Ebay provides... I've just bought a 1.67GHz Powerbook 5.6 (I can live with the DDR RAM and only 64MB vram limitations). Comes with a second battery, tuccano 'second skin' laptop sleeve, and PSU. Only 1GB Ram, but that will be fine for now with MorphOS.

This cost me £175, which is funnily exactly the same price I paid for my 1.5GHz Mac mini. Seems to be my standard price for MorphOS hardware :o)

This is the final step... I am now a MorphOS only household: no windows machines, no mac OS installations, no Linux (although I will be installing a minimal Linux on my Efika for use as a headless audio box with MPD + Envy24 audio card).

Goodbye Windows, it's been a long and frustrating association, can't say I'll miss you in the least.

@Devs ready when you are guys ;o)

WELCOME and enjoy the freedom.

MorphOS only household? That must be hard to do? My wife and kids can't live without their online Java games.

@Redrumloa

Not as hard as you might think!
No wife & kids (or interest in flash/Java games), girlfriend likes MorphOS anyway ("ooh, that's pretty!").
I don't regularly use any websites requiring huge amounts of flash (now Youtube works with html5)... torrenting, media playback, accessing/editing documents/spreadsheets... all pretty much on a par with other OSes these days. Integration with phone via MSD over USB, networking with other machines in the house.. all covered by MorphOS.

If I really need a Blu-Ray player I'll have to look at either a standalone player, or dual-booting to Linux/OSX, but not needed at the moment. The main things I currently use Windows-only-utils for is... repairing other people's borked Windows installations/lost partitions/etc.

I admit, I'd love to see Java fully ported (along with QT) in order to have easy access to some Linux apps (eg freeware FEA/CAD software). If I go back into serious Engineering work I'll no doubt have to bow to the pressure (since AutoCAD/Solidworks/ANSYS ports to MorphOS aren't very likely), but for (my) everyday usage MorphOS has it pretty much covered.

I'm SOOOO looking forward to not having any Windows machines :oD

[ Edited by boot_wb 23.11.2011 - 14:44 ]

Score! Turns out that my Powerbook 5.6 has 128MB VRam after all! It's listed on Everymac as an option, but as it was not mentioned by the seller I naturally assumed that it would be the standard 64MB model.

On arrival, the DVD drive was not recognised by either openfirmware or OSX, although was receiving power. Several reboots, shutdown/startups and sleep/wakeups later there was no change. After resetting the PMU (disconnect battery, AC adapter, and hold down power button for 5 seconds) still no change. A couple of shutdowns/restarts later and it just came to life.

The onboard speakers didn't work either (tried various options in the audion preferences without any success) and then they also started 'just working' shortly after resetting the PMU (although not at the same time as the DVD drive started working).

First battery holds 1500mAh (many cycles), second holds around 4300mAh (rated at 4400), only 37 cycles.

The 'second skin' is a flexible zippable cover for the Powerbook when not in use, not a protective semi-permanent cover for the Powerbook when in use as I'd hoped, but meh! :o)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/290636803778?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_500wt_1213

http://homepage.mac.com/micahgartman/web/sahnapiranha/specs/spec_g4_167.pdf

http://homepage.mac.com/micahgartman/web/sahnapiranha/ug/ug_pbg4_17_167.pdf

http://homepage.mac.com/micahgartman/web/sahnapiranha/dev/dn_g4_17_167.pdf

http://homepage.mac.com/micahgartman/web/sahnapiranha/ss/ss_pbg4_17_dl_167_15_133ghz.pdf

http://homepage.mac.com/micahgartman/web/sahnapiranha/archive.html
there is a AHT 5.2

enjoy RTFM

[ Edited by osco 27.11.2011 - 19:17 ]

Quote:

Reading this I want to ask this question. As some of you may remember I have bought an 1.67 HiRes PowerBook, sold it cause I found a cheaper one locally and for this second one I am still on quest for an a1139 logic board after an accident.

Everything started when I tried to add a wireless network card on this PB as it appeared not to have one. I have ordered the correct wireless device for the 1.67 HiRes model -M9970LL/A- which is diffrent from the 1.67 LowRes model -M9689LL/A-.

