Would you recommend a PowerBook G3 Pismo?

P

peanutbutter

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I've been thinking about getting a new iBook, but I don't have a whole lot of money to spend, and I found a lot of PowerBook G3 Pismo listings on eBay. Money wise they would be great for me (about $500). Would you guys recommend one? And are there any upgrades I would definitely need?
 
I know you don't want to hear this, but I'd say look for an newer book. A brand new g3 800 dual usb can be had for less than $700. It is a little limited in that it has only cd rom, but you could upgrade that later on.

Still, 200 bucks is 200 more than the Pismo, but it's faster, newer and svelter.
 
I'd stay away from a used dual usb ibook, but a fresh one, right out of the box is secure enough with the extended warrantee on the problem motherboard....
 
Yeah, the only thing stopping me from getting a G3 iBook is that it only has a CD-ROM drive. Is it possible to upgrade it to a combo?
 
my G3 iBook came with a combo drive and there are a lot of them out there. Pds is right with those logic board issues, but my iBook worked just fine. I don't know if there is any way to test the system for this issue, but if there is, I would seriously consider a combo iBook G3. Wonderful books!
 
Yeah, you can pop in a combo drive after the fact. So buy the book and then save up for the upgrade. It is on my to-do list, pencilled in for December. Until then I use an external burner and watch dvd's on the TV. ;)

(btw Panther lets you burn cd's over a network, so I can burn stuff on the eMac from the iBook. Slow as molasses in January, but it works in a pinch.)
 
I have to check, but I think the extension is for three years from date of original purchase. Your original date of purchase would be the day the seller bought it.

I bought mine here in Cairo from a reseller. I got it in a box, brand spanking new, but the warrantee goes only till he originally took delivery - 4 months before I bought it, so my original warrantee is up next month.

The logic board issue is a tough one. Not every book fails, but once one does it seems to become a habit. ;) Many folks have replaced them even three or four times. Some never have. If it's on sale at e-bay, could be because the person is fed up with it. No other reason I'd sell mine. My next upgrade will trade in one of the eMacs. :D

from the Apple website
How long is the Expanded iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program available?
The program covers affected iBooks for three years after the first retail sale of the unit or until December 18, 2004, whichever provides longer coverage for you. Apple will continue to evaluate the repair data and will provide further repair extensions as needed.
Click to expand...
 
Hey, nothin' wrong with a Pismo!

Okay, I'm a bit bias when it comes to them.. (It is my first Mac!)

I'm actually selling mine on E-Bay (using it towards a new PowerMac G5)
Not trying to advertise the link, but it does show how much you can upgrade the machines.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5106070594&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

My stock machine was:
400 Mhz & 128 MB RAM

I was considering purchasing a SuperDrive (DVD Burner) for it but then realized I needed more power for school.

Anyhoo, they are great machines. ^_^
 
Wow, you really added a lot to that machine.

Anyway, thank you for your help everyone, a (brand new) iBook G3 sounds like a good choice.
 
Check out refurbished units. You can save a couple hundred bucks and it still carries the full factory warranty. Smalldog.com has a bunch of refurbished iBooks for sale. Example, they have a 700Mhz/256MB/20GB/Combo/Airport unit for about $689.
 
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