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massey · Feb 22, 2004, 09:44 PM

I have an old beige g3 466mhz which was pretty speedy in os9. What can I do with it these days without selling it. Not sure if I need a server but I'm wondering if I could add some more life to an old friend.

Lateralus · Feb 22, 2004, 10:43 PM

Keep it as an OS 9/8.6 box or install Yellow Dog Linux on it.

Vader�s Pinch of Death · Feb 23, 2004, 12:15 AM

Originally posted by PowerMacMan:
Keep it as an OS 9/8.6 box or install Yellow Dog Linux on it.

And then what?

Lateralus · Feb 23, 2004, 12:17 AM

Originally posted by Vader�s Pinch of Death:
And then what?

And then... keep it as an OS 9/8.6 box or install Yellow Dog Linux on it?

Surely I am not the only person who enjoys just using an operating system that is different than the one I use 90% of the time.

-Q- · Feb 23, 2004, 04:44 AM

I keep mine, running OS X, on the network and just run it as a back-up machine/music storage machine. It's been running great for 4 months now and I always have a recent backup available 'just in case.'

massey · Feb 23, 2004, 10:41 AM

a backup machine could be nice but I got that covered with dvd-r's and an external hard drive. I love my Tibook/Cinema OS X setup too much to need os9.

Lateralus · Feb 23, 2004, 10:55 AM

Well, when I say 'backup machine' I mean a machine to use if my main machine explodes or is stolen by aliens or something. That way, I can atleast get online and look for parts and ask for help on message boards.

Oh, you could also just run SETI on the Beige 24/7 too.

djohnson · Feb 23, 2004, 11:08 AM

I use my beige G3 466Mhz full time! It may not be super speedy... but it is all I can afford right now. It got me through college just fine! Oh and it still runs 10.2.8 just fine and compiles with no problem. On the other hand, I will be upgrading it to 900+Mhz soon along with a Radeon 7000 that i am going to flash soon... Then it will work for another year or until I decide the new machines are just TOO fast!

Then it becomes our houses iTunes music station and backup server.

eyadams · Feb 23, 2004, 11:18 AM

You could do what I did: install OS 9 on it and set it up as my kid's computer. He has tons of programs (Reader Rabbit, Jumpstart) that just don't run right under OS X, even on my shiny new G5.

C.J. Moof · Feb 23, 2004, 12:33 PM

There are always non-profits who would benefit from a donation. I gave away a half dozen beige G3s to local community groups last year... the Rape Crisis Center, Wheels for Winners (they refurbish bicycles for kids who's family can't afford them), and an urban land use foundation, among others.

In my town www.communityshares.com was the conduit for finding out who could use a computer. Perhaps you have a similar local organization. The United Way comes to mind....

CIA · Feb 23, 2004, 03:18 PM

I believe you get a tax deduction also if you donate. I think you can deduct the full value of the machine when you got it, not what it's worth today. You local/State tax laws may vary tho.

massey · Feb 23, 2004, 08:59 PM

do you guys think a 800/g4 or 1ghz/g4 upgrade is worth it for maybe a web machine for my parents or the kitchen? anyone actually upgrade theirs?

djohnson · Feb 23, 2004, 09:26 PM

You will need to be careful on upgrading a beige G3 to a G4. Sometimes, the voltage regulator(???) will not work with the G4 chip. I am getting a 1+Ghz chip from PowerLogix in a month or so. You might want to look into one of these. They are not out yet, but should be just what you need! Oh and look into a better video card if you are using the stock one. A radeon 7000 will work well and you can flash the pc version to work on a mac.

Luca Rescigno · Feb 23, 2004, 09:45 PM

I'd say skip the fast G4 upgrades for the beige G3s. I'd rather stay with OS 9 on them. If you want a G4, sell the machine and use the money you would have used for that G4 upgrade on a used Sawtooth G4.

Although I like processor upgrades for the old G4 towers, I don't think they're worth it for earlier machines.

C.J. Moof · Feb 23, 2004, 10:14 PM

Originally posted by CIA:
I believe you get a tax deduction also if you donate. I think you can deduct the full value of the machine when you got it, not what it's worth today. You local/State tax laws may vary tho.

I'd check up on that... if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

OreoCookie · Feb 23, 2004, 10:20 PM

Set it up as a backup and file server.

