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shreddog · Jan 21, 2005, 10:12 AM

I'm a little confused as to what "core imaging" is and how much I will need it. I assume Tiger will be backwards compatible with older models but will it be worth upgrading my PB to fully utilize Tiger? I just do basic web development, surf the net, watch dvd's. I'm leaning towards keeping my 12" PB (I can still return it to Apple though, since I just bought it last week), but I want to make sure it will last me at least 2 years. Specs on the PB are G4 867mhz, 256MB ram (I'll probably upgrade it to 640MB), 40 GB Hard Drive, 133mhz bus.

Thanks!

SpaceMonkey · 10:52 AM

Originally posted by shreddog:
I'm a little confused as to what "core imaging" is and how much I will need it. I assume Tiger will be backwards compatible with older models but will it be worth upgrading my PB to fully utilize Tiger? I just do basic web development, surf the net, watch dvd's. I'm leaning towards keeping my 12" PB (I can still return it to Apple though, since I just bought it last week), but I want to make sure it will last me at least 2 years. Specs on the PB are G4 867mhz, 256MB ram (I'll probably upgrade it to 640MB), 40 GB Hard Drive, 133mhz bus.

Thanks!

It'll be fine. Tiger may even run faster than Panther, just like Panther is faster than Jaguar.

EDIT to add: but yeah, you really should upgrade to some more RAM. 256MB is skirting the low end for any version of OS X.

Fiete5401 · Jan 21, 2005, 10:49 AM

Originally posted by shreddog:
I'm a little confused as to what "core imaging" is and how much I will need it. I assume Tiger will be backwards compatible with older models but will it be worth upgrading my PB to fully utilize Tiger? I just do basic web development, surf the net, watch dvd's. I'm leaning towards keeping my 12" PB (I can still return it to Apple though, since I just bought it last week), but I want to make sure it will last me at least 2 years. Specs on the PB are G4 867mhz, 256MB ram (I'll probably upgrade it to 640MB), 40 GB Hard Drive, 133mhz bus.

Thanks!

Throw in an additional GB of RAM. I use the same PB with 640 MB RAM and recommend going to the max.

shreddog · Jan 21, 2005, 11:47 AM

I thought the max RAM on the PB 867's was 640MB? If I go the 1GB route, will it be a waste of memory or will it actually utilize the extra?

cpac · Jan 21, 2005, 11:59 AM

Originally posted by shreddog:
I thought the max RAM on the PB 867's was 640MB? If I go the 1GB route, will it be a waste of memory or will it actually utilize the extra?

It will use all the RAM. The limit just comes from the number of slots and the physical amount of space available.

SpaceMonkey · Jan 21, 2005, 12:09 PM

Originally posted by shreddog:
I thought the max RAM on the PB 867's was 640MB? If I go the 1GB route, will it be a waste of memory or will it actually utilize the extra?

AFAIK, it will use the extra. The original limit was set at 640MB because at the time, the highest capacity RAM chips available at the correct size and density were 512MB. If you do go for 1GB though, be sure to check that it meets the appropriate specs for your Powerbook.

Moderator · 06:45 PM

I have a pismo that runs 10.3 great so....i think you'll be fine

wilsonng · Jan 22, 2005, 02:53 AM

Go get the 1 GB stick. You will be amazed at how much difference adding memory will change your PB. It's like breathing new life into the machine.

The PB G4 867 12" (which is also what I have) will be able to run Tiger but it won't take advantage of the graphic effects that are present in Tiger.

It just means a little less eye candy but it'll stick work.

It's like playing Doom with lower resolution - it won't look as spectacular but you can still play it in low-res modes.

MORT A POTTY · Jan 22, 2005, 03:21 AM

oh it'll run fine. just no Core Image and other graphical goodies.

it will run just dandy though

(esp. w/ a gig of RAM... everyone needs a gig of RAM I says.

yugyug · Jan 22, 2005, 06:37 AM

hi ,this is a related question so I hope no minds me hijacking this thread....

