Is a 1998 'MainStreet' PowerBook Good Enough for Daily Use in 2005?
- 2005.11.30
Low End Mac Reader Specials
Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $154 / 2GB kit $94, New 2008 iMac 2GB $46. MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO 2GB $44 / 1GB $23--Free shipping available.
Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com
LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, iMac's, Apple Batteries and Apple A/C Adapters. Also Great prices on Used Apple Computers. Call 1-800-941-7654 Click Here.
OWC: OWC Mercury On-The-Go FW400/800/USB2/eSATA Portables High Performance A/V Rated, **Bus Powered** **Up to 500GB in the Palm of your Hand** Macworld Editor's Choice, CNET 'Very Good' - from $75.99!
Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.
MacBook/MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO DDR2 667Mhz 4GB Kit $84, 3GB Kit $60, 2GB Kit $40 1GB $20. Click to Maximize your Macs...
About three weeks ago, I was bored in one of my classes and got this strange idea - how well could one of those old WallStreet G3 PowerBooks handle day-to-day operation in today's world?
I took out my PowerBook and started browsing around
eBay for a good deal on one of these
classic machines. I found an awesome lot of two fully functional
"MainStreets" and two nonfunctional Pismos for about $140 shipped.
I took the offer, ordered a couple power supplies, and anxiously waited
for them to arrive.
In today's article, I'll concentrate on the MainStreet, since I haven't gotten the Pismos working yet.
Around the same time, I learned that a good friend of mine was accepted to a prestigious university in downtown Philadelphia and would be needing some sort of computer to bring with her next year. Unfortunately, her older sister talker their parents into buying her a brand new iBook G4 "for school" last summer, and they were unwilling to spend that kind of money for another laptop at this time.
Adding to her problems was the fear that if she did somehow manage to save enough money for a new laptop, it would get stolen during her escapades in the urban jungle of Philadelphia.
This, I
thought, was a perfect opportunity to prove the worth of classic road
warrior.
Given the fact that the iBook is primarily used for iChat (since the older sister isn't in any kind of school right now), I knew that an older machine running OS 9 could do the same job, minus the spiffy look of OS X.
With the knowledge that the MainStreets lacked a level 2 cache, I didn't want to push the envelope by running OS X, and the unimpressive 12.1" passive matrix screen actually looks better running a classic version of the Mac OS.
With all this in mind, I set up the "guinea pig" machine with Mac OS 9.2.2, 192 MB RAM, and the stock 2.1 GB hard drive.
Applications ran surprisingly well - better than I had expected, in fact. Launching Office 2001 took about as long as on my 400 MHz B&W Power Mac G3 I keep at work, AIM was very responsive, and Internet Explorer performed adequately.
I loaded some simple games, such as Lode Runner, Zoop, and Deimos Rising, all of which ran great. As long as I stuck with one or two applications at a time, everything ran smoothly.
I was sure that despite this machine's age it could carry out simple day to day tasks, if only until she could save up enough money for a little iBook or a Mac mini. Further incentive, other than the fact that I was giving it away, was the fact that this machine was virtually virus and spyware proof, something even the most expensive Windows-based laptop can't guarantee.
I gave my friend the PowerBook, which she affectionately nicknamed "Frankie", and guided her through the operation of OS 9, which she had never used. Within an hour she was very familiar with the it.
I explained to her that there are upgrade options for this machine, from a faster CPU to a bigger screen, all of which are relatively inexpensive and pretty easy to do. I also showed her how to connect her 17" CRT monitor to the PowerBook. Needless to say, she's happy with her new laptop, and it'll be heading to campus with her next year.
The MainStreet is no speed demon, but for a basic, reliable, and still remarkably good-looking laptop, it gets the job done. That's remarkable when compared to a PC laptop of the same age, which would have hard time doing half of what this machine is now doing.
I've received several requests from colleagues looking for a simple, reliable laptop for home use, and I've recommended this machine to them. As a matter of fact, I have six more coming in as I write this, half of which are already sold.
MainStreet or not, it's still a Macintosh.
Link: eBay
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: Outbound Laptop and Notebook, Sep. 1989 - The best known among the early Mac clones.
- List of the Day: Mac Pro List is for those using a Mac Pro.
- August 20 in LEM history: 98: Unplanned obsolescence - 99: Open Link Policy - 01: Video editing on low end Macs - Picking a PCI video card - 02: iTunes 3 review - 04: Bad RAM can crash your Mac - Dual-core G4s coming - 07: White iBooks still a good bet? - VMware Fusion good for fusing Windows with OS X - Restoring PowerBook batteries
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- An RSS News Reader with the Power of Google, Keith Winston, Linux to Mac, 08.20. Unlike browser-based RSS readers or dedicated news reader apps, Google Reader lets you access your favorite feeds from any computer and browser.
