OS X on a G3, FireWire Disk Mode Missing in Action, Panther on a Power Mac, and More
Charles W. Moore - 2007.07.16
How Well Does OS X Run on a G3?
From Kiran:
Hi Charles,
I like the articles on Lowendmac.com a lot, and I read yours
about installing Mac OS X on an iBook G3.
And that made me wonder about the following: How well does Mac
OS X 10.4.x run on an G3 system actually?
Because . . . I want to buy my mom a Power Mac G4 466 MHz for everyday use, and
I don't have a clue about how Mac OS X runs on older systems.
I only have experience with faster Macs; I own a Mac Pro, you see ;).
Well, I hope you can shed some light on the matter.
Greets,
Kiran
Hi Kiran,
Surprisingly well, actually, although these
evaluations are relative. I'm currently running OS 10.4.9 on a
500 MHz G3 PowerBook and a 700 MHz G3 iBook, with 512 MB and 640 MB
of RAM respectively, and find the performance satisfactory with
both, although not quite up to the level of my 550 MHz and 1.33 GHz G4 PowerBooks.
Of course, your Mac Pro will blow any of my
machines into the weeds, but if your mom is not a power user, she
should find a 466 MHz Power Mac entirely satisfactory for email,
word processing, Web surfing, and so forth.
Charles
Hi Charles,
Thanks for the info.
I see a lot of people putting their older Macs up for sale, so I
hope I run into a bargain. Hopefully the 466 or 533.
With the knowledge that older Macs will run Mac OS X, I am
assured buying an older Mac.
Greets,
Kiran
FireWire Target Disk Mode Missing in
Action
From Everard Castenada:
Hi there, a quick question.
I've done lots of research about installing Tiger on 'DVD-challenged' Macs
and seems I'm still in a bit of a merry-go-round. I'm trying to
install Tiger on a G4 350 PCi [Power
Mac] currently running 10.2x, but it won't go into target disk
mode. I'm starting to find out that other people are encountering
that too, and it has something to do with this particular G4 model
. . . the first to run the G4 processor. I don't think it
was mentioned in the article you wrote.
Anyway, any help would be great. At this point, I'm just
thinking of installing a cheap internal DVD drive to just get
around it all. Help! Thanks so much for your time.
Hi Everard,
I have a foggy recollection that there is an issue
with some older FireWire-equipped desktop Macs and Target Disk
Mode. I'm not aware of any workaround hack, although that doesn't
mean there isn't one.
Is the problem you're encountering that your
computer won't boot into Target Disk Mode, won't recognize a
connected Mac that is booted into Target Disk Mode, or both?
Installing an internal DVD drive sounds to me like
a sensible way to go, especially if you're planning to use the
machine for some time yet.
Charles
Editor's note: Two Power Macs with built-in
FireWire do not support booting from a FireWire drive and also do
not support Target Disk Mode. These are the Blue & White G3 and the G4 with PCI
graphics. dk
Putting Panther on a Power Mac G3
From "a curious person":
Hi, I came across your forum, and I just wanted to ask what you
thought about this: I bought a Power Mac G3 from eBay by this
woman, and the system had been wiped out. It came in good condition
with the keyboard and mouse, no monitor. I asked her about the
software, and she said I needed to install a Mac OS 8, 9, or 10 CD,
then I can update to the OS X.
What do you think I should do? My cousin has a Panther [Mac OS X
10.3] CD and will be sending it soon, but I really don't want to
use more money on the Mac OS CD. I'm trying to save enough money
for a monitor, and they are very expensive these days
. . . so what do you think I should do?
Hi curious person,
Well, I appreciate your tight budget situation,
but your computer isn't much good without an operating system.
You didn't say which model G3 you have, but my
choice of system for older G3s would be OS 9.1 or 9.2.2, or
Panther, although OS X 10.4.9 is running nicely on my 500 MHz
G3 PowerBook.
