Dead Run (Sokpop Collective) Mac OS
Dead Hackers Society is a Swedish-based Atari demo-group formed in 1992 when The X'Press Crew, Vikings and Golems joined together. In 1999 they organized the Pre-EIL-Party. They organized the FalUn Coding Konvention in november of 2004. Since 2009 they organize the Sommerhack parties. Sokpop Collective 2 years ago Yes, we had multiple reports of this being an problem on OSX. We're having weird issues porting some game maker games to mac, and in dino game a lot of different stuff breaks after a while of playing.
Dead Run (sokpop Collective) Mac Os Update
Dead Run (sokpop Collective) Mac Os Catalina
Introduction
To mark the first anniversary of my wildly successful blog post (garnering tens of thousands of views), The Definitive Classic Mac Pro (2006-2012) Upgrade Guide, I'm proud to announce a sequel. The Definitive Trash can Mac Pro 2013 upgrade guide started in jest on social media as the guide no one wanted, seeing as the Mac Pro 2013. The 2013 Mac Pro is a tale of hubris for Apple, as it over-promised and under-delivered, and is considerably less upgradeable than its predecessor. Is there a need or demand for such a guide? I don't know, but here we are, and while the origins are jocular the rest of this guide is serious. While most users (and Apple engineers) probably prefer moniker 'cylinder,' the trash can title stuck due to its obvious physical characteristics.
The Mac Pro 2013 has the dubious honor as the longest produced Macintosh, besting the Macintosh Plus produced from 1986 to 1990 without an upgrade. The 2013 Mac Pro was conceived as the original Mac Pro's successor, eschewing the modularity for a (debatably) stylish and radical redesign. After a few positive reactions by publications for its foreign looks, it quickly became snubbed for its lack of upgradability, stability, and Apple's complete and absolute antipathy (verging on enmity) towards it. Dead Run (sokpop Collective) Mac Os Update
The Mac Pro 2013 has been prone to an abnormal rate of failures due to heat, with a nameless Apple exec quoted as saying, 'think we designed ourselves into a bit of a thermal corner if you will'. Apple also took steps to extend its repair program, but problems persist. Despite the naysayers, the Mac Pro 2013 isn't without its fans (no pun intended), as at the time of its unveiling, it was a powerful, quirky computer in a diminutive form factor. Despite its limited upgradability, the computer is a modular design, and nearly every part of significance can be replaced. Only the 2019 Mac Pro since it has allowed for the range of user servicability (although the iMac 5k is a close second). It's the bridge to a by-gone era, where CPUs and storage and even GPUs were removable. Perhaps the 2019 Mac Pro a return to PCIe, but more than likely, 2013 will be the template. . Edit: The Mac Pro 2019 marks an expensive return to PCIe.
Know your Mac Pro Models
The Mac Pro line debuted in 2006 and has had six major iterations by Apple's nomenclature, 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, and 6.1. These are also generally referred to by year, 2006 (1.1, 2,1), less commonly 2007 (2,1), 2008 (3,1), 2009 (4,1), 2010-2012 (5,1) and 2013 (6,1). The other terms for these computers are divided between 'Cheesegrater' (2006-2012) and 'Trash can' (late 2013) or 'Cylinder'. For this guide's purpose, I will refer to the Mac Pro 'trash can' as 2013 (as does much of the internet). Please note This guide only covers the 2013 Mac Pro.
Please note This guide only covers the 2013 Mac Pro. For all other models, I've written a massive guide, The Definitive Classic Mac Pro (2006-2012) Upgrade Guide. Configurations
Apple has only shipped a grand total of 3 base configurations with a fourth build-to-order option for the 12 core CPU. Apple has only made one minor change in the past six years to the Mac Pro 2013 by removing the original base configuration and lowering the remaining models' prices.
Apple Mac Pro 'Quad Core' 3.7 GHz, 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB SSD, and dual FirePro D300 2 GB of GDDR5 (4 GB total). Discontinued April 4, 2017*
Apple Mac Pro 'Six Core' 3.7 GHz, 12 GB of RAM (16 GB after April 4th), 256 GB SSD, and dual FirePro D500 3 GB of GDDR5 (6 GB total). Discontinued April 4, 2017*
Apple Mac Pro 'Eight Core' 3.0 GHz, 12 GB of RAM (16 GB after April 4th), 2256 GB SSD, and dual FirePro D500 6 GB of GDDR5 (12 GB total).
Apple Mac Pro 'Twelve Core'* 2.7 GHz, 12 GB of RAM (16 GB after April 4th), 256 GB SSD, and dual FirePro D500 6 GB of GDDR5 (12 GB total). This is a build to order option only.
CPU Upgrades
Apple has never acknowledged the upgradability of the Mac Pro CPU, but the Mac Pro 2013's CPU is not soldered in thus making it upgradeable. Only four CPU configurations were offered by Apple, E5-1620v2, E5-1650v2, E5-1680v2, and the E5-2697v2, but users soon discovered that the E5 v2 family was compatible. Unlike the previous Mac Pros, the Mac Pro 2013 was only offered in a single CPU configuration.
From personal observation, the E5-2697 can be found cheaper on eBay and local used markets (in the US) vs. the E5-2695 is considerably cheaper on aliexpress. This varies based on your local markets, as the European markets tend to be much more expensive than North America.
Credit to the CPU list goes to Mac Rumors forum member ActionableMango. Architecture Cores CPU-Model GHz Turbo RAM Watt Ivy-Bridge 12 core E5-2697 V2 2.7 3.5 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 12 core E5-2696 V2 2.5 3.3 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 12 core E5-2695 V2 2.4 3.2 1866 115W Ivy-Bridge 10 core E5-2690 V2 3.0 3.6 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 10 core E5-2680 V2 2.8 3.6 1866 115W Ivy-Bridge 8 core E5-2687W V2 3.4 4.0 1866 150W Ivy-Bridge 8 core E5-2667 V2 3.3 4.0 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 8 core E5-2673 V2 3.3 4.0 1866 110W Ivy-Bridge 8 core E5-1680 V2 3.0 3.9 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 6 core E5-1660 V2 3.7 4.0 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 6 core E5-1650 V2 3.5 3.9 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 4 core E5-1620 V2 3.7 3.9 1866 130W
Useful Links
GPU Upgrades
Yes, the Mac Pro's GPUs can be swapped out, but only three different GPUs were ever produced for it, the AMD FirePro D300 2 GB, D500 3 GB, or D700 6 GB. Apple has kept tight control on these (any official repairs require the GPUs to be returned to Apple), and thus few-to-none exist on the aftermarket, and the two higher GPUs are prone to failures thanks to a wattage ceiling. For most intents and purposes, it is cheaper to buy a Mac Pro 2013 than to track down two GPUs. Apple discontinued the entry-level Mac Pro 2013 that sported the D300. All-new Mac Pros sold after April 4th, 2017, have either a D500 or D700.
For other GPU options, see the eGPU section. Useful Links
OS Upgrades
Currently, the Mac Pro 2013 is still supported hardware (as it should be as Apple stopped selling it only in 2019), but the relatively low sales likely mean it may be dropped in future Mac OS updates. It can run Mac OS 11.x Big Sur but does not support Sidecar (as of yet).
Notably, all 32-bit binaries are no longer executable, meaning users of legacy software should really check before upgrading.
Firmware upgrades
The Mac Pro 2013 has had a few firmware upgrades. Unlike previous Mac Pros that a firmware upgrade allowed for faster CPUs/RAM, AFPS, and NVMe booting for certain models, the Mac Pro 2013 has been more meager. The MP61.0120.B00 boot ROM included support for NVMe booting (found in the High Sierra update). Most recently, the boot ROM version 128.0.0.0.0 was included in the 10.14.4 Developer Preview. With some firmware upgrades, some users found 4k displays no longer supporting 60 Hz, which requires an SMC reset and removing the offending PLists, see the useful links below. Previously the updates were distributed separately from the OS ,but in 10.13+. they are distributed with OS.
10.14.2: 127.0.0.0.0
10.14.4: 130.0.0.0.0 - removes requirement for Apple SSDs to perform firmware upgrade
10.14.6: 131.0.0.0.0
10.15.3: 134.0.0.0.0
10.15.4: 135.0.0.0.0
10.15.5: 136.0.0.0.0
10.15.6: 137.0.0.0.0
10.11.1: 426.0.0.0.0
Notable, some users cannot update the bootrom without the Apple SSD. It's recommended hanging onto the original SSD with a copy of MacOS to perform Firmware updates.
To check your firmware version, go to About This Mac - System Report, it will be listed on the first creen under Boot Rom. Useful Links
Apple.com: Mac Pro EFI 2.0 (released Dec 19, 2013) - This update improves system reliability during reboot, resolves an issue with memory self-test, and improves graphics power management when using Boot Camp.
Apple.com: Mac Pro SMC Firmware Update 2.0 (released Feb 26, 2014) - This update enables Mac Pro to enter Power Nap without running the fan for most Power Nap activities, and addresses a rare issue where a low-speed USB device may not be detected at boot.
Storage Upgrades
There's a large number of external storage upgrades for the Mac Pro 2013, from USB 2.0/3.0 to ThunderBolt 2.0, and listing them all would be an exercise in futility. What's important to understand is that there are many multi-drive enclosures, spanning everything from RAID to multiple SSDs. External SSDs perform well in Thunderbolt 2, able to achieve roughly 1.2 GB/s depending on the storage solution in various tests.
Internally, The Mac Pro does feature one SSD slot, using a custom Apple SSD running at PCIe 2.0 x4, capable of a maximum of 2 GB/s. Very few native third-party solutions exist, but they are out there, by makers like OWC and Transintl.
That said.. users have figured out how to shoe-horn NVMe drives in the Mac Pro offering top-tier performance and much better prices. Unfortunately, no one has taken the time to compile a list, so the known so far are: Samsung 960, Samsung 970 Pro, Toshiba XG3, and Crucial P1. Samsung released a firmware fix for certain models as well, including the 970 Pro,
The Mac Pro 2013 uses the same interface as the 2013-2015 MacBooks. There's a cottage economy of NVMe adapters now floating around. The first adapters that users tackled, such as the GFF M.2 PCIe SSD Card, required a bit of filing and tape to successfully mount the card, which users on MacRumors were able to pull off. NVMe with ST-NGFF2013-C; Vega Internal GPU; Mac Pro 2013 (6,1). Later adapters like the Sintech NGFF m.2 NVMe SSD adapter do not require modification. The quick summary is you'll need a Mac Pro running 10.13+, an adapter, and an NVMe SSD with a Sintech adapter. If you, for some reason, choose the GFF adapter, you'll need tape, a file, and some free time.
