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The Usefulness Equation
Modding Your Old Mac to Make It More Useful
- 2008.10.09 - Tip Jar
Popularity: 
Bookmark in
del.icio.usAs our Macs mature and get newer software, they can lose the ability to perform even lightweight tasks with reasonable speed. Upgrading is one way to improve their useful longevity, as I discussed in Know your Mac's Upgrade Options.
However, there is another method: Modification (or "modding") is the practice of reengineering something to your own specifications.
Ambiguous as that definition might be, it really is as simple as that. The viability of your ideas is the limit to what you can do. Think of it as an art form: If there are things about your Mac that you've wanted to change or perhaps just spice it up a bit, this is the way to go.
I do realize the term's reputation. Your modded Mac doesn't have to be painted in bright neon colors with lights hanging out of every orifice in the case and be cooled by six thousand fans.
A good example of lightweight mods are sound enhancements. Some of Apple's models (The Mirrored Drive Door G4s, for example) came with quite loud power supply fans. A 45 minute modification process (which is well documented on Accelerate Your Mac), and the noise is significantly lower.
If you're like me, you love the aesthetics of some of your Macs. However, not all machines have the power to maintain themselves for what you need. My favorite method for solving this problem is building a faster Mac inside the vintage Mac's case. For working examples of this process, check out my Twenty First Century Mac and Charles Mangin's "Marvin".
It can be the
opposite: You may hate your Mac's case. (I'm sure there is somebody who
does.) Re-casing is also a popular mod for older desktops. Check out
the Silent ATX
G4 by Todd Anderson.
Crippled machines make great mod projects. Have a laptop with a cracked screen but don't have the heart to throw it out? Mod it, like Richard Hunt did with his MacMidi. Being that the machine is crippled, your mod's design must fit into certain guidelines to get around the problem. You could easily end up turning an inconvenient problem into a nifty feature.
If you're afraid to touch your expensive Mac Pro (or perfect condition Classic) with a Dremel and screwdriver (I deeply sympathize), I recommend starting with a cheap and easy machine. Wegener Media has Blue & White G3 towers for $9.99 (no hard drive, no optical drive, add shipping). I really don't think there is a better starter machine than the B&W G3. These will most likely be the Rev. 1s, so keep that in mind when purchasing.
Having an inexpensive, expendable machine allows you to jump in with more confidence. You will learn much quicker this way. Theodore Roosevelt said it best: "One thing is sure. We have to do something. We have to do the best we know how at the moment. If it doesn't turn out right, we can modify it as we go along." You can always change your plans if you encounter problems along the way.
As I recommended with system upgrades, it's best to do copious amounts of research before beginning. Also, try writing or drawing your ideas out on paper before exercising them.
If you are looking for a starting
point or perhaps just want to take a look into some mods, I highly
recommend MacMod.com. They have a
multitude of guides to get started, as well as daily news in the
Macintosh modding community.
I just want to leave you with this last mod, the iBoy by sirljohns. The iBoy is proof that mods are not limited to computers, so keep that in mind.
On a closing note, if you love your Mac (old or new) in it's stock form, shoot me an email and tell me why you wouldn't change anything about it.
Good luck and happy modding! 
Recent Columns by Phil Herlihy
- Max Miller, Solo Musician, 08.21. An interview with Max Miller, solo musician and Mac user.
- Lombard PowerBook: Almost a Pismo for Less, 06.18. Although Pismo has the huge following, Lombard provides comparable performance of often sells for quite a bit less.
- 12" G4 iBooks and PowerBooks Are Mac Netbooks: Cheap and Powerful Enough, 02.05. Recent tests comparing a 1.33 GHz G4 iBook and a 1.6 GHz Atom-based netbook show the old Mac holds its own. It also has some advantages.
- Heat Management for 'Books and the Last Mac to Run OS 9.1, 01.08. Tips on keeping a first-gen MacBook Air from throttling back with CoolBook, using G4FanControl with a G4 PowerBook, and the fastest Mac that can boot Mac OS 9.1.
- More in the The Usefulness Equation index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: 17" iMac G4/800 MHz, July 2002 - The iMac 'grows up' with a 17" 1440 x 900 display.
- Group of the Day: LisaList supports Lisa users.
- November 8 in LEM history: 99: OS 9: I think I like it - 01: The simplified Mac life - Soured on Windows - Flea market Mac - 02: Little room for improvement in new 'Books - Combo drive upgrade for iceBooks - 04: Re-Porter - 05: Fix the old iMac or buy a Mac mini? - Apple's Copland project - 06: MacBook Core 2 - MacBook value equation - Cheap is as cheap does - 07: Problems with Classic mode in Tiger - The G4 Power Mac that won't run Leopard
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Quad-Core CPU Makes Sense in MacBook Pro, OS X 10.6 Causing Overheating, Overseas Power, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.06. Also Late 2009 MacBook reviewed, how to add RAM to new MacBook, 18.4in Acer notebook used Intel i7, and SanDisk SSD chosen for Sony VAIO X.
- Dumping Macs for Google Apps, SSD in iMac, Late 2009 iMac Performance Problems, and More, Mac News Review, 11.06. /newsrev/09mnr/1106.html
- WiFi Paranoia, iMac-O-Lantern, Magic Mouse Does Click, Free Clipboard Managers, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.05. Also strange time stamps, problem with ColorIt on Intel Mac, and the story behind OS X 10.5.4 install discs.
- IDE Is Dead; Long Live SATA!, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.04. SATA has displaced parallel ATA. While IDE hard drives haven't disappeared, the best deals are in SATA hard drives.
- QuickTime X in Snow Leopard Imports, Trims, and Publishes Video Quickly and Easily, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 11.04. The long, slow process of importing video into iMovie to edit it, then render it to another format, is history as QuickTime X does that much more quickly.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best Mac Pro Deals, 11.03. Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,300; 3.0 8-core. $2,299; refurb 2.66 4-core Nehalem, $2,149; 2.93, $2,549; 2.26 8-core, $2,799; 2.93, $4,999.
- Best iPhone Deals, 11.03. New 8 GB iPhone 3G, $$99; refurb 16 GB 3GS, $149; new, $199; 32 GB, $299.
- Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.03. Used 867 MHz SperDrive, $348; 1 GHz, $499; 1.33 Combo, $298; SD, $559; 1.5 Combo, $448; SuperDrive, $589.
- Best Power Mac G3 and PCI Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used beige 300 MHz, $25; G4/366, $49; blue & white 350, $80; 400, $90; 450, $105; PCI video cards from $15; shipping additional.
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used 400 MHz, $50; 733 MHz, $69; 933 MHz, $209; 1.25 GHz dual, $299.
- Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 11.02. Used 2.0 GHz, $800; 2.2, $900; 2.4, $1,000; refurb 2.53, $1,449; 2.66, $1,699; 2.8, $1,949; 3.06, $2,169; new 2.53, $1,579; 2.66, $1,799; more.
- Best Mac mini Deals, 10.30. Used 1.33 GHz G4 mini, $379; 1.42, $389; 1.5, $419; 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $350; Core 2, $439; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $770; Server, $990.
- Best G4 iBook Deals, 10.30. Used 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $225; 1.33 GHz, $298; 14" 1 GHz, $349; 1.33 GHz, $398; 1.42 GHz SuperDrive, $498.
- Best Classic Mac OS Deals, 10.30. System 6.0.8 floppies, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5, $20; 7.5 CD, $4; 7.6 $13; 8.1, $11; 8.5, $20; 8.6, $90; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $30.
- More deals in our archive.