MacOS X, Linux, and NetBSD are your choices. Linux isn't hard to install, contrary to popular belief.

massey · Feb 23, 2004, 10:44 PM

what is a beige g3 a/v worth these days

upgraded 466/g3 mini tower
384mb ram
ultratek/66 with dual 7200 30gig deskstars
upgraded ati nexus 128 graphics card 32mb
firewire/usb card
dvd-rom drive
zip 100 drive

this was a hot system until os x decided to rule the world

i love os x too much to go back to os 9

massey · Feb 23, 2004, 10:48 PM

can beige g3s use panther even though it is not officially supported?

Luca Rescigno · Feb 24, 2004, 12:14 AM

I think so, if you use XPostFacto. I've also heard of a few people who have installed Panther on their hard drive using a supported machine, then they moved the hard drive into the Beige G3 and it worked.

OreoCookie · Feb 24, 2004, 06:11 AM

You can use OS X as �server software', too.

I'd use it as a backup server, just gives you more security in case of HD failure.

monkpea · Feb 24, 2004, 07:25 AM

I have a radeon equipped 800mhz beige and it rocks! A fast new hard drive and 512 ram have been the best upgrades however.

I screwed it up for a while with xpostfacto and panther, but it's running jaguar fast again now.

I'm not sure upgrades would be worth it now, since the new G5's are so much faster, and there is no support for panther. Just hide the money you would spend on upgrades, wait untill your tempted again, and you'll be half way there...

Having said that, it is fun poking around.

djohnson · Feb 24, 2004, 09:08 AM

A new mac with monitor will set you back a whole lot more than spending a little on upgrades. I am going to try and install panther on my machine once I get my Radeon flashed and the faster cpu. It will work and if not... then I can always use 10.2.8!

-Q- · Feb 24, 2004, 09:57 AM

Originally posted by djohnson:
A new mac with monitor will set you back a whole lot more than spending a little on upgrades.

True, but that's a very short term view of the situation. If massey socks that money away he'll be that much closer to a new machine. It'll obviously take longer than if he were just looking for upgrades for his beige, but how much more life do you think you can squeeze out of upgrades? The beige's system bus is going to start being a severe bottle neck and the machine will only be usable for so long. By socking away the 'upgrade' money, he'll have a machine that will last him years instead of a year.

Keda · Feb 24, 2004, 10:54 AM

I have several Beige Macs purring along and making money (although the new guy is giving me trouble). You can spend about $500 on the machine and you will have a solid computer that will be good for another couple of years. Sure, a new dual G5 would be much faster, but for the money an upgrade Beige is a workhorse.

OWC has some great prices.

http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/Upgr...=Show+Upgrades

Here's my thinking

$300 Sonnet G4/700CPU upgrade
$80-150 bigger HD ($80 for 80GB ATA & 150 for 150 GB FW)
$50 USB/FW combo card (opt)
$90/256MB RAM (opt-but I'd do 3 of these)
$80 RADEON 7500 64MB PCI

So for a Max of $700, you have a Machine that is extremely capable. I have yet to do 10.3 on my Beige Macs. I'm waiting for XPF to go final. The alpha thing kinda scares me.

djohnson · Feb 24, 2004, 12:32 PM

Those sound like food ideas for upgrades. I would actually wait on the processor for a month as PowerLogix will be releasing newer G3's using the 750fx(?) up to 1.1 or 1.2Ghz along with 1MB L2 cache. They would preform similiar if not better then the G4. They also have a full speed bus to the cache where the G4 has a 1/3 speed. Just my thoughts. Oh and I dont know if 80GB will be usable by the machine IDE controller as it is an ATA-3?(max 16MB/s). You might want to look into getting an ATA-100 controller. This is what I am hoping to do as well...

80GB HD $80
ATA-100 controller $75
1.0Ghz G3 $300+
usb/firewire $25
usb mouse/keyboard $20+$40
256MB ram $49.95 http://eshop.macsales.com/AddToBaske...OWC100SD256324
Radeon 7000 PC flashed from pc

WHere were you getting the radeon 7500 for $80???

massey · Feb 24, 2004, 01:45 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Anyone know if you can replace the case on the beige g3? It might be nice to have it feel like a new computer and look like one. I did see the marathon racks but there quite expensive.

