[Dakar the Fourth]

Forward
I did this project back in the fall of last year, and documented a few of stages for an interested friend. He wanted me to make a blog out of it, so finally this week, on a slow day of work, I fulfilled his request and thensome.

If you're interested in the not-that-interesting backstory for this project, click on the Prologue (and later Epilogue) link. Pardon the darkness of some of the pictures, I was more focused on getting things up and running than getting good shots. Finally, also pardon my mixed metaphors and inconsistent tenses. I only gave it a once over.

Dakar the Fourth, Esq.



Prologue



Editor's note for those who skipped the prologue: This goal of this project was to resurrect a powerbook I was very fond of into a classic gaming console. The powerbook originally died from a failed hard drive, though it's LCD had already died previously.


Pre-game
At some point previous to my (aforementioned in the Prologue) craving for classic gaming, I had already had the brilliant idea of resurrecting my PowerBook by installing a new HD. "This is great!" I thought, "Why didn't I do this before?"

So I started a thread and the helpful legion of the PowerBook/MacBook Pro forum of MacNN confirmed that I could, indeed, do this myself. That is, if I hadn't forgotten about the minor issue of a useless LCD. I let the thread perish, though the flame of my desire to Dr. Frankenstein the G4 did not extinguish. I had the money, gentlemen. The technology was available. I just had to rebuild it.

Once I had the urge to create a gaming machine (which was further extended to media center), I had the avenue with which to practically (relatively speaking) resurrect the unit. This was only strengthened when I learned I could use an xbox controller in lieu of the very cheap USB controller I had been using. After all, I thought, I can use this controller with the xbox 360 I plan to purchase when Grand Theft Auto IV comes out in the fall.

I did my research, visited Newegg and ordered my replacement hard drive. While I waited, I found a guide online, with pictures, detailing how to make the swap on my model. And so my journey began.


Round 1
Not being able to handle the suspense, I crack the case of my PowerBook G4. The bottom comes off with a mild amount of ease, since, it turns out, I don't have the precise tool for the job (the TORX I have is a size too big for the case screws). A quick inspection of the innards reveal I will need a TORX of the correct size to get any further. This is ok, the hard drive hasn't even arrived yet.



Round 2
I locate the correct tools (freakin' Wal • mart). The hard drive arrives 30 minutes before I have to leave for an appointment. The swapping process begins as I rush to install the HD before I leave. I give a quick eye to the cable that connects the HD to the laptop before throwing the HD into the PowerBook. I am giddy.



Round 2, pt. 2
Go to a friend's house, later, and hook the PowerBook up to his monitor. The PB turns on, but fails to go anywhere but a blue screen. I am sad.


Round 3
The next day, crack the case again, find that while the cable must have looked to be attached correctly from above, it is, in fact, only attached to one row of the pins. I reconnect the hard drive and seal the PowerBook back up. I am relieved that it is not a faulty hard drive.



Editor's Note: Hilariously, this is visible in the picture I took. I was in enough of a rush that I didn't spot check the cable well enough, but I got a picture of the misdeed. Classic.



Round 3, pt. 2
See Round 2, pt. 2, only this time attached to a work monitor. Also, I become frustrated instead of sad.

Round 4
After a slew of failed workarounds, I discover that there is an important master/slave setting to check on the new hard drive. Crack the case (again), disconnect the HD and check. Of course, it is on the wrong setting. It should be noted that the PowerBook case now bows on the bottom center, causing the battery contacts to lose connection.

Round 4, pt. 2
Not wanting to deal with the PowerBook spanning/mirroring (and not caring anymore), I connect it via FireWire to a PPC machine at work (my iMac is CoreDuo) and boot into target disk mode. This time, the HD pops up on the desktop immediately.

Round 5
Having no generic copy of Tiger, I "acquire" an image, which I burn to a CD and mount on the work computer. From there I proceed to install Tiger over FireWire. Success.

Round 6: Connection
I take the PowerBook home and connect it to my network via ethernet and my breath-taking 17 year-old 19" Zenith Color TV via the superior composite connection on my Panasonic VCR. I install Vine Server, so I may log in via my 17" iMac to do the the heavy lifting of the set-up process.



Round 7: Software
From my iMac I log in using the Chicken of the VNC client. I transfer over my Emulators, ROMs, and Emulation Enhancer (for use of USB controllers). For iTunes/Front Row use, I install Count-o-mat (updates play counts and last played) and iScrobbler (for last.fm). Also Fruitmenu for quick keyboard shortcuts and a custom Apple menu. Finally, I add a 3rd party driver to help the PowerBook recognize the xbox controller I plan on using for gaming.


