PowerBooks & iBooks

PowerBook G4/667 (Gigabit Ethernet)

code name: Onyx, TiBook

• Got a G4 PowerBook or iBook? Join LEM's G4 'Books Group.
• Got a PowerBook G4? Join the Titanium G4 email list.
• LEM's Mac OS 9 Group is for those using Mac OS 9, either natively or in Classic Mode.
• LEM's Puma Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.1.
• LEM's Jaguar Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.2.
• LEM's Panther Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.3.
• LEM's Tiger Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.4.

Overview

Details

• introduced 2001.10.16 at US$2,999; discontinued 2002.04.29
  DVD-ROM replaced with CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive 2001.12.17
• product code: M8363LL/A (DVD-ROM), M8623LL/A (Combo)
• requires Mac OS 9.1 or later, Mac OS X 10.1 through 10.4.x, 10.5 not officially supported
• CPU: 667 MHz G4 (7451)
• bus: 133 MHz
• performance:
• Geekbench 2 (Tiger): 352
• ROM: 4 MB, NewWorld ROM in RAM architecture
• RAM: 256 MB, expandable to 1 GB using two PC133 3.3 volt unbuffered low-power 144-pin 133 MHz SO-DIMMs
• Level 2 cache: 256 KB at 667 MHz
• Video: ATI AGP 4x Mobility Radeon
• VRAM: 16 MB
• Video out: VGA and S-video connectors
• display: 15.2" (38 cm) 24-bit 1152 x 768 color active matrix
  supports 896 x 600 and 720 x 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio; 1024 x 768, 800 x 600, and 640 x 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio
  allows mirroring to external display or extended desktop mode
• hard drive: 30 GB IDE, 48 GB optional
• DVD-ROM: 2x (8/8/24x CD-RW optional), CD-RW/DVD-ROM standard from 2001.12.17
• floppy drive: external USB only
• expansions bays: none
• USB: 2 USB 1.1 ports
• FireWire: 1 FW400 port
• IR port with full IrDA support
• ethernet: 10/100/gigabit
• modem: v.90 56k
• WiFi: 802.11b AirPort Card included
• PC Card slots: 1
• battery: 50 watt-hours, rated at up to 5 hours
• PRAM battery: Apple part 922-4361, US$70-95
• size: 9.5 x 13.5 x 1.0" (241 x 341 x 26 mm)
• weight: 5.3 pounds (2.4 kg)

Upgrades

• 1.2 GHz full-service upgrade, iResQ, $549 with good exchange ($599 if shipped to Canada).
• 8x SuperDrive DL upgrade, MCE Technologies, $199 if replacing DVD, $149 if replacing Combo drive or SuperDrive.
• Combo drive upgrade, MCE Technologies, $199 if replacing DVD, $149 if replacing CD-RW or Combo drive.