Keda · Feb 24, 2004, 01:53 PM

Yeah, the G3 is better, IMO. I just couldn't find it on OWC's site. I have upgraded several Macs to G3/4s. The G4s can be a PITA sometimes. I don't know why. I had several to do...same models, same upgrades...some went fine others didn't.

If you wanted to get creative, you could sand and paint the case. Seems like alot to go thru. Or drill holes all over the front and tell everyone you got a newfangled G5.

djohnson · Feb 24, 2004, 02:40 PM

Well, since the goassamer board uses an ATX powersupply, you could get a good pc case and put it in there. It would allow you to add more hd's and stuff if you wanted... Of course it wont be as cool as the beige g3 case, still one of the best IMHO. 1 internal 3.5" 3 external 5.25" and a floppy that could be another 3.5" internal... Of course a pc case will have more... but not an Apple!!!

If you want a faster cpu, wait for the powerlogix chips. I cannot say this enough!!!

Lateralus · Feb 24, 2004, 02:46 PM

If you want to put the G3 into a PC case, you'll have to re-drill the motherboard mounts into the steel of the case. Quite a bitch to do. You're probably better off just doing something creative with your current Beige case.

And, I see no reason to hold off on buying a new G3 until PowerLogix unleashes the 750GX GHz upgrades. They'll be nice, for sure. But they won't be cheap. I have written PowerLogix and they are shooting for a $350ish price point. But as of now, you can get the G3 900MHz 750FX upgrade from OWC for $230. When it came out, it was also $350. It will be a little longer until the new PowerLogix G3 comes out, and it will be a lot longer until it approaches the price point of the current 900MHz 750FX.

Lateralus · Feb 24, 2004, 02:57 PM

Here is what I would suggest as far as storage upgrades.

1) SeriTek/1S2 Serial ATA PCI card.

Why go for an ATA-133 card when you can have Serial ATA for less money? As you can see, the SeriTek is about $10 cheaper than the cheapest ATA-133 card. I have the SeriTek myself in my current Power Mac, and I am loving it. Not one problem in 2 months.

2) Maxtor 7200RPM 80GB 8MB Serial ATA hard drive.

A great price for an 80GB SATA drive. But, recommending a hard drive is hard. They are all good. I usually like Seagates myself. Super quiet, super faster and they look spiffy.

You could also go with one of the 160GB SATAs for $120ish. Twice the capacity for not a lot more money.

djohnson · Feb 24, 2004, 03:18 PM

Originally posted by PowerMacMan:
And, I see no reason to hold off on buying a new G3 until PowerLogix unleashes the 750GX GHz upgrades. They'll be nice, for sure. But they won't be cheap. I have written PowerLogix and they are shooting for a $350ish price point. But as of now, you can get the G3 900MHz 750FX upgrade from OWC for $230. When it came out, it was also $350. It will be a little longer until the new PowerLogix G3 comes out, and it will be a lot longer until it approaches the price point of the current 900MHz 750FX.

Ahh but you cannot get Powerlogix chips from anyone right now. They are changing distributors, at least that is what they told me. I believe the price/performance of the new 750GX chips will be worth the wait! I am waiting and so of course I will recommend it.

I completely forgot about SATA drives! Go for them if you can. If you have ata drives, then get the ata controller. Basically buy what you need!

olePigeon · Feb 24, 2004, 07:34 PM

I'd upgrade my G3 if it wasn't a Rev A and can't go past 300Mhz.

massey · Feb 24, 2004, 08:13 PM

I thought mine was a rev A and I have a 466/g3 in it. I know about the voltage adapter things but maybe I'm wrong.

OreoCookie · Feb 24, 2004, 08:26 PM

Originally posted by Keda:
I have several Beige Macs purring along and making money (although the new guy is giving me trouble). You can spend about $500 on the machine and you will have a solid computer that will be good for another couple of years. Sure, a new dual G5 would be much faster, but for the money an upgrade Beige is a workhorse.

OWC has some great prices.

http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/Upgr...=Show+Upgrades

Here's my thinking

$300 Sonnet G4/700CPU upgrade
$80-150 bigger HD ($80 for 80GB ATA & 150 for 150 GB FW)
$50 USB/FW combo card (opt)
$90/256MB RAM (opt-but I'd do 3 of these)
$80 RADEON 7500 64MB PCI

So for a Max of $700, you have a Machine that is extremely capable. I have yet to do 10.3 on my Beige Macs. I'm waiting for XPF to go final. The alpha thing kinda scares me.