I also add a widget to my iMac to allow me to wake the PowerBook remotely.



Round 8: Peripherals
First I attach Microsoft's xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver to the first of the PowerBook's two USB ports. Next, I connect a 2.4Ghz wireless adaptor for the Adesso touchpad keyboard I'll be using to control the laptop from the couch to the second USB port. On a more lo-fi note, I use a headphone-to-RCA jack to send the G4's sound to the stereo.



Round 9: Gaming (Change in narrative)
This is where things get a little prickly. You pair the controller to the PowerBook just like you would if it was a 360, just using the Gaming Receiver in place of the xbox. However, you won't know if the pairing is successful until you open the Preference pane for the controller. Sometimes this seems like the only way to complete the pairing.


Once paired, you can open any of the emulators and Emulator Enhancer will allow you to assign the controls to the xbox controller as you like. MacMAME is a little less friendly, but recognizes the controller none-the-less. The important thing to remember here is you must have paired the controller before opening the program or it will wipe your settings and you will have to set it up all over again. This becomes a gigantic pain in the ass when you add a player.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Overtime
The 360 controllers work pretty well with a few glitches. As noted above, you may have to do a little extra work to get them to pair. Second, while gaming, the PowerBook doesn't recognize any input from the controller as activity, meaning sometimes the screensaver will kick in if you're not careful. Lastly, there is no way to shut off the controller after a session, aside from removing the batteries and reinserting them.

This might seem like a bit of time and money just to play games on 19" SDTV. A few months later I upgraded to a 50" Panasonic plasma. In the process, I figured out how to use a DVI to HDMI connector to hook the PowerBook up to my new TV (There is no DVI port).

Sadly, I now deal with overscan issues, and have no found a way to solve this. To the best of my knowledge, this is a limitation of the graphics card, even using some of the 3rd party software that is available out there to try and side-step it. Regardless, it is a small burden to bear, and I don't find it to be a problem day-to-day.

At the beginning streaming files from my iMac was somewhat tedious on my Netgear router, however I recently upgraded to a Time Capsule, and even my only 11g capable iMac streams quickly enough for any quicktime file the 800 mhz G4 is going to be able to handle.

The Adesso keyboard I bought has been satisfactory, if a little ugly, though it will sometimes be unresponsive for a moment until I reorient it (horizontally or vertically). Whether this a defect or a side-effect from the gang-bang of wireless signals going on in my living room is not my area of expertise. The other drawback is since it is connected by a third-party RF adaptor, the laptop can not be woken up via keyboard. Hence where my iMac widget comes in.

Speaking of the iMac, Chicken of the VNC has been extremely useful for accessing the laptop when either watching TV, doing updates, or when the PowerBook somehow fails to recognize that is connected to plasma, periodically.






Epilogue








Expense Breakdown
(From memory)

Hardware Peripherals & Accessories
100 GB HD ($100)
Torx Tool Set ($10)

XBOX 360 Wireless Controller w/Battery and USB charger ($50)
XBOX 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver ($15)

DVI to HDMI Adaptor ($10)
HDMI Cable ($40)

Adesso Wireless Keyboard w/Touchpad ($70)


Software
Emulator Enhancer ($30 registered)
Count-o-mat (Free)
iScrobbler (Free)

Vine Server (Free)
Chicken of the VNC (Free)
WakeOnLAN (Widget)

Total Cost: $330

[Railroader]

Oh my. You have more determination than I have.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Oh my. You have more determination than I have.

We talkin' the wall of text or the project?

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

We talkin' the wall of text or the project?

Yes.

[zro]

Makes me miss my old TiBook whose screen looks different than yours, but just as bad. Excellent work. On both!

What does the Vine server offer that the built in server not?

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by zro 

Makes me miss my old TiBook whose screen looks different than yours, but just as bad. Excellent work. On both!

Thanks. I have to admit that the TiBook is pretty ugly nowadays, even compared just to the AlumBook.

Originally Posted by zro 

What does the Vine server offer that the built in server not?

Hmmm... If there was a way to set-up and activate the built-in server easily, it didn't appear to me in my travels looking for a remote log-in solution. It's not like I have ARD for access either (If that'd be needed).

[Dakar the Fourth]

Ok, so I did find and set-up the VNC client in SysPref. I don't know how I missed it before, but chances are I was too concerned with the other 300 aspects of the project to dig too deep for it.

