[Aranamac]

I work in my university's computer lab where we have 20+ eMacs (700 MHz). Over the past couple years we've lost three of them because the monitors crapped out. Yesterday I was able to take one of those home to have and to hold... or rather, to have and to harvest! I popped the ram into my G4 Gigabit to give myself 1.12 GB total. Now I have a dead emac with lots of still working parts: the hard drive (will probably buy a USB enclosure and put the drive in that), all the ports, and other assorted guts. Only the monitor is dead. When you turn on the computer, the screen is black (though for a while there was an incredibly distorted image), and there's a very bad smell.

Any thoughts on what could be done with this eMac? Can the processor be sold? Can the video card be used for anything? Can I take the ports (firewire, USB, etc.) and use them elsewhere? Can the case be made into anything fun? Maybe I can take the Combo drive and replace the DVD drive in my G4?

Thanks for any thoughts!

-Aranamac

[ajprice]

Gut the eMac for what you can to put in your G4, including the hard drive (you still have your little bag of hard drive screws for your G4, don't you), a USB hard drive would be so slow it would drive you mad, put it internal or in a firewire case. The Combo drive should fit too, because I think the emac drive is a full size drive, not a slim laptop drive. The eMac's video and processor are fixed to the motherboard, see here http://www.everymac.com/systems/appl...expansion.html . As for the rest of the eMac, ebay the internals that are left, and make an aquarium or something! maybe the white comes off the casing to leave it clear plastic like the modded iBooks, not sure on that though.

[Aranamac]

Thanks for the response.

Good points on the external USB enclosure. Since a Firewire enclosure is a little pricier than I want to spend, and I already have an external FW 80GB drive... what's the point? The original idea in making it external USB would've been to give it compatibility between our PC and iMac in the computer lab. I may still do it... it wouldn't be a heavy use drive. Or I might just replace the existing 40 GB i have in my tower that is rather unreliable (crashed a while back and never really recovered). Replacement would be the only option, I filled the other drive bay with a 120GB drive last year.

Unfortunately I've learned that the memory isn't compatible! The eMac had one 128 stick (PC133) and one 512 stick (PC133). My tower has 2x 256 mb at PC100. After running them together, I started having frequent random system-wide freezes. I took the PC100 out and just used the 512+128, but then the Mac wouldn't boot. Restored my 2x 256 sticks and now everything is fine. Drat. I was hoping for a free RAM upgrade. Anyone know anything about this? Is the Gigabit Ethernet G4 only compatible with PC100? Will that be fixed if I upgrade the processor (say with an OtherWorld Computing board or a Sonnet)?

The combo-drive swap will be a definite. I'll prolly have to get my IT guys to discharge the monitor for me before I go mucking around.

[macgfx]

You should be able to run the eMac from an exturnal display. Sounds like the Analog Board is burned out. Other than the Built-in display not working the eMac should work fine. Some $15 cable from Apple should let you run an exturnal display.

I've been looking for an old eMac with a dead display so if you'd like to sell or trade it I'd be willing to make an offer. I'll take it with or without the Ram,HD,CD.

[macaddict0001]

use it as a server.

[chabig]

Originally posted by macaddict0001:
use it as a server.

Best idea so far! Use an external display to get everything set up. Then run it headless.

[kndonlee]

as a matter of fact, I have an old first gen iMac. Display still works and all, but it just sits in my basement. Since the iMac is in PA and I'm in school in TN, I do basically everything remotely.

iMac's Functions:

Webserver: apache, entropy.ch's PHP, MySQL
eMail: I use Postfix Enabler for easy setup
DNS: BIND
File Server: FTP & AFP

How to Control:

- OSXvnc.app - connect using VNCThing using only the Z-HexTile Mode cuz it's fast

- SSH to get to the Bash prompt!

- MySQL is administered throuh phpMyAdmin
- Backing up the server is via RsyncBackup, which backs up configuration files to a 256mb FlashKey & my website (picture gallery 5+gigs) to another harddrive mounted via Firewire
- What else is there? Once I can find a way of getting another Ethernet card in this iMac, i'll let it do DHCP and Internal DNS for my Home Network.

