[4pack4]

Hi ALL,

I am new to this forum. My interest in Apple has peaked lately and I would like to get an iBook G3 my girlfriend has, working for her again. I know alot about PC's have built, rebuilt, repaired, upgraded many on different levels. I would say in general I am very comfortable with PC. Apples however are another thing, I am afraid that any help will have to be simplified as I do not know my way around OS X well.

Here is the hardware:
iBook G3 800Mhz, 256RAM, 30mb HD, 14.1, mac OS X 10.2.8 (6R73), boot rom 4.5.4f1

Here is the issue:
Her iBook boots fine, can run programs but it is flaky. When online it crashes alot. I have "attempted" many updates and a MacStore guy tried but I am afraid we made more of a mess.

Normally with a PC I would just get the CD and start all over fresh, Format and Reinstall. Not only do I not have the CD but I dont know how to do that.

So with that I have a few questions:

What is the best OS version I can run on this system?

Is there a "serial key or keycode" like windows has that I need to get before I do any formatting?

Should I upgrade the memory to the max of 640mb?

What do I need to do to get this ibook running good so she can use it more? I would like to surprise her for the holidays if possible. Please advise folks. Thank you in advance.

Regards,

D

[ibook_steve]

You should be able to use Tiger (10.4 retail, updated to 10.4.11 using Software Update) fine on that machine. Leopard, 10.5, is a bit too much for that machine. You should still be able to buy Tiger disks online. Put the disk in, reboot holding the "c" key to run the install. Run Disk Utility first from the menus at the top of the installer screen to check the drive. Then, when performing the installation, choose the "Archive and Install" option or do a complete reformat (if her stuff is backed up) and install. Easy.

No serial key. No codes. No activation. No nothing. Apple actually trusts its customers and makes it as easy as possible to use and install the OS.

Yes, definitely max the memory. I think that machine used PC100 or PC133 standard 144 pin SO-DIMMs.

If you can, get iLife '06 or older (not '08; a little too graphic intensive for that older machine) so she can work with photos and movies. With that, you're golden with your gift.

Steve

[4pack4]

Steve,

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I appreciate that and will look into getting a copy of the CD. What is the approximate cost of Tiger 10.4 these days you think?

[0157988944]

Don't go for it over $50. Try eBay for cheap deals.

[4pack4]

yeah i saw some on there for about 6.99 and 5 shipping? is that legit though?

[0157988944]

Yep. Of course, anyone can scam you, but as long as you go through eBay, you are protected.

[TheZee]

I have the exact same model. Here's my advice: definitely max the RAM to 640mb, contact Apple, either OnLine @ apple.com/support or by phone: (800) 275-2273 and ask them to send you the install disks for your model (OSX 10.1 came with mine when I bought it new from Apple), make sure they include the disk utility CD because that is the repair and maintenance disk vital to keeping your iBook up and running. They should only charge yoou like $10-20. As far as operating systems go, OSX 10.2.8 Jaguar works best. Anything newer and it really taxes the system. If you want your girlfriend to have wireless capabilities, purchase an Apple Airport card, NOT Airport Extreme.
If you use OSX 10.2.8 Jaguar, here are some must have sites for software (freeware & shareware):
www.versiontracker.com (they have a section specifically for Jaguar users)
www.macupdate .com
www.softpedia.com
store.fastmac.com

Great sites for Do-it-yourself repairs, upgrades, tweaks:
www.macfixit.com
www.ifixit.com

[0157988944]

Don't use Jaguar. At least use Panther (Mac OS X 10.3) Jaguar is too old to do anything serious with, and its almost a guarantee you'll run into compatibility problems. I'd say get Panther for optimal balance of modern-ness and speed, or Tiger for a more modern, but probably slightly slower experience.