Low End Mac's Best Deals

Best Titanium PowerBook G4 Prices

2012.01.24

Short link: http://bit.ly/z34yx

Got a G4 PowerBook? Join the G4 'Books email list.

Apple introduced its first G4 notebook, the Titanium PowerBook (TiBook), in January 2001; the last one was discontinued in Sept. 2003 and replaced by the 15" aluminum PowerBook G4. All titanium models have 15.4" displays, 2 USB 1.1 ports, FireWire 400, one CardBus slot, room for an 802.11b AirPort Card (not the newer 802.11g AirPort Extreme, although with a CardBus card or USB dongle, you can use 802.11g or 802.11n), and ports in the rear, including either VGA or DVI for an external display.

WiFi range with the original AirPort Card is limited due to the use of titanium, which acts as a partial shield. The best work-around is an 802.11g or 802.11n CardBus (a.k.a PCMCIA/PC Card) card or USB dongle (Headgap has one for $35 shipped). See WiFi Cards for PowerBooks with PC Card Slots for an overview of CardBus options. We suggest the Belkin F5D7010, which Amazon.com currently offers for $16.50.

All TiBooks support up to 1 GB of RAM using two 512 MB modules. With Mac OS X 10.3.9 and earlier, you can get by with 384 MB. Tiger (OS X 10.4) really wants at least 512 MB for decent performance, and Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard runs best with 1 GB. With any version of OS X, more RAM is always better.

Mac OS X 10.5 is officially supported on all 867 MHz and faster G4 Macs with at least 512 MB of RAM and the ability to run the DVD-based installer, and we've received reports that it runs decently even on first generation TiBooks (but better on faster ones), although some have reported that it tends to run hot on older TiBooks and could overheat. For more on that, see Unsupported Leopard installation and The Future of Titanium PowerBooks in the Age of Leopard.

The first two generations (400-667 MHz) have 1152 x 768 displays and VGA output, and the 400-500 MHz models don't support Quartz Extreme. VGA models only support hard drives up to 120 GB capacity (see How Big a Hard Drive Can I Put in My Mac? for more information); DVI models support larger hard drives. Installing a 5400 or 7200 rpm hard drive can make a big difference. Later TiBooks (667 MHz and higher) have 1280 x 854 displays and DVI output. Early TiBooks shipped with DVD-ROM drives, midway through the second version (550/667 MHz VGA) Apple switched to Combo drives, and only the 1 GHz model was available from Apple with a SuperDrive.

Listings note RAM/hard drive size/optical drive (DVD, Combo, or SD for SuperDrive). "AP" means an AirPort Card is included. We try to factor in shipping costs (based on ground rate to Low End Mac headquarters in Michigan). Used Macs usually include a 90 day warranty. The best deals are marked in bold type.

Check details when buying a 667 MHz PowerBook G4. The VGA model has 1152 x 768 display, 16 MB video memory, and a DVD-ROM or Combo drive. The DVI model has 1280 x 854 display, 32 MB video memory, and a Combo drive.

Best Used Titanium PowerBook Prices

We try to factor in estimated shipping costs, which vary by location, in choosing the best prices. AirPort not included unless noted. We do not include GainSaver here, because they strip out the original optical drive and replace it with a CD-ROM drive.

667 MHz DVI Combo, $329, DV Warehouse
1 GHz SD, $439, TekSale.com

Recent Memory Prices

PC100 (400-550 MHz): 512 MB, $24.99 ($50 for maximum memory)
PC133 (all TiBooks): 512 MB, $25.99 ($52 for maximum memory)

Mac OS X and OS X Server Prices

Best Classic Mac OS Deals (use 9.2.2 for Classic Mode)
Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals
Best Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Deals
Best Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Deals (requires 512 MB of RAM, DVD compatible drive, and AGP graphics, can be hacked to install on 400 MHz to 800 MHz TiBooks)

After years of use, original batteries may no longer hold much of a charge. We recommend NuPower replacement batteries, which are available from Other World Computing (listed below).

Unless otherwise noted, there is no surcharge for credit card purchases, and shipping is not included. Vendors are listed in alphabetical order. Be sure to visit their sites for full details.

Prices may be limited to quantity on hand. Not responsible for typos. Please email any corrections or additional sources with competitive prices toDan Knight .

Buying through some of these links benefits Low End Mac. Buying at these prices benefits you.

