Low End Mac Reader Specials

TypeStyler For Mac OS X is Now Shipping! Download The Free Fully Functional 60 Day Tryout at www.typestyler.com

Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how to download and install a native Mac poker application such as Full Tilt Poker Mac.

Compare products like desktop computers, apple laptops, apple macs, and LCD Monitors side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for new mobile phones, sat nav systems, or MP3 players. The Ciao online shopping community makes searching products easy for you.

The Webb Chronicles

The 'Pismo' PowerBook Is a Great Value and Handles Tiger Nicely

- 2005.12.09

Last week I talked about my experience with the "MainStreet" edition of the PowerBook G3 Series notebooks. Now I'd like to focus on the rebuild of a Pismo PowerBook G3.

This machine represents the pinnacle of G3 PowerBooks, and it's one of the most coveted. I purchased two nonfunctional Pismo's from eBay for $55 shipped, knowing that there may not be a chance of salvaging these machines, but risk is part of the eBay game.

At first examination, neither would power on, and one had a cracked LCD screen. I started to take in consideration everything that could possibly be causing the machines not to chime to life. My options: bad CPU card, bad power manager, or maybe a bad logic board.

After swapping CPU cards, I discovered that the unit with the cracked LCD was booting, but that left the problem of the bad screen. I had never changed a laptop screen before, and I knew I needed help. Thankfully, ifixit.com has a fantastic section that shows you how to perform repairs on Apple notebooks from the G3 PowerBooks on up.

PowerBook G3 'Pismo' Screen installation was very easy. All that was needed was a T6 Torx and a Philips screwdriver, and it took less than 20 minutes to complete. With the addition of a 20 GB IBM Travelstar hard drive, I had a fully functional Pismo. My total cost was less than $120.

I decided that this machine would replace my Mom's dying HP OmniBook, a 333 MHz Pentium II laptop, and continue my family's move away from the Windows platform.

One feature I really like about OS X is the multilingual support from the get go, something Microsoft doesn't offer with the standard North American release of Windows XP. Since my Mom is Italian, I thought that setting up OS X Tiger in Italian would be a good way to ease the transition from XP and help in everyday scenarios for her.

This Pismo has a 400 MHz PowerPC 750 CPU with 1 MB L2 cache, 384 MB RAM, and a 20 GB hard drive. I wondered if Tiger would run poorly with only 384 MB RAM; however my fears were put to rest once I was up and running. Tiger performed perfectly.

I installed iLife '05, Office 2004, and Solitaire (probably the most used app on any of my parents' machines), and all performed very well, even up to spec with my G4 PowerBook. I chose a cookbook program called Connoisseur by The Little App Factory for its ease of use and clean interface, and its proven a great success.

My next step was adding wireless connectivity to the Pismo, something that's not easily and cheaply done in comparison to a Windows PC. Apple's AirPort card was priced at $100-$120, and I was unwilling to pay this much for an 802.11b card, so I did a little research. I found that certain card manufactures use the same Broadcom chipset Apple uses in their AirPort Express card, and they would work in OS X just like an Airport card. After considerable research, I chose the Belkin F5D7011 802.11g card, and it worked perfectly, although your results may vary.

Overall, I would rank the Pismo PowerBook a best buy. It's a very capable notebook with good expansion options. The inclusion of two FireWire ports is a big plus for video editing aficionados on a budget. This machine is slimmer and lighter than the WallStreet PowerBooks, which does have its drawbacks.

The only complaint I have about the Pismo is that it doesn't have the sturdy feeling that the WallStreet has. This is a minor concern, however, and given its weight it's necessary.

Pismo runs the latest OS offerings from Apple without a glitch, and the screen is as good as the one on a modern 14" iBook - with the exception of the viewing angle, which isn't as good as on modern notebooks. Still, isn't bad at all.

For someone looking for a starter Apple notebook, this is a good choice. And if FireWire isn't a necessity, the older, slightly slower Lombard PowerBook costs less while performing nearly as well as the Pismo.

Link: eBay
Link: Connoisseur

Recent PowerBook Beat articles

Clamshell iBook still a fun and practical notebook, 08.11. "Granted, this iBook isn't a speed demon in any way, but it's amazing what a 7-year-old Apple notebook can do."
Italy, a virtually untapped market ready for the Mac, 07.27. iPods are everywhere in Italy, but finding a Mac in use or a dealer that sells them is another story.
The PowerBook 3400: Surprisingly useful and spry with the Classic Mac OS, 05.16. The last PowerBook before the G3, the PB 3400 actually outperforms the "MainStreet" PowerBook G3 - and it's generally available for under US$100.
Picking a Power Mac G4: How much Mac do you need?, 03.22. Today's laptop computers can be great primary computers, but sometimes you need things only a desktop model can offer. A used Power Mac G4 can be a good choice.
More in the PowerBook Beat index.

Links for the Day

Mac of the Day: Mac IIfx, Mar. 1990 - This 'wicked fast' 40 MHz Mac trumped the 33 MHz DOS world.
Group of the Day: Mac mini List is for anyone using or contemplating a Mac mini
March 19 in LEM history: 90: Mac IIfx - 99: Fool me twice? - 01: Add FireWire, USB to older Macs - Time to replace your iMac? - 02: The Mac Challenge - Installing Linux on a low-end Mac - 03: Value of the Lombard PowerBook - Your portable should have WiFi - PowerBook 1400 upgrades - 04: The video iPod - 07: Troubleshooting an iMac - 08: Intel Mac mini value
Support Low End Mac

Recent Deals

Best Intel iMac Deals, 03.17. Used 17" from $600; 20" from $750; 24" from $825; refurb 21.5" nVidia, $999; new, $1,099; refurb Radeon, $1,299; new, $1,399; refurb 27" 3.06, $1,499; more.
Best G5 iMac Deals, 03.17. 17" 2.0 GHz, $380; 1.9 GHz iSight, $479 shipped; 20" 1.8 GHz, $509 shipped; 2.1 GHz iSight, $549 shipped.
Best Time Capsule Deals, 03.17. Close-out 500 GB, $140; new 1 TB, $279; used 2 TB simultaneous dual-band, $400; new, $455. Shipping included.
Best iPad Deals, 03.16. 16 GB iPad, $499; 32 GB, $599; 64 GB, $699; 16 GB with 3G, $629; 32 GB 3G, $729; 64 GB 3G, $829. Free ground shipping.
Best iPod classic Deals, 03.12. Used 20 GB, $119; 40 GB, $139; 60 GB, $159; 30 GB video, $129; 60 GB, $159; 80 GB, $169; refurb 120 GB, $189; new, $214; 160 GB, $228 shipped.
Best G3 iBook and AirPort Card Deals, 03.12. 366 MHz 12" clamshell, $89; 466, $125; 500 white CD, $100; 600, $199; 800 Combo, $239; 14" 900, $225.
Best Xserve Deals, 03.12. Used 1 GHz dual G4, $499; 2.0 dual G5, $599; 2.3, $749; refurb 2.26 4-core Nehalem, $2,499; new, $2,699; 8-core, $3,449; refurb 2.66, $4,299; new, $4,799; more.
More deals in our archive.

About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts

PowerBook Beat articles copyright ©2005-08 by Charles Webb. Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2010 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.
Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.
Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, iPhone, PowerBook, MacBook, MagSafe, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.