Currently, the only vector for multiple M.2 NVMe drives internally is the Amfeltec Angelshark Carrier Board. This keeps the original port intact and thus allows for three internal NVMe drives. Working SSD list
This list is from MacRumors by the user maxthackray, so all credit goes to him. Generally, it can be assumed that NVMe drives will work long as they do not use 4k sectors by default.
Adata NVMe SSD : SX6000, SX7000, SX8200, SX8200 Pro etc.
Corsair NVMe SSD : MP500, MP510
Crucial NVMe SSD : P1
HP NVMe SSD : ex920, ex950
OCZ RD400 (and all Toshiba XG3-XG4-XG5-XG5p-XG6 line)
Intel NVMe SSD : 600p, 660p, 760p etc.
MyDigital NVMe SSDs : SBX - BPX
Kingston NVMe SSD : A1000, A2000, KC1000
Sabrent Rocket
Samsungs Polaris NVMe SSD : 960 Evo, 960 Pro, 970 Evo, 970 Pro
WD Black NVMe SSD v1, v2 and v3
Drives in red require, NVMe drives with 4K sector sizes which require changing. Incompatible NVMes
Samsung PM981
Samsung 950 Pro
Samsung 970 Evo Plus*
*Firmware update fixes this particular SSD Useful Links
RAM/Memory upgrades
Officially most sites list the maximum ram for the 2013 as 128. The Mac Pro 2013 uses PC3-15000 DDR3 ECC (1866 MHz) RAM, with 4 RAM slots. The Maximum DIMM size is 32 GB. Maxing out the RAM can be a somewhat pricey endeavor, but sites like aliexpress and eBay, meaning this can be done for under $450 USD.
ThunderBolt 2 to PCIe
There's a fair amount of options today on the market like the Sonnet Technologies Echo Express SE1 - 1 PCIe Slot (roughly $200), and it scales up rather quickly.
The biggest modifications to the Mac Pro 2013 aren't internal, but rather massive PCIe enclosures that generally cost in the $1500-4000 range, making them often as expensive as the computer itself. There are a few options on the market, slike the Sonnet xMac Pro Server, which adds three full-length PCIe slots (you can see it on youtube), and the absolutely absurd JMR Quad Slot Expander adding 4 PCIe slots and 8 drive bay just to name a few. For the truly curious, you can see the JMR expansion system innards.
Not all PCIe enclosures support eGPUs. I've included in the eGPU section is a list of enclosures that support GPUs. Additional Notes on Thunderbolt 2
There's a wide variety of Thunderbolt 2 products, chiefly storage systems (including RAID setups), and ThunderBolt 2 docks still on the market. Due to the sheer amount, I'm unable to list them all, but it's important to remember that a fair amount of functionality missing from the 2013 Mac pro can be recaptured with Thunderbolt 2 like previously mentioned, PCIe slots, eGPUs, and the like.
The Mac Pro 2013 to date includes the six Thunderbolt ports, the most found on any Mac before or since. To obtain peak performance, it's recommended that displays be connected separately from other high bandwidth utilities like external storage.
The Mac Pro 2013 can drive three 4k displays or six 2560 x 1600 displays, and with the June 16, 2015 firmware update, three 5k displays (using two ThunderBolt ports and the HDMI port) internally.
Thunderbolt 3 / USB 3.1c
The Mac Pro 2013 can't be upgraded to Thunderbolt 3 bus speeds, but that doesn't mean it can't use Thunderbolt 3 / USB 3.1c devices (at the speed of Thunderbolt 2). Apple has a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter, which is bi-directional, meaning the same adapter can also be used for Thunderbolt 3 Macs to use Thunderbolt 2 devices. Notably, not all Thunderbolt 3 devices are backward compatible, so you may want to check with the manufacturer for compatibility.
eGPUs
It's nearly impossible to talk about the Mac Pro 2013 without mentioning eGPUs. Mac OS now supports AMD eGPUs (almost) natively, and macOS 10.14.x does not allow for modern nVidia support making it nearly a one-way path in eGPU. NVidia support for later eGPUs is limited to a maximum of Mac OS 10.13.x, and that does not appear to be changing due to a disagreement between Apple and NVidia. Unless this changes, this guide will not list Mojave incompatible NVidia eGPUs, despite the later GPUs being supported in Mac OS 10.12.x and 10.13.x. Currently, the RX (580x, 570x) line and the Vega (Vega, 48, 56, FE ) line by AMD are Mojave compatible, and the Keppler line by NVidia is Mojave compatible. The eGPU.io community has a searchable database. If going for an eGPU, I highly recommend upgrading to Mac OS 10.13+ as it includes more native support, thus much easier to set up, to the point of being (nearly) plug and play.
Note: All Thunderbolt 2 Macs require disabling SIP and running Purge Wrangler to enable eGPU support.
Whelm mac os. Lastly, Catalina requires some changes with eGPUs, and I highly recommend, epgu.io - State of epgu for Macs - Catalina 10.15, the short answer is PurgeWrangler continues to be the most common vector for support. AMD GPUs
Note: Minimum OS list required may not be correct, please contact me if incorrect AMD GPU Min OS Support Supports Metal R7 260X 10.12 - Curr R9 270 10.12 - Curr R9 280X 10.12 - Curr R9 290X 10.12 - Curr R9 380 10.12 - Curr R9 380x 10.12 - Curr R9 390 Requires hack R9 Fury 10.12 - Curr R9 Fury X 10.12 - Curr Radeon 450 10.12 - Curr Radeon 455 10.12 - Curr Radeon 460 10.12 - Curr Radeon 470 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 480 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 555 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 555x 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 560 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 560x 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 570 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 570x 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 580 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 580x 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon Pro WX 2100 10.12- Curr Radeon Pro WX 3100 10.12- Curr Radeon Pro WX 4100 10.12- Curr Radeon Pro WX 4130 10.12 - Curr Radeon Pro WX 4150 10.12 - Curr Radeon Pro WX 4170 10.13? - Curr Radeon Pro WX 5100 10.13? - Curr Radeon Pro WX 7100 10.13? - Curr Radeon Pro WX 8100 10.13? - Curr Radeon Pro WX 9100 10.13? - Curr Vega 56 10.12.6 - Curr Vega 64 10.12.6 - Curr Vega Frontier Edition 10.13 - Curr Radeon VII 10.14.5 - Curr Radeon 5500 XT 10.15.2 - Curr Radeon 5600 XT 10.15.3 - Curr Radeon 5700 10.15.2 - Curr Radeon 5700 XT 10.15.2 - Curr
macOS 10.14 Mojave Supported NVidia eGPUs - Only Keppler series GPUs are supported
GTX 650
GTX 660
GTX 670
GTX 680
GTX Titan
*eGPUs require Mac OS 10.12 or above.
Confirmed working Enclosures with Mac Pro 2013 : Note there may be more.
Akitio Thunder2
AKiTiO Node
Asus XG Station 2
Blackmagic eGPU
Mantiz Venus
Razer Core X
Sonnet Breakaway 350 Useful Links
Cooling
Outside of the extreme JMR solutions PCIe slot Rackmount cases, Mac Pro 2013 cooling solutions remain pretty slim. Pro Cooling Base by SPEED Designs is the only other solution I'm aware of designed specifically for the Mac Pro. Most users elect to use various laptop cooling pads to place under Mac Pros (which do seem to help). If anyone has any information about physical mods or Mac Pro 2013 specialty cases, I'm all ears, and please reach out to me (see the bottom of this post). Useful Links
Repairs
The Mac Pro 2013 earns the distinction of sporting a modular design. There's not a lot to say here since iFixit gave it an 8 out of 10 for repairability and has pretty much every part in its Mac Pro Late 2013 Repair Guide. If you can do it, they probably have a beautiful step-by-step pictorial guide. Dead Run (sokpop Collective) Mac Os Catalina
Mac Pro 2013 won't sleep
MacRumors members note that Hand-off can affect a 2013's ability to sleep. Disabling seems to be the fix.
Communities Blogs
You're not alone. There are more people out there than you'd think who still love the Mac Pro 2013.
MacRumors Mac Pro Forum - The center of the Mac Pro universe.
MacProUpgrade - a private but very popular facebook group, primarily classic 'Cheesegrater' Mac Pro users with some 2013 users.
Mac Pro Users - another major FaceBook group for Mac Pro users, smaller but still helpful, and it has the benefit of being public too (no sign-up process and can be browsed without a facebook account).
eGPU.io - The go-to place for eGPUs.
Collected Articles
Buying used Mac Pro 2013s
Most forums when this question is posed is don't . The chief reasons are: price and stability. The updated Mac Mini may have a soldered on CPU and storage, but with the Core i7-8700B is much faster than the 12 Core Mac Pro in single-core performance and spitting distance of the multicore in Geekbench scores, and packs Thunderbolt 3, which is double the bandwidth for the inevitable eGPU, and comes with USB 3.1c support out of the box, and doesn't have a history of frying itself. Plus, it's new, comes with a warranty, and is even smaller. Then there's the iMac 5k, which has an upgradeable CPU making for faster than the base iMac Pro when tricked out too. I personally would not buy a Mac Pro 2013 with much better and cheaper alternatives. The 2009-2012 Mac Pros, which pack oodles more upgrades and stupidly better GPU options, or the aforementioned Mac Mini, even with an eGPU, would be roughly the same cost of a lower end used 2013. Unless the used market prices drastically change, the Mac Pro 2013's shortcomings are too significant to make me ever consider one.
Always make sure the computer is able to output video before buying. Next to the lower the AMD GPU model, the more chance it will remain problem-free. Unfortunately, Apple stopped selling the D300 Mac Pros long ago, so it's better tracking down a D500 model. Next up, many users have placed their Mac Pro 2013s on laptop coolers to help with the thermals. Due to the exceptionally tiny case, there are no internal cooling hacks beyond turning the fan up using 3rd party software. Lastly, have an exit strategy, you may live a full problem-free existence with a 2013 Mac Pro, but you may also end up with it's GPUs failing. Apple has closed its free replacement program as of April 2018 for the GPUs, and internet prices list anywhere from $700-$1200 from Apple or authorized service centers to replace the GPUs. At this price, it is effectively cheaper to buy a replacement Mac Mini. Working GPUs in the 3rd party sector are virtually impossible to find, and the rare ones that pop up fetch the price of Apple replacements. To be fair, this is the same problem laptop users face. While it is common sense, if you contract or freelance or work where you provide your own hardware, always have a plan that minimizes downtime. Despite being a modular design, the most failure-prone component is the absolute hardest to replace due to the lack of any inventory. Also, Apple quotes 3-5 days for a Mac Pro 2013 GPU replacement. This isn't to say it will fail, but there's plenty of horror stories on the internet. This could be the case relatively small, vocal group, but the general consensus is that the Mac Pro 2013 is not the most stable design.