Profiles

G4/400 & 500 (Jan. 2001): 1152 x 768 video, ATI AGP 2x Rage Mobility 128 graphics, 8 MB VRAM, VGA video out, DVD-ROM, no FW 800
G4/550 & 667 (VGA) (Oct. 2001): 1152 x 768 video, ATI AGP 4x Rage Mobility 128 graphics, 16 MB VRAM, VGA video out, DVD-ROM or Combo drive, no FW 800
G4 667 (DVI) & 800 (Apr. 2002): 1280 x 854 video, ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics, 32 MB VRAM, DVI video out, Combo drive, FW 800
G4 867 & 1 GHz (SuperDrive) (Nov. 2002): 1280 x 854 video, ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 AGP 4x graphics, 32/64 MB VRAM, DVI video out, Combo drive or SuperDrive, FW 800

For a more detailed comparison of these models, see Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to Titanium PowerBooks.

TiBook Deals

DV Warehouse

Ground shipping can add $25 or more. Mac OS X 10.4 installed.

667 MHz DVI Combo, 512/30, $329
used 802.11b AirPort Card, $24.95

GainSaver

GainSaver appears to have an ongoing daily 10% off sale on Apple products, but we list the undiscounted price just in case. Prices include a 30 day warranty; 90 day warranty is $40 additional. Diagnostic testing costs $25, and shipping insurance costs $25.32. Price includes regular non-server version of Mac OS X. These have been downgraded from factory standard optical drives to CD-ROM drives - you can upgrade to a Combo drive for $19, a SuperDrive for $39 or a dual-layer SuperDrive for $79. Add $29 for an AirPort Card, $79 for a new battery, $39 for an Apple power adapter. You can custom configure your PowerBook with larger hard drives, various memory configurations, and more. We strongly recommend that you verify the equipment you want is in stock before placing an order. Caveat emptor.

550 MHz CD-ROM, 256/30, $189
1 GHz CD-ROM, 512/30, $219

Teksale.com

Ground shipping can add $15 or more.

1 GHz SD, 512/60, AP, $439
1 GHz SD, 1 GB/60, AP, $449

Wegener Media

Ground shipping may add $31 or more. 60 day warranty.

667 MHz DVI Combo, 256/30, $469.99
867 MHz Combo, 256/30, $499.99
1 GHz Combo, 256/60, $699.99
Belkin 802.11g card, requires OS X 10.3 or later, $39.99
many upgrades available

TiBook Accessories

Operator Headgap

Operator Headgap thoroughly refurbishes and tests every Mac they sell. When ordering, please let them know you heardabout them on Low End Mac when entering your shipping information. Thanks!

60W power adapter, $39.77 shipped
120 GB 5400 rpm hard drive, maximum size for pre-DVI TiBooks, $89.77 shipped
802.11g Aria Extreme wireless CardBus card, $59.77 shipped
USB 802.11n WiFi adapter, throughput limited by USB 1.1 ports on TiBooks (unless you have a USB 2.0 PC Card), OS X 10.4 and newer, $34.77 shipped
2-port USB 2.0 PC Card, supports OS 8.6-9.2.2 at USB 1.1 speed, requires OS X for USB 2.0 speed, $34.77 shipped
8x SuperDrive for TiBooks and AlBooks, $139.77 shipped

Other World Computing

63 Watt-Hour NuPower battery, up to 26% more capacity than original, $69
75 Watt-Hour NuPower battery, up to 50% more capacity than original, $84.99

Can't afford a PowerBook G4 but need portability? Check out our best PowerBook G3 Deals and iBook G3 Deals. Need more power? Look at our iBook G4 Deals, 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, 15" Aluminum PowerBook G4 Deals, and 17" PowerBook G4 Deals.

About LEM Support Usage Privacy Contact

Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2012 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc. unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iPad iPhone, iMac, iPod, 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.
Advice is 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.
Email may be published at our discretion unless marked "not for publication"; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. 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.

Custom Search

Follow Low End Mac on Twitter
Join Low End Mac on Facebook

Low End Mac Reader Specials

TypeStyler 11 is now in the Mac App Store!! -- Special Introductory Price of $59.95!! -- To Buy From The Mac App Store Click Here Now!! Or buy direct from Strider Software.

Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how to download and install a native Mac poker and Mac Casino applications in minutes.

Affiliates

Amazon.com
The Apple Store
The iTunes Store
PC Connection Express
GainSaver
Parallels Desktop for Mac
eBay