Best Dead Lombard Replacement?
From Lee Shartau
Dear Sir
Lombard 400 MHz DVD - OS X
10.2.8
What are the symptoms of cache going out on these units?
I thought that my hard drive had packed up, but I put in a good
12 GB IBM in, and the installer DVD reports I cannot install
(10.3.3) or boot from this drive. On OS X 10.2.8 The monitor
was going to black and white on log-in.
An OS/software problem?
I have an old MainStreet, so I am not completely out of
luck.
If I cannot resolve this problem, what do you think of the
clamshell iBook 466 DVD as a
replacement vs. Pismo or another Lombard.
Hi Lee,
The usual symptom of a Lombard cache failure is
that things slow down significantly, but the processor remains
operable. That doesn't sound like what you're experiencing.
It could be a software issue (clean system
reinstall? boot from an external volume?) or a hard drive issue.
Are you sure the drive you installed was good?
As for the clamshell iBook as a potential
replacement, it has the best reliability record of any Mac laptop
according to MacInTouch's user survey. The most desirable models
are the late production "Paris" units with FireWire.
Depending on your budget, you might want to also
consider a used/refurb white iBook, but the old clamshell is the
more rugged. Lombards are getting pretty marginal, but I'm still a
big fan of my old Pismo.
Charles
Pismo Processor Upgrades
From Cynthia
I have read your articles about Pismos with great interest, as I, too, love
my Pismo. I saw the article regarding the 1 GHz processor
upgrade that was, at one time, available from PowerLogix. My
question is, can this processor be found anywhere nowadays? I would
be interested even in a working used one.
I have a 500 MHz Pismo but need to run Studio 8, which requires
a G3/600 according to specs. So I am looking to upgrade. I so do
not want to go to a TiBook and have to deal with the hinge issues,
even though it will most likely cost me more to keep my Pismo and
upgrade. At least I know what I have, and it is in pristine
condition. Is my best choice the G4/550? I am willing to throw the
max 1 GB RAM in the machine, too, as I know this will help the
program.
Thanks for not giving up on these great machines. Any advice you
could offer would be very greatly appreciated.
A fellow Pismo lover,
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia,
PowerLogix has discontinued production of the
BlueChip 900 MHz and 1 GHz G3 Pismo processor upgrades, so the used
market would be your only hope of finding one.
Personally, I would recommend, especially since
your Pismo is in good condition, one of the several 550 MHz G4
processor upgrades available for the Pismo. I'm into my third year
with the Daystar 550 MHz G4 upgrade in my own Pismo, and I have
essentially no complaints. It has been a rock of stability, and a
lot better performer than the original 500 MHz G3 CPU was.
I agree with you about the TiBook being a not very
auspicious replacement. If you go with a newer machine, I would
suggest at least an 867 MHz or 1 GHz 12" aluminum PowerBook, which
have a good reliability record, and are getting down into the $600
- $700 bracket.
Charles
Frankenpismo?
From Shane Young
Dear Mr. Moore,
Please accept my apology in advance for a somewhat obscure
question. I've read a lot of your articles and asked you a question
a long time ago, and I greatly respect your opinion, so I thought
rather than scour the Web, you might know offhand.
I'm a photographer, recently went all digital, and have a number
of new and old Macs. I have an old Lombard that I was using at home as a
'beater', mostly for email and Web, and it's been fine for that
stuff, without having to clutter a work computer. It recently
started having 'wake from sleep' problems that it hadn't had in the
past. It also started receiving strange error messages and stopped
functioning with Yahoo IM. I backed up anything of any value on it,
since it seems more and more cranky to wake from sleep - I figure
it's on it's last legs.
My question is this:
I also have an old Pismo, which
was working until the FireWire ports literally melted through the
bottom casing - other than the ports, the machine continued to
work, so I suppose the motherboard is still working, as are the
other essentials.
The screen and hinges on the Pismo are better than the Lombard,
and I was thinking I might try to swap them out, to improve the
Lombard or take the drive and memory out of the Lombard, and put
them in the Pismo, and use it w/o FireWire (though I don't know if
it will work with Tiger if the FireWire ports are burned out). I
wouldn't mind doing the monitor-swap just for 'practice', but not
if the Lombard is going to die soon.
Anyway, I'm sorry for the long question. And it may be a tough
one to answer. Really, I guess I'm wondering if you think any parts
between the two machines (i.e. hinges, screen, etc.) are
interchangeable?
Thanks very much for your help.
Sincerely,
Shane
Hi Shane,
It does sound like your Lombard is on its last
legs. I wouldn't advise spending much time and effort on it until
you identify what the problem is.
While the Lombard and Pismo are almost identical
in appearance, the motherboard architecture is completely
different, the Lombard actually having more in common with the
preceding WallStreet G3 Series 'Books, while the Pismo shared a lot
of mobo design particulars with the early generation Titanium
PowerBooks.
On the other hand, the screen hinges are to the
best of my knowledge the same, and I think (but am not sure) that
the screens are the same as well. The hard drives are definitely
swappable, and the RAM should work as well in either machine.
It would be interesting to see if the burned-out
FireWire ports would affect a Tiger install, but IMHO, OS X
10.3.9 is a better choice for running on the Pismo anyway.
Charles
Trackball Tip
From Douglass Scott
I enjoyed your piece on trackballs.
I'm a longtime trackball user and wanted to pass along one bit
of advice: Use wrist support. Depending on the setup, trackballs
can create their own aches and pains. It's easy to fall into the
habit of allowing your wrist to bend and remain stationary for long
periods of time, resulting in wrist pain or even carpal tunnel. I
use a small padded wrist support with my trackball and haven't had
any problems for years.
Cheers, DS
Douglass Scott
Thanks for the tip, Douglass.
Charles
Value of Color PowerBook 170
From Jared
Hi,
In your opinion, what would be a fair price to pay for the rare
colored version of the PowerBook
170?
Thanks,
-Jared
Hi Jared,
Yikes!
I doubt that there's any standard price for that
particular machine. As with any special interest collectable, it's
a matter of perceived value on the part of buyer and seller.
My very rough guess for a unit in good condition
would be several hundred dollars, but I really can't put a figure
on it.
Charles
Pogue Fan
From Peter D. Tillman
Charles:
Just a short note to say "me too" to your rave recos for the
Pogue Mac books. I'm on my third (or is it the fourth?) and have
always found them to be money well spent.
Poguefans will want to regularly visit his website and should try a
subscription to his weekly NY Times "Circuits" column, available by
email - signup at his site.
And keep up the good work!
Cheers - Pete Tillman
Hi Pete,
Thanks!
Yes, David Pogue has been a great contributor to
the Mac community over the years.
Charles
