Mac OS 9 Lives

Mac OS 9 Discussion => Hardware => Topic started by: part12studios on March 24, 2020, 06:44:27 AM

Title: 1.5ghz 12" PowerBook with no WIFI? Was it optional back then, maybe bad board?
Post by: part12studios on March 24, 2020, 06:44:27 AM
Hi there, so I more recently got a seemingly good 1.5ghz G4 Powerbook that is the fastest of the three i have now.  one was free (drug dealers always give the first dost out for free) and the other two "for parts" units all seem like bootable machines..  I have

1ghz
1.33ghz
1.5ghz

The 1ghz and 1.33ghz have wifi that works fine.  but the 1.5ghz has no wifi option at all.. it's like the machine was not made to support it.  I'm thinking maybe wifi was optional back then?  so perhaps there is an empty slot where i could take the wifi card out of the 1ghz unit and put it in the 1.5hz model? 

I'm going to be opening it up soon.. likely the 1.33ghz as well to replace the backup batteries which are dead on all three..  but my priority is to get the 1.5ghz maxed out.  I have a working battery, power cord and 1gb stick for it..  i don't NEED wifi for the unit honestly, but i'm wanting to learn what i can before I open this up..  I like to do some research before I dig around.

Thanks,
Caleb
Title: Re: 1.5ghz 12" PowerBook with no WIFI? Was it optional back then, maybe bad board?
Post by: FBz on March 24, 2020, 07:22:14 AM
Run the serial number to see how it was originally configured.
Often, such information available via:
https://appleserialnumberinfo.com/Desktop/index.php
Title: Re: 1.5ghz 12" PowerBook with no WIFI? Was it optional back then, maybe bad board?
Post by: part12studios on March 24, 2020, 09:37:08 AM
ooooo ok cool.  i can check that when i get home tonight.  thanks for that tip.  I forgot they have a system similar to Dell computers.  Very cool. 
Title: Re: 1.5ghz 12" PowerBook with no WIFI? Was it optional back then, maybe bad board?
Post by: refinery on April 04, 2020, 09:07:07 PM
wifi was standard on those models, but its still a removable card. you can access it from the battery bay. take out the battery, and there's a small door above the contacts. the wifi card should be in there, or not, as the case may be.

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/PowerBook+G4+Aluminum+12-Inch+1-1.5+GHz+Airport+Extreme+Card+Replacement/541
Title: Re: 1.5ghz 12" PowerBook with no WIFI? Was it optional back then, maybe bad board?
Post by: teroyk on April 05, 2020, 10:33:43 AM
Is it in normal PCMCIA slot?
Title: Re: 1.5ghz 12" PowerBook with no WIFI? Was it optional back then, maybe bad board?
Post by: SDG on April 05, 2020, 11:46:52 AM
Quote from: teroyk on April 05, 2020, 10:33:43 AM
Is it in normal PCMCIA slot?

The 12" PowerBooks had no space for PCMCIA slots.
Title: Re: 1.5ghz 12" PowerBook with no WIFI? Was it optional back then, maybe bad board?
Post by: teroyk on April 05, 2020, 11:50:48 AM
Quote from: SDG on April 05, 2020, 11:46:52 AM
Quote from: teroyk on April 05, 2020, 10:33:43 AM
Is it in normal PCMCIA slot?

The 12" PowerBooks had no space for PCMCIA slots.

But that wifi-card inside 12" Powerbook looks like PCMCIA card.
Title: Re: 1.5ghz 12" PowerBook with no WIFI? Was it optional back then, maybe bad board?
Post by: refinery on April 08, 2020, 09:23:57 AM
no it is not. similar profile, different connectors.
Title: Re: 1.5ghz 12" PowerBook with no WIFI? Was it optional back then, maybe bad board?
Post by: part12studios on April 08, 2020, 12:42:22 PM
so some news on this.  great success..  1.5ghz unit now has a (working) wifi card.. i'm not sure if the card is bad or if it might have just gotten unseated but i swapped out the card in it for one from my 1.0ghz unit.  installed leopard on it (lowest version i could go to support the drivers for the profire 2626)..

Also the mSATA 64gb SSD inside of the 2.5" IDE enclosure worked great.  I don't know of the boot time is much faster but it's definitely not slower.  1.25gb ram works well.  it's a solid machine.  i do want to replace the cells of a bad battery soon..   found a good youtube video on how to do it. not too bad if you open..

(https://uc76479c7a81009c8e7085aaf9c5.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/AAzNEQakjGThuzisHqPoK2J81dG6GBSScI1k0yScCaqV-c_qqKC_Cn7aS760GcCXLM5WNd-sS8eNFlURI_mqVOhSDpkvZN-13iLAAy3e-hepTSIIQT2KuElVt81FoIcxpZxCuekNg7_HZtnOAe_jVphdVxrI2EnsihW6kMmb9sDM_WwBySvgHuqZWBnVzyHHXdjiUcqjaoSeFwBlLgOPq8duOEOrROC9t9zwNVYXB98zLSxrLXkCyVQDmSeVgVAoCh545uJ3DSwz4fkoOIa5vAHs-IFJk7vmydNPHyJsj2oxr-aYqHgVLN5hP697_cV1OTtdr0x1zMp21gjy77Nh9HGAfclfiE0bCwxlNKUi4QyEtfJZYg1wwwcR4wX5JjaWPHCP1JYgollpCxD_58_dSmF2/p.jpeg?size=2048x1536&size_mode=3)