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Recycled Computing
Replacing the Hard Drive in a Clamshell iBook
- 2009.11.19
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For those who remember the Clamshell that I was using as a sign-in computer at school - here's an update!
The Clamshell had three areas that needed to be upgraded before I would want to take it on the road.
- More RAM is like Geritol to old computers, and I could go out and buy a 512 MB chip to speed up things a bit. (About $30.)
- Old laptops have old batteries, and the Clamshell needs to get a brandy new battery. The current (old) battery can start the laptop, but within 10 to 20 minutes it dies tragically. ($80 to $120)
- Lastly, it only had a 10 GB hard drive, and that just will not do. ($60 and up.)

Inside a Clamshell iBook.
Free Things First
I operate on the notion of doing free things first, and I just happened to have a 30 GB hard drive lying around.
I wanted to install Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger", which comes on DVD, but the Clamshell has a CD-ROM drive. So I removed my Pismo's hard drive and installed the 30 GB drive in it, because, the Pismo has a DVD drive and can run the Tiger installer.
With the 30 GB drive firmly in place in the Pismo, I wiped the drive and partitioned it three ways. I installed a minimal version of Tiger on the first partition, put OS X 10.3 "Panther" on the second, and OS 9 on the third.
Now came the hard part: I had to put the
drive into the Clamshell.
First, I gathered up my ice cube trays as a home for many, many tiny screws and, on another computer, launched a browser and went to iFixit.com. This was not the first time I had a Clamshell apart, and in the interval, I decided that the G4 iBook is just a little bit more treacherous to take apart than the Clamshell. It is still a daunting process. The Clamshell had to be taken apart, the optical drive removed, the screen disconnected, shielding removed, and the computer ended up in pieces (photo above).
Once you have the old drive out, you can swap in the new one
and button the whole thing back together. Surprise, surprise! A
Clamshell will boot up "Tiger" and run it.
It is not a speed demon, but if you have modest demands for this one-of-a-kind laptop, "Tiger" will work fine. I have a "Panther" partition just in case "Tiger" crashes and burns. And an OS 9 partition is nice to have, since I am known as "Mr. Legacy" around here and am called upon to bring old data to the new age from time to time.
As a tease for my next column, I have thought of a new product to
make tons of money for somebody else - and leave me penniless and
destitute.
Recent Recycled Computing Columns
- iPad Perfect for Handheld Computing, 02.05. You can hold the iPad in one hand and operate it with the other, giving it real advantages over a laptop computer.
- The iPad Changes the Mobile Game, 01.29. The iPad goes beyond Apple's Newton and iPod touch legacy to create a new and compelling mobile platform.
- SANE Plus Snac: An OS X Scanning Solution for Unsupported Scanners, 01.12. If the manufacturer of your scanner doesn't have drivers for your current version of Mac OS X, these freeware programs might be the solution.
- Through a Scanner, Darkly Indeed, 01.08. Got an old scanner that won't play nice with your Mac? Two scanning software solutions to keep the scanner usable.
- More in the Recycled Computing index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: 'WallStreet' PowerBook G3, May 1998 - WallStreet offered 3 screen sizes and CPU speeds from 233 to 292 MHz.
- Group of the Day: Mac UK is for Mac users in the United Kingdom.
- February 9 in LEM history: 00: Think choices - Promoting the Macintosh - 01: Apple vs. Mac clones - 05: Apple and the $100 laptop - Yojimbo - Core Duo vs. G5 - 07: The story behind After Dark - Microsoft Office 2007
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Do We Really Need Another Mac Email Client?, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.08. Mac users have a host of free and low-cost email clients to choose from. Does Brent Simmons' 'Letters' project make any sense at all?
- MacBook Pro a Revelation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.08. After using G4 Macs for over a decade, spending a weekend prepping a first generation MacBook Pro was a real eye opener.
- 42 Reasons a Netbooks Is Better than an iPad, Hard Drive Upgrade Value, Faster Netbooks, and More, The 'Book Review, 02.05. Also why the iPad can't compete with netbooks, 802.11n WiFi card for older Intel MacBooks and Mac minis, and a DJ keyboard cover for MacBooks.
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- Touch Shifts the Apple Empire, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 02.05. Apple dominates mobile computing, and it will be difficult for competitors to match the value of the iPad.
- 90% of Premium PCs Are Macs, OS and Browser Market Share, Chrome Browser to Dominate, and More, Mac News Review, 02.05. Also 27" iMac too popular for supply, eco-friendly 2 TB hard drive, Puppy Linux for PowerPC Macs, 6-core Mac Pro rumored, and more.
- iPad Should Support a Stylus, CoolBook Quiets MacBooks, Puppy Linux for PowerPC Macs, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.03. Also the iPad as a genie in a bottle, Eudora Classic 6.2, notebook battery life, and more uses for 'obsolete' technology.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 02.02. Used 2 GHz, $700; 2.4, $999; refurb 2.53, $1,449; 2.8, $1,699; 3.06, $2,199; new 2.53, $1,610; 2.66, $1,839; 2.8, $2,109; 3.06, $2,550; more.
- Best G3 iMac Deals, 02.02. 500 MHz CD-ROM, $40; 450 MHz DVD-ROM, $60; 600 MHz CD-ROM, $230 shipped; 700 MHz CD-RW, $300 shipped.
- Best eMac Deals, 02.02. 1 GHz SuperDrive, $269; 1.25 Combo, $100; SD, $360; 1.42 GHz Combo, $299; SD, $439.
- Best Mac mini Deals, 02.01. Used 1.25 GHz G4 Combo, $369; 1.5, $399; Core Solo, $399; 1.83 GHz Core Duo SD, $439; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $759; Server, $985.
- Best iBook G4 Deals, 02.01. 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $200; 1.33 GHz, $259; 14" 1.42 GHz SuperDrive, $399.
- Best Titanium PowerBook G4 Deals, 02.01. 800 MHz Combo, $285; 867 MHz SuperDrive, $400; 1 GHz Combo, $549.
- Best 13" MacBook & MacBook Pro Deals, 01.29. Used 1.83 GHz, $570; 2.0, $599; 2.4 GHz, $800; 2.26 MB, $849; new, $925 after rebate; Pro, $1,108, 2.53, $1,399 a/r.
- Best Power Mac G5 Deals, 01.29. 1.8 GHz single, $399; dual, $479; 2.0, $549; 2.5, $609; 2.7, $799; 2.3 GHz dual-core, $709; 2.5 GHz Quad, $939.
- Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals, 01.29. Mac OS X 10.0, $30; 10.1, $20; 10.2, $50; 10.3, $50; 10.3 Server, unlimited users, $130.
- More deals in our archive.
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