Online Resources

• Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to Titanium PowerBooks, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.04.29. Between January 2001 and November 2002, Apple went through four revisions and eight models ranging from 400 MHz to 1 GHz.
• Low End Mac's Best Titanium PowerBook G4 Deals, updated biweekly.
• WiFi cards for PowerBooks with PC Card slots, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 2008.08.12. PC Card and CardBus 802.11b and 802.11g cards known to be compatible with Apple's PowerBooks.
• Best classic Mac OS deals. Best online prices for System 6, 7.1, 7.5.x, Mac OS 7.6, 8.0, 8.1, 8.5, 9.0, 9.2.2, and other versions.
• Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 deals. Best online prices for Mac OS X 10.0, 10.1, 10.2, and 10.3.
• Best Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' deals. Best online prices for Mac OS X 10.4.
• Best Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' deals. Best online prices for Mac OS X 10.5.
• Unsupported Leopard installation, Dan Knight, 2007.10.31. How to install Mac OS X 10.5 on unsupported hardware - plus field reports.
• Faking out the Leopard installer with Open Firmware, Dylan McDermond, Unsupported Leopard, 2007.12.06. You don't have to hack the installer to make the Mac OS X 10.5 installer run on sub-867 MHz G4 Macs by using this simple Open Firmware trick.
• What's the best Mac OS for your iBook, PowerBook, or MacBook?, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.08.19. Tips on choosing the best OS for your PowerBook 500 Series or newer Mac notebook.
• What's the best version of OS X for my Mac?, Ian R Campbell, The Sensible Mac, 2008.02.28. Which version of Mac OS X is best for your hardware depends on several factors.
• Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to Mac OS 9, 2008 edition, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.05.12. Declared dead by Steve Jobs 6 years ago, Mac OS 9 remains fast and stable, but Classic software hasn't kept up with Web changes. What Macs support OS 9, where to buy it, and how to update to version 9.2.2.
• $40 802.11g CardBus WiFi card for OS X 10.3 and later, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.03.10. Whether it's the Buffalo or Belkin card, it has the same Broadcom chipset as Apple's AirPort Extreme and needs no special drivers.
• WiFi CardBus adapters compatible with PowerBooks, MetaPhyzx, Mac Daniel, 2009.03.11. CardBus hardware and drivers compatible with PowerBooks running Mac OS X.
• WiFi PC Cards compatible with PowerBooks running OS X, MetaPhyzx, Mac Daniel, 2009.03.11. PCMCIA/PC Card hardware and drivers compatible with PowerBooks running Mac OS X.
• WiFi PC Cards for PowerBooks running Mac OS 9, MetaPhyzx, Mac Daniel, 2009.03.10. PCMCIA cards and drivers reported to be compatible with the Classic Mac OS.
• Adding USB 2.0 to a Titanium PowerBook G4, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 2009.08.20. TiBooks have built-in USB 1.1, but with a compatible USB 2.0 CardBus card, you can go 2.0. Problem is, not all cards work.
• Cheap USB 2 CardBus solution, OS 9 and Kanga, mobile Mac value, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.09.09. Also a look at several options for using an old LocalTalk printer with a Mac running Mac OS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard'.
• The future of up-to-date browsers for PowerPC Macs, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.08.31. With Intel-only "Snow Leopard" shipping, software support for PPC Macs will continue its decline. Also, a look at SeaMonkey 2 and Camino 1.6.9.
• Checking out Safari 4 on an old PowerBook, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.06.30. Safari 4 is the fastest it's ever been, but it's not without some frustrating drawbacks.
• Optimized software builds bring out the best in your Mac, Dan Knight, Low End Mac's Online Tech Journal, 2009.06.30. Applications compiled for your Mac's CPU can load more quickly and run faster than ones compiled for universal use.
• Tips for installing or reinstalling Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger', Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2009.06.10. Mac OS X 10.4 uses less memory than Leopard, supports Classic Mode on PowerPC Macs, and, unlike Leopard, is supported on G3 Macs.
• Mac 'Book power management adventures, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.05.19. If your 'Book won't power up, shuts down while your working, or has other power issues, resetting its internal power manager may clear things up.
• 500 MHz iBook keeps going, iBook video repair, a WiFi card that costs less than AirPort, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.05.13. Also Dell's alternative to the 12" PowerBook, WiFi hotspot insecurity, and feedback from a Eudora fan.
• Does using matched RAM make your Mac faster or more stable?, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 2009.04.28. Most Macs don't need matched memory modules and seem to run just fine with mismatched brands and capacities, but matching modules may be a bit faster.