Oh, and I gotta say, my gaming forum crew completely let me down on this thread (As well the other assorted usual suspects).
It's alright, this thread now becomes my opus in a long line of failed threads.

[Faust]

Wow. I am impressed. I don't think I'd have managed that. Very nice.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by Faust 

Wow. I am impressed. I don't think I'd have managed that. Very nice.

Yes, I scored a pity comment!

Thanks.

[sek929]

Out of curiosity how does your N64 emulator run?

I've gotten 007 up and running at full quality, but it's more like a slideshow.

Very impressive all-around, I can see my G4 being put out to pasture in a similar fashion once I can afford a new Mac.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Out of curiosity how does your N64 emulator run?

I've gone through two. I don't know which i ditched for which but one is Mupen64 and the other is sixtyforce. All I know is ROM support seems to be spotty at best-one cratridge will run fine, the next is unreadable, a third goes green on certain screens. The second emulator seemed more stable, but I didn't play around with it much. I think I tried Mario 64, since I don't own that. I would have played it more, but I had register the program to be able to save, and I wasn't spending $20 just for that when all the others were free (That and the N64 was near the bottom of my list on emulators I was excited about).

Originally Posted by sek929 

Very impressive all-around, I can see my G4 being put out to pasture in a similar fashion once I can afford a new Mac.

Your G4 would be much better. MacMAME asks for a lot, and some of the younger games (Crusin' World) are slide shows, as you said. My PowerBook is 800 mhz. I imagine your G4 is a dual in excess of 1.0 Ghz?

If so, it'd also make a much better Media Center.

[osiris]

Great job Dakar! I'm impressed with your work too, I'm just not a major gamer and it has been a hellish couple of weeks for me..
MacMAME is awesome. My fav is DigDug and Galaxian.

The last time I tried something like this was a DIY lightpen - and I shorted a mobo as a result, so I'm scarred.

[sek929]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

Your G4 would be much better. MacMAME asks for a lot, and some of the younger games (Crusin' World) are slide shows, as you said. My PowerBook is 800 mhz. I imagine your G4 is a dual in excess of 1.0 Ghz?

If so, it'd also make a much better Media Center.

I wish, try 733 mhz. I'd imagine the internals allow it to run a little faster than a G4 800 laptop, but like I said, the N64 emulators (mupen and sixtyforce) run pretty piss poor on it. Not that I care...I still have a fully functional N64 and all the games I want anyways.

If nothing else it's got plenty of expansion ports and enough internal HDDs for anything I throw at it.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by osiris 

Great job Dakar! I'm impressed with your work too, I'm just not a major gamer and it has been a hellish couple of weeks for me..
MacMAME is awesome. My fav is DigDug and Galaxian.

That's old school stuff there. Speaking of other failed emulators, I've been hard-up to get Miner 2049er working on any of the Atari or Coleco emulators. I can move the guy around, but he won't respond to any button inputs (No jumping).

Another classic of that era is Montezuma's Revenge.

Originally Posted by osiris 

The last time I tried something like this was a DIY lightpen - and I shorted a mobo as a result, so I'm scarred.

That's leagues more difficult than what I pulled off here. This was a mish-mash of different software creating a really nice end product. Worst case scenario I was out some bucks.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by sek929 

I wish, try 733 mhz. I'd imagine the internals allow it to run a little faster than a G4 800 laptop, but like I said, the N64 emulators (mupen and sixtyforce) run pretty piss poor on it.

Oh man. How old is that thing? 6 years? I know you don't have cash to throw around, but even one of the original iMac CoreDuos would do you a world of good.

Originally Posted by sek929 

Not that I care...I still have a fully functional N64 and all the games I want anyways.

über-cheap, too. There is something to be said for using a much higher quality analog stick, though. And the 360 contorller left trigger is a nice sub for the Z button.

Originally Posted by sek929 

If nothing else it's got plenty of expansion ports and enough internal HDDs for anything I throw at it.

Not worth the money, IMHO. If you look at what the HD cost me, you'll see it wasn't a very good deal, and I blame that on its obscurity/obsolescence.

[sek929]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

Oh man. How old is that thing? 6 years? I know you don't have cash to throw around, but even one of the original iMac CoreDuos would do you a world of good.

7 years old this December, and yes, it's getting really long in the tooth. I came a c-hair away from buying a new Mac Mini but I have a burning feeling the back of my head that I'll want to upgrade it at some point, I do like to keep my computers for a while (duh). The thing that pisses me off is that Apple would have my 2Gs already if their bottom-line Mac Pro didn't start at f**kin 2700 dollars. I already have a nice enough monitor for everything I'll need so an iMac seems like more than I need.