My best friend got his new 1.6 GHz G5 for 999 Euro.
Beats the **** out of this machine any day.

djohnson · Feb 24, 2004, 08:50 PM

Ahh... but you must as see if people have extra $$$ to spend. I am guessing he would have thought of that route if he wanted...

WizOSX · 09:23 PM

Where are we at with discussions about flashing ATI cards? In the fall threads were closed when discussing it but a few days ago MacNN listed the Australian article with instructions on how to flash a PC Radeon 7000. The fellow used a Powercolor 32mb card. So I bought a 64mb version yesterday to put in an old G3 desktop. The flashing on the PC side went fine using his instructions but on the Mac side I got a "slot C1 error" half way through. The card doesn't work. Anyone succeeded with this card? Or have any suggestions? Is there any point in trying to exchange it for the 32mb version?

Keda · Feb 26, 2004, 08:30 AM

My best friend got his new 1.6 GHz G5 for 999 Euro.
Beats the **** out of this machine any day.

I'm calling BS on this one. If I could find a G5 for about $1k, I'd buy three for my department. Even refub. iMacs are over $1k (US). The exchange rates aren't that bad.

WizOSX · Feb 26, 2004, 11:08 AM

Originally posted by keda

If I could find a G5 for about $1k, I'd buy three for my department. Even refub. iMacs are over $1k (US). The exchange rates aren't that bad.

I agree. The Euro was trading at $1.245 this morning. I've been waiting for now G5's to come out so I can pick up a discontinued 1.6 for about $1150-but even the very best ed. prices are still nowhere near that right now.

Nostrildomus · Feb 29, 2004, 09:14 PM

I put a bigger HD in mine; OS 10.2.8; mounted it in an old arcade game cabinet. Then I put all of my Mp3's on there, as well as MAME. I now use it as a arcade game capable of playing over 3500 games & an iTunes jukebox that scrolls the album cover art. All of my friends seem to love it

...Kenny

OreoCookie · Feb 29, 2004, 10:29 PM

Originally posted by Keda:
I'm calling BS on this one. If I could find a G5 for about $1k, I'd buy three for my department. Even refub. iMacs are over $1k (US). The exchange rates aren't that bad.

Nope, not BS.
See, the things is this: It was a G4 trade in program and so he'd use his Sawtooth G4 to qualify for a 500 � rebate. Another 100 � for him being a student. So subtract 600 � from the 1599 � that the dealer wanted for the G5 initially and you'll be at 999 �.

Otherwise he wouldn't have bought it as he prefers mobiles aka PowerBook G5

No BS, just a good offer that was too hard to resist.

Lateralus · Feb 29, 2004, 11:07 PM

Then he didn't get it for 999. He got it for his G4 and 999.

OreoCookie · Mar 1, 2004, 08:26 AM

Originally posted by PowerMacMan:
Then he didn't get it for 999. He got it for his G4 and 999.

Check out the PC market. Look for an offer like that: you trade in a really old computer and get a brand new one.

If you are that nit picky: he got it basically for free, because his Pismo was damaged (AppleCare) during the transport and he got 1500 � for it. Point is: if you look a little, you can invest your money much better than upgrading that old thing for $700.

Lateralus · Mar 1, 2004, 01:06 PM

I somehow doubt that he is going to sink that much money into the G3.

And like I said, your friend's deal was nothing special. He could have sold the old G4 for as much money and possibly more money than Apple gave him on trade in value. I sold my B&W for my QuickSilver, doesn't mean I am going to deduct what I got for the B&W from the cost of the QuickSilver. That would make no sense. Most people sell their old machines before buying a new one.

OreoCookie · Mar 1, 2004, 11:28 PM

Originally posted by PowerMacMan:
I somehow doubt that he is going to sink that much money into the G3.

And like I said, your friend's deal was nothing special. He could have sold the old G4 for as much money and possibly more money than Apple gave him on trade in value. I sold my B&W for my QuickSilver, doesn't mean I am going to deduct what I got for the B&W from the cost of the QuickSilver. That would make no sense. Most people sell their old machines before buying a new one.

That was pretty much my point: sell your old machine, don't waste your money on upgrading a Beige G3, buy a new one (e. g. refurbished).