• Hacking a WiFi PC Card to work in Apple's AirPort Card slot, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 2009.04.21. Apple's AirPort Card has become expensive since it was discontinued. Here's how you may be able to adapt an 802.11b PC Card to replace it.
• Is Leopard slower than Tiger on G4 Macs?, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 2009.04.17. Truth be told, when you have 1 GB of RAM, Leopard benchmarks an insigificant 4% slower than Tiger.
• Is Camino now the best browser for older Macs?, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.01.13. Camino 1.6.6 works very will with Mac OS X 10.3 through 10.5 and seems especially well suited for slower PowerPC Macs.
• 2 compact portable USB 2.0 hubs, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.01.12. Compact hubs from Targus and Proporta make a great complement to your notebook computer. Each accepts a third-party AC adapter to provide bus power.
• Notebooks and blackouts, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.12.23. When the power goes out, a notebook computer with long-lasting batteries lets you keep working for hours and hours.
• 4 GB RAM problem persists after firmware update, TriBook concept MacBook, DIY Mac netbook, and more, The 'Book Review, 2008.12.19. Also using third-party monitors with 'Late 2008' MacBooks, MacMagSaver protects MagSafe cord, $25 802.11g USB adapter, bargain 'Books from $500 to $2,299, and more.
• The 'better safe than sorry' guide to installing Mac OS X updates, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.12.16. Most users encounter no problems using Software Update, but some preflight work and using the Combo updater means far less chance of trouble.
• Why you should partition your Mac's hard drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.12.11. "At the very least, it makes sense to have a second partition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you have problems with your work partition, you can boot from the 'emergency' partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics."
• Leopard runs very nicely on PowerPC Macs, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 2008.11.19. Some claim that Mac OS X 10.5 is so optimized for Intel Macs that it runs poorly on PowerPC hardware. That's simply not the case.
• Every working computer is useful to someone, Allison Payne, The Budget Mac, 2008.11.19. Whether it's a PowerBook 1400, G3 iMac, or Power Mac G4, it could be all the computer someone needs.
• The best browsers for older Macs running Tiger, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.09.25. A dialup user's overview of browsers for Mac OS X 10.4 puts the emphasis on reliability, downloads, and speed.
• 9 browsers for G3 and older G4 Macs compared, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 2008.09.26. The latest versions of Opera, Safari, Shiira, iCab, Radon, Firefox, Demeter, Sunrise, and Camino that run on Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger".
• Does running OS X system maintenance routines really do any good?, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.08.26. Mac OS X is designed to run certain maintenance routines daily, weekly, and monthly - but can't if your Mac is off or asleep.
• TruePower AC adapter for iBooks and PowerBooks is rugged, reliable, and affordable, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.08.14. Apple's track record with AC adapters is spotty, but the TruePower adapter is tough enough to survive being run over by a truck.
• Tricking out your notebook for superior desktop duty, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.07.29. For desktop use, you don't need to be limited by the built-in trackpad, keyboard, and display or a notebook's compromised ergonomics.
• The compressed air keyboard repair, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.07.24. If your keyboard isn't working as well as it once did, blasting under the keys with compressed air may be the cure.
• Turn your old Mac into a web server with Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 2008.07.09. Step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP on an older Mac.
• Can Linux replace OS X on older Macs?, Carl Nygren, Classic Macs in the Intel Age, 2008.06.30. Looking at Ubuntu 8.04 on a 1 GHz PowerBook and Kubuntu 5.04 on a clamshell iBook.
• Praise for Opera, low cost iBook mobo replacement, IrDA and IRtalk, WaMCom recommended, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.06.18. Also the use of 'compleat', booting from CD, new Toshiba 1.8" drives too thick for MBA, and PowerPC support and Snow Leopard.
• Mac 128K demo, Leopard adequate on unsupported Macs, booting an iMac from a Ubuntu LiveCD, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.06.11. Two new unsupported Leopard reports, Linux for PowerPC is far from dead, and Mac OS X trumps Linux and BSD for features and performance.
• SheepShaver brings Classic Mac OS to Intel Macs and Leopard, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2008.05.20. Mac OS X 10.5 doesn't support Classic Mode. Neither does Leopard. But SheepShaver lets you emulate a PowerPC Mac and run the Classic Mac OS.
• Leopard is the way to go, even on most old G4 Macs, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 2008.05.14. The useful and just cool features in Mac OS X 10.5 make this the biggest step forward in the history of the Mac OS.
• Mac value, the Hackintosh market, unsupported Leopard, and USB 2.0 for older PowerBooks, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.30. High-end Macs cost less than comparable HPs and Dells, the need for a Mac minitower, a Leopard installation tip, Leopard on an 800 MHz iBook, and which PC Cards work with Mac OS X drivers.
• Overpriced Macs, 4-core Mac Pro value, USB for G3 PowerBooks, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.24. Also reader feedback on running a keyboard through the dishwasher, tips for using external DVD drives, and 8 GB partition issues with the Classic Mac OS on the beige G3.
• OS X for PCs, Mac mini with HDTV, 802.11n options, upgrading from Mac OS 9, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.22. Also reviving a dead PowerBook 5300, Lucida Grande, external FireWire SuperDrive advice, OS X and the DeskWriter, and royalties.
• Outliners for word processing, Mac compatible WiFi cards, iWork disappoints, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.03.27. Also running Leopard on a maxed out Digital Audio Power Mac, Clamshell iBook hacks, Lombard external display resolutions, and collective nouns.
• Wireless FAQ for Older Apple PowerBook Computers. Resources to help you to install and maintain 802.11b/g wireless PC Cards on older PowerBook computers.
• The Complete and Utter Guide to PC Cards and Expansion Bays on the PowerBook, Insanely Great. All about the PCMCIA, PC Card, or CardBus slots used in various PowerBooks.
• Power your recycled laptop with a rebuilt battery, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.02.20. Old notebook computers usually mean old batteries that may be dead or on their last legs. You can buy a replacement battery, or you can have your old battery rebuilt.
• Better YouTube viewing on older Macs, too many dead pixels, Safari problems in Panther, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.02.05. Also picking the right used G4 iBook, Quartz Extreme support for PCI video, problems with Mac OS 9.x on G4 Power Macs, open firmware problems with 667 MHz PowerBook, and more.
• iPods, notebooks, and other modern electronics more readily replaced than repaired, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 2007.12.07. Whether it's an intermittent failure or a broken display cable, more often than not it's cheaper to replace a broken electronics device than repair it.
• Leopard problems with GeForce graphics, on eMacs and Power Macs, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.11.14. More success running Mac OS X 10.5 on iMacs, eMacs, Power Macs, and PowerBooks. Also failures with a Cube and a Blue and White G3 with a G4 upgrade.
• Leopard with 384 MB RAM, on a PowerBook G4/550, benchmarked, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.11.06. Leopard on Digital Audio, Quicksilver, and Sawtooth Power Macs. Questions on CPU load in OS X 10.5 and whether beige G3s and PCI Power Macs might run it.
• Dell's 802.11g card for PowerBooks, glad for the death of Classic, FireWire cams, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.11.05. Also silent computing with 'obsolete' Macs, Leopard and the 867 MHz limit, and Tiger performance on a 600 MHz G3 iBook.
• Happy with my G3s, plus Leopard on eMacs, G4 iMacs, G4 PowerBooks, and the G4 iBook, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.11.02. A reminder of the happiness found sticking with older versions of the Mac OS on G3 Macs, plus field reports of Leopard running on even more unsupported G4 Macs.
• Best AGP Mac video card, Leopard on 667 MHz PowerBook G4 and 'Sawtooth' Power Macs, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.11.01. Also questions about booting a Pismo PowerBook from Compact Flash in a PCMCIA reader and whether Leopard might run in a G4-upgraded Power Mac 7500 or G3.
• Unsupported Leopard reports: Sawtooth, Mystic, Digital Audio, Quicksilver, and TiBook success, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.10.31. Readers report that Leopard can be installed for PowerPC Macs from Intel Macs. Also success stories for AGP, Gigabit Ethernet, Digital Audio, Quicksilver, and a 400 MHz PowerBook G4.
• Reasons for sticking with the Classic Mac OS, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2007.10.30. Whether it's the simplicity, elegance, speed, or desire not to replace lots of expensive hardware, there are lots of good reasons for sticking with Mac OS 9.
