What should I do with an old 450 MHz Sawtooth G4 Mac running OS X 10.2? Assume that it runs well as-is and that I have $100 to spend on accessories. Bonus points to answers involving robots (for which I don't have materials for) and/or digital cameras (for which I do).
posted by infinitewindow on Jul 27, 2009 - 3 answers

Tossing an idea around here ... I'd like to use my old Powerbook as a media server for my Windows network. [more inside]
posted by chairish on Jul 12, 2008 - 5 answers

iBook G4 battery is out of juice. Computer won't start up... even when AC adapter is plugged in. Is there something else going on? [more inside]
posted by kmtiszen on Jun 10, 2008 - 7 answers

Macfilter: Thinking of buying a 12" G4 Powerbook, is this irrational thinking? [more inside]
posted by stackhaus23 on Jun 9, 2008 - 24 answers

[Ohgodno!Filter] My iBook G4 has for months been making a weird sound when I move it, but today something in the vicinity of the hard-drive has started to make a sharp rhythmic whine/scrape when the laptop is tilted. Is there any hope other than bringing it into the shop? [more inside]
posted by Marquis on Oct 22, 2007 - 15 answers

How can I save my iMac G4? [more inside]
posted by eustacescrubb on Sep 29, 2006 - 5 answers

My iBook G4 has lately been winking out, for no apparent reason, as I'm in the middle of something (I have to reset the date each time, among other things). The weird thing is that it only seems to happen when I'm on battery power. When I press the little button on the bottom, it seems to indicate full power. However, I was noticing a month or so ago I was getting weird battery warnings -- saying it was almost out of power, when it said there was 41% power remaining, etc. Has anyone had this problem, and might a new battery somehow be the solution?
posted by jgballard on Aug 17, 2006 - 5 answers

My G4 iPod has crapped out. It's a few years old and was working with no problems for some time. But recently it corrupted a bunch of my songs. I tried reloading and it now crashes my Mac running 10.4 because the move hangs halfway and nothing can be done. Is there anything I can do with this thing? [more inside]
posted by Napierzaza on Jun 27, 2006 - 8 answers

Yesterday on the sidewalk in front of the office, my computer bag strap broke and the bag fell to the ground, denting the corner of my (loaner) Powerbook G4. [more inside]
posted by mr_crash_davis on Jun 27, 2006 - 9 answers

Help me get my aged G4 onto my home wireless network. [more inside]
posted by docgonzo on Jun 7, 2006 - 8 answers

I need to add a bigger hard drive to my oldish Mac G4. This kind of machine can only see 120G of storage on a drive. [more inside]
posted by zadcat on Apr 7, 2006 - 5 answers

I would like to upgrade my old 15" G4 powerbook laptop 400 Mhz. I would like to get more speed out of it. I have maxxed the ram out and installed a faster access HDD. What else can I do? Motherboard? Recommendations?
posted by fox_terrier_guy on Mar 24, 2006 - 7 answers

I acquired a secondhand Power Mac G4 Dual 867MHz MDD a few days ago, but it's been acting a little weird. [more inside]
posted by cillit bang on Feb 23, 2006 - 4 answers

The power connector to my G4 Powerbook is almost dead. It only charges in one very specific position, and I have to twist it around for a few seconds to find the sweetspot (rotating it in situ). Nothing is loose and nothing is visibly wrong. I tried squeezing the metal sleeve slightly to make it more elliptical in the hope this would create a tighter connection, but it made no difference. [more inside]
posted by unSane on Feb 16, 2006 - 18 answers

I need a cheap graphics card for my old Powermac G4 that will drive a high-res LCD. [more inside]
posted by killdevil on Feb 14, 2006 - 5 answers

completely dead powerbook g4. [more inside]
posted by andrew cooke on Jan 8, 2006 - 7 answers

So when is the Powerbook G5 really coming out? I have been a lifelong PC user, but I want to get a laptop as my next computer and after using several of my friends' Powerbooks I was sold on buying one. However, it seems like there's conflicting information and advice on (a) whether I should buy the revised G4 PB or wait for the G5 (which could have some quirks upon initial release), (b) whether I really need the power of of a G5 in my laptop, and (c) when the hell the thing is even coming out. Please help AppleGurus.
posted by rooftop secrets on Apr 5, 2005 - 17 answers

I'm replacing the zip drive in my 450MHz AGP "Sawtooth" G4 with a DVD burner. Any tips? [more inside]
posted by mds35 on Jan 24, 2005 - 8 answers

Is the new iMac Mini comparable in performance to the old G4 Quicksilver? Rather, are there any grievous issues as to why one should not consider purchasing an iMac Mini?
posted by Colloquial Collision on Jan 14, 2005 - 32 answers

I use a Windows XP box at work. I use a Powerbook G4 at home. I'd like to buy the bluetooth Apple Pro keyboard and use it both at home and at work. Is this possible? If so, any specific recommendations for a USB-bluetooth adapter for my work machine? Thanks in advance.
posted by BlueTrain on Nov 9, 2004 - 1 answer

Here the short story...Is there anyway to remotely disconnect/connect dsl connections under OS X? the long story inside.... [more inside]
posted by ShawnString on Oct 12, 2004 - 7 answers

Can I use the OSX CDs that came with my iBook to upgrade a desktop G4 from OS9? [more inside]
posted by kmel on Oct 12, 2004 - 10 answers

When your iBook G4 loses faith in the idea that it has DVD drive, complaining of an error [-70012] when you stick a DVD in; when even firmware prompt commands like "eject" won't pop it out; when you realize that for purposes of style you have been deprived of a manual-eject pinhole; in such straits, friends, is there any hope of freeing your Digital Versatile Disc of "Spiderman" from the drive?
posted by inksyndicate on Jul 21, 2004 - 13 answers

Oh dear. Mac data recovery question. One of my coursemates accidentally deleted her final year degree coursework when trying to free up some disk space on her G4. [More Inside] [more inside]
posted by armoured-ant on Mar 3, 2004 - 6 answers