Pismo Upgrade questions

rustedborg

OK. Here is my situation.



I am currently using a PowerBook G3 500mhz Firewire (Pismo) with 1gb of RAM and running OS 9.2.2.



I need a faster processor and I want to upgrade to OS X.



I had originally planned to buy a new PowerBook, but after a serious review of my finances I realized that I cannot afford to spend more than $800. That's not a joke. I don't have much money, but I NEED a faster laptop running OS X.



Since I don't have much money, I plan to buy the Powerlogix G3 900 processor upgrade for the Pismo. This will give me a 900mhz processor. I also plan to buy OS X. I was going to buy Jaguar, but now I'm thinking of waiting until Panther comes out.



My problem is, what do I do first?



Obviously, I will back up my hard drive, but should I get the processor upgrade and THEN upgrade to OS X, or should I upgrade to OS X and then get the processor upgrade?



Maybe it doesn't matter. I just want the upgrade process to be as painless as possible.

michael

I would recommend getting up and running under OS X before getting the processor upgrade. That way, if there is anything wrong with the processor, it'll be easier to diagnose as a hardware problem as opposed to teething pains from a new os. So install OS X and use it for a week or so before you send your processor card off for the upgrade.



Either way, you may also want to consider a new, faster, larger harddrive for your pismo. With a gig of RAM, OS X is going to need a lot of space for virtual memory, so if you still have the stock harddrive your machine came with, you'll want something bigger. Of course, getting a faster harddrive can also help improve over-all performance.



Most people seem to think Panther is coming out around september. If you buy Jaguar now (or say maybe June when Apple shows off panther at the wwdc), you'll probably get some sort of a discount on Panther when it does come out. I wouldn't install anything earlier than Jaguar, though.



I got the Powerlogix G4 500 upgrade for my pismo, that was a big boost because I originally had the 400mhz G3. I'd be interested in seeing how much faster that 900mhz g3 is. I also have a gig of RAM, and I installed a nice, fast, 30GB IBM harddrive just after I maxed out the RAM, it made a huge difference in performance. The 10GB drive my pismo came with just wasn't enough space for OS X and its virtual memory system.



hope this helps,



michael

rustedborg

Michael,



Thanks for the advice. Can you post a link to the model number (or at least give me the model number) for your newer 30GB internal harddrive?



It sounds like I'll need a new harddrive as well. I just hope this doesn't push me over my $800 budget. The Powerlogix upgrade cost $350 and OS X will cost $100 or maybe $150 if I get Jaguar and then update to Panther. That only leaves a couple hundred for a new internal hard drive.

kickaha

Get the HD.



Other than that... why do you think you need a faster CPU for OS X? Or do you just need a faster CPU, period?



FWIW, I've been using my 400MHz Pismo since new, still kicking, with a new 20GB HD and 320MB of RAM, with 10.2, for doing PhD research in software engineering.



Would I *like* a faster laptop? Oh heck yeah. It'd cut my analysis times down to nothing. But you know what... it's so much better than trying to do this under 9 that it isn't funny.

rustedborg

I need a faster processor for two reasons:



1) I do a lot of digital photography work and various Photoshop actions and filters take FOREVER with my Powerbook. (Well, maybe not "forever," but it does take longer than on my work computer ... which is a 1ghz G4.)



2) I want to upgrade from OS 9.2.2 to OS X. OS X doesn't "need" a faster processor, but it does respond much better with more mhz.

ebby

Yes model # of the hard drive please. I have a 6GB drive that I need to upgrade BADLY! I bought a 14GB drive from a friend 1-2 years later, It is too high and doesn't fit in my powerbook. Laptop hard drives can be tricky. I'll still try to sell it to my dad. He'll buy anything.8)