Changelog
Due to the ever-evolving list of possible upgrades and hacks, this guide is a living document. Thus the information contained may change. I've included a robust log of recent changes to help repeat visitors discover new content. Making and maintaining this guide takes a fair amount of work, and feedback from users is greatly appreciated to make this the most accurate/best guide possible. If you have new information not included here, suggestions, corrections, or edits, please feel free to contact me at: blog@greggant.com. I get a fair amount of questions.I try to answer them as best I can. I'd recommend asking the MacRumors forum or MacProUpgrade group first as I'm just one person vs. the collective intelligence of a community. Notably, I do not own nor have I ever owned a Mac Pro 2013 (not that I wouldn't take one, but it is cost-prohibitive), so anyone who can provide more accurate information, please do!
01/22/21 - Added list of the firmware updates that have been released with note about firmware. Added cooling base station info, slightly edited intro, copy editing to remove typos.
05/12/20 - Massive GPU list updated. SSD updated. Catalina notes on eGPU updated. Minor visual update.
10/15/19 - Added note on Catalina and 32-bit + firmware versions. Badly needed copy editing.
10/07/19 - It's catalina time. Added OS Section, fixed an error about max RAM, included RAM specs, included link to the Amfeltec NVMe M2 adapter. Added another two links to eGPU section.
07/05/19 - Added notes on sleep issues, mild intro update.
05/07/19 - a second update, Thanks to the feedback of Brennan F and Daniel C for feedback on SSDs and eGPUs and some copy editing to boot.
05/07/19 - First release and one year anniversary of my first Definitive Mac Pro Upgrade Guide. Fun fact, this guide is over 2300+ words whereas my other guide is 13,000+ words. Part of the amount of writing can be chalked up to having to discuss different models, five in total, spanning 6 years. This guide covers another 6-year span and only one model. It goes to show how upgradeable the previous Mac Pros were and how much less Apple has cared about them since.
The 1999 version of the PowerBook G3 (a.k.a. Bronze Keyboard and Lombard) was announced on 1999.05.10 and reached stores by the end of the month. At nearly two pounds lighter and 20 thinner than the PowerBook G3 Series, toting Lombard was easier than any PowerBook since the 4.4 lb. 2400.
In the field, a fresh 50 Watt-Hour Apple battery with a full charge yields up to 5 hours of use. Using two batteries can increase that to as much as 10 hours. Replacement batteries can boost that by up to 60, for a potential 8 hours with one battery and 16 hours with two!
Other changes: only one drive bay (incompatible with the previous one), only one PC Card slot, and no ADB port. The keyboard also looks different, made of a translucent brown (Apple calls it bronze) plastic. This was the last PowerBook with built-in SCSI support and the first with New World ROMs.
Although the 333 MHz Lombard has a faster clock speed than the 300 MHz PowerBook G3 Series II model it replaced, the older model sometimes outperforms it due to a larger (1 MB vs. 512 MB) and faster (2:1 vs. 2.5:1) Level 2 cache.
If only Apple could have come up with a name to distinguish this PowerBook G3 from the original, the G3 Series, and the updated G3 Series. And, of course, it was replaced by the PowerBook (no G3 in the name; also known as Pismo) on 2000.02.16.
Got a G3 PowerBook or iBook? Join our G-Books Group or PowerBooks and iBooks Forum.
Our Mac OS 9 Group is for those using Mac OS 9, either natively or in Classic Mode.
Our Puma Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.1.
Our Jaguar Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.2.
Our Panther Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.3.
Note that the DVD drive is not supported under Mac OS X. If you want to watch DVDs, you will have to boot in the classic Mac OS (8.6-9.2.2) to do so. Warning
According to the Road Warrior, the drive controller in G3 PowerBooks is incompatible with some ATA-6/Ultra ATA-100 hard drives. When replacing the internal hard drive, you should be sure to obtain an ATA-5/Ultra ATA-66 compliant drive or an ATA-6 or ATA-7/Ultra ATA-133 drive known to work with Lombard. Details
introduced 1999.05.10 starting at US$2,499; discontinued 2000.02.16
requires System 8.6 or later, 10.3.x officially supported, 10.4.x can generally be installed using XpostFacto 4
CPU: 333 or 400 MHz PPC 750 (a.k.a. G3)
Bus: 66 MHz
Performance:
Geekbench 2 (Tiger): 213 (400 MHz)
MacBench 5: 958 (333 MHz), 1237 (400 MHz)
BYTEmark: 11.1 (333 MHz), 13.3 (400 MHz)
ROM: 4 MB, NewWorld ROM in RAM architecture
RAM: 64 MB of 3.3V unbuffered low-power 144-pin 100 MHz 10ns SO-DIMM, expandable to 512 MB* using low profile, low density DIMMs (16 memory chips on the card) in both slots; high density DIMMs (8 RAM chips) will only be recognized at half their capacity.
* Lombard officially supports only 384 MB of RAM, and some Mac OS installers will not work if you have 512 MB of RAM. The solution is to remove one 256 MB module.
Level 2 cache: 512 KB on 333, 1 MB on 400
Video: ATI Rage LT Pro
VRAM: 8 MB
display: 14.1 24-bit 1024 x 768 91 ppi color active matrix, resolution scaling to 640 x 480 and 800 x 600, also has S-video output via VGA connector
Hard drive: 4, 6, or 10 GB UltraATA-33
expansion bay: same as Pismo
CD-ROM: 24x (2x DVD-ROM available for 333, standard on 400; only the 400 comes with hardware to display DVD movies)
floppy drive: external USB only
expansions bays: one
USB: 2 USB 1.1 ports
SCSI: HDI30 connector on back of computer
Ethernet: 10/100Base-T
Modem: v.90 56k
4 Mbps IrDA
PC Card slots: 1
infrared: 4 Mbps IrDA 1.1
size: 10.4 x 12.7 x 1.7 (26.4 x 32.3 x 4.3 cm)
Weight: 5.7-6.1 pounds (2.6-2.8 kg) with battery
Model identifier: PowerBook1,1
family number: M5343 Accelerators Upgrades
Peek at first PowerBook G3 upgrades from Newer, Go2Mac.com, 2000.07.27. 466 MHz card will upgrade almost all WallStreet models, all Lombards.
NOTE: No CPU upgrades are being made for the Lombard PowerBooks. Online Resources
Best PowerBook G3 deals.
Best Classic Mac OS Deals. Best online prices for System 6, 7.1, 7.5.x, Mac OS 7.6, 8.0, 8.1, 8.5, 9.0, 9.2.2, and other versions.
Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals. Best online prices for Mac OS X 10.0, 10.1, 10.2, and 10.3.
Best Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Deals. Best online prices for Mac OS X 10.4.
Low End Macs Compleat Guide to the Lombard PowerBook G3, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.05.13. With the Lombard PowerBook, Apple abandoned the legacy ADB and serial ports for USB, trimmed 20 from WallStreets weight, and hit 400 MHz.
Lombard, the forgotten PowerBook, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.05.06. Sitting between the legendary WallStreet and the widely known Pismo, Lombard provides great value and handles OS X nicely.
Upgrading your Lombard PowerBook G3, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.08.25. Step-by-step instructions for getting inside the Lombard PowerBook to upgrade RAM, replace the hard drive, and swap out the CPU card.
WiFi cards for PowerBooks with PC Card slots, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.08.12. PC Card and CardBus 802.11b and 802.11g cards known to be compatible with Apples PowerBooks.
Whats the best Mac OS for your iBook, PowerBook, or MacBook?, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.08.19. Tips on choosing the best OS for your PowerBook 500 Series or newer Mac notebook.
Whats the Best Version of OS X for My Mac?, Ian R Campbell, The Sensible Mac, 2008.02.28. Which version of Mac OS X is best for your hardware depends on several factors.
Low End Macs Compleat Guide to Mac OS 9, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.05.12. Mac OS 9 remains fast and stable, but Classic software hasnt kept up with the changing internet. Which Macs support OS 9, where to buy it, and how to update to 9.2.2.
Taking apart a PowerBook G3 (Lombard or Pismo) battery, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.09.24. Step by step instructions for opening up a Lombard/Pismo battery to get to the lithium-ion cells inside.
Replacing your Lombard or Pismo optical drive with a SuperDrive, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.08.15. Its not difficult to swap out the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive in a Lombard or Pismo PowerBook with a CD- and DVD-burning SuperDrive.
Backing up your G3 PowerBook quickly and easily, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.10.27. Who needs Leopard and Time Machine? With an expansion bay hard drive and the right software, you can have a bootable clone ready for use.
$40 802.11g CardBus WiFi card for OS X 10.3 and later, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2009.03.10. Whether its the Buffalo or Belkin card, it has the same Broadcom chipset as Apples AirPort Extreme and needs no special drivers.
WiFi CardBus adapters compatible with PowerBooks, MetaPhyzx, Mac Daniel, 2009.03.11. CardBus hardware and drivers compatible with PowerBooks running Mac OS X.
WiFi PC Cards compatible with PowerBooks running OS X, MetaPhyzx, Mac Daniel, 2009.03.11. PCMCIA/PC Card hardware and drivers compatible with PowerBooks running Mac OS X.
WiFi PC Cards for PowerBooks running Mac OS 9, MetaPhyzx, Mac Daniel, 2009.03.10. PCMCIA cards and drivers reported to be compatible with the Classic Mac OS.
Upgrading a Pismo PowerBook with a slot-load drive salvaged from an iBook, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2009.10.30. Starting with a spare DVD-ROM module and the SuperDrive from a G4 iBook, the author ended up with a SuperDrive in his Pismo PowerBook.
Optimized Software Builds Bring Out the Best in Your Mac, Dan Knight, Low End Macs Online Tech Journal, 2009.06.30. Applications compiled for your Macs CPU can load more quickly and run faster than ones compiled for universal use.
Lombard PowerBook: Almost a Pismo for less, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 2009.06.18. Although Pismo has the huge following, Lombard provides comparable performance of often sells for quite a bit less.
Tips for Installing or Reinstalling Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Adam Rosen, Adams Apple, 2009.06.10. Mac OS X 10.4 uses less memory than Leopard, supports Classic Mode on PowerPC Macs, and, unlike Leopard, is supported on G3 Macs.
Odd MacBook sleep behavior, Pismo resurrection and upgrades, end nigh for Classic Eudora? and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.05.27. Also the end of the road for Lombard and G4 iMac CPU upgrades.