• iBook G3 quality, 802.11g for older PowerBooks, installing Tiger on a CD-ROM eMac, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.10.29. Also FireWire webcam options for the classic Mac OS and installing Leopard on an upgraded Power Mac G4.
• Unsupported Leopard installation and the truth about Leopard DVD Player system requirements, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.10.25. How to create a hacked Leopard installer, and exactly what benefit you gain from a 1.6 GHz CPU with DVD Player under Leopard.
• The future of titanium PowerBooks in the Age of Leopard, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.10.17. Most of the 'titanium' PowerBooks aren't officially supported under Mac OS X 10.5, but with maximum RAM and a fast hard drive, they should be able to handle it.
• FastMac 8x SuperDrive and BurnAgain DVD: Fast and easy multisession disc burning, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.10.08. FastMac's 8x SuperDrive upgrade is remarkably fast compared with older PowerBook burners, and BurnAgain DVD makes it easy to append files to a previously burned CD or DVD.
• PC war losers, Mac 'just works', $68 802.11n for older Macs, a free font manager, and more, Mac News Review, 2007.08.31. Also DVD region locking, the iMac's glossy screen, Mac mini powerful enough, Chromac iMac housings, SanDisk's 8 GB flash drive, and more.
• Connecting a LaserWriter to ethernet and the TiBook that wouldn't boot, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.08.23. The importance of an AAUI ethernet adapter, the cost of PowerBook PRAM batteries, and booting old Macs from SCSI drives.
• Titanium PowerBook to the rescue, laptop component shortage, 2007 'Book performance comparo, and more, The 'Book Review, 2007.08.10. Also cooling the MacBook Pro, hi-res MacBook Pro suitable for color work, new batteries for G3 and G4 'Books, bargain 'Books from $130 to $2,599, and more.
• 250 GB 5400 rpm notebook drive benchmarked, Apple shrinks pro MagSafe adapter, $150 Linux laptop, and more, The 'Book Review, 2007.07.27. Also touchup paint for TiBooks, Dell and Lenovo offer wireless USB, Logitech's nano mouse and receiver, and bargain 'Books from $130 to $2,199.
• The TiBook marches on: 400 MHz productivity in the 2 GHz era, Neil Hokanson, My Turn, 2007.07.26. "Even though my PowerBook isn't the fastest or latest and greatest, it works, and the low-end marches on."
• Unmatched Classic Mac OS apps, TiBook reliability, Matias Tactile Pro 2.0 disappoints, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.06.18. Also Netscape 7 and 9, MacBook causing problems with iMac's display, and graphics cards for a Power Mac G4 and an ADC display.
• Compact Flash faster than a hard drive, CF in a clamshell iBook, eSATA for PowerBooks, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.06.12. Faster boot times with a flash drive, replacing the hard drive in an iBook with Compact Flash, eBay feedback tips, eSATA CardBus options for PowerBooks, and the importance of G3 support in Mac OS X 10.5.
• Operation FlashBook: Running Tiger from flash on a PowerBook G4, John Muir, Mac Daniel, 2007.05.29. With the hard drive failing and Compact Flash prices falling, it was time to consider running the PowerBook G4 from flash. Looking back at 6 months, was it worth it?
• Silence is golden: Running your existing notebook using flash memory, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 2007.05.23. With a new adapter from Addonics, you can replace your laptop's IDE hard drive inexpensively and boot silently from a Compact Flash card.
• Format any drive for older Macs with patched Apple tools, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2007.04.25. Apple HD SC Setup and Drive Setup only work with Apple branded hard drives - until you apply the patches linked to this article.
• How much PowerBook or iBook do you need to run Mac OS X?, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2007.01.15. You don't need the latest and greatest Mac to be productive in OS X. Here are six iBook and PowerBook suggestions built between 2000 and 2003.
• OS 10.4.8 making PowerBook run cooler?, Charles W. Moore, OS X Odyssey, Applelinks, 2006.10.24. "...I haven't restarted, and the 'Book is still running in the high 40°s - low 50°s most of the time. The fan has only activated sporadically while doing heavy multitasking."
• Better laptop performance: What's the best upgrade?, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.10.09. Memory, CPU, bus speed, and hard drives all impact performance and battery life. Which upgrades will give you the most up time in the field?
• Inside your notebook's battery: Ordinary AA Li-Ion cells, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.09.08. That expensive battery in your notebook computer probably holds less than $30 worth of off-the-shelf AA Li-Ion batteries.
