Need help identifying an iBook...

[PeterB]

... given to me by a student, it does seem to boot (chimes) but no video, will load into TDM. On the outside, all I can find is model #A1005. I'd like to try attaching it to an external monitor to see if it can run that way, but am having trouble finding the right video adapter. I'm guessing it's a G3 iBook, but not sure what mhz or vintage...

TiA

[Doc]

Apple iBook G3 600MHz, 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz 12"

Top result in a Google search.

Edit: a.ka. the "Dual USB" model from 2002-2003.

Edit2: I believe you'd need a mini-VGA adapter... assuming that its video hardware is working at all. Keep in mind that the failure rate on the video chips on those G3s is rumored to be around 50%.

[Jack D.]

Is the serial number in the battery compartment like the current MacBooks?

[GGD]

An easy way to visually distinguish the G3 vs G4 iBook is the optical drive loading. G3 is tray loading, G4 is slot loading.

[timg]

It's easy to tell the white G3's from the white G4's - the G4's say

iBook G4 on them and the G3's just say iBook (right under the screen).

also, the case changed a little bit in the middle of the G3 run - went from a kind of a clear plastic painted white on the inside to a white plastic.

Beyond that, you might need to get some video out of it to know more.

I

[rich in distress]

It is descripted in the case.
It's either in the battery bay, or behind the keyboard (very easy to remove, as if you were to install extra RAM).

Good Luck!

[Lew Zealand]

Doc wrote:
Apple iBook G3 600MHz, 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz 12"

Top result in a Google search.

Edit: a.ka. the "Dual USB" model from 2002-2003.

Edit2: I believe you'd need a mini-VGA adapter... assuming that its video hardware is working at all. Keep in mind that the failure rate on the video chips on those G3s is rumored to be around 50%.

Actually, that's the iBook G4s with the video failures. I have 2 G4s with that problem (and 1 which is just fine). I also have 3 or 4 iBook G3s with dead hard drives but the video works on all of them - all boot from external drives just fine.

[timg]

I believe the G3's and G4's both had solder issues that caused no booting or no video.

[Doc]

Lew Zealand wrote:
Actually, that's the iBook G4s with the video failures.

This is what LEM says about it:

http://www.lowendmac.com/pb2/12in-ibook-...-2002.html

The white 12" iBook G3 series became much less reliable through its first five revisions, reaching a 73% failure percentage! The last revision dropped to a 49% failure percentage - much improved over the previous model, but still unconscionably high. The problems appear to have been solved, for the most part, in the newer iBook G4 series.

(Emphasis added.)

See also:

http://www.lowendmac.com/ibooks/12in-ibo...0-mhz.html

Apple has admitted to a manufacturing defect in first generation G4 iBooks that may cause the power system to fail due to failed solder joints.

In other words, they were all crap.

[Black]

If it's got the typical "motherboard problem" you won't get video with an external either.