As I turned up the machine it switched normally to 1680x1050 mode so it is confirmed to be a hires model, the VRAM was 128 MB and the main RAM was 2 Giga the mahcine was preety fast.

However when I opened the machine to put the wireless card I discovered that the network device was not the suitable one and that the one that was ready to fit was the one used on the LowRes -M9689LL/A- model. I ordered the correct card.... And went on to put it...

Also all the instructions on ifix.com that I found for the Hires motherboard -to change the card- would not fit on this motherboard however the instructions for the LowRes motherboard were ok.

What I am trying to describe is that I have a Hires Powerbook with a LowRes type of motherboard or a motherboard with some LowRes components installed. And I wonder two things / options / scenarios:

a. Was there any kind of silent upgrade by Apple? I am searching the net but can not find anything... Perhaps a silent upgrade to the 17'', 1.67Ghz LowRes models before the official release of the HiRes ones.

b. Perhaps the motherboard was changed on service..... -by the previous owner-.... But WTF? This is a modified one.

As the keyboard connector in this PB is now broken... -it was almost from the firt ttime but after some open and closes to change the network card it toally broke- the PB is on a specialist who tries to fix it. If he does not I am after an A1139 mobo... BUT I am afraid that even a purchase of a new one would not probably fit in this wird model.

All kinds of information or ideas would be useful.....

I mainly think about this silent upgrade case... What do you think?

Ok if I have kept my original PB thta has just a little fade on the PB logo and a small dent I would not be in this adventure. But as the first one cost me a lot and as I have found the second one in a lower price and on the same time found someone who wanted to get the first one ib the original price I paid.. ok I did the exchange. But now I have learned the lesson: when you have something and it works ok, just ... keep it!

@Countraven

Sounds like someone has replaced the guts at some point.

According to this thread, the hi-res display is compatible with the low-res logic board.

Does the board have DDR or DDR2 ram installed? Should be obvious by the different 'keying' of the memory modules (or info in system profiler if you have OSX up and running).

Best regards



Rich

@Osco

Thanks for the links, I haven't received the user manuals etc with the Powerbook so that is quite useful to me :o)

Seems I've happily avoided (more by luck than judgement) the more fault-prone models (Narcolepsy, display issues).


Rich

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-PowerBook-G4-15-17-OSX-Panther-Install-Disk-/320802233247?pt=UK_Computing_Software_Software_SR&hash=item4ab14d9b9f#ht_500wt_1213

Close to home!

Quote:

Thanks for the reply. As the broken keyboard connector drives the machine not to power on, the RAM checking could not be done through MacOSX but I will pull out the RAM and check. If the RAM is DDR2 this is a HiRes mobo for sure as the lower models woud not accept that type of RAM. In the case that the connector could not be fixed a new mobo is the only way to save the machine and I got to confirm that the A1139 -HiRes- is the right one. Please note: The guy that now has the PB for fix says that the mobo model and / or serial number is erased with marker so I can not have this source of info anyway.

Somehting must have changed to this machine -before it gets into my hands-, however I am sitll hoping for this silent upgrade case. Or that this is a LoweRes machine with a HighRes display -a new scenario that added after I read the provided thread-, or at least someone have changed specific parts on the mobo (?).


[ Edited by CountRaven 28.11.2011 - 17:08 ]

Quote:

Quote:

Mystery solved... the Powerbook was a A1107 model with a -changed by user- hires display. Thank god I did not spent cas on A1139 mobo.....

The broken keyboard connector was fixed.
:)))))))

Unfortunately it still does not recognise the airpoart card and this should be a mobo issue I guess.

But I guess I would keep it as is and use it with usb wifi stick or wired. I do not want to mess with mobo replacement, ebay search and service any more.

So I am after a hi res model. To end the story.

PowerBook G4 1.67 17" (DLSD/HR - Al)1.67 GHz PowerPC 7447a (G4)
M9970LL/A
PowerBook5,9
Std. RAM:
512 MB
Std. VRAM:
128 MB

Anyone who has something to offer please PM.