Power Mac G3 All-in-One

Power Macintosh G3 All-in-One

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Overview

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The G3 All-in-One succeeded the Power Mac 5000 series for the education market. Key features include the G3 processor and a 15" multiscan display (13.8" viewable). The All-in-One was specifically designed for the education market, where less wires and parts to remove are a big plus.

The motherboard is on a slide-out tray for easier upgrade and service. A 4 GB EIDE hard drive, 24x CD-ROM player, and 10Base-T ethernet are standard. An internal Zip drive is optional.

Unfortunately, this machine was discontinued to make room for the iMac. A lot of users, especially educators, missed having an integrated Power Mac with PCI slots.

If you have a hard drive larger than 8 GB, you should partition is so that the first partition is under 8 GB in size (for simplicity, we suggest 7 GB). Failure to do this could eventually result in an unbootable computer, as all System files must be within the first 8 GB of drive space. These Macs can work successfully with larger drives for some time, but once a System files goes outside of the first 8 GB of space, you'll have nothing but problems.

Mac OS X

If you have a hard drive over 8 GB in size, you must partition it or you will not be able to install Mac OS X. If you are creating the partition within OS X, it must be smaller than 7.45 as reported by Disk Utility (because sometimes a GB is billion bytes and sometimes it's 1,073,741,824 bytes); we suggest simply setting it at 7 GB to avoid having to redo the whole installation if the partition ends up bigger than specified (it happens). Mac OS X must be completely within the first 8 GB of space on your hard drive or you will not be able to run OS X.

You can only boot OS X from a "master" drive in the beige G3. This applies to hard drives and CD-ROM drives. If the CD-ROM is set to slave, you will not be able to install OS X. If the hard drive is set to slave, you will not be able to boot from it.

Non-Apple upgrades and peripherals (such as unsupported USB devices, replacement drives, and third-party memory) may cause problems when installing or booting into Mac OS X.

Be sure to read and follow Apple's "Read Before You Install" instructions to increase the likelihood of getting OS X installed and running on the first try.

The beige G3 is not officially supported under OS X 10.3 (Panther), but it does work with 10.2.8 and earlier. Panther can be installed using XPostFacto 3, although built-in video is not currently supported.

Cautions

Data on the RAM Disk is lost during a restart, unlike earlier Macs. Apple also notes that the 100 MHz Pentium PC Compatibility card is incompatible, although this seems to be due to an audio cable problem. There are also reports that the G3 will not stay asleep.

Other compatibility issues:

GeoPort Modem not supported
QTC and AMC not supported
Must disconnect LocalTalk if using ethernet
Needs updated drivers for StyleWriter 4100 & 4500
Needs new ethernet driver for use on 10/100 autosensing hubs
LocalTalk printing slow on busy networks
Apple TokenRing card not supported

Some of these issues were addressed by later versions of the Mac OS.

When buying a G4 upgrade for the beige G3, make sure it is compatible with this model's 66 MHz bus. Pulled G4s from Apple's "Yikes!" G4 and some OEM G4s are specifically designed for a 100 MHz bus and will not work properly in the beige G3.

The beige G3 supports 256 MB DIMMs, but they must be built using 128 Mb chips. DIMMs built with 256 Mb chips will work, but the memory controller will only see the first 128 Mb of each chip. Compatible 256 MB DIMMs will have 16 memory chips, 8 on each side.

Details

introduced 1998.04.03; discontinued 1999.01.01
requires Mac OS 8 or later, 10.2.x officially supported, 10.3.x and 10.4.x can generally be installed using XpostFacto 4
CPU: 233/266 MHz PPC 750
bus: 66 MHz
L2 cache: 512 KB 2:1 backside cache
performance: 4.5/5.0 (relative to 7500/100); 767/888, Macbench 4
RAM: 32 MB (expandable to 768MB, desktop version requires low profile DIMMs), uses 3.3V unbuffered 100 MHz 168-pin SDRAM, 3 sockets accept 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, or 256MB DIMMS
VRAM: 2 MB SGRAM, expandable to 6 MB
Video: supports resolutions to 1024 x 768, uses ATI 2D/3D 64-bit accelerated chip set
hard drive: 4 GB EIDE drive. Maximum IDE drive size is 128 GB without third-party support. See How big a hard drive can I put in my iMac, eMac, or Power Mac? for three options.
CD-ROM: 24x maximum throughput
3 PCI slots
1 Personality Card slot (matches Comm Slot II, but only works with modems)
microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple's PlainTalk microphone
ADB: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
serial: 2 DIN-8 GeoPorts on back of computer
SCSI: DB-25 connector on back of computer
10Base-T ethernet connectors on back of computer
size (HxWxD): 19.9" x 16.1" x 18.0"
weight: 59.5 lb.
Gestalt ID: 510
PRAM battery: 3.6V half-AA
upgrade path: G3 and G4 ZIF CPU upgrades (note that maximum CPU speed you can set using the J16 jumper block is 466 MHz - 7 times bus speed - unless the upgrade sets its own multiplier)

Accelerators & Upgrades

8x SuperDrive DVD±RW upgrade, MCE Technologies, $149. 8x4x12x DVD, 24x24x40x CD. 2 MB buffer. Requires OS 9 or OS X.
Guide to G3 ZIF Upgrades, Low End Mac
333 MHz, 400 MHz upgrades for Power Mac G3, MacCPU
see Clocking the G3 for details on tweaking the G3 motherboard

Online Resources

Best used Power Mac G3 deals, updated monthly.
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.
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.
Bringing G3 iMacs and other G3 Macs into the Tiger Age, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2007.12.07. Tips on hard drives, memory, WiFi, and getting Mac OS X 10.4 installed on G3 iMacs and other older G3 Macs.
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.
Environmentally responsible retirement for old Macs, Rick Lawson, Pioneers in Mac Development, 2008.06.13. After you've scavenged what useful parts you can from your old Mac, what's the most environmentally friendly way to dispose of the rest?
Turn your old Mac into a website server with free open source software, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 2008.07.02. By installing Linux without a GUI, your old Mac can dedicate all of its resources to running Apache, MySQL, and PHP.
Mac OS X 10.2 'Jaguar' can unleash the power of G3 iBooks, Carl Nygren, Classic Macs in the Intel Age, 2008.06.17. After pulling a bad stick of RAM, the Dual USB iBook didn't have enough memory for Tiger or Linux. But even with just 128 MB of RAM, Jaguar did the job.
More G4 upgrade advice, secure disk wipes, 500 MHz iMacs with Tiger in action, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.05.09. The importance of securely clearing your hard drive before you pass on your Mac, Pismo and closed lid mode, G3 iMacs in the classroom, and more thoughts on upgrading G4 Power Macs.
Macintosh peace of mind, PA Semi and the iPhone, $40 802.11g PCI card, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.05.01. Also Power Mac vs. Mac mini, more on DVD User Op Patch, 12" vs. 14" iBook, and VGA for a Power Mac 6100.
Troubleshooting Eudora, backing up a Beige G3, and why Macs are green, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.05.01. Problems getting help with Eudora, backup options for a Power Mac G3, and how the long-term usefulness of Macs makes them environmentally friendly computers.
Picking the right 'Book, clamshell iBook memories, and alternatives to SCSI-to-USB, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.04.23. Choosing a good used 'Book for Classic, remembering the clamshell iBooks, and alternate options to avoid spending $99 on a SCSI-to-USB adapter.
3 ways to better YouTube viewing on older Macs, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.02.06. Watching YouTube videos in your browser on G3 Macs can be painfully slow, but there are several ways to improve your YouTube viewing experience.
WWDC Leopard on upgraded Beige G3, PowerBook vs. iBook, Leopard on an 800 MHz iBook G4, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.01.30. Also MacBook Air points to future notebooks, iPod and iPhone coverage on Low End Mac, changes in Xbench scores, and help with a Mac Classic.
G3 and G4 Power Macs and Clamshell iBooks still useful, Ben Zalutsky, No Windows for Me, 2008.01.29. Intel CPUs may be blazingly fast, but the old G3 and G4 Macs have plenty of usable life left in them.
Vintage Mac video and monitor mania, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2007.12.17. Vintage Macs and monitors didn't use VGA connectors. Tips on making modern monitors work with old Macs.
Getting inside vintage Macs and swapping out bad parts, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2007.12.14. When an old Mac dies, the best source of parts is usually another dead Mac with different failed parts.
8 GB partition issue impacts OS 9, RAM for G3 iMacs, success with Open Firmware hack, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.12.10. Partitions over 8 GB can cause problems in the classic Mac OS, more unsupported Leopard reports, another vote against the iPhone, and millions vs. thousands of colors.
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.
Interchangeabilty and compatibility of Apple 1.4 MB SuperDrive floppy drives, Sonic Purity, Mac Daniel, 2007.09.26. Apple used two kinds of high-density floppy drives on Macs, auto-inject and manual inject. Can they be swapped?
AirPort Extreme interference robustness explained, 1 GHz G3 upgrade, new OS X image editor, and more, Mac News Review, 2007.09.14. Also picking the right Mac, Microsoft's wireless mouse with 1 GB of flash memory, Revolabs wireless microphone with iListen, Opera 9.5 for Mac reaches alpha 3, and more.
The future of G3 Power Macs in the Age of Leopard, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.09.12. There's no G3 support in Leopard. What does that mean for those with a Beige G3 or a Blue and White G3?
Gigabyte confusion, big letter keyboard wanted, G3 All-in-One problem, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.08.22. Also alternative printing solutions for older Macs and missing AppleWorks.
The truth about CRTs and shock danger, Tom Lee, Online Tech Journal, 2007.05.22. You've been warned that CRT voltage can injure and even kill. The truth is that this danger is overstated - and takes attention away from a greater danger.
Why Apple must continue G3 support in Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard', Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.05.08. "We're worried about what happens if Apple unchecks that box in Xcode to include the instructions necessary to run OS X on G3 processors at all."
Installing Ubuntu Linux on the Beige G3 Mac, John Honniball, 2005. Step-by-step guide to installing Ubuntu Linux on a beige Power Mac G3.
Importance of G3 support in 10.5, clever USB/FireWire solution, upgrade options, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.05.01. Also the loss of the PowerBook brand, upgrading to an Intel iMac, Korg and the Mac, Quadra boot problems, and the value of a Mac Classic.
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.
$25 802.11g card for PCI Macs, drive support for 802.11n AirPort Extreme, Adtron ups flash disks, and more, Mac News Review, 2007.03.02. Also firmware update info for Intel Macs, washable medical mouse and keyboard, TechTool Protogo, and more.