I have a powerbook t4 500mhz 500meg ram and I run 10.2.8 - I've been told not to upgrade to panther as it would slow my system down... does anyone think differently? and would an upgrade in ram help me out too?

iREZ · Jan 22, 2005, 04:22 PM

An upgrade to panther should speed up your system but I believe that Panther takes up more HD space. I was running panther on an iBook G3 300MHz with 512MB of RAM and although it wasn't spectacular I was able to run web and word pretty decently. So your answer is yes, more RAM will increase speeds and so will installing a faster HD.

weed_ · Jan 22, 2005, 05:42 PM

Does a RAM upgrade from 1 to 2 GB on a TiBook 1 GHz (Nov 2002) have the same or comparable effect?

Do you recommend upgrading the original 60 GB Fujitsu 4200 rpm drive to a brand new 100 GB model to grain some speed? Or is it risky (heat etc.) to change the original drive into a faster one?

alphasubzero949 · Jan 22, 2005, 05:44 PM

Every release of OS X has been faster than the previous version in my experience. On my clamshell iBook Cheetah was unusable, Puma was barely usable, Jaguar was decent, and Panther is adequate (OS 9 levels). Mind you, I have 288 MB of RAM on it. On my Late 2001 iBook (600 MHz G3), Jaguar was faster than Puma (original shipping system), and Panther is faster than Jaguar. Throwing 640 MB of RAM into it (up from 256 MB) made OS X scream. Of course, on both machines I do not get the whiz-bang eye candy such as the FUS cube.

On my PowerBook? Panther flies.

So, to answer your question, Tiger should be faster than Panther though it would be interesting to see if the older G3 Macs would be supported (those w/o combo drives).

Moderator · Jan 22, 2005, 06:48 PM

Panther brought a noticable speed increase to my pismo..I remember swapping a 400mhz board for a 500 in my pismo. The speed Panther added relative to jaguar was greater than that.

yugyug · Jan 22, 2005, 11:40 PM

thanks, I now know what next to spend my savings on - a 500meg ram chip and an upgrade to panther, or maybe tiger, - cheaper than buying a new powerbook anyway.

wilsonng · Jan 22, 2005, 11:55 PM

Trust me, get the 1 GB. if you're gonna upgrade RAM, go all the way.

Originally posted by yugyug:
thanks, I now know what next to spend my savings on - a 500meg ram chip and an upgrade to panther, or maybe tiger, - cheaper than buying a new powerbook anyway.

ccrespo · Jan 23, 2005, 09:12 PM

anyone got some links to some good 1gb ram for the rev. a 12 inch (867) powerbook?

I got 256mb and I'd like to max up the ram

ubertuber · Jan 27, 2005, 12:03 AM

Also (going along with the above) is there anything I need to know about ram size and speed for a 12" 867mhz powerbook? I'm sure this is a stupid question, but I'm not too good with this stuff. Thanks.

iREZ · Jan 27, 2005, 02:49 AM

200 pin PC 2100 but I think PC 2700 works too. I got a PC 2700 in my PB and it supposedly only takes PC 2100 so I'm sure the outpost sale in this forum will work out for ya. I believe it's 160 for a gig and it's the stick I got running in my book for the past how many months.

tkmd · Jan 27, 2005, 08:01 PM

Originally posted by weed_:
Does a RAM upgrade from 1 to 2 GB on a TiBook 1 GHz (Nov 2002) have the same or comparable effect?

Do you recommend upgrading the original 60 GB Fujitsu 4200 rpm drive to a brand new 100 GB model to grain some speed? Or is it risky (heat etc.) to change the original drive into a faster one?

No - its the law of diminishing returns. Anything above 768 MB really does not speed your system up - but it will allow you to run more apps in the background and still have folders cached.

Even if your machine's video card is outdated you will still see a performance gain in Tiger since it will be complied with an updated gcc (4.0?)