- Pismo Won't Start, Spotlight Finds Too Many Files, and Panasonic SuperDrive in Pismo, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.20. Resetting a dead Pismo, an alternative to Spotlight gives better results, and success with the Panasonic UJ-850 drive in Pismo PowerBooks.
- Best PowerBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.20. Used 14" WallStreet G3/266 MHz, $90; Lombard G3/400 MHz, $150; Pismo G3/400 MHz, $300; 500 MHz, $350.
- Best Mac Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.20. Refurb 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,888; 2.8 8-core, $2,399; new 2.8 4-core, $2,124 after rebate; 8-core, $2,605 a/r; 3.0 $3,399 a/r; 3.2, $4,169 a/r.
- Best classic iPod Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.20. Used 40 GB, $140; 60 color, $170; 30 video, $150; refurb 80, $179; new, $230; refurb 160, $279; new, $330.
- Why Linux Isn't Mainstream, Used PowerBooks a Poor Value, the iMac G3 Legacy, and More, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.19. Also installing Leopard on a PowerPC Mac from an Intel installer, NeoOffice opens WordPerfect files, emulating old Macs, and where to download an iMac manual.
- What's the Best Mac OS for Your iBook, PowerBook, or MacBook?, Charles W. Moore, 'Book Value, 08.19. Tips on choosing the best OS for your PowerBook 500 Series or newer Mac notebook.
- Best iMac G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.19. Used 15" 700 MHz CD-RW, $279; 800 Combo, $300; 1 GHz $390; 17" 800 MHz SD, $439; 1.25 GHz, $449; 20", $569.
- Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.19. Used 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $999; 2.16, $1,125; new, 2.2, $1,450 after rebate; refurb 2.4, $1,649; 2.5, $1,999; 2.6, $2,299; rebates on new.
- Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.19. Mac OS X 10.0.3, $30; 10.1, $20; 10.2, $60; 10.3 CD, $70; DVD, $90; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $72; 10.3 Server, unlimited, $130.
- Snow Leopard, Windows 7, Midori, and the End of Windows (UPDATED), Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 08.18. A look at some of the technologies planned for Mac OS X 10.6, Windows 7, and Midori, Microsoft's future OS that could be the end of Windows.
- Using Low End Macs for Internet Radio, Gordon R. Brown, My Turn, 08.18. When the local public radio station moved classical music to HD radio, it was time to find another way to listen. An old iMac with iTunes solved the problem.
- PCs Not Like Macs, Claris Home Page Fan, iMac G4 Upgrade Tips, iBook Prices, and More, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.18. Also using PC3200 RAM in a Mirror Drive Door G4, cloning the classic Mac OS to a new hard drive, and thoughts on a Windows App Store.
- REALbasic Growing to Include Cocoa, Mobile, and Web Development, Rick Lawson, Pioneers in Mac Development, 08.18. REALbasic is a cross platform development tool for Mac, Windows, and Linux. The company is working on expanding that to the Web, mobile devices, and the Mac's Cocoa.
- Best Mac mini Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.18. Used 1.25 GHz G4 SD, $549; 1.42 Combo, $409; new 1.83 Core2 Combo, $569 after rebate; 2.0 SD, $769 after rebate.
- Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.18. Used 867 MHz Combo, no APX, $490; 1 GHz SuperDrive, $625; 1.33 GHz, $611; 1.5 GHz SD w/o APX, $660; w/APX, $675.
- Resetting the iPod's Display Language When You Don't Know the Language It's Using, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.18. If you've ever set your iPod's language to one you can't read, there is a way to reset it.
- iPod 'Missing Manual' Grows but Drops Coverage of Older iPods, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.18. The 6th edition of iPod: The Missing Manual has extensive coverage of all the current iPod models, but at the cost of dropping coverage of all earlier models.
- Best Apple TV Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.18. Refurb 40 GB Apple TV, $199; new, $224; refurb 160 GB, $279; new, $322 - prices include free ground shipping.
- More links in our archive.
About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts
Have a question?
Ask an expert!
Navigation
Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Best Used Macs
Video Cards
Email Lists
InfoMac's Low
End Mac Forum
Favorite Sites
MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System
6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
Mac FAQ
Abandonware
Petition
Mac vs. PC Info
Affiliates
The Apple
Store
Mac
Connection
MacMall
TechRestore
MacResQ
ExperCom
Crucial
Memory
batteries.com
Advertise
