Just got my first Clamshell!!! :D I'm so happy!

[s0s]

Hi guys,

It's been a while! Well anyway, just today I finally received my very first clamshell iBook, the tangerine one! I'm so stoked. I know there were higher performance models of it, but because of the anality of Apple not making all the colors available for every model, I went with what I thought looked the best. I knew from the start that the battery didn't charge before I bought it, but it was said to be in good condition, so I bought it.

I was both pleasantly surprised and a little disappointed. The surprise was that it had an AirPort card, and the auction page didn't even mention it, so I wasn't expecting one at all. The disappointment was that the CD-ROM doesn't work. It's weird...it knows a disc is in there, but it always wants you to initialize it. Wth?

Problem 1:
I tried several CDs. A data cd and a music cd. Neither one mounted, and both times, it prompted me asking if I wanted to initialize them. I'm puzzled by this. It obviously knows a disc is in there, but it can't read it. How would it know one is in there if it couldn't read it? Does it for some reason need a format or codec (like UDF or Joliet on Windows)?

I'd like to figure it out so that I can put a larger hard drive in.

Problem 2:
The AirPort card won't establish a connection with my router. Nothing I've tried worked. I tried changing the router to a combination of WPA2/WPA, and set the channels to "auto". I know the AirPort card wants to use an old security protocol, but I don't know if I can do it without totally dropping functionality with modern encryption algorithms as well. I've never used AirPort stuff before.

Oh, and it came with a 64 MB card in the slot, for a total of 128 MB. I took a 512 MB card out of my old Windows laptop, and boosted it to 576 MB.

Not too bad for $89.99.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Apple-iBook-G3-Laptop-Tangerine-Clamshell-Great-Condition/142538308977?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

[GaryN]

Problem 1:
I tried several CDs. A data cd and a music cd. Neither one mounted, and both times, it prompted me asking if I wanted to initialize them. I'm puzzled by this. It obviously knows a disc is in there, but it can't read it. How would it know one is in there if it couldn't read it? Does it for some reason need a format or codec (like UDF or Joliet on Windows)?

It knows a disc is physically in there because you put it in which threw the microswitch that turned it on.
It can't read anything because something is wrong with the laser or associated circuitry. In an old computer like this, it is often nothing more than dust & dirt preventing the lens from focusing properly. Yes, it can be cleaned if you have the tools and the knowhow and yes, you are almost guaranteed to break it beyond repair if you don't and you try anyway. OR, the laser's trashed and you gotta find another drive.

Problem 2:
The AirPort card won't establish a connection with my router. Nothing I've tried worked. I tried changing the router to a combination of WPA2/WPA, and set the channels to "auto". I know the AirPort card wants to use an old security protocol, but I don't know if I can do it without totally dropping functionality with modern encryption algorithms as well. I've never used AirPort stuff before.

The old Airport card uses WEP security only, which your router doesn't. The easy solution is to pick up an old Airport Base Station ($15-$20 on fleabay or Craigslist), set it near enough to your newer router to be able to plug it in with an Ethernet cable. If they interfere with each other, move them around a tiny bit until you find a "sweet spot" where they both are happy. You can also leave the Airport unit turned off when not in use.

[s0s]

Cool, thanks for your quick reply. I'll go get my compressed air. And I guess I'll pick up an Airport since they're so cheap. Take care!

[s0s]

I found a CD-RW/DVD-ROM on ebay, and I was wondering if it would work in my clamshell.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grade-A-Apple-iBook-G4-A1054-CD-RW-DVD-ROM-Drive-CW-8123-C-COMBO-8123A-678-048D-/253210998923?hash=item3af48d388b:g:Tf8AAOSwu4BV5di-

From what I've read on various articles, people have claimed to have gotten dvd-roms working on tangerine iBooks, but that's anecdotal evidence, while I've read that others have had less luck. Does anyone here know if this will work in my tangerine?

[macStuff]

From what I've read on various articles, people have claimed to have gotten dvd-roms working on tangerine iBooks, but that's anecdotal evidence, while I've read that others have had less luck. Does anyone here know if this will work in my tangerine?

if its an apple product, then theres a service document somewhere where they educate service techs on how to service the cdrom drive. this info would also include part numbers etc

[DieHard]

Here is the complete non-public Apple service guide... we have it on the site

http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,3206.0.html

In Color no less...