Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Goldfinger · Mar 25, 2005, 07:18 PM

Hi there,

My dad gave me his iBook 500mhz which has a smashed LCD. The computer itself works flawlessly so I was thinking about either selling the parts (but keeping the HD and buy a FW case) or doing something with it. Building some kind of media center ? I'd really like to do something with it to give it some new life. Now I do have a few questions.

The tech specs are: 500mhz G3/66mhz bus, 640MB PC100 memory, 15GB 4200rpm HD,

Would it be good enough for divx playback and other types of compressed media ? I tried a divx movie and it played fairly well if I didn't touch the computer but then I tried a xvid (I think that's the name) and it was horrible the video was unwatchable with frames constantly dropping. It could be the HD in it that it dying or maybe the machine is just too slow. I used VLC for these quick tests. iTunes won't be a problem I guess, altough my library is pretty huge (almost 13000 tracks).

I'd want a new case. Now I have 2 options: design one myself that fits in nicely with my hifi rack or take a pizzabox mac and hack it in there. I really love the look of the PowerMac 6100 case. If use that 6100-style case I would like to know the following:

Can I use the case's power supply to power the iBook ?

Now next question: the optical drive is internally connected with this really thin ribbon connector. Now If I were to buy an el cheapo combo drive of some sorts to fit in the 6100 case it will obviously not come with that kind of connector. Are there any adapters out there that would connect such a ribbon type interface to a normal IDE interface ?

Monitor: I don't really know how the LCD interfaces with the graphics card (haven't checked that out yet) but I presume it must be with some sort of special connector like that ribbon cable used with optical drive. Would it be possible to somehow make that a standard VGA connector ? That would be sooo helpful. If not possible I could maybe use the little VGA port.

I'm too tired to think of any other questions right now, but I'll be back.

thanks

sine -''-..- · Mar 25, 2005, 09:03 PM

Originally posted by Goldfinger:

Can I use the case's power supply to power the iBook ?

Monitor: I don't really know how the LCD interfaces with the graphics card (haven't checked that out yet) but I presume it must be with some sort of special connector like that ribbon cable used with optical drive. Would it be possible to somehow make that a standard VGA connector ? That would be sooo helpful. If not possible I could maybe use the little VGA port.

thanks

Well I can answer these:

the iBook needs 24Volts but the 6100's power supply prolly only puts out 5V and 12V, maybe 9V too... but anyhow you'll need to use the iBook's power supply (its small anyhow)

And the line that goes from the mainboard to the screen on any laptop is not VGA, its a special signal for the LCD that can't be converted to VGA.

Waragainstsleep · Mar 27, 2005, 08:06 AM

You could remove the 6100 PSU and mount the iBooks in its place. Maybe fashion a blanking plate.
Much easier to use the built in VGA port than to adapt the LCD data cable. You can most likely ditch the inverter board too. It will run on almost no power at all. Leave the battery in there and it has a (virtually) uninterruptable power supply too.

Goldfinger · Mar 27, 2005, 03:33 PM

Originally posted by Waragainstsleep:
Much easier to use the built in VGA port than to adapt the LCD data cable. You can most likely ditch the inverter board too.

Yep, I was planning a bit on doing just that. But, does mirroring use video memory like spanning ? Or is it just 1 signal split in 2 ? When you disconnect the LCD, does the iBook still think that it's the main monitor ?

Waragainstsleep · Mar 27, 2005, 06:25 PM

No idea. You'll have to try it. You can actually enable iBooks to run extended desktop over two displays. So I guess its not just a splitter.

sine -''-..- · Mar 28, 2005, 01:11 AM

ibooks can mirror or do spanning. if you're doing spanning you can set your secondary (in this case your only) display as the main one so the dock and menu bar are displayed on that... but the problem then is you get a sort of gimp screen that isnt really there (the ibooks phantom screen)... i dont know if there is a way of disabling the internal screen but it may be possible to find some sort of hack for that.

But yea getting the all thoes settings will be tricky without having a working screen... oh.

Oh I just had a thought - just install VNC on the machine and control it through another machine over the network. Problem solved. Of course thats just to set it up... you probably dont want to always run it with VNC.

Goldfinger · Mar 28, 2005, 08:08 AM

Originally posted by sine -''-..-:
ibooks can mirror or do spanning. if you're doing spanning you can set your secondary (in this case your only) display as the main one so the dock and menu bar are displayed on that... but the problem then is you get a sort of gimp screen that isnt really there (the ibooks phantom screen)... i dont know if there is a way of disabling the internal screen but it may be possible to find some sort of hack for that.

But yea getting the all thoes settings will be tricky without having a working screen... oh.

Oh I just had a thought - just install VNC on the machine and control it through another machine over the network. Problem solved. Of course thats just to set it up... you probably dont want to always run it with VNC.

AFAIK, the iBook 500 does not support spanning, it has an ATI Rage with 8MB of VRAM, and the spannig hack could fry the ATI Rage.

I do own Apple Remote Desktop so I can indeed set it up through that, ut I don't always wan't to control the machine with ARD since that kinda defies the point of having a autonomous Audio/Video-machine.

Waragainstsleep · Mar 28, 2005, 12:26 PM

My PowerBook G3 has a Rage LT with 8MB VRAM. And that supports spanning quite happily.

Goldfinger · Mar 28, 2005, 01:47 PM

The iBook spanning hack does not support the iBook with the ATI Rage Mobility (500mhz and 600mhz).

Waragainstsleep · Mar 29, 2005, 02:55 AM

I don't even know why we're arguing about it. Mirroring is going to be of far more use to you. Unless you plan on replacing the LCD.

turtle777 · Apr 15, 2005, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep

I don't even know why we're arguing about it. Mirroring is going to be of far more use to you. Unless you plan on replacing the LCD.

You are correct. Why spanning, if the internal LCD is broken.
And NO, the iBook (Dual USB) 500 MHz does NOT support spanning, because there is no workable hack available.

-t

mymacpodcast · Apr 15, 2005, 09:50 PM

You can always do this: http://retro.joystiq.com/entry/1234000663030389/
It was made from a 500MHz iBook

rozwado1 · Apr 24, 2005, 04:58 PM

Goldfinger - my 500MHz iBook just died (inverter cable) and I think the screen still works. I disassembled, and made sure nothing else was messed up, but I'm not about to plug it back in without the inverter cable. I'd offer a full refund if it is dead (depending on how ridiculous shipping is). PM me if you're interested.