I'd say the eMac would be a perfect companion on your home network with a cablemodem or something like that...

[Aranamac]

kndonlee wrote:

I'd say the eMac would be a perfect companion on your home network with a cablemodem or something like that...

It sure would be... if I had something like that! There's only one high-speed provider where I live and they're extremely flaky and unreliable (Adelphia), so I only dial-up. Nor do I have a home network--there's no need for one. One of the other dead eMacs from our lab did become a server at a friend's house, though... 'tis a great idea.

Does anyone know what needs to be taken out of the eMac to prevent this horrific stench from stinking up the room when it turns on? If that can be fixed, I might go the external monitor route and use this to replace my dad's ailing iMac Rev. A. (if he wants it... he's rather stuck in OS 9). I've not got a lot of experience with the inner hardware side of Macs, so this would be new to me.

macgfx, if an easy way to fix this stench and get an external monitor up and going can't be found in this week, I wouldn't mind selling the eMac off to you. If that becomes an option for me, I'll PM/email you about it.

[Krypton]

I thought the infamous eMac monitor failing fault was down to failing monitor cable connections - something that can be fixed relatively cheaply no?

[Aranamac]

If it is easy, I don't know how and I'd sure like to know.

[macgfx]

VGA Cable


Service Manual

As to the burning smell I'd pull it open and see it I could find the source. As you already know DISCHARGE THE DISPLAY!!! You'd have to find if the smell was a short or just something that burned but is no longer shorting out.

[macgfx]

Without knowing first hand, as I've never taken apart an eMac, I would assume the eMac has a separate Power Board for the VGA display or a Power distribution board. Once the display has been discharged I'd start at the Power Supply and look for some wires that lead from it to another Board that Powers the Display. These wires should cary AC Power, unlike the the Logic Board and Molex(HardDrive/CD/DVD) connectors that cary DC Power from the Power Supply.

The AC Power wires should be larger in Gage, common colors are RED, BLUE, YELLOW, WHITE, GREEN. Don't confuse the AC Power wires with the VGA wires, VGA wires should be large in Gage in the colors of RED, BLUE, GREEN each of these should have a small center wire and a shield inside the outer colored cover. Also there should be a few small sync and DDC wires with the Colored VGA wires. Most of these wires should lead from the Logic Board to the small round board on the back of the Picture Tube. Some Power wires may lead here too.

I'd locate the Power Wires to the VGA and Cut them then cap them with wire nuts and tape at both ends. Then try to run the eMac off another display.

Enter at own RISK!

[Aranamac]

Thanks for the tips. I'll post results here when I get the free time to actually do this (and get the CRT discharged first, of course!)

[macaddict0001]

before you open the emac you should know that CRTs are very dangerous and can't be discharged just by leaving them unplugged. if you are not a professional I highly suggest that you do not open the case to modify the crt in any way.

[Aranamac]

before you open the emac you should know that CRTs are very dangerous and can't be discharged just by leaving them unplugged. if you are not a professional I highly suggest that you do not open the case to modify the crt in any way.

Okay then. Since now I know what *not* to do, perhaps you can help me with what I should do instead? I'd appreciate something more than just a dire warning offered with no suggestion for avoiding Shocking Electrical Death�. I know you're offering a concerned warning, so take the sarcasm only lightly.

Perhaps I'll take it into the local PC Club and ask them to do it for me.

[macaddict0001]

well for starters the emac crt shoudl be properly discharged
instructions can be found on google
this site seemed particularly informative
from here to the end of the section on crt implosion. This page also contains instructions on handling and taking apart a crt.

[macgfx]

Does anyone bother to READ what has been posted BEFORE posting???

Some of you may have had your brain DISCHARGED

[macaddict0001]

Originally posted by macgfx:
Does anyone bother to READ what has been posted BEFORE posting???

Some of you may have had your brain DISCHARGED

yeah I saw what you posted but you can't be too careful around these things.