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mauimac · Jul 17, 2004, 02:23 AM

Hi, my iBook's hard drive is dead, and I need a new one, but I'm having a hard time figuring out which models out there would be compatible with my particular model..I have the late-2001 white iBook G3 600 Mhz. The original drive was a 20 GB I believe. Is there a limit to the storage capacity for this iBook model? Is there a reference or resource somewhere that lists hard drive options for this iBook? I've done some searching around here but only came up with bits and pieces...that I'd need a 2.5 IDE drive...is that enough to go on? Also I came across a debate about 4200 vs. 5400 vs. 7200 rpm drives' respective heating up issues...was that resolved?

basicallly, what can/should I get to replace my hard drive that will absolutely fit into my iBook and work well? maybe less than $150? There's gotta be a matrix of some sort out there that lists options and compatibility...right?

thanks in advance!

Detrius · Jul 17, 2004, 11:36 AM

You need a 2.5" wide 9.5mm tall drive. The capacity limit is probably 128GB, but they don't make laptop drives that big yet.

There's no list of compatible and incompatible drives because as long as they fit the above specs, they are compatible. If there really was a heat issue from *hard drives* someone somewhere would have seen a note from Apple by now. I think people are confusing hard drive heat with video processor heat... which happens to be right under the hard drive.

Also, replacing the hard drive in your iBook is not for the casual computer tinkerer. You have to meticulously keep track of which screws went where... and there are a lot of them.

mauimac · Jul 17, 2004, 12:05 PM

Thanks!! Yes, I've totally decided to "take it somewhere" once I get a replacement drive!
What does IDE stand for by the way?

selowitch · Jul 19, 2004, 05:09 PM

Originally posted by mauimac:
What does IDE stand for by the way?

Integrated Drive Electronics. See also this article.

For rapid reference to straight definitions of computer terms, I find wikipedia.org to be very helpful and quicker than a forum like this one, although nothing beats MacNN for interactivity and fellowship. Also, MacNN discussions are naturally much more in-depth.

Zoom · Aug 4, 2004, 09:07 AM

I have the exact same situation. My G3 dual USB iBook HD just died, too. Hmmm. Anyway, I'm looking to replace the drive myself. If I were to buy the drive, anyone know what the Apple Store would charge to install it? They should be able to do that locally, right? Maybe I'll just call to find out.

Anyway, I think the original drive was 4200 RPM (mine was the 20GB). Anyone know for sure? The issue I've heard about upgrading to a faster drive is the current requirements of the drive. Is IDE standard enough that any drive will work? Has anyone actually upgraded their iBook drive to a 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM 2.5 inch drive (successfully)?

RadarBob2 · Aug 4, 2004, 10:46 AM

Go to www.4allmemory.com to buy your drive

There, they ask your computer model and tell you what drives (or memory) they have that is compatable.

Zoom · Aug 4, 2004, 11:41 AM

Originally posted by RadarBob2:
Go to www.4allmemory.com to buy your drive

There, they ask your computer model and tell you what drives (or memory) they have that is compatable.

I only see that it tells you what RAM works.

kafoochy · Aug 5, 2004, 03:19 PM

Originally posted by Zoom:
Anyway, I think the original drive was 4200 RPM (mine was the 20GB). Anyone know for sure? The issue I've heard about upgrading to a faster drive is the current requirements of the drive. Is IDE standard enough that any drive will work? Has anyone actually upgraded their iBook drive to a 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM 2.5 inch drive (successfully)?

I'm 90% sure your original was only 4200rpm. I'd suggest looking for a new drive here: http://eshop.macsales.com/ I like Hitachi's, but get whatever you want. You'll have to ask the AppleStore if they will do the upgrade if your computer is out of warranty. I've heard that they won't do some upgrades if the computer is under warranty, but you probably don't have to worry about this, although I don't know how much they will charge. I'd suggest trying to find someone near you that would be comfortable doing the upgrade for you. Yes, there will be many screws, but keep them organized and if you have previous experience it shouldn't kill you or your powerbook. And yes, any IDE drive that you find online will work if you follow the specs that the second poster said. I think 5400rpm would be fine in an iBook. 7200 may make it a little warmer, but might be ok. Hitachi is the only company to make 7200 drives: 40gb and 60gb that you can buy today. Powerbook users have been putting in 7200rpm drives without any problems and have also said that their computers feel much "zippier". Goodluck

Zoom · Aug 6, 2004, 09:24 AM

Originally posted by kafoochy:
I'm 90% sure your original was only 4200rpm. I'd suggest looking for a new drive here: http://eshop.macsales.com/ I like Hitachi's, but get whatever you want. You'll have to ask the AppleStore if they will do the upgrade if your computer is out of warranty. I've heard that they won't do some upgrades if the computer is under warranty, but you probably don't have to worry about this, although I don't know how much they will charge. I'd suggest trying to find someone near you that would be comfortable doing the upgrade for you. Yes, there will be many screws, but keep them organized and if you have previous experience it shouldn't kill you or your powerbook. And yes, any IDE drive that you find online will work if you follow the specs that the second poster said. I think 5400rpm would be fine in an iBook. 7200 may make it a little warmer, but might be ok. Hitachi is the only company to make 7200 drives: 40gb and 60gb that you can buy today. Powerbook users have been putting in 7200rpm drives without any problems and have also said that their computers feel much "zippier". Goodluck

I think 5400 would be fine. I'll look into it - thanks everyone! Not sure when I'll do it, but I'll try to post back my results once I do.

asmujica · Aug 17, 2004, 03:08 PM

Mine also died on me, do they have a 2 year life expectancy or something?

SpaceMonkey · Aug 17, 2004, 04:12 PM

Originally posted by asmujica:
Mine also died on me, do they have a 2 year life expectancy or something?

Heh. Well, I have two desktop hard drives that are coming up on 4 years of heavy use and still running, though one now seems slightly finnicky on wake-up. I don't have any laptop drive experience. But given that the hard drive is pretty much the only continuously moving part in a computer (aside from the fans), it's not surprising that they will often be the first component to fail. Double that for laptop drives, since they are exposed to more potential abuse and often spin up and down repeatedly if the laptop is running on energy saving settings.

There are a lot of desktop hard drives with 3 year warrantees. I'm not sure if many companies have similar warrantees for laptop drives, but it's worth checking into.

rozwado1 · Aug 17, 2004, 04:43 PM

check out www.transintl.com for drives. I just bought a 40GB Hitachi for my friend's iBook and it was the cheapest I found. If you're not into brand names, try your hand at www.pricewatch.com

5400 is fast enough. the original was 4200. I've taken apart a few iBooks for HD/ sleep light problems and there are about 25 mini screws to remove before you can get to the real guts. I haven't broken/lost anything yet when I've taken them apart, so I'd say to go for it if you have the DIY attitude.