[Powaqqatsi]

Hi there, I've got a Titinium PowerBook right now. It's a last generation 867mhz with 1GB RAM, 40GB 4200rpm HD, AirPort, ComboDrive.

I would like a new one but I can't afford a new one and I actually hate the AlBook form factor (ports on the side, wtf ?). So I was thinking of upgrading it.

60GB 7200rpm or 80GB 5400rpm HD. (±€150)
SuperDrive upgrade (anyone know where to get these in Europe?)
USB 2.0 cardbus card (€30)
Cheapo external 15" LCD as second monitor.

Are there hacks available like internal bluetooth and backlit keyboard for the Titanium ?

Do you think it's worth it ? What would you do ?

[Voch]

The faster, bigger hard drive might be a nice addition. I'm contemplating this myself with my TiBook but have held off because it's working fine the way it is. You have the RAM maxed out so that's a good thing...I'm debating plunking down the ~$100USD to bump mine from 768MB to 1GB but haven't justified it to myself yet.

Do you still have or have ever had AppleCare? If you do I don't recommend tinkering too much, except for your hard drive, which is considered user-servicable on the TiBooks.

Voch

[Powaqqatsi]

I never had AppleCare, just the standard 1 year. I thought it wasn't worth the 300+ euros. (I couldn't even afford it) And nothing ever happened with the machine

Oh yeah and it seems that Newer has these 4800mah batteries, anyone know priceing and availability in Europe ?

[Dr.Michael]

Originally posted by Powaqqatsi:

I also think the hd is worth the money. I upgraded my TiBook with a 5400 rpm and it was worth it.

For the superdrive I would recommend NOT to take an internal one. For the money you get an external drive which might be much more robust (no alignment problems), faster, and support more formats (+ and -. Apples only support -). And you get a very fast external burner. <1 minute for a cd or 4 (like with your internal) makes a difference.

Michael

[Toutgood]

I'm doing the 80 gb @ 5400 rpm route myself. I've found one for 169 euros in Paris (grosbill) and I'm looking for a cheaper one. Otherwise that'll do, I guess.

And I have AppleCare, so that's about all I'm going to be doing to my 1ghz ti.

That will obviously speed things up a bit. But the monitor's an interesting choice as well.

As for USB 2, Bluetooth, fw 800, faster superdrive and so on, I'm just going to have to wait until my next computer (by then they'll probably have usb 3...)

[Voch]

Is there really a nice speed bump for day-to-day use with a 5400RPM hard drive? I'm still on the fence about getting one since my 30GB is still workin' great. I *did* notice a nice speed bump in my Athlon tower PC going from a 30GB 5400RPM to a 160GB 7200RPM drive...

I agree with the external DVD burner idea. I got an 8X Pioneer drive for $82 from newegg.com and will get a firewire case for it sometime for use on my PowerBook...right now it's in my Athlon PC.

Voch

[mrmister]

Yes--the HD speed is the biggest roadblock in laptop performance right now, so faster is better, and it is very noticable. If they made 7200 rpm drives with 80 or 100 gb capacity I would upgrade to that, even though I have a 5400 now.

[urrl78]

The new 100 Gig 5400 has been announced by Hitachi. I'd rather wait for that.

http://www.hitachigst.com/portal/sit...a0466460e4f0a0

[Since EBCDIC]

First, how old is the machine? Do you still have it under warranty / AppleCare?

My stock 40 GB drive just died and Apple replaced it with the 80 GB drive. Thanks Apple! (And they replaced all the titanium, which looked like hell and even had a crack by the CD / DVD SuperDrive. Thanks again!!

If it's all up to you, note that at least three 100 GB drives are currently ramping up for production, for some serious shopping-season distribution. Wait until they're out and competing before you buy; you'll get a better feel for which 100 GB drive is better / cheaper / faster and the 80 GB drive prices will be driven down.

Perhaps you can run from an external drive for another few weeks, or score a cheap, small internal drive.

[mrmister]

"First, how old is the machine? Do you still have it under warranty / AppleCare?"

READ THE THREAD.

[Cadaver]

A faster HD will make a big difference in the perceived speed of a laptop. Depending on your needs - speed or capacity - there are various 7200 rpm and 5400 rpm drives available (as mentioned in prior posts). I say go for a 60GB 7200 rpm model. Good balance of speed, capacity and price.

Also, as mentioned before, there are now high-capacity batteries for the TiBooks. Consider one of those - though not really a speed upgrade, it'll certainly help for on-the-road use.

The suggestion for an external DVD burner is a good one. Faster and cheaper. But, if you really want an all-in-one solution, then there are options for replacing the internal combo drive with a DVD burner. Not sure on sources in Europe, however.

Do a Google search for internal bluetooth modifications for the TiBooks. Its been done, but it uses one of the two USB ports (disables it for external devices). If you can live with this limitation, then it might be worth a look. Does require a steady hand with a soldering iron.... Basically, it involves taking a D-Link bluetooth USB dongle out of its case and soldering the connectors on to the internal pins of one of the USB ports with a length of wire, then finding an empty spot inside the case to tape it down. I've seen several posts of successful mods on the web.

I've not seen keyboard backlight hacks, but you could be the first.

If you want a second display, think about something with higher resolution than the TiBook. A 15" LCD will only be 1024x768. Consider a 17" LCD (1280x1024) at minimum or a high resolution CRT if you're on a strict budget.