• Setting up a titanium PowerBook for video editing, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 2006.09.01. Working with a limited budget, a 867 MHz TiBook should be sufficient for basic video editing.
• Customizing Mac OS 9, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.08.01. Fiddling with themes, picking a browser, and making the Classic Mac OS work just the way you want it to.
• 7 tools for keeping your laptop (uh, notebook) cool, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.07.24. A quick look at the Podium CoolPad, ChillMat, ChillHubs, Laptop Desk, Xpad, iLap, and iBreeze - seven stands designed to keep you 'Books running cooler.
• Power strategies for using your 'Book in the field: Batteries and AC adapters, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.06.05. One or two extra batteries and at least one spare AC adapter can be essential when you're traveling and need to get hours and hours of use from your 'Book.
• End of G4 models points to unprecedented value for used G4 Macs, Leaman Crews, Plays Well with Others, 2006.06.02. The PowerPC G4 may no longer have a place in Apple's product line, but that's a far cry from saying G4-based Macs are obsolete. If anything, their value is going to increase.
• Replacing Lombard with a TiBook: which one is enough?, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 2006.04.19. Nice as the Lombard was, it has a new owner. The new 'Book should have FireWire, G4 power, and run Tiger nicely. How much TiBook is enough?
• Making the move from Jaguar (OS X 10.2) to Panther (10.3), Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2006.04.11. One advantage of Apple's "no upgrades" policy for OS X - someone can give you their old copy after upgrading without worrying about violating their license.
• FastMac's $190 8x dual-layer SuperDrive for PowerBooks and dual USB iBooks, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.01.30. For US$190-250 you can replace the CD-ROM, CD-RW, Combo, or slow old SuperDrive in most PowerBooks, white iBooks, slot-loading iMacs, and Cubes with a faster, dual-layer drive.
• Web browser tips for the classic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.01.03. Tips on getting the most out of WaMCom, Mozilla, Internet Explorer, iCab, Opera, and WannaBe using the classic Mac OS.
• The best browsers for PowerPC Macs and the classic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2005.12.16. Two browsers stand out from the pack: iCab 3 is modern and remains under development, and WaMCom brings Mozilla to older Macs.
• FixIt Guide: PowerBook G4 Onyx, PB FixIt. All you need to know to take apart, upgrade, repair, and put your PowerBook back together again. Online and print versions available.
• NewerTech TiBook battery provides four hours of use, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2004.05.24. "In the real world, I can get at least 4 hours of active use, and with the Energy Saver settings activated, a freshly charged battery usually shows over 5 hours of power."
• OWC offers $299 combo drive for TiBooks, Other World Computing, 2003.03.27. Same mechanism Apple uses, includes buffer underrun protection.
• Flash memory improves PowerBook, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2002.11.14. Using Compact Flash to boot, save files, run silently, extend battery life, and as virtual memory on a PowerBook.
• Tote and Tilt Adds Handle to New iBook or TiBook, The 'Book Review, 2001.10.19. $40 and $45 handles make it easy to transport iceBook, TiBook.
• How to repair broken hinges on your Powerbook G4 Titanium for only $10, Kjartan P. Sigurdsson, 2001.10.08. It beats paying Apple $1,600 for a repair.
• BookEndz Docking Station for TiBook, Charles Moore, The 'Book Review, 2001.05.18. "With the new BookEndz docking station for TiBook, you can connect or disconnect a video monitor, ethernet network, USB devices, FireWire device, modem, and AC power adapter simultaneously."
• Guide to TiBooks, compares each PowerBook G4.
• ColorSync profile for PowerBook G4, Berg Design. Try it - your PowerBook G4's screen will look better.
• How to run the PowerBook G4 with the lid down, Apple TIL, 1/18/01
• Titanium G4 email list, The Macintosh Guy. New list for PowerBook G4 users - count me in!
• Memory pricing at ramseeker.
• Apple Spec: PowerBook G4 (Gigabit Ethernet)

Cautions

• Do not under any circumstances use the Password Security control panel with any PowerBook running Mac OS 9 - see PowerBook (FireWire): Late Breaking News - it will render your PowerBook inoperable. The only fix is to put the drive in an older PowerBook, open Password Security, go to Setup, and click the Reset button, and then put the drive back in your 'Book.
• There is an incompatibility between the Kensington Startup ADB extension and the Trackpad control on the iBook with Mac OS 9.0.4. Symptom: trackpad responds during boot, but not later. Solution: disable Kensington Startup ADB extension. This may also apply to other USB portables and versions of the Mac OS.

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