Mac Book Power Management Adventures, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2009.05.19. If your Book wont power up, shuts down while your working, or has other power issues, resetting its internal power manager may clear things up.
500 MHz iBook keeps going, iBook video repair, a WiFi card that costs less than AirPort, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.05.13. Also Dells alternative to the 12 PowerBook, WiFi hotspot insecurity, and feedback from a Eudora fan.
Is It Worth Maxing the RAM in Old G3 and G4 Macs?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.04.15. Increasing memory can make your old Mac faster and make you more productive, but it probably wont improve resale value by the amount you spend.
Is Camino now the best browser for older Macs?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.01.13. Camino 1.6.6 works very will with Mac OS X 10.3 through 10.5 and seems especially well suited for slower PowerPC Macs.
Notebooks and blackouts, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.12.23. When the power goes out, a notebook computer with long-lasting batteries lets you keep working for hours and hours.
4 GB RAM problem persists after firmware update, TriBook concept MacBook, DIY Mac netbook, and more, The Book Review, 2008.12.19. Also using third-party monitors with Late 2008 MacBooks, MacMagSaver protects MagSafe cord, $25 802.11g USB adapter, bargain Books from $500 to $2,299, and more.
The Better Safe Than Sorry Guide to Installing Mac OS X Updates, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.12.16. Most users encounter no problems using Software Update, but some preflight work and using the Combo updater means far less chance of trouble.
Why You Should Partition Your Macs Hard Drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.12.11. At the very least, it makes sense to have a second partition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you have problems with your work partition, you can boot from the emergency partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics.
Every working computer is useful to someone, Allison Payne, The Budget Mac, 2008.11.19. Whether its a PowerBook 1400, G3 iMac, or Power Mac G4, it could be all the computer someone needs.
G3 and low end G4 Mac performance comparison, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.10.15. Factors that impact performance are the version of CPU, the size and speed of the Level 2 cache, and how much RAM is installed.
TruePower battery can run WallStreet PowerBook past the 5 hour mark, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2008.10.10. If you have a rugged old PowerBook but its battery is losing capacity, TruePower can give you plenty of time in the field.
Getting the most from your G3 Mac, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.10.03. Most G3 Macs can be upgraded so they can run Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger quite nicely. Heres how.
The best browsers for older Macs running Tiger, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.09.25. A dialup users overview of browsers for Mac OS X 10.4 puts the emphasis on reliability, downloads, and speed.
Tiger great on old G3 Books, maximum RAM for 867 MHz PowerBook G4, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.10.01. Also why 4 GB of RAM in a 32-bit Vista PC wastes most of the last gigabyte and system profile software for Windows PCs.
9 browsers for G3 and older G4 Macs compared, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.09.26. The latest versions of Opera, Safari, Shiira, iCab, Radon, Firefox, Demeter, Sunrise, and Camino that run on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.
Portable Mac as primary vs. secondary computer, looking at ThinkPad design, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.09.17. Also learning from the Mac Portable, upgrading a PowerBook 5300, another free app to assure maintenance routines are run, and more.
In praise of rugged Mac notebooks of the past, POP3 vs. IMAP email, and buying glasses online, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.09.11. G3 PowerBooks were the high water mark for ruggedness, expandability, and reliability. Also the benefits of POP3 email for dialup users, and another article praising online eyewear.
Bring back the Macintosh Portable, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.09.09. Not to fault todays MacBooks, but theres something to be said for a no compromise, very expandable, portable Macintosh as well.
Are G3 Macs still viable work machines?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.09.08. For basic tasks writing, email, and using the Web a G3 Mac with Mac OS X 10.4 and sufficient memory provides plenty of power.
Using Word 5.1 files with later versions of Word, keyboard marks on a MacBook screen, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.08.14. Also the value of Panasonics UJ-850 for older PowerBooks and shipping concerns about the SteelPad mousepad.
TruePower AC adapter for iBooks and PowerBooks is rugged, reliable, and affordable, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.08.14. Apples track record with AC adapters is spotty, but the TruePower adapter is tough enough to survive being run over by a truck.
8 hour runtime realisitic with TruePower batteries for Lombard and Pismo, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.08.05. Apples original batteries could keep you going for up to 5 hours when they were new; these high capacity replacement batteries improve that by 60.
Tricking out your notebook for superior desktop duty, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.07.29. For desktop use, you dont need to be limited by the built-in trackpad, keyboard, and display or a notebooks compromised ergonomics.
Bumps in the road for G3 Macs, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.07.28. MobileMe wouldnt sync with the Pismo, and Skypes software refused to install, but both problems were solved.
The Compressed Air Keyboard Repair, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.07.24. If your keyboard isnt working as well as it once did, blasting under the keys with compressed air may be the cure.
Turn your old Mac into a web server with Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 2008.07.09. Step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP on an older Mac.
Praise for Opera, low cost iBook mobo replacement, IrDA and IRtalk, WaMCom recommended, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.06.18. Also the use of compleat, booting from CD, new Toshiba 1.8 drives too thick for MBA, and PowerPC support and Snow Leopard.
My 4 favorite PowerBooks, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 2008.05.28. The PowerBook 150 has a big screen for a vintage PowerBook, the 165c has color, the 100 is diminutive, and Lombard has USB and a great keyboard.
WiMax likely, Apple not green enough, next MacBook in Q3, Cool Feet for notebooks, and more, The Book Review, 2008.05.23. Also LED backlighting in all MacBooks in 2009, cooling down hot laptops, OLPC plans second generation laptop, universal Apple notebook battery charger, slim external third-party SuperDrive, bargain Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
Mac OS 9 still nice, anticipating Odysseus, PowerBook 1400 upgrades, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.05.14. Also rebuilding PowerBook batteries, FastMac vs. NuPower replacement batteries, and only one G4 upgrade left for WallStreet PowerBooks.
Mac value, the Hackintosh market, unsupported Leopard, and USB 2.0 for older PowerBooks, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.30. High-end Macs cost less than comparable HPs and Dells, the need for a Mac minitower, a Leopard installation tip, Leopard on an 800 MHz iBook, and which PC Cards work with Mac OS X drivers.
A very Pismo Christmas in April, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.04.30. Everyone maintaining a vintage Mac should have a parts donor, and sometimes the parts machine may have upgrades for your old Mac.
Overpriced Macs, 4-core Mac Pro value, USB for G3 PowerBooks, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.24. Also reader feedback on running a keyboard through the dishwasher, tips for using external DVD drives, and 8 GB partition issues with the Classic Mac OS on the beige G3.
OS X for PCs, Mac mini with HDTV, 802.11n options, upgrading from Mac OS 9, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.22. Also reviving a dead PowerBook 5300, Lucida Grande, external FireWire SuperDrive advice, OS X and the DeskWriter, and royalties.
Outliners for word processing, Mac compatible WiFi cards, iWork disappoints, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.03.27. Also running Leopard on a maxed out Digital Audio Power Mac, Clamshell iBook hacks, Lombard external display resolutions, and collective nouns.
Fading magic at Apple, Major League Baseballs rebound, and an iMac that wont boot from a CD, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.04.02. Reflections on Apples success as a business, CD-ROM problems in a G3 iMac, and Pismo processor problem solved with thermal paste.
Stupid Pismo tricks, 2008 edition, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.02.20. Six uses for the weight saving device and how to use the Pismo as a DVD player.
Wireless FAQ for Older Apple PowerBook Computers. Resources to help you to install and maintain 802.11b/g wireless PC Cards on older PowerBook computers.
The Complete and Utter Guide to PC Cards and Expansion Bays on the PowerBook, Insanely Great. All about the PCMCIA, PC Card, or CardBus slots used in various PowerBooks.
Power your recycled laptop with a rebuilt battery, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.02.20. Old notebook computers usually mean old batteries that may be dead or on their last legs. You can buy a replacement battery, or you can have your old battery rebuilt.
3 ways to better YouTube viewing on older Macs, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.02.06. Watching YouTube videos in your browser on G3 Macs can be painfully slow, but there are several ways to improve your YouTube viewing experience.
Better YouTube viewing on older Macs, too many dead pixels, Safari problems in Panther, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.02.05. Also picking the right used G4 iBook, Quartz Extreme support for PCI video, problems with Mac OS 9.x on G4 Power Macs, open firmware problems with 667 MHz PowerBook, and more.
MacBook Air upgradable enough?, Lombard cache problem, and more on the liberal-conservative debate, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.02.04. Another go around on whether Mac users are liberal or conservative. Also looking for an OS X driver for the Netgear WG511T.
Dells 802.11g card for PowerBooks, glad for the death of Classic, FireWire cams, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.11.05. Also silent computing with obsolete Macs, Leopard and the 867 MHz limit, and Tiger performance on a 600 MHz G3 iBook.
Reasons for sticking with the Classic Mac OS, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2007.10.30. Whether its the simplicity, elegance, speed, or desire not to replace lots of expensive hardware, there are lots of good reasons for sticking with Mac OS 9.
iBook G3 quality, 802.11g for older PowerBooks, installing Tiger on a CD-ROM eMac, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.10.29. Also FireWire webcam options for the classic Mac OS and installing Leopard on an upgraded Power Mac G4.
FastMac 8x SuperDrive and BurnAgain DVD: Fast and easy multisession disc burning, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.10.08. FastMacs 8x SuperDrive upgrade is remarkably fast compared with older PowerBook burners, and BurnAgain DVD makes it easy to append files to a previously burned CD or DVD.
Replacing Home Page, Compact Flash in Lombard, Leopard hardware requirements, mini upgrades, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.10.04. Also the problems with using old computers in school, rebate problems, free imposition software, and a dead LC 520.
WiFi options for Lombard, installing Tiger on a DVD-less eMac, 3D home design software, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.10.01. Two PC Card 802.11g options for the Lombard PowerBook, PowerPC version of OS X needed for eMac, three programs for home design, and a source for downloading old Mac software.
The future of G3 PowerBooks in the Age of Leopard, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.09.11. Theres no G3 support in Leopard. What does that mean for Kanga, WallStreet, Lombard, and Pismo PowerBooks?
Pismo the best PowerBook, capacitor problems in Macs, XPostFacto for Leopard, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.06.28. Also more on tin whiskers and why you sometimes have to remove RAM to get OS X to install on older Macs.
Even if Leopard leaves G3 behind, Tiger users will still be able to run up-to-date apps, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.06.18. While Apple may drop G3 support in OS X 10.5, there will continue to be plenty of options for 10.4 users who want to run up-to-date browsers, email clients, and instant messaging programs.
Compact Flash faster than a hard drive, CF in a clamshell iBook, eSATA for PowerBooks, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.06.12. Faster boot times with a flash drive, replacing the hard drive in an iBook with Compact Flash, eBay feedback tips, eSATA CardBus options for PowerBooks, and the importance of G3 support in Mac OS X 10.5.
Silence is golden: Running your existing notebook using flash memory, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 2007.05.23. With a new adapter from Addonics, you can replace your laptops IDE hard drive inexpensively and boot silently from a Compact Flash card.
Why Apple must continue G3 support in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.05.08. Were worried about what happens if Apple unchecks that box in Xcode to include the instructions necessary to run OS X on G3 processors at all.
Format Any Drive for Older Macs with Patched Apple Tools, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2007.04.25. Apple HD SC Setup and Drive Setup only work with Apple branded hard drives until you apply the patches linked to this article.
First Blu-ray drive for Apples Books, replace notebook hard drive with Compact Flash, and more, The Book Review, 2007.04.13. Also 160 GB 7200 rpm hard drives, upgrading from a MacBook Pro to a MacBook, Waterfields flexible new Sling bag, bargain Books from $170 to $1,699, and more.
Drag and drop problems with flash drive, troubleshooting a Mac with Linux, G3 video problems, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.03.27. Also FireWire boot drives, bootable partitions, bootable external DVD drives, and maximum hard drive size on older Macs.
OS X 10.3 or 10.4 on a G4/533?, Lombard to Pismo hard drive swap, Book repair, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.01.29. The best OS for a G4/533, migrating by swapping hard drives, WallStreet and iBook repair and replacement options, and upgrading RAM in Lombard.
PC Card WiFi for OS X PowerBooks, installing Classic for OS X, Gmail problem with Shiira, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.01.15. A low-cost WiFi PC Card for PowerBooks running OS X, tips on installing Classic under Tiger, Gmail broken with Shiira 1.2.2 browser, and stimulating a flashd rive on pre-USB PowerBooks.
Disabling deep sleep on MacBooks, Other Red a scam?, mixed RAM can reduce performance, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.11.13. Also other disk utilities Mac owners should know about, Lombard cooling, Netscape 7 on OS 9, Final Vinyl for ripping LPs, and more.
Best OS X for Pismo, mixing RAM speeds, LP to MP3, SpeedFan cools MacBook running Windows, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.10.30. Also Lombard still rocks, Powerlogix WallStreet upgrade tip, old Macs still perform admirably, a 64 GB flash drive, and RadTechs clever BT600 mouse design.
Ubuntu on older Macs; Lombard, Pismo, and WallStreet upgrade questions; installing clamshell RAM; and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.10.09. Also more on why some older Macs cant read modern CR-R discs and Russell Beatties underhanded criticism of OS X.
Better laptop performance: Whats the best upgrade?, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.10.09. Memory, CPU, bus speed, and hard drives all impact performance and battery life. Which upgrades will give you the most up time in the field?
Lombard, the middle child PowerBook G3: Good enough for OS X?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.10.02. The PowerBook G3 (Bronze Keyboard) was slimmer, lighter, and less expandable than the WallStreets it replaced. It added USB, gave up ADB, and retained SCSI.
Is Ubuntu Linux a sensible alternative for Mac users?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.09.18. If your Mac can run OS X decently, is there any reason to try Ubuntu Linux? If it cant run OS X well, is Ubuntu a reasonable choice?
MacBook shutdown solved, better batteries after recall, MacBook Pro better for Vista than Vaio, and more, The Book Review, 2006.09.15. Also MacBook troubleshooting, the value of a used iBook, Apple to sell 1 million Books this quarter, replacing cells in an old PowerBook G3 battery, bargain Books from $299 to $1,299, and more.
Inside your notebooks battery: Ordinary AA Li-Ion cells, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.09.08. That expensive battery in your notebook computer probably holds less than $30 worth of off-the-shelf AA Li-Ion batteries.
Is the G3 still a practical choice?, Matthew Jay, Macs to the Max, 2006.08.10. Although the G3 is several generations old, it has enough horsepower for most of the things we do on our computers.
Customizing Mac OS 9, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.08.01. Fiddling with themes, picking a browser, and making the Classic Mac OS work just the way you want it to.
7 tools for keeping your laptop (uh, notebook) cool, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.07.24. A quick look at the Podium CoolPad, ChillMat, ChillHubs, Laptop Desk, Xpad, iLap, and iBreeze seven stands designed to keep you Books running cooler.
Upgrade your Pismo with a dual-layer DVD burner, Jason Schrader, Maximize Your Mac, 2006.07.19. If you want to add a DVD burner to your PowerBook Pismo, FastMacs new dual-layer SuperDrive merits serious consideration.
Power strategies for using your Book in the field: Batteries and AC adapters, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.06.05. One or two extra batteries and at least one spare AC adapter can be essential when youre traveling and need to get hours and hours of use from your Book.
Pismo modem issues, best Mac keyboard, Pismo processor upgrade value, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.05.01. Also swapping screens between Lombard and Pismo, more on Frankenpismo, PRAM reset may resurrrect dead Lombard, and more on the dead Lombard.
Modern computing: First impressions of a $10 PowerBook G3, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2006.04.26. The price was right, assuming it worked, but how beat up and underpowered would this $10 PowerBook be?
Replacing Lombard with a TiBook: which one is enough?, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 2006.04.19. Nice as the Lombard was, it has a new owner. The new Book should have FireWire, G4 power, and run Tiger nicely. How much TiBook is enough?
Making the move from Jaguar (OS X 10.2) to Panther (10.3), Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2006.04.11. One advantage of Apples no upgrades policy for OS X someone can give you their old copy after upgrading without worrying about violating their license.
Many G3 Macs now considered vintage, Mac News Review, 2006.03.31.
Pismo and Panther, Pismo on last legs, and Lombard vs. PowerBook G4, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.03.08. More on OS X 10.3.9 as the best for Pismo, Pismo plagued with kernel panics, and whether to upgrade a Lombard or replace it with a PowerBook G4.
FastMacs $190 8x dual-layer SuperDrive for PowerBooks and dual USB iBooks, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.01.30. For US$190-250 you can replace the CD-ROM, CD-RW, Combo, or slow old SuperDrive in most PowerBooks, white iBooks, slot-loading iMacs, and Cubes with a faster, dual-layer drive.
Replacing or upgrading the optical drive in your PowerBook G3 or 1400, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 2006.01.24. If your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM has died or you want to upgrade to a CD or DVD burner, heres how to do it yourself.
Web browser tips for the classic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.01.03. Tips on getting the most out of WaMCom, Mozilla, Internet Explorer, iCab, Opera, and WannaBe using the classic Mac OS.
The best browsers for PowerPC Macs and the classic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2005.12.16. Two browsers stand out from the pack: iCab 3 is modern and remains under development, and WaMCom brings Mozilla to older Macs.
Software that worked during my months in Iraq with my PowerBook, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 2005.12.20. Two operating systems and over a dozen programs that made life better while deployed in Iraq.
Configuring a PowerBook for months in Iraq without Internet access, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 2005.12.13. What do you need to keep yourself entertained and be able to work for months without Internet access? A Mac.
Lombard: A great $400 field computer, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 2005.12.06. Rugged, reliable, and feature-laden, this G3 PowerBook also fully supports OS X and is available at decent prices.
Configuring a PowerBook for months in Iraq without Internet access, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 12.13. What do you need to keep yourself entertained and be able to work for months without Internet access? A Mac.
iFixIt Guide: PowerBook G3 Lombard, PB FixIt. All you need to know to take apart, upgrade, repair, and put your PowerBook back together again. Online and print versions available.
Lombard renaissance, Charles W Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 2004.03.23. Both Newer Technology and PowerLogix made G3 upgrades for the Lombard for a time, but they apparently didnt sell especially well.
The strong value of the Lombard PowerBook G3, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2003.03.19. Why the 333 MHz Lombard is a particularly good value in portable computing.
Flash memory improves PowerBook, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2002.11.14. Using Compact Flash to boot, save files, run silently, extend battery life, and as virtual memory on a PowerBook.
Is the Lombard a lemon?, Charles W Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 10.15. one might deduce that either a design flaw or hardware defect is beginning to manifest widely in these machines as they age.
Rage Pro Driver for Lombard, James Denton. Oops, OS X 10.1.5 missed acceleration support for Rage LT Pro in Lombard. This patch solves that oversight.
Rage at being left behind, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2001.12.24. Its official Apple doesnt plan to support graphics acceleration for any Mac with ATI Rage video.
Recall: PowerBook G3 AC Adapter Exchange Program. Most WallStreet and Lombard AC adapters recalled. See Apples page for details.
OS X graphics speedup with early ATI video, Mac OS X: Optimizing for Earlier ATI Graphics Accelerators, 2001.03.09. ATI Rage II+, IIc, Pro, and LT Pro faster displaying thousands of colors, not millions.
SCSI and FireWire Disk Modes, Paulo Rodrigues, Tangerine Fusion, 2000.11.29. How to use SCSI Disk Mode and FireWire Target Disk Mode for ultrafast file transfers.
Accelerate Your Mac! has downloadable color profiles for the iBook and recent PowerBooks that really improve on-screen color.
Recovering a stolen PowerBook, The Book Page. One users experience.
PowerBook G3 Series memory pricing, ramseeker
Review: PowerBook G3s, Macworld, September 1999, p. 34
PowerBook G3 Computers: How to Identify Different Models, Apple TIL 24604
PowerBook G3 Series (Bronze keyboard): How to Differentiate from Other PowerBook G3 Series Computers, Apple TIL 58328
PowerBook G3 Series (Bronze Keyboard) Technical Specifications, Apple Cautions
Be sure to specify low-density DIMMs, which have 16 RAM chips on them. High-density DIMMs have only 8 RAM chips, and the computer will only use half of their capacity.
From Apple Knoweldge Base Archive Article 58386: When the PowerBook G3 Series [Lombard/Bronze Keyboard] wakes from sleep, the Password Security control panel is activating before the PowerBook has a chance to enable the USB bus. This results in any external USB keyboard not working.
There is an incompatibility between the Kensington Startup ADB extension (part of Kensington MouseWorks) and the Trackpad control with Mac OS 9.0.4. The trackpad will respond during boot, but not after the extension loads. The solution is to disable the extension. This may apply to other versions of Mac OS 9 on Books with USB ports.
keyword: pblombard
Dead Run (sokpop Collective) Mac Os Update
Dead Run (sokpop Collective) Mac Os Catalina
Introduction
To mark the first anniversary of my wildly successful blog post (garnering tens of thousands of views), The Definitive Classic Mac Pro (2006-2012) Upgrade Guide, I'm proud to announce a sequel. The Definitive Trash can Mac Pro 2013 upgrade guide started in jest on social media as the guide no one wanted, seeing as the Mac Pro 2013. The 2013 Mac Pro is a tale of hubris for Apple, as it over-promised and under-delivered, and is considerably less upgradeable than its predecessor. Is there a need or demand for such a guide? I don't know, but here we are, and while the origins are jocular the rest of this guide is serious. While most users (and Apple engineers) probably prefer moniker 'cylinder,' the trash can title stuck due to its obvious physical characteristics.
The Mac Pro 2013 has the dubious honor as the longest produced Macintosh, besting the Macintosh Plus produced from 1986 to 1990 without an upgrade. The 2013 Mac Pro was conceived as the original Mac Pro's successor, eschewing the modularity for a (debatably) stylish and radical redesign. After a few positive reactions by publications for its foreign looks, it quickly became snubbed for its lack of upgradability, stability, and Apple's complete and absolute antipathy (verging on enmity) towards it. Dead Run (sokpop Collective) Mac Os Update
The Mac Pro 2013 has been prone to an abnormal rate of failures due to heat, with a nameless Apple exec quoted as saying, 'think we designed ourselves into a bit of a thermal corner if you will'. Apple also took steps to extend its repair program, but problems persist. Despite the naysayers, the Mac Pro 2013 isn't without its fans (no pun intended), as at the time of its unveiling, it was a powerful, quirky computer in a diminutive form factor. Despite its limited upgradability, the computer is a modular design, and nearly every part of significance can be replaced. Only the 2019 Mac Pro since it has allowed for the range of user servicability (although the iMac 5k is a close second). It's the bridge to a by-gone era, where CPUs and storage and even GPUs were removable. Perhaps the 2019 Mac Pro a return to PCIe, but more than likely, 2013 will be the template. . Edit: The Mac Pro 2019 marks an expensive return to PCIe.
Know your Mac Pro Models
The Mac Pro line debuted in 2006 and has had six major iterations by Apple's nomenclature, 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, and 6.1. These are also generally referred to by year, 2006 (1.1, 2,1), less commonly 2007 (2,1), 2008 (3,1), 2009 (4,1), 2010-2012 (5,1) and 2013 (6,1). The other terms for these computers are divided between 'Cheesegrater' (2006-2012) and 'Trash can' (late 2013) or 'Cylinder'. For this guide's purpose, I will refer to the Mac Pro 'trash can' as 2013 (as does much of the internet). Please note This guide only covers the 2013 Mac Pro.
Please note This guide only covers the 2013 Mac Pro. For all other models, I've written a massive guide, The Definitive Classic Mac Pro (2006-2012) Upgrade Guide. Configurations
Apple has only shipped a grand total of 3 base configurations with a fourth build-to-order option for the 12 core CPU. Apple has only made one minor change in the past six years to the Mac Pro 2013 by removing the original base configuration and lowering the remaining models' prices.
Apple Mac Pro 'Quad Core' 3.7 GHz, 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB SSD, and dual FirePro D300 2 GB of GDDR5 (4 GB total). Discontinued April 4, 2017*
Apple Mac Pro 'Six Core' 3.7 GHz, 12 GB of RAM (16 GB after April 4th), 256 GB SSD, and dual FirePro D500 3 GB of GDDR5 (6 GB total). Discontinued April 4, 2017*
Apple Mac Pro 'Eight Core' 3.0 GHz, 12 GB of RAM (16 GB after April 4th), 2256 GB SSD, and dual FirePro D500 6 GB of GDDR5 (12 GB total).
Apple Mac Pro 'Twelve Core'* 2.7 GHz, 12 GB of RAM (16 GB after April 4th), 256 GB SSD, and dual FirePro D500 6 GB of GDDR5 (12 GB total). This is a build to order option only.
CPU Upgrades
Apple has never acknowledged the upgradability of the Mac Pro CPU, but the Mac Pro 2013's CPU is not soldered in thus making it upgradeable. Only four CPU configurations were offered by Apple, E5-1620v2, E5-1650v2, E5-1680v2, and the E5-2697v2, but users soon discovered that the E5 v2 family was compatible. Unlike the previous Mac Pros, the Mac Pro 2013 was only offered in a single CPU configuration.
From personal observation, the E5-2697 can be found cheaper on eBay and local used markets (in the US) vs. the E5-2695 is considerably cheaper on aliexpress. This varies based on your local markets, as the European markets tend to be much more expensive than North America.
Credit to the CPU list goes to Mac Rumors forum member ActionableMango. Architecture Cores CPU-Model GHz Turbo RAM Watt Ivy-Bridge 12 core E5-2697 V2 2.7 3.5 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 12 core E5-2696 V2 2.5 3.3 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 12 core E5-2695 V2 2.4 3.2 1866 115W Ivy-Bridge 10 core E5-2690 V2 3.0 3.6 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 10 core E5-2680 V2 2.8 3.6 1866 115W Ivy-Bridge 8 core E5-2687W V2 3.4 4.0 1866 150W Ivy-Bridge 8 core E5-2667 V2 3.3 4.0 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 8 core E5-2673 V2 3.3 4.0 1866 110W Ivy-Bridge 8 core E5-1680 V2 3.0 3.9 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 6 core E5-1660 V2 3.7 4.0 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 6 core E5-1650 V2 3.5 3.9 1866 130W Ivy-Bridge 4 core E5-1620 V2 3.7 3.9 1866 130W
Useful Links
GPU Upgrades
Yes, the Mac Pro's GPUs can be swapped out, but only three different GPUs were ever produced for it, the AMD FirePro D300 2 GB, D500 3 GB, or D700 6 GB. Apple has kept tight control on these (any official repairs require the GPUs to be returned to Apple), and thus few-to-none exist on the aftermarket, and the two higher GPUs are prone to failures thanks to a wattage ceiling. For most intents and purposes, it is cheaper to buy a Mac Pro 2013 than to track down two GPUs. Apple discontinued the entry-level Mac Pro 2013 that sported the D300. All-new Mac Pros sold after April 4th, 2017, have either a D500 or D700.
For other GPU options, see the eGPU section. Useful Links
OS Upgrades
Currently, the Mac Pro 2013 is still supported hardware (as it should be as Apple stopped selling it only in 2019), but the relatively low sales likely mean it may be dropped in future Mac OS updates. It can run Mac OS 11.x Big Sur but does not support Sidecar (as of yet).
Notably, all 32-bit binaries are no longer executable, meaning users of legacy software should really check before upgrading.
Firmware upgrades
The Mac Pro 2013 has had a few firmware upgrades. Unlike previous Mac Pros that a firmware upgrade allowed for faster CPUs/RAM, AFPS, and NVMe booting for certain models, the Mac Pro 2013 has been more meager. The MP61.0120.B00 boot ROM included support for NVMe booting (found in the High Sierra update). Most recently, the boot ROM version 128.0.0.0.0 was included in the 10.14.4 Developer Preview. With some firmware upgrades, some users found 4k displays no longer supporting 60 Hz, which requires an SMC reset and removing the offending PLists, see the useful links below. Previously the updates were distributed separately from the OS ,but in 10.13+. they are distributed with OS.
10.14.2: 127.0.0.0.0
10.14.4: 130.0.0.0.0 - removes requirement for Apple SSDs to perform firmware upgrade
10.14.6: 131.0.0.0.0
10.15.3: 134.0.0.0.0
10.15.4: 135.0.0.0.0
10.15.5: 136.0.0.0.0
10.15.6: 137.0.0.0.0
10.11.1: 426.0.0.0.0
Notable, some users cannot update the bootrom without the Apple SSD. It's recommended hanging onto the original SSD with a copy of MacOS to perform Firmware updates.
To check your firmware version, go to About This Mac - System Report, it will be listed on the first creen under Boot Rom. Useful Links
Apple.com: Mac Pro EFI 2.0 (released Dec 19, 2013) - This update improves system reliability during reboot, resolves an issue with memory self-test, and improves graphics power management when using Boot Camp.
Apple.com: Mac Pro SMC Firmware Update 2.0 (released Feb 26, 2014) - This update enables Mac Pro to enter Power Nap without running the fan for most Power Nap activities, and addresses a rare issue where a low-speed USB device may not be detected at boot.
Storage Upgrades
There's a large number of external storage upgrades for the Mac Pro 2013, from USB 2.0/3.0 to ThunderBolt 2.0, and listing them all would be an exercise in futility. What's important to understand is that there are many multi-drive enclosures, spanning everything from RAID to multiple SSDs. External SSDs perform well in Thunderbolt 2, able to achieve roughly 1.2 GB/s depending on the storage solution in various tests.
Internally, The Mac Pro does feature one SSD slot, using a custom Apple SSD running at PCIe 2.0 x4, capable of a maximum of 2 GB/s. Very few native third-party solutions exist, but they are out there, by makers like OWC and Transintl.
That said.. users have figured out how to shoe-horn NVMe drives in the Mac Pro offering top-tier performance and much better prices. Unfortunately, no one has taken the time to compile a list, so the known so far are: Samsung 960, Samsung 970 Pro, Toshiba XG3, and Crucial P1. Samsung released a firmware fix for certain models as well, including the 970 Pro,
The Mac Pro 2013 uses the same interface as the 2013-2015 MacBooks. There's a cottage economy of NVMe adapters now floating around. The first adapters that users tackled, such as the GFF M.2 PCIe SSD Card, required a bit of filing and tape to successfully mount the card, which users on MacRumors were able to pull off. NVMe with ST-NGFF2013-C; Vega Internal GPU; Mac Pro 2013 (6,1). Later adapters like the Sintech NGFF m.2 NVMe SSD adapter do not require modification. The quick summary is you'll need a Mac Pro running 10.13+, an adapter, and an NVMe SSD with a Sintech adapter. If you, for some reason, choose the GFF adapter, you'll need tape, a file, and some free time.
Currently, the only vector for multiple M.2 NVMe drives internally is the Amfeltec Angelshark Carrier Board. This keeps the original port intact and thus allows for three internal NVMe drives. Working SSD list
This list is from MacRumors by the user maxthackray, so all credit goes to him. Generally, it can be assumed that NVMe drives will work long as they do not use 4k sectors by default.
Adata NVMe SSD : SX6000, SX7000, SX8200, SX8200 Pro etc.
Corsair NVMe SSD : MP500, MP510
Crucial NVMe SSD : P1
HP NVMe SSD : ex920, ex950
OCZ RD400 (and all Toshiba XG3-XG4-XG5-XG5p-XG6 line)
Intel NVMe SSD : 600p, 660p, 760p etc.
MyDigital NVMe SSDs : SBX - BPX
Kingston NVMe SSD : A1000, A2000, KC1000
Sabrent Rocket
Samsungs Polaris NVMe SSD : 960 Evo, 960 Pro, 970 Evo, 970 Pro
WD Black NVMe SSD v1, v2 and v3
Drives in red require, NVMe drives with 4K sector sizes which require changing. Incompatible NVMes
Samsung PM981
Samsung 950 Pro
Samsung 970 Evo Plus*
*Firmware update fixes this particular SSD Useful Links
RAM/Memory upgrades
Officially most sites list the maximum ram for the 2013 as 128. The Mac Pro 2013 uses PC3-15000 DDR3 ECC (1866 MHz) RAM, with 4 RAM slots. The Maximum DIMM size is 32 GB. Maxing out the RAM can be a somewhat pricey endeavor, but sites like aliexpress and eBay, meaning this can be done for under $450 USD.
ThunderBolt 2 to PCIe
There's a fair amount of options today on the market like the Sonnet Technologies Echo Express SE1 - 1 PCIe Slot (roughly $200), and it scales up rather quickly.
The biggest modifications to the Mac Pro 2013 aren't internal, but rather massive PCIe enclosures that generally cost in the $1500-4000 range, making them often as expensive as the computer itself. There are a few options on the market, slike the Sonnet xMac Pro Server, which adds three full-length PCIe slots (you can see it on youtube), and the absolutely absurd JMR Quad Slot Expander adding 4 PCIe slots and 8 drive bay just to name a few. For the truly curious, you can see the JMR expansion system innards.
Not all PCIe enclosures support eGPUs. I've included in the eGPU section is a list of enclosures that support GPUs. Additional Notes on Thunderbolt 2
There's a wide variety of Thunderbolt 2 products, chiefly storage systems (including RAID setups), and ThunderBolt 2 docks still on the market. Due to the sheer amount, I'm unable to list them all, but it's important to remember that a fair amount of functionality missing from the 2013 Mac pro can be recaptured with Thunderbolt 2 like previously mentioned, PCIe slots, eGPUs, and the like.
The Mac Pro 2013 to date includes the six Thunderbolt ports, the most found on any Mac before or since. To obtain peak performance, it's recommended that displays be connected separately from other high bandwidth utilities like external storage.
The Mac Pro 2013 can drive three 4k displays or six 2560 x 1600 displays, and with the June 16, 2015 firmware update, three 5k displays (using two ThunderBolt ports and the HDMI port) internally.
Thunderbolt 3 / USB 3.1c
The Mac Pro 2013 can't be upgraded to Thunderbolt 3 bus speeds, but that doesn't mean it can't use Thunderbolt 3 / USB 3.1c devices (at the speed of Thunderbolt 2). Apple has a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter, which is bi-directional, meaning the same adapter can also be used for Thunderbolt 3 Macs to use Thunderbolt 2 devices. Notably, not all Thunderbolt 3 devices are backward compatible, so you may want to check with the manufacturer for compatibility.
eGPUs
It's nearly impossible to talk about the Mac Pro 2013 without mentioning eGPUs. Mac OS now supports AMD eGPUs (almost) natively, and macOS 10.14.x does not allow for modern nVidia support making it nearly a one-way path in eGPU. NVidia support for later eGPUs is limited to a maximum of Mac OS 10.13.x, and that does not appear to be changing due to a disagreement between Apple and NVidia. Unless this changes, this guide will not list Mojave incompatible NVidia eGPUs, despite the later GPUs being supported in Mac OS 10.12.x and 10.13.x. Currently, the RX (580x, 570x) line and the Vega (Vega, 48, 56, FE ) line by AMD are Mojave compatible, and the Keppler line by NVidia is Mojave compatible. The eGPU.io community has a searchable database. If going for an eGPU, I highly recommend upgrading to Mac OS 10.13+ as it includes more native support, thus much easier to set up, to the point of being (nearly) plug and play.
Note: All Thunderbolt 2 Macs require disabling SIP and running Purge Wrangler to enable eGPU support.
Whelm mac os. Lastly, Catalina requires some changes with eGPUs, and I highly recommend, epgu.io - State of epgu for Macs - Catalina 10.15, the short answer is PurgeWrangler continues to be the most common vector for support. AMD GPUs
Note: Minimum OS list required may not be correct, please contact me if incorrect AMD GPU Min OS Support Supports Metal R7 260X 10.12 - Curr R9 270 10.12 - Curr R9 280X 10.12 - Curr R9 290X 10.12 - Curr R9 380 10.12 - Curr R9 380x 10.12 - Curr R9 390 Requires hack R9 Fury 10.12 - Curr R9 Fury X 10.12 - Curr Radeon 450 10.12 - Curr Radeon 455 10.12 - Curr Radeon 460 10.12 - Curr Radeon 470 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 480 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 555 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 555x 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 560 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 560x 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 570 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 570x 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 580 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon 580x 10.12.6 - Curr Radeon Pro WX 2100 10.12- Curr Radeon Pro WX 3100 10.12- Curr Radeon Pro WX 4100 10.12- Curr Radeon Pro WX 4130 10.12 - Curr Radeon Pro WX 4150 10.12 - Curr Radeon Pro WX 4170 10.13? - Curr Radeon Pro WX 5100 10.13? - Curr Radeon Pro WX 7100 10.13? - Curr Radeon Pro WX 8100 10.13? - Curr Radeon Pro WX 9100 10.13? - Curr Vega 56 10.12.6 - Curr Vega 64 10.12.6 - Curr Vega Frontier Edition 10.13 - Curr Radeon VII 10.14.5 - Curr Radeon 5500 XT 10.15.2 - Curr Radeon 5600 XT 10.15.3 - Curr Radeon 5700 10.15.2 - Curr Radeon 5700 XT 10.15.2 - Curr
macOS 10.14 Mojave Supported NVidia eGPUs - Only Keppler series GPUs are supported
GTX 650
GTX 660
GTX 670
GTX 680
GTX Titan
*eGPUs require Mac OS 10.12 or above.
Confirmed working Enclosures with Mac Pro 2013 : Note there may be more.
Akitio Thunder2
AKiTiO Node
Asus XG Station 2
Blackmagic eGPU
Mantiz Venus
Razer Core X
Sonnet Breakaway 350 Useful Links
Cooling
Outside of the extreme JMR solutions PCIe slot Rackmount cases, Mac Pro 2013 cooling solutions remain pretty slim. Pro Cooling Base by SPEED Designs is the only other solution I'm aware of designed specifically for the Mac Pro. Most users elect to use various laptop cooling pads to place under Mac Pros (which do seem to help). If anyone has any information about physical mods or Mac Pro 2013 specialty cases, I'm all ears, and please reach out to me (see the bottom of this post). Useful Links
Repairs
The Mac Pro 2013 earns the distinction of sporting a modular design. There's not a lot to say here since iFixit gave it an 8 out of 10 for repairability and has pretty much every part in its Mac Pro Late 2013 Repair Guide. If you can do it, they probably have a beautiful step-by-step pictorial guide. Dead Run (sokpop Collective) Mac Os Catalina
Mac Pro 2013 won't sleep
MacRumors members note that Hand-off can affect a 2013's ability to sleep. Disabling seems to be the fix.
Communities Blogs
You're not alone. There are more people out there than you'd think who still love the Mac Pro 2013.
MacRumors Mac Pro Forum - The center of the Mac Pro universe.
MacProUpgrade - a private but very popular facebook group, primarily classic 'Cheesegrater' Mac Pro users with some 2013 users.
Mac Pro Users - another major FaceBook group for Mac Pro users, smaller but still helpful, and it has the benefit of being public too (no sign-up process and can be browsed without a facebook account).
eGPU.io - The go-to place for eGPUs.
Collected Articles
Buying used Mac Pro 2013s
Most forums when this question is posed is don't . The chief reasons are: price and stability. The updated Mac Mini may have a soldered on CPU and storage, but with the Core i7-8700B is much faster than the 12 Core Mac Pro in single-core performance and spitting distance of the multicore in Geekbench scores, and packs Thunderbolt 3, which is double the bandwidth for the inevitable eGPU, and comes with USB 3.1c support out of the box, and doesn't have a history of frying itself. Plus, it's new, comes with a warranty, and is even smaller. Then there's the iMac 5k, which has an upgradeable CPU making for faster than the base iMac Pro when tricked out too. I personally would not buy a Mac Pro 2013 with much better and cheaper alternatives. The 2009-2012 Mac Pros, which pack oodles more upgrades and stupidly better GPU options, or the aforementioned Mac Mini, even with an eGPU, would be roughly the same cost of a lower end used 2013. Unless the used market prices drastically change, the Mac Pro 2013's shortcomings are too significant to make me ever consider one.
Always make sure the computer is able to output video before buying. Next to the lower the AMD GPU model, the more chance it will remain problem-free. Unfortunately, Apple stopped selling the D300 Mac Pros long ago, so it's better tracking down a D500 model. Next up, many users have placed their Mac Pro 2013s on laptop coolers to help with the thermals. Due to the exceptionally tiny case, there are no internal cooling hacks beyond turning the fan up using 3rd party software. Lastly, have an exit strategy, you may live a full problem-free existence with a 2013 Mac Pro, but you may also end up with it's GPUs failing. Apple has closed its free replacement program as of April 2018 for the GPUs, and internet prices list anywhere from $700-$1200 from Apple or authorized service centers to replace the GPUs. At this price, it is effectively cheaper to buy a replacement Mac Mini. Working GPUs in the 3rd party sector are virtually impossible to find, and the rare ones that pop up fetch the price of Apple replacements. To be fair, this is the same problem laptop users face. While it is common sense, if you contract or freelance or work where you provide your own hardware, always have a plan that minimizes downtime. Despite being a modular design, the most failure-prone component is the absolute hardest to replace due to the lack of any inventory. Also, Apple quotes 3-5 days for a Mac Pro 2013 GPU replacement. This isn't to say it will fail, but there's plenty of horror stories on the internet. This could be the case relatively small, vocal group, but the general consensus is that the Mac Pro 2013 is not the most stable design.
Changelog
Due to the ever-evolving list of possible upgrades and hacks, this guide is a living document. Thus the information contained may change. I've included a robust log of recent changes to help repeat visitors discover new content. Making and maintaining this guide takes a fair amount of work, and feedback from users is greatly appreciated to make this the most accurate/best guide possible. If you have new information not included here, suggestions, corrections, or edits, please feel free to contact me at: blog@greggant.com. I get a fair amount of questions.I try to answer them as best I can. I'd recommend asking the MacRumors forum or MacProUpgrade group first as I'm just one person vs. the collective intelligence of a community. Notably, I do not own nor have I ever owned a Mac Pro 2013 (not that I wouldn't take one, but it is cost-prohibitive), so anyone who can provide more accurate information, please do!
01/22/21 - Added list of the firmware updates that have been released with note about firmware. Added cooling base station info, slightly edited intro, copy editing to remove typos.
05/12/20 - Massive GPU list updated. SSD updated. Catalina notes on eGPU updated. Minor visual update.
10/15/19 - Added note on Catalina and 32-bit + firmware versions. Badly needed copy editing.
10/07/19 - It's catalina time. Added OS Section, fixed an error about max RAM, included RAM specs, included link to the Amfeltec NVMe M2 adapter. Added another two links to eGPU section.
07/05/19 - Added notes on sleep issues, mild intro update.
05/07/19 - a second update, Thanks to the feedback of Brennan F and Daniel C for feedback on SSDs and eGPUs and some copy editing to boot.
05/07/19 - First release and one year anniversary of my first Definitive Mac Pro Upgrade Guide. Fun fact, this guide is over 2300+ words whereas my other guide is 13,000+ words. Part of the amount of writing can be chalked up to having to discuss different models, five in total, spanning 6 years. This guide covers another 6-year span and only one model. It goes to show how upgradeable the previous Mac Pros were and how much less Apple has cared about them since.
The 1999 version of the PowerBook G3 (a.k.a. Bronze Keyboard and Lombard) was announced on 1999.05.10 and reached stores by the end of the month. At nearly two pounds lighter and 20 thinner than the PowerBook G3 Series, toting Lombard was easier than any PowerBook since the 4.4 lb. 2400.
In the field, a fresh 50 Watt-Hour Apple battery with a full charge yields up to 5 hours of use. Using two batteries can increase that to as much as 10 hours. Replacement batteries can boost that by up to 60, for a potential 8 hours with one battery and 16 hours with two!
Other changes: only one drive bay (incompatible with the previous one), only one PC Card slot, and no ADB port. The keyboard also looks different, made of a translucent brown (Apple calls it bronze) plastic. This was the last PowerBook with built-in SCSI support and the first with New World ROMs.
Although the 333 MHz Lombard has a faster clock speed than the 300 MHz PowerBook G3 Series II model it replaced, the older model sometimes outperforms it due to a larger (1 MB vs. 512 MB) and faster (2:1 vs. 2.5:1) Level 2 cache.
If only Apple could have come up with a name to distinguish this PowerBook G3 from the original, the G3 Series, and the updated G3 Series. And, of course, it was replaced by the PowerBook (no G3 in the name; also known as Pismo) on 2000.02.16.
Got a G3 PowerBook or iBook? Join our G-Books Group or PowerBooks and iBooks Forum.
Our Mac OS 9 Group is for those using Mac OS 9, either natively or in Classic Mode.
Our Puma Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.1.
Our Jaguar Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.2.
Our Panther Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.3.
Note that the DVD drive is not supported under Mac OS X. If you want to watch DVDs, you will have to boot in the classic Mac OS (8.6-9.2.2) to do so. Warning
According to the Road Warrior, the drive controller in G3 PowerBooks is incompatible with some ATA-6/Ultra ATA-100 hard drives. When replacing the internal hard drive, you should be sure to obtain an ATA-5/Ultra ATA-66 compliant drive or an ATA-6 or ATA-7/Ultra ATA-133 drive known to work with Lombard. Details
introduced 1999.05.10 starting at US$2,499; discontinued 2000.02.16
requires System 8.6 or later, 10.3.x officially supported, 10.4.x can generally be installed using XpostFacto 4
CPU: 333 or 400 MHz PPC 750 (a.k.a. G3)
Bus: 66 MHz
Performance:
Geekbench 2 (Tiger): 213 (400 MHz)
MacBench 5: 958 (333 MHz), 1237 (400 MHz)
BYTEmark: 11.1 (333 MHz), 13.3 (400 MHz)
ROM: 4 MB, NewWorld ROM in RAM architecture
RAM: 64 MB of 3.3V unbuffered low-power 144-pin 100 MHz 10ns SO-DIMM, expandable to 512 MB* using low profile, low density DIMMs (16 memory chips on the card) in both slots; high density DIMMs (8 RAM chips) will only be recognized at half their capacity.
* Lombard officially supports only 384 MB of RAM, and some Mac OS installers will not work if you have 512 MB of RAM. The solution is to remove one 256 MB module.
Level 2 cache: 512 KB on 333, 1 MB on 400
Video: ATI Rage LT Pro
VRAM: 8 MB
display: 14.1 24-bit 1024 x 768 91 ppi color active matrix, resolution scaling to 640 x 480 and 800 x 600, also has S-video output via VGA connector
Hard drive: 4, 6, or 10 GB UltraATA-33
expansion bay: same as Pismo
CD-ROM: 24x (2x DVD-ROM available for 333, standard on 400; only the 400 comes with hardware to display DVD movies)
floppy drive: external USB only
expansions bays: one
USB: 2 USB 1.1 ports
SCSI: HDI30 connector on back of computer
Ethernet: 10/100Base-T
Modem: v.90 56k
4 Mbps IrDA
PC Card slots: 1
infrared: 4 Mbps IrDA 1.1
size: 10.4 x 12.7 x 1.7 (26.4 x 32.3 x 4.3 cm)
Weight: 5.7-6.1 pounds (2.6-2.8 kg) with battery
Model identifier: PowerBook1,1
family number: M5343 Accelerators Upgrades
Peek at first PowerBook G3 upgrades from Newer, Go2Mac.com, 2000.07.27. 466 MHz card will upgrade almost all WallStreet models, all Lombards.
NOTE: No CPU upgrades are being made for the Lombard PowerBooks. Online Resources
Best PowerBook G3 deals.
Best Classic Mac OS Deals. Best online prices for System 6, 7.1, 7.5.x, Mac OS 7.6, 8.0, 8.1, 8.5, 9.0, 9.2.2, and other versions.
Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals. Best online prices for Mac OS X 10.0, 10.1, 10.2, and 10.3.
Best Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Deals. Best online prices for Mac OS X 10.4.
Low End Macs Compleat Guide to the Lombard PowerBook G3, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.05.13. With the Lombard PowerBook, Apple abandoned the legacy ADB and serial ports for USB, trimmed 20 from WallStreets weight, and hit 400 MHz.
Lombard, the forgotten PowerBook, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.05.06. Sitting between the legendary WallStreet and the widely known Pismo, Lombard provides great value and handles OS X nicely.
Upgrading your Lombard PowerBook G3, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.08.25. Step-by-step instructions for getting inside the Lombard PowerBook to upgrade RAM, replace the hard drive, and swap out the CPU card.
WiFi cards for PowerBooks with PC Card slots, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.08.12. PC Card and CardBus 802.11b and 802.11g cards known to be compatible with Apples PowerBooks.
Whats the best Mac OS for your iBook, PowerBook, or MacBook?, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.08.19. Tips on choosing the best OS for your PowerBook 500 Series or newer Mac notebook.
Whats the Best Version of OS X for My Mac?, Ian R Campbell, The Sensible Mac, 2008.02.28. Which version of Mac OS X is best for your hardware depends on several factors.
Low End Macs Compleat Guide to Mac OS 9, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.05.12. Mac OS 9 remains fast and stable, but Classic software hasnt kept up with the changing internet. Which Macs support OS 9, where to buy it, and how to update to 9.2.2.
Taking apart a PowerBook G3 (Lombard or Pismo) battery, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.09.24. Step by step instructions for opening up a Lombard/Pismo battery to get to the lithium-ion cells inside.
Replacing your Lombard or Pismo optical drive with a SuperDrive, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.08.15. Its not difficult to swap out the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive in a Lombard or Pismo PowerBook with a CD- and DVD-burning SuperDrive.
Backing up your G3 PowerBook quickly and easily, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.10.27. Who needs Leopard and Time Machine? With an expansion bay hard drive and the right software, you can have a bootable clone ready for use.
$40 802.11g CardBus WiFi card for OS X 10.3 and later, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2009.03.10. Whether its the Buffalo or Belkin card, it has the same Broadcom chipset as Apples AirPort Extreme and needs no special drivers.
WiFi CardBus adapters compatible with PowerBooks, MetaPhyzx, Mac Daniel, 2009.03.11. CardBus hardware and drivers compatible with PowerBooks running Mac OS X.
WiFi PC Cards compatible with PowerBooks running OS X, MetaPhyzx, Mac Daniel, 2009.03.11. PCMCIA/PC Card hardware and drivers compatible with PowerBooks running Mac OS X.
WiFi PC Cards for PowerBooks running Mac OS 9, MetaPhyzx, Mac Daniel, 2009.03.10. PCMCIA cards and drivers reported to be compatible with the Classic Mac OS.
Upgrading a Pismo PowerBook with a slot-load drive salvaged from an iBook, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2009.10.30. Starting with a spare DVD-ROM module and the SuperDrive from a G4 iBook, the author ended up with a SuperDrive in his Pismo PowerBook.
Optimized Software Builds Bring Out the Best in Your Mac, Dan Knight, Low End Macs Online Tech Journal, 2009.06.30. Applications compiled for your Macs CPU can load more quickly and run faster than ones compiled for universal use.
Lombard PowerBook: Almost a Pismo for less, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 2009.06.18. Although Pismo has the huge following, Lombard provides comparable performance of often sells for quite a bit less.
Tips for Installing or Reinstalling Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Adam Rosen, Adams Apple, 2009.06.10. Mac OS X 10.4 uses less memory than Leopard, supports Classic Mode on PowerPC Macs, and, unlike Leopard, is supported on G3 Macs.
Odd MacBook sleep behavior, Pismo resurrection and upgrades, end nigh for Classic Eudora? and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.05.27. Also the end of the road for Lombard and G4 iMac CPU upgrades.
Mac Book Power Management Adventures, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2009.05.19. If your Book wont power up, shuts down while your working, or has other power issues, resetting its internal power manager may clear things up.
500 MHz iBook keeps going, iBook video repair, a WiFi card that costs less than AirPort, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.05.13. Also Dells alternative to the 12 PowerBook, WiFi hotspot insecurity, and feedback from a Eudora fan.
Is It Worth Maxing the RAM in Old G3 and G4 Macs?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.04.15. Increasing memory can make your old Mac faster and make you more productive, but it probably wont improve resale value by the amount you spend.
Is Camino now the best browser for older Macs?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.01.13. Camino 1.6.6 works very will with Mac OS X 10.3 through 10.5 and seems especially well suited for slower PowerPC Macs.
Notebooks and blackouts, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.12.23. When the power goes out, a notebook computer with long-lasting batteries lets you keep working for hours and hours.
4 GB RAM problem persists after firmware update, TriBook concept MacBook, DIY Mac netbook, