PowerBook G4 Titanium A1001 hardware questions

[emendelson]

I recently found a very nice PowerBook G4 Titanium DVI A1001 (the lower-powered 667 MHz model), after having to return an A1025 that turned out to be defective. I've increased the RAM to 1 GB and added a 120GB SSD/adapter and installed Mac OS 9 (thanks to one of the installer on this forum) and Tiger, with all the updates amazingly available from Apple's update servers. I've got a few questions left, and I think the answer to all of them is No, but it seems worth asking:

1. Is there a way to reduce the loud fan noise that occasionally happens when I'm running 9.2.2?

2. Is anyone making/selling working batteries for this model?

3. Is anyone making/selling PRAM batteries for this model?

4. Is there any PCMCIA wifi card that would let BOTH 9.2.2 and Tiger connect to a modern network?

5. Finally, is there any reason to leave the Airport card in the machine, as it seems to be useless today?

Many thanks for any answers, even if they're only "No."

[rvense]

I have the same module, I think. I don't use it because of the fan noise. I thought it was because of missing thermal paste, but i tried reapplying and it still makes as much noise. I don't get the impression that this is how they were, but I don't know what the problem os.

[Knezzen]

1. They are like that (I'm writing this on my 1Ghz TiBook). Even with fresh everything in terms of thermal pads and paste I get the first fan spinning up after around 10 minutes after powering it on and it keeps running until I power off the machine. I have owned this one for 15 years or so and it has always been this way.

Apple had a lot of trouble keeping the PowerPC chips cool, which ultimately led to the Intel switch etc.
Sorry for the derailment.

2. No idea
3. No idea

4. Nope, sorry. The AirPort card supports both WEP and WPA, but the Mac OS 9 drivers never got the added WPA support. This is a driver issue.

5. Get an ethernet to wireless bridge if you don't have an old router laying around around that you can use as a WEP only access point (it's what I do at home) to keep your old wireless gear truly wireless.

[emendelson]

@Knezzen - Thank you for this. If anyone can recommend an easily portable wireless-to-ethernet bridge, I'll be grateful, but I see there are lots of choices out there that don't cost very much.

[teroyk]

1. Is there a way to reduce the loud fan noise that occasionally happens when I'm running 9.2.2?

Does A1001 machine have Reduce processor speed in Energy Saver Control Panel?
It helps how occassionally fan noise happens. Reducing room temperature also helps.
Some software that use G4-commands warm up quite fast, you can try older software version.

[teroyk]

Apple had a lot of trouble keeping the PowerPC chips cool, which ultimately led to the Intel switch etc.

Actually Intel CPU needed also Northbridge-chip and together they made more heat than PowerPC + bridge-chip and there was coming new Freescale PPC for portables released 2005 from Freescale texts: "MPC7448 keeps the power low and can run on less than 10 Watts at 1.4 GHz". Also I wonder, why PPC chips for industrial use are passive cooled..

[emendelson]

Does A1001 machine have Reduce processor speed in Energy Saver Control Panel?
It helps how occasionally fan noise happens.

Yes, 9.2.2 on this machine does have this option, and I turned it on. Will report if it makes any difference. Thank you!

[rvense]

1. They are like that (I'm writing this on my 1Ghz TiBook). Even with fresh everything in terms of thermal pads and paste I get the first fan spinning up after around 10 minutes after powering it on and it keeps running until I power off the machine. I have owned this one for 15 years or so and it has always been this way.

I'm very surprised to read this. I used an 1.33GHz iBook G4 (bought new) for several years, and it was never very noisy. It did get quite warm under load, but the fan worked and it knew to how spin down when it cooled down. Late I've also been using a 1.33GHz aluminium PowerBook, and it is comparable. My Lombard is also the same.

[ssp3]

TiBooks and iBooks/PowerBooks are different animals. They use different G4 processors, later models being more power efficient. Also, the fans in TiBooks are more noisy by their design (axial vs radial).
And yes, 1GHz TiBook (2 fans) is loud. I use single fan 667MHz model instead.

[Knezzen]

I'm very surprised to read this. I used an 1.33GHz iBook G4 (bought new) for several years, and it was never very noisy. It did get quite warm under load, but the fan worked and it knew to how spin down when it cooled down. Late I've also been using a 1.33GHz aluminium PowerBook, and it is comparable. My Lombard is also the same.

I have owned both of the machines you mention and I agree with your point of view. I guess that the TiBook's thermal performance suffered to make the design so slim (for the time at least). I owned a first gen MacBook Air a few years ago and it suffered quite hard as well with it's really poor thermal performance. A price you're paying if you want a TiBook in your life.

The TiBook doesn't have any variable speed fans, intead it has two fans kicking in in two stages. The first stage fan kicks in within 10 minutes of starting (at least on a 1Ghz TiBook) and the second fan kicks in if you do anything CPU intensive. The second fan stops running quite close to the CPU intensive task being done though.

[rvense]

Interesting. I was hoping I'd be able to fix it somehow. Mine's in good condition, too. I much prefer the look of the TiBook, but the fan noise is unacceptable to me. I think mine is an 867 MHz model.

I'm loath to say that I've given in to using Tiger on the albook. The apps I want to use either have updates or work well in Classic, and it's just very hard to beat the convenience of a slim, functional laptop with functional sleep mode and a battery ("new" from akkushop.de - getting two hours even under load!). I'm still an OS9er in spirit, though, and the desktops are staying as they are.

[emendelson]

One more hardware question: is it possible to find a replacement for a missing rubber foot for the lower case? I can't find anything on eBay, but maybe I'm not looking in the right places...

[robespierre]

When the Titanium PowerBooks were more popular, there was a company called RadTech that made a number of accessories for them. The replacement feet were called "Pawz".

They also made screen lid bumpers called "WildEepz" (I guess the search for a better name failed!) and kits to service and oil the hinges. Some of that stuff might pop up from time to time on eBay. The screen bumpers, in particular, are really nice and solve the problem everybody had with PowerBooks' keys making marks on the screen.

[emendelson]

The company still exists! Will check into this. Thank you!

[ssp3]

They only sell transparent generic rubber feet at the moment.
I think you'll be better off with some DIY work.

Or try something like this. (I'm not related to them)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/275401940133
https://www.ebay.com/itm/404460580069

[shazbot]

It's a shame. These models are proper blowers but are super fast with 1gb of ram and an msata. I have 3 x 1 Ghz models, an 867 and originally the 667. My advice - best of the the 3 is the 867 for fan noise. Major design faux pas by Le Apple on these bad boys.

[smilesdavis]

You have 3x 1ghz dayum congrats

I got 400s 500s 600s one 800 but no 1ghz

[teroyk]

I got 400s 500s 600s one 800 but no 1ghz

Wow..you have 400s and 500s. How about fan noise with those?

[Willard]

Hi guys, I just got a titanium powerbook and there is definitely something wrong with my right fan. It might start with a normal fan sound but then at some point soon it kicks in the noise and buzzes very loud like its the MDD or something, you can even hear it dragging and stuttering, struggling like it wants to choke like the clunker lawnmower engine going over a patch of thick heavy grass. I barely have any software on this thing its just iTunes and fan is already losing its mind.

I came to ask if you recommend putting a little lubrication on it, like less than a drop of the fine machine oil or a little WD40? I've put cooking oil on a fan once and it worked but this one I would do it right I promise. The left fan I hear it spin only when I put my ear to it. Thank you!!