Powerbook G4 hard drive

[jamena]

the hard drive just died in my mum's g4 powerbook ...12" model, maybe 3 years old so probably not under warranty anymore. She was quoted £400 to get the hard drive replaced, memory upgraded, and updated software (I assume she means OS) but also advised that a new laptop (£750 for the latest basic macbook with intel cpu) might be a better choice.

I understand macs use standard laptop drives? (e.g. http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=377803 or a 1.8" I guess...will have to take it apart first I suppose)

My mum is off to the mac shop as the £750 option for an entirely new laptop sounds like a better tdeal than £400 to patch up the old one, especially if the old one can be fixed up and either inherited or flogged on ebay for the difference (spontaneous laptop-purchasing ahoy)

is she mad to buy a new one?
can hdd's in powerbook g4 (pre-intel 12" version) be changed easily?

thanks in advance!

[Steve B]

hey jamena, any 2.5" hard drive will fit so long as its not too long.

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/p...HD_upgrade.htm
theres a wee guide on how to change it over, then you can flog it on fleabay

[jamena]

ah, useful info there, thanks looks slightly worse in terms of the hdd install than a G3!

Scan list the dimensions for only one of their 2.5" drives - a 100Gb fujitsu at 9.5x70x100mm but I imagine some of the others will be 9.5mm too, I'll have to do some digging.

fleabay might be an option, but then again we might keep it

[Spud1]

The new macs are very nice (*hugs macbook*) and they are a wise investment - but I would wait until after the WWDC (this weekend iirc) to see if anything new gets announced, like a new revision or something.

Either way it's worth attempting the above - as if you mess it up you've lost nothing (hard drive can go on here or ebay, and the pbook was already broken), and if it works you can either sell the powerbook for 400-500quid and get a macbook, or keep it

[jamena]

so just to check before I click "buy it now" ... I need a 2.5" PATA / ATA 6 harddrive that is 9.5mm thick? should be attempting this in the next week or so I hope

[Stoo]

yup, I did the same operation on my iBook a few months ago, little bit fiddly, but as long as you take your time and don't lose anything you should be fine

[headbrace]

I will point out that installing anything in a 12" Powerbook is a bugger of great proportions. Space is exceedingly tight in there, so make sure you give yourself lots of space, time, light and patience to do it.

Good luck

[jamena]

well, the install went very smoothly. The 12.1" G4 was far easier to work with than the G3 I took apart previously! new hard drve humming away happily, everything installed as new, now all I need to do is sell it...