Musings on low-end SATA cards in PCI Power Macs, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.11.06. Thoughts on why the inexpensive SATA card might almost work in a pre-G3 PCI Power Mac.
Old Power Macs and SATA not a marriage made in heaven, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.11.03. The PCI SATA card said blue & white G3 or newer and Mac OS 8.6 or later, but maybe it would work in an older pre-G3 Power Mac....
Is Ubuntu Linux a sensible alternative for Mac users?, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.09.18. If your Mac can run OS X decently, is there any reason to try Ubuntu Linux? If it can't run OS X well, is Ubuntu a reasonable choice?
Mac OS 8 and 8.1: Maximum size, maximum convenience, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2006.09.11. Mac OS 8 and 8.1 add some useful new features and tools, and it can even be practical on 68030-based Macs.
Is the G3 still a practical choice?, Matthew Jay, Macs to the Max, 2006.08.10. Although the G3 is several generations old, it has enough horsepower for most of the things we do on our computers.
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.
The ins and outs of booting Linux on the Mac, Larry Stotler, Linux on the Low End, 2006.07.31. "Old World" Macs can't boot directly into Linux. They need to boot the Classic Mac OS first, then pass control over to Linux.
Floppy drive observations: A compleat guide to Mac floppy drives and disk formats, Scott Baret, Online Tech Journal, 2006.06.29. A history of the Mac floppy from the 400K drive in the Mac 128K through the manual-inject 1.4M SuperDrives used in the late 1990s.
More on the best classic Mac OS browser and video capture options with Mac OS 9, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.06.28. WaMCom as the best classic Mac browser, software suggestions for OS 9 video capture, and two hardware alternatives to having your Mac do the video conversion.
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.
What to buy when the old Beige G3 is just too sluggish, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2006.03.27. When your old Power Mac G3 just can't keep up with your needs under OS X, it's time to look at the used Power Mac G4 market. The difference in speed can be astounding.
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.
How big a hard drive can I put in my iMac, eMac, or Power Mac?, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2005.10.24. A lot of older Macs don't know how to deal with drives over 128 GB in size. We look at three options.
Sonata SD, Sonnet Tech, 2004.06.01. First new PCI video card for the Mac in ages sells for just US$99, supports OS 7.5.3 and later plus OS X 10.1.5 and later, works with VGA or old Mac monitors, 16 MB VRAM.
Beige G3 owner reports on TV tuners, Accelerate Your Mac, 2004.03.26. Solutions for watching television and capturing video on OS X and the classic Mac OS.
Migration issues in moving from a Beige G3 to a Blue and White, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 2004.02.20. Using an older printer and a SCSI scanner, ejecting a CD, and dealing with a system freeze.
Stepping up from a Beige G3 to Blue and White, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 2004.02.16. Why it was time to upgrade, benefits of the newer computer, and troubles caused by the Rev. 1 motherboard.
Choosing between beige G3 upgrade options, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2003.04.25. Thoughts on video cards, CPU upgrades, and more.
The value and limitations of the beige G3, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2003.03.03. As used G3 prices plummet, has the beige G3 become a best buy, or are there good reasons to avoid it?
Speeding up a beige G3, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2002.10.28. Pumping up an old G3/266 with a faster processor, faster hard drive, and faster drive controller.
OS X: 10.1.5 corrects beige G3/Radeon incompatibility, obzorg.org. "...Apple has corrected this problem with one notable limitation."
Rage at being left behind, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2001.12.24. It's official - Apple doesn't plan to support graphics acceleration for any Mac with ATI Rage video.
OS X and the beige G3, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 2001.12.21. OS X runs decently on a beige G3, but also cripples the floppy drive, printer port, graphics performance....
How to install a CD-RW in a G3 All-in-One, ScienceMac, 2001.10.30. Includes lots of helpful photos.
OS X graphics speedup with early ATI video, Mac OS X: Optimizing for Earlier ATI Graphics Accelerators, 2001.03.09. ATI Rage II+, IIc, Pro, and LT Pro faster displaying thousands of colors, not millions.
Review: The Silencer, ScienceMan.com, 1/25/01. Making the G3 All-in-One quieter with a new fan.
Guide to G4 ZIF Upgrades, Low End Mac
Guide to G3 ZIF Upgrades, Low End Mac
G3 Zone, Accelerate Your Mac!
Hardware: Four ZIF upgrades for Power Mac G3, MacInTouch, 1/27
Will Artemis (G3 All-in-One) return from the grave?, Steve Wood, MacTimes, 12/23
Review: 400 MHz upgrade for Power Mac G3, Accelerate Your Mac
Apple has discovered the cause of the dim video problem with the audio/video personality card in the Power Mac G3s. Contact Apple or your Apple dealer for a new card that fixes the problem.
Apple Spec: Power Macintosh G3 All-in-One
The G3 All-in-one Stop Shop

Cautions

Power Macs earlier than the 2002 Quicksilver models do not have built-in support for IDE hard drives with capacities over 128 GB. Without a third-party solution, larger drives can only be formatted to 128 GB in these models. There are three options (as noted on Accelerate Your Mac):
- Intech's ATA Hi-Cap Support Driver
- A PCI IDE card that supports big drives
- A FireWire enclosure that supports big drives
Macs with IDE hard drive do not provide SCSI termination power, depending on external SCSI devices to provide it. For more details, see SCSI Termination Power.

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