my while. Maybe a refurbished iMac would be better?
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4 Answers
My advice would be to purchase an Intel machine, refurbished or new. Your Powerbook has a PowerPC processor, which is quickly becoming obsolete in the Mac world. In short, using a PowerPC Mac is living in the past. New software is not developed with PowerPC machines in mind, and more and more developers have stopped supporting PowerPC apps. I would spend the money you would otherwise spend on repairs, a Cinema Display, and a keyboard on a refurbished iMac purchased from Apple.
It depends on your budget. I don’t think that a G4 powerbook is completely obsolete. I’ve got an iBook G4 as my kitchen recipe and music computer and it’s great. My 80 yr old dad is happy as can be with his G3 Lombard, since all he does is email and occasionally click on stupid links that his friends forward him. You can replace the power supply board (get the part number and then search ebay), get a used keyboard (ebay or craigslist) and max out the RAM for less than $100. If you follow one of the online step-by-step tutorials (there are many) it’s not that difficult, just very tedious. Pick up a used monitor on Craigslist and you’re good to go. Even if you screw up the install, you won’t have spent that much AND you will have developed a better understanding of the hardware which you can apply to other areas.
Install Linux on your power PC and be awesome with it.
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