|
Reader Replies: Outfitting Your G3-Powered PowerBook 1400
September 25, 2000
by Stephen Hildreth
Editor-in-Chief
KISS was acquired by Powerexperts on February 8th, 1999.
http://www.powerexperts.com/solar/press/press_release.htm
They still produce solar panels for notebooks (and powerbooks), but they have discontinued the PB1400 PowerCover because...
> SINCE THE POWERBOOK 1400 IS NO LONGER PRODUCED BY APPLE, IT DID NOT
> MAKE SINCE FOR US TO CONTINUE THIS PRODUCT LINE.
>
> THE SUN CATCHER PROFESSIONAL OR EXPEDITION MODEL DOES A BETTER JOB
> RUNNING A POWERBOOK 1400 FROM SOLAR POWER, AND BOTH MODELS ARE
> CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. WE HAVE LEFT THIS LINK ACTIVE TO USE AS AN
> ILLUSTRATION OF THE INNOVATIVE USE OF SOLAR POWER THAT THE
> POWERCOVER REPRESENTS.
http://www.powerexperts.com/solar/powercover.html
Maybe you can use this to update your article if you are interested.
I have PB 1400 w/ newer tech 200 g3. I just sold my 333hz beige desktop g3 I am now using 1400/g3 for desktop duties. Web page construction, Email, DTpublishing w/ quark, quicken 2000, web banking, I found that my 1 gig jazz from APS won't work.That may have to do with other issues (bad carts ect) Also, Toast 4.0 down to 3.7 won't boot. Sherlock is very dicey with system 9.0. I have less than $700 invested as I purchased this unit right used. In all I'm happy with it so far. of course It's only 1 gig HD and 48megs. RAM doubler 9 helped the RAM issues nicely.
From Low End Mac I found out how one can extend the 64 MB RAM limit on the PB 1400 by initializing an ATA Flash Card as a Hard Drive and assigning this as Virtual Memory (real RAM vs. the Hard Drive). I found a cheap 128 MB card that formats to 110MB, allowing for 104MB for Virtual Memory.
I have a 1400cs that has been a workhorse for me. Two years ago I upgraded it with a Vimage 233 chip and it still ran like a champ, although I did replace both the batt AND adapter with BTI and Madsonline, respectively...I think that may be Dave Gabriel's (and many others'!) problem with batt life. It's kind of a 1400 secret that Apple's stock 1400 chargers eventually lose juice for whatever reason and end up ruining current batts and any new batts you install (see posts on various mac sites). Since I replaced batt and charger, I can get a good 2, sometimes 3 hours, even with my 233 at full throttle. I think quality of batt (brand) also has a lot to do with this.
Must confess I got a Pismo 400 this spring, though...the ram on the 1400 was also too limiting for my needs. (SPEED!) Anyway, that 1400 has countless times been popped in and out of offices and bags and charges and recharges, and it still runs like brand new. (Except for every now and then I get those vertical lines across half the screen -- also a 1400 issue which to correct I just lightly press on molding next to screen.). Even with a few drawbacks, I still think it's the right-priced 'Book for a lot of folks.
Keep up the good site and articles!
I upgraded my 1400 quite a while ago. First I put in a video port for presentations as I use it for power point presentations a lot. Of course I had to get a 56 k modem card for it and a zip drive to plug in the front slot too. Then I put in a 3 gig hard drive and 64 meg ram and finally put in Newer techs 250 MHZ G3 card and "Wala" I had a speedy G3 laptop. Only it never felt speedy, and it still gets hot as blazes.
Now I have over $5000 in this machine and feel "stuck" with it. It operates with a 66 mhz bus, runs hot and feels old. I do like the size. That and the fact that it's paid for. But the battery only runs one hour, MAX. I've bought a couple of new ones along the way and either gotten old ones off the shelf, or they just plain aren't any good, but they aren't any better then the worn out one I have.
So I wait for a decent Mac laptop to come along in the $1500 - 2000 range that has what I have in the one i've got now. Then I'll but a new one. I'd buy the iBook but I'd feel like a fool making client presentations using it.
How do you expect to get a G3-powered PowerBook 1400 for under $1000? Haven't you checked reseller prices on used/refurbed PB1400's? They are typically in the $650+ range...some even higher approaching PB3400 prices! Then, add a Sonnet Crescendo 333 or 400 (starting at $400), and you're well above $1000. Even on eBay, I see minimal PB1400's (117/16/750/no CD) auctioning off for $500+. When you add up all of the other extras (G3 card, RAM, larger HD, 56K modem etc.) to a PB1400, you are well over the cost of a new iBook (a rev.A iBook 32/3/24x can be found for $1100) and approaching or equalling the cost of a PowerBook G3/233 Wallstreet (typically $1299 for a refurb). Considering all of the limitations of the PB1400 (64MB, NuBus-based 33Mhz bus, slow video, no CardBus support), a rev.A iBook or G3/233 Wallstreet is by far the better choice (and the Wallstreet can be upgraded to a PowerLogix or NewerTech G3/400 and run OS X in the future).
Editorial Index
Stephen Hildreth has been the Editor-in-Chief of PowerBook Central since its inception in 1996. When not working on his Mac, he shares his love of the outdoors with his family and can be found biking, snow skiing, or educating students on the internal & external processes of our planet.
|