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

über-cheap, too. There is something to be said for using a much higher quality analog stick, though. And the 360 contorller left trigger is a nice sub for the Z button.

Yeah, all my controllers are a little worn out, and a few others (I have like 6) are awful to the point of being unable to move at full speed anymore.

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

Not worth the money, IMHO. If you look at what the HD cost me, you'll see it wasn't a very good deal, and I blame that on its obscurity/obsolescence.

Yeah, this is the dilemma I have here. Does the MIni have built-in wireless? If so I might actually buy one soon as I'd imagine even a Mini would absolutely spank my G4. I don't like how the bottom-line Mini only has an 80GB hard drive, so I guess it would be the 800 dollar one. Meh, maybe I'll go take a look at what they have for refurbs.

[sek929]

Nice iMac 20" C2D 2.0 GHZ refurb at Apple for $949...

Man, I want a new Mac badly. Maybe I can convince my dad to buy my G4 off me and replace that slow-poke G3 300 he's using right now.

How easy is the process of transferring all my jazz from my G4 to the iMac? Will I have to buy a special FW cable or something?

Sorry for the derail Dakar.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Sorry for the derail Dakar.

As long as it's not Political or Religious, I don't care.

I'll properly respond later.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by sek929 

7 years old this December, and yes, it's getting really long in the tooth. I came a c-hair away from buying a new Mac Mini but I have a burning feeling the back of my head that I'll want to upgrade it at some point, I do like to keep my computers for a while (duh). The thing that pisses me off is that Apple would have my 2Gs already if their bottom-line Mac Pro didn't start at f**kin 2700 dollars. I already have a nice enough monitor for everything I'll need so an iMac seems like more than I need.

Yeah, this is the dilemma I have here. Does the MIni have built-in wireless? If so I might actually buy one soon as I'd imagine even a Mini would absolutely spank my G4. I don't like how the bottom-line Mini only has an 80GB hard drive, so I guess it would be the 800 dollar one. Meh, maybe I'll go take a look at what they have for refurbs.

A year ago I would have thought that was a good idea. But they've neglected the Mini for so long it seems like a rip-off or a mistake.

Originally Posted by sek929 

Nice iMac 20" C2D 2.0 GHZ refurb at Apple for $949...

Man, I want a new Mac badly. Maybe I can convince my dad to buy my G4 off me and replace that slow-poke G3 300 he's using right now.

How easy is the process of transferring all my jazz from my G4 to the iMac? Will I have to buy a special FW cable or something?

It's painfully slow over FireWire, and the inability to just transfer specific elements of your user account were missing when I just did it. You're better off just making your user, then hooking the two up via ethernet, enabling file sharing and transferring the relevant files that way. Worst case scenario you locate and transfer a few plists from your user library if a few key apps need them.

[sek929]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

A year ago I would have thought that was a good idea. But they've neglected the Mini for so long it seems like a rip-off or a mistake.

Yeah, tell me about it. For $149 more than the 120GB DVDRW 2.0 ghz Mini I can get that (albeit refurbished) iMac C2D 2.0 ghz 250GB DVDRW, a real graphics card, with keyboard and mouse and umm...oh yeah a widescreen 20" display. Apple has zero refurbished Minis, Smalldog only has new ones, and PowerMax only carries used G4 Minis for like 300-600 dollars....jeez. I like the idea of the Mini, but it really doesn't add up.

I love the idea of a WS 20" display, a computer that can run Bootcamp and Leopard, and double the internal HDD space of my current machine. What would you do in my position? I AM saving up to get my own place...but I figure I'll have even less resources for a new Mac once I move back out on my own. At least now I can purge my money and save up again without worrying about my diet consisting of Ramen Noodles. Am I screwing myself looking only at refurbished or at this point would even a last-gen machine completely wow me with it's vast superiority over my current G4?

Anyone else feel free to give me their opinion, I haven't bought a Mac in almost 7 years, so I really don't know what I'm getting into.

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

It's painfully slow over FireWire, and the inability to just transfer specific elements of your user account were missing when I just did it. You're better off just making your user, then hooking the two up via ethernet, enabling file sharing and transferring the relevant files that way. Worst case scenario you locate and transfer a few plists from your user library if a few key apps need them.

Im not really worried about anything besides my more, ahem, illegal programs. I pirated PS like 4 years ago and it will suffice for the rest of my natural life. Now that I (might) be running and Intel machine all of a sudden I look at all these aging programs and I panic thinking I'm going to either have to buy them again (like Popcorn, Flash, etc) or run it Rosetta (is that right? god I turned back into a Mac n00b over the years).

Thanks for bearing with me, and if you want I can always start a new thread and stop killing this one with my banter.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Thanks for bearing with me, and if you want I can always start a new thread and stop killing this one with my banter.

Right, because this thread was so lively before...

Originally Posted by sek929 

Yeah, tell me about it. For $149 more than the 120GB DVDRW 2.0 ghz Mini I can get that (albeit refurbished) iMac C2D 2.0 ghz 250GB DVDRW, a real graphics card, with keyboard and mouse and umm...oh yeah a widescreen 20" display. Apple has zero refurbished Minis, Smalldog only has new ones, and PowerMax only carries used G4 Minis for like 300-600 dollars....jeez. I like the idea of the Mini, but it really doesn't add up.

And the Apple TV doesn't add up compared to the Mini (thought price dropped helped). Half the reason I brought back my PB was because a Mini was too expensive, especially given what it was going to be doing.

Originally Posted by sek929 

I love the idea of a WS 20" display, a computer that can run Bootcamp and Leopard, and double the internal HDD space of my current machine. What would you do in my position? I AM saving up to get my own place...but I figure I'll have even less resources for a new Mac once I move back out on my own. At least now I can purge my money and save up again without worrying about my diet consisting of Ramen Noodles. Am I screwing myself looking only at refurbished or at this point would even a last-gen machine completely wow me with it's vast superiority over my current G4?

If I was in your position, I consider myself as having gotten my money's worth out of the G4 and upgrade. Depending on your level of comfort, I'd even consider going all the way back to an original CoreDuo iMac. Maybe even the 17" if you plan to use your existing monitor for an extended desktop. Depends if you can save a couple hundred more compared to a refurb (I'm not optimistic).

Originally Posted by sek929 

Im not really worried about anything besides my more, ahem, illegal programs. I pirated PS like 4 years ago and it will suffice for the rest of my natural life. Now that I (might) be running and Intel machine all of a sudden I look at all these aging programs and I panic thinking I'm going to either have to buy them again (like Popcorn, Flash, etc) or run it Rosetta (is that right? god I turned back into a Mac n00b over the years).

I may have done such things when I made my conversion. I'd avoid Rosetta like the plague. It was nice early into the transition, but it the whore of all RAM whores, and you'll start kicking into VM quickly once you have one Rosetta app open and decide to go into another regular app. I'm sure the good people here will help you with what "needs" may arise. (It should be noted I ran Photoshop under emulation for a while there)

[sek929]

I have the damn thing in my checkout, after my trip to the bank tomorrow I'm going to order it.

Thanks to some common sense from you, dakar, I realized that while my G4 still works pretty good it isn't going to cut it in the future. PPC is a dead platform and the web will eventually include to many things that I just can't run. As it is I have to manually set embedded flash movies to 'low quality' just to have playback smooth.

I looked around for regular Core Duos, but the price savings are really negligible, plus I think the white iMac isn't nearly as teh sex as the aluminum iMac. I dunno what to do with my G4. It's worth about 300 bucks...that is if anyone would want to buy it.

This of course means all you jerks can look forward to me flipping out in Mac OSX and iMac forums because I'm lost in Leopard. First order of business will be getting rid of that new jazzy dock.

I'm very apprehensive, but as you said, I really did get my money's worth out of the G4. What a great machine. 6+ years of constant use and not a single problem, not one. I can only hope for the same out of my new baby.

Edit: Does the iMac allow for an external monitor? Not that I need two screens but hell, I might as well be cool if it's possible.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by sek929 

I looked around for regular Core Duos, but the price savings are really negligible, plus I think the white iMac isn't nearly as teh sex as the aluminum iMac.

Oh yeah. Dude that is the way to go.

Originally Posted by sek929 

I dunno what to do with my G4. It's worth about 300 bucks...that is if anyone would want to buy it.

There's the MacNN marketplace, but honestly, I doubt it's worth effort.

Originally Posted by sek929 

This of course means all you jerks can look forward to me flipping out in Mac OSX and iMac forums because I'm lost in Leopard. First order of business will be getting rid of that new jazzy dock.

The only thing that's stopped me from doing a Leopard sucks rant is because no one cares, and I joined the party late. Well Leopard doesn't suck (the new iPhoto rocks), but the new Finder window rules are sucky (No more set view preferences "For This Window Only"? Really!?)