Your cousin's Panther CD should work [on a Blue & White G3] if it's a generic
install CD. If it's a System Restore CD for another model Mac, it
probably will not work.
Once you get a basic system installed, you should
download the appropriate updaters to bring it up to the most recent
supported version (e.g.: 10.3.9 for Panther).
BetaMacs
has OS 9 CDs for $29.99, although the photo on their site is of a
PowerBook System Restore CD, which might not work on your
machine.
Installers for discontinued systems are where you
find them.
Charles
Editor's note: Panther cannot be installed on a
beige G3 without using XPostFacto,
although OS X 10.2.x is supported. To run OS X on a beige
G3, the hard drive or first partition must be no more 7.45 GB in
size, and OS X must be installed on the first partition.
dk
Glossy Screens Are Sharper
From John StJohn:
I work with high end CAD and BIM programs on my MacBook Pro, and
resolution is very important. Glossy screens provide a sharp, clear
resolution that matte screens can't match. If resolution is not all
that important to you and you work outside sometimes, by all means
get a matte screen, but to suggest that there is no logical, good
reason to go with a glossy screen is ignorant as in the writer
doesn't know what he's talking about.
Hi John,
Thanks for the comment.
I think it's great that Apple gives customers the
option of either glossy or matte on the MacBook Pro.
As you contend, neither type is "right" or
"wrong"; it just depends on your work environment, needs, and
taste.
Charles
Where to Find Netscape 7 for the Classic Mac
OS
From Charles Kirkland:
Dear Charles:
I find Netscape 7.0 available here: <http://sillydog.org/narchive/full67.php>
It's reasonable for everyday use, and it is not near as buggy as
Internet Explorer is.
Thanks,
Charles Kirkland
Hi Charles,
That squares with my assessment.
Thanks for the comment.
Charles
An OS X Replacement for MacDraw
From Steven Hunter in response to Irreplacable MacDraw Pro:
We had a user with many years worth of CAD drawings done in
Claris Draw. When we wanted to move him to OS X, we wanted to
find a replacement OS X program that could output to PDF.
We ended up buying a license for EasyDraw. The user was happy and we
were able to import all his MacDraw and Claris Draw files quickly
and easily.
Hi Stephen,
Thank you for the tip and link. I expect it will
be helpful to other users making the transition to OS X.
Charles
Another MacDraw Replacement for OS X Users
From Michael Bearpark:
Dear Charles,
For Stephen Lubliner: The OS
X-native Intaglio
(demo available) imports ClarisDraw files successfully and claims
to do the same for MacDraw Pro.
Finally - the bridge between QuickDraw/PICT and Quartz/PDF,
partly designed to emulate the look and feel of
non-Postscript-based Classic Mac drawing programs.
Highly recommended now: as a replacement, and in its own right,
particularly for quick edits of PDF graphics directly.
(Yes, I bought it)
Mike
Hi Mike,
Thank you for the report and link.
Charles
Re: iBook G4 Power Problems
From Ian Anderson folowing up on iBook G4 Power Problems:
Hi Charles,
In a true act of Murphy's Law, the power adapter decided to
break off right after ordering my power board. No matter, eBay to
the rescue again, and I found a MacAlly adapter for $35 w/
shipping.
I just received both parts today. For the power board, it took
half an hour to replace, going slow with the iFixit Guide at hand. I fired it up,
plugged in the new AC adapter, and all is good again. For this
particular part, it wasn't difficult; the only pieces that needed
removal were the battery and the bottom plastic. Oh, and about 10
screws.
As soon as I put the
iBook back together and tested it, I looked for the damage spot. Lo
and behold, a burned solder joint near the connector. Ironically,
it was right next to the "TEST OK" sticker. Attached is the pic.
The blackened joint is the one I'm talking about.
Well, I guess that's it. For now at least.
Thanks for your time,
Ian Anderson
Hi Ian,
Thank you for the follow-up report and the graphic
detail.
Glad your iBook is serviceable again.
Charles
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