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APPLE iBOOK G4 UPGRADE
Here is a short article
on how we took a several-year old, dirty, dingy
iBook, and made it faster and better than when it
was new. First, some basic info about this
iBook G4 model:
As you can see, 1.2GHz
ain't too bad. It should be fine for browsing,
and basic internet apps. It can probably run
heavy-duty programs such as Photoshop, but it will
not be very fast doing so. We cannot upgrade
the CPU, but we can change the HDD and add one more
stick of memory. The maximum memory the iBook
G4 can handle is 1.25GB, which means we can add a
1GB stick. For that, we go to Crucial:
We have seen many people
online upgrade their iBook G4 with generic memory
modules, then seeing that the system doesn't
recognize it. But because Crucial has the
actual recommended module shown on their website for
the exact iBook G4 model being upgraded, we are
confident that this unit will work without a hitch.
Next, we go look for a
compatible HDD. As shown above, the iBook G4
utilizes an ATA-100 (PATA) 2.5" HDD. The
original equipment is a slug-slow 4200RPM model,
with only 30GB of space. We decided to look
for a 7200RPM unit, and found ourselves a lightly
used 60GB Hitachi Travelstar 7200RPM model, which
should give us a noticeable increase in speed,
especially boot time and when launching apps.
So first, let's take
apart the iBook. You will need a special tool
to remove a couple screws in the back, which has a
6-pointed star shape. The rest use regular
Philips heads, although quite small. The top
panel snaps together with the bottom chassis, so you
may need to fiddle a bit to release those tabs and
catches. The HDD is affixed to a carrier
suspended on rubber mounts to isolate vibration, and
has more six-pointed screws, although its larger
size may allow you to brute-force it with pliers or
a standard slotted screwdriver. Be careful so
as not to damage the HDD or strip the screws!
The this opportunity to blow out the dust, clean all
plastic surfaces especially the seams and edges with
lighter fluid. Those small edges and seams are
the places where dirt and grime usually accumulate,
and are difficult to remove once the case it put
back together. Keys on the keyboard are also
very grimy after many years of use. Lighter
fluid here with a clean cotton rag will remove any
all grime quite easily.
Once the insides are clean, you can install the SO-DIMM
and the new HDD
Re-assemble the iBook,
and insert your OS X install CD in the drive.
The OS installation will begin momentarily.
Once completed, check the system information, and
you will see that you do indeed have 1.25GB, and
your new 7200RPM HDD's model number will appear as
well. Enjoy!
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