Originally Posted by sek929 

Edit: Does the iMac allow for an external monitor? Not that I need two screens but hell, I might as well be cool if it's possible.

IIRC, ever since the G5 the graphics card has been more than adequate for such a maneuver.

[sek929]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

There's the MacNN marketplace, but honestly, I doubt it's worth effort.

Yeah, my buddy told me to sell it on Craigslist, but same thing...it'll be a hassle for not much money. I'd almost like to keep it. It could serve as a good place to dump extra data in (even though I can't picture myself filling up a 250 drive)

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

The only thing that's stopped me from doing a Leopard sucks rant is because no one cares, and I joined the party late. Well Leopard doesn't suck (the new iPhoto rocks), but the new Finder window rules are sucky (No more set view preferences "For This Window Only"? Really!?)

Weird! I have lots of windows set differently based upon what purposes they individually serve. Lame.

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

IIRC, ever since the G5 the graphics card has been more than adequate for such a maneuver.

Sweeeet, I can join the ranks of the über-cool. Maybe I'll have my 17" set to run EV Nova at all times.

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

Oh, and I gotta say, my gaming forum crew completely let me down on this thread (As well the other assorted usual suspects).
It's alright, this thread now becomes my opus in a long line of failed threads.

I was on vacation in the mountains, so it was beer and river for me recently.

So, how long this project take you? Four, five years?

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Weird! I have lots of windows set differently based upon what purposes they individually serve. Lame.

To be fair, Leopard has minimized this problem by completely confusing how I access certain windows.

But it annoying that I have a folder that I dump miscellany into that I have sorted by kind, and then I go into Apps (from the same window), and I can't find a folder because it's been moved to the bottom thanks to it keeping the same sort option.

Originally Posted by sek929 

Sweeeet, I can join the ranks of the über-cool. Maybe I'll have my 17" set to run EV Nova at all times.

That's almost as cool as running the Matrix screensaver on all displays at once.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by Rumor 

I was on vacation in the mountains, so it was beer and river for me recently.

Like you're here normally anyway.

Originally Posted by Rumor 

So, how long this project take you? Four, five years?

What's that, becoming the king of ignored threads or converting the PowerBook into a Gaming/Media Center?

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

Like you're here normally anyway.

Lights are on but no one is home kind of here?

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth

What's that, becoming the king of bad threads or converting the PowerBook into a Gaming/Media Center?

Both, with your strenuous work schedule, severe dedication to Halo 3, and hobby that involves burning flora, I am amazed you have time.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by Rumor 

Lights are on but no one is home kind of here?

No, actually posting kind of here.

Originally Posted by Rumor 

Both, with your strenuous work schedule, severe dedication to Halo 3, and hobby that involves burning flora, I am amazed you have time.

It's GTA now, and I have yet to play this week. Also, I think you might be thinking if sek on the last item, if you mean what I think you mean.

[boy8cookie]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

The only thing that's stopped me from doing a Leopard sucks rant is because no one cares, and I joined the party late. Well Leopard doesn't suck (the new iPhoto rocks), but the new Finder window rules are sucky (No more set view preferences "For This Window Only"? Really!?

If you set a view option for a specific window, those view settings should stick, any window you have not set folder you have not set specifically will use the default settings, which you can also customize by setting a folder's view mode and the pressing "use as default" at the bottom.

[Dakar the Fourth]

This window only used to mean that specific folder, as well.

Edit: Dammit things are all screwy. This is Stacks fault.

[Dakar the Fourth]

The inability to collapse the sidebar down to icons, let alone completely is also total bullshit.

Edit: It's completely redundant with multiple windows open. And a tremendous waste of space.

[boy8cookie]

The view option thing is just a different way of phrasing it, pretty much. The sidebar thing doesn't really bother me, either.

[Dakar the Fourth]

I think I've gotten [The view] to be more consistent, but something changed about the way it worked.

[Dakar the Fourth]

sek, did you order the bad boy, yet?

[sek929]

Just did a few hours ago, should be here by Monday or Tuesday.

I have a half boner already.

I may need some help with aforementioned PS...you know getting 'it working under Rosetta' wink wink?

[Dakar the Fourth]

No problem. Let us know when you get it, and you have my AIM already.

[sek929]

Also snagged a 1GB stick from Crucial, when the hell did that become so damn cheap?

I know older RAM is dirt cheap, but I figured C2D machine RAM would be 60 bucks for a gig, I was wrong.