iBook G4/G3 Battery Swapping?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the newer G4 iBooks should consume a lot more power than the G3 iBooks; yet the G4 iBooks have a 6 hour battery life thanks to their 50-watt-hour batteries, as opposed to the G3 5-hour, 46-watt-hour batteries (on the 14", old is 55, new is 61).
What I'd like to know is couldn't someone buy a newer G4 battery and stick it in a G3 iBook, achieving a 6+ hour battery life? It looks as though the form factor didn't change, I also understand it's still the solid plastic casing, so it would still match the later models.
Could someone with a G4 iBook please check for me and save me a trip to the local apple retailer, where I would need to distract the sales guy, grab a display model and try it out for myself
? Thanks 
What I'd like to know is couldn't someone buy a newer G4 battery and stick it in a G3 iBook, achieving a 6+ hour battery life? It looks as though the form factor didn't change, I also understand it's still the solid plastic casing, so it would still match the later models.
Could someone with a G4 iBook please check for me and save me a trip to the local apple retailer, where I would need to distract the sales guy, grab a display model and try it out for myself
? Thanks
Comments
Anyway! I came across this on LowEndMac today.
Looks like the idea should work after all
Originally posted by Phroggy
I hope no one minds if I shamelessly bump my own 1.5-month-old thread, but I didn't like \\/\\/ickes' answer (no offense
The lack of reasoning behind the negative answer \\/\\/ickes gave highlights an annoying problem with the Web. People pull stuff out of their asses for no good reason. Sad.
As the owner of the original iBook (Dual USB) 500Mhz, I'm delighted to hear that the new 50W battery will work. Nonetheless, I'm still torn between keeping my old workhorse, or moving on to a new stallion (i.e. an iBook G4 or a 12-inch PowerBook).
The comment by a guy on the Apple boards that he gets better battery life from his iBook than from his 12-inch PB makes me think twice. If only the iBook could run an external monitor at higher resolution... (Note that I am not interested in spanning, which is all the firmware hack enables.)
Escher
Originally posted by Escher
(Note that I am not interested in spanning, which is all the firmware hack enables.)
What can´t you do with the hack? Doesn´t it offer the possibility to have a second display that is independent of your ibook display and can drive something like the resoultion of the 17" apple display?
Originally posted by Anders
What can´t you do with the hack? Doesn´t it offer the possibility to have a second display that is independent of your ibook display and can drive something like the resoultion of the 17" apple display?
The hack only lets you run in spanning mode, which is two displays (internal and external) showing different things. I want to turn off the internal display and run an external 1280x1024 display only (and leave the 'Book closed), which unfortunately I don't think you can do with the hack.
Escher
Originally posted by Escher
The hack only lets you run in spanning mode, which is two displays (internal and external) showing different things. I want to turn off the internal display and run an external 1280x1024 display only (and leave the 'Book closed), which unfortunately I don't think you can do with the hack.
Escher
the hack does offer a 'clamshell' mode, which I think is what you're talking about, but it warns against it because of heat damage to the ibook. Though I don't see the problem for what you want - just make the external display the primary, (I think you can do that, it's been a while...) and ignore the screen on the ibook.
Originally posted by mac phd
Though I don't see the problem for what you want - just make the external display the primary, (I think you can do that, it's been a while...) and ignore the screen on the ibook.
I was under the impression that the "spanning hack" is called that because it only lets you span monitors. What if my cursor gets lost on the iBook's screen, which I am ignoring? I would gladly experiment with this, but my iBook/500 with only 8MB VRAM doesn't support the monitor hack (or rather vice versa). Is there anybody here currently running an iBook with the spanning hack who can tell us whether you could drive a larger external display, e.g. 1280x1024, without using the iBook's built-in LCD?
Escher
Originally posted by Big Mac
Clamshell mode has nothing to do with spanning. I've heard that you simply have to hook up a keyboard, mouse and external monitor, close the machine, and then you have your higher resolution display. If you're concerned with heat issues, just keep it open, dim it and turn it around so that you're not looking at it. (I don't really see how heat could be much of a problem, though. If the 12" PB supports can support clamshell mode (with its rather warm wrist rests), then anything could.) YMMV; proceed at your own risk. . .
Its called spanning, buts its really 'not mirroring'. It gives you the freedom to configure the monitors however you want. You are quite free to disable the internal display and plug in an external. When you unplug the internal will automagically reactivate.
Apple warns against using the ibook in clamshell mode due to heat concerns ( could damage you screen and keyboard ). The g4 ibook seems to run much cooler than the g3. I cant see why anyone wouldnt want the power of two displays. It is fantastic. The only negative is that vram for QE is split between the two displays, meaning that you need to apply the 16mb hack for QE. 16mb QE is still better than not having it at all - which isnt too bad.
Originally posted by Escher
The lack of reasoning behind the negative answer \\/\\/ickes gave highlights an annoying problem with the Web. People pull stuff out of their asses for no good reason. Sad.
-- snip ship --
In my defence... at the time Apple still sold the old battery, so I concluded that there must be a difference. (Why else would apple sell two different batterys if one size fits all?) I was not sure so when I posted, I stated that I (keyword) think it would not work. I did not say there is no chance in hell that it would work, or go $$$$ yourself because you are up shit creek without the right battery, no I said I think it will not work. I guess I was not clear with the word think, but thank you for bolding my name anyway, it is allways nice to get flamed.
\\/\\/ickes out.
Originally posted by \\/\\/ickes
In my defence... I stated that I (keyword) think it would not work.
\\/\\/ickes: I did see that you used the word "think." What was objectionable was the fact that you used the "no" smilie (
I guess I was not clear with the word think,
As I said, the word think was very clear. But the reason for your thought was not.
but thank you for bolding my name anyway,
If you read any of my other posts, you will notice that I bold the username of every member here. I find it makes it easier to see to whom I am responding.
it is allways nice to get flamed.
I didn't intend to flame you, just your lack of an explanation.
Back on topic: I could be disappointed that Apple no longer offers a replacement battery that matches my old iBook/500 with the translucent case. However, I'm just thankful that Apple keeps boosting the Wattage of its batteries. The benefits of longer battery life far outweigh the cosmetic problem of a non-matching battery. Still, I'll probably wait to get a new battery as part of a new iBook G4 or 12-inch PowerBook sometime next year.
Escher
Originally posted by Big Mac
Clamshell mode has nothing to do with spanning.
Clamshell mode is what I want to use. From what I understand, the iBook "spanning hack" is for spanning only, not for clamshell mode. Still, I would be overjoyed to hear from anybody who can show me how to hack an iBook G4 to run in clamshell mode with a higher-than-internal resolution (e.g. 1280x1024).
Originally posted by mmmpie
You are quite free to disable the internal display and plug in an external. When you unplug the internal will automagically reactivate.
You can "disable the internal display" with the press of a button on the 12-inch PowerBook. However, is this possible with a (hacked) iBook G4?
I cant see why anyone wouldnt want the power of two displays. It is fantastic. The only negative is that vram for QE is split between the two displays
There are several reasons why I prefer clamshell over spanning mode:
(1) I don't need the extra real estate of the internal 12" LCD.
(2) An iBook's 12" LCD looks terrible (washed out) next to my 17" desktop LCD
(3) I would like to hide the closed iBook in a corner of my desk.
(4) I don't want to split my VRAM.
Bottom line: If there is a "clamshell hack" for the iBook G4, please tell me about it. If not, who can write one?
Escher