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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > 12in Powerbook G4 867 Back in everyday service - advice?

12in Powerbook G4 867 Back in everyday service - advice?
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PeteWK
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Mar 24, 2010, 03:14 AM
 
Hi all. I'm giving a friend who needs a good every day computer one of our old Macs, a Powerbook G4 867 12 inch. It's the non-DVI model with 40 gig HD etc. It currently has 640 mb of ram though I just ordered a 1024 mb chip from Crucial.com so that's one thing down.

Is this thing capable of doing the light web surfing and day to day computing needs he's likely to run into?

He's not really that computer literate and I'm thinking my Powerbook will be way easier to wade into than a 7 year old PC that's gathering dust at his house (given to him by an evil PC person recently)

Should I consider upgrading the HD and the DVD?

His budget doesn't allow for a computer so it's on his friends or he has nothing. Should I man up and spend some dollars here and get something else or will this do it?

PeteWK
     
Simon
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Mar 24, 2010, 04:02 AM
 
The extra RAM is a must. The HDD is OK if he's not interested in media (music, movies, pictures, etc.). Once he starts collecting those kinds of items he'll need a new disk. It's a bit of a bummer though because he'll need a PATA disk. They're more limited in capacity and they're more expensive. Personally, I wouldn't touch the DVD drive.

I'd try to get Tiger on it. It runs better on older hardware than all of the previous versions. I'm not so sure I'd try Leopard. In my experience it doesn't run better than Tiger on older hardware.

For simple web browsing (minus Flash) and email the PB will be ok. I'd definitely install ClickToFlash.

Very light iWork/Office use will be ok. Anything more professional won't be fun. Forget about pro apps or games.
     
amazing
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Mar 24, 2010, 12:48 PM
 
My experience with giving hi-tech to someone who's low-tech is that you're better off with a gradual approach. IOW, first see if it's something he's going to be able to handle and take care of. You've already done the bare minimum by maxing out the RAM. Let him try that for awhile before you stick any more $ and effort into it. Main thing is going to be some tactful and patient training, as well as reassuring him that you're available to answer any questions.

If you've got an old copy of MS Office X, that'd be great. He'd become familiar with Word and Excel, which should boost his employment possibilities a whole bunch (if that's relevant?)

Probably doesn't have or can't afford broadband, so I'd arrange a few training sessions on how to hookup to free broadband at libraries and other free hotspots. Set him up with some websites related to some of his interests and hobbies, e.g. if he likes reading the news, then bookmark some new sites. Some of his favorite music, stuff like that. If he's into photography, an old camera, and lessons on connecting it, viewing photos, etc.

Down the road, if he's really enthusiastic, that's when you can see about a larger HD. A 250 GB PATA HD is about $80 at zipzoomfly.com, for example. Let him come to value and invest himself in learning to use the laptop, then worry about expanding it.
     
reader50
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Mar 24, 2010, 01:41 PM
 
The PowerBook should handle 'heavier' programs provided they were made before that PB came out. I'd put a selection of older game demos, along with older productivity software if you can find them. Many will be abandonware.

He'll probably be out of luck with video editing, even using older programs. Maybe basic DVD authoring. But it's unlikely a broke computer newbie will jump right into video editing, especially considering he'd need a digital camcorder too.
     
gto47
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Mar 27, 2010, 02:28 AM
 
You know, I installed ubuntu linux on a machine i got for free recently and that thing was flying on 256mb of ram. Its pretty hard to beat linux in terms of efficiency. Maybe put that old pc to use after all?
Mac Pro 8x2.8 | Macbook 2.13 | Saab Trionic 7 (thats right, runs on a 68k!)
     
macintologist
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Mar 29, 2010, 10:08 AM
 
I don't understand why an 867mhz G4 can't do video editing. People used to spend 2500 on a brand spanking new 800mhz Titanium G4 and do Final Cut and all sorts of stuff on them. Absolutely no reason why he couldn't do that on the trusty old PB. I actually have the 867 PB 12' and still use it on a weekly basis because I have an iMac and can't be bothered to buy a new laptop. Other than the fan being loud, it actually works pretty well. Install Click2Flash and you're golden.
     
imitchellg5
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Mar 29, 2010, 03:55 PM
 
Final Cut Pro 5 will work just fine on that PowerBook. I don't think iMovie '09 will even install. My 12" PowerBook works just fine (867 MHz with 1.12 Gb of RAM) with FCP 5 and iMovie HD (as long as you aren't actually editing HD). With Tiger as the OS, it isn't a bad machine at all. I have iWork '09 installed with no issues. Some shiny transitions won't playback in Keynote, but that's about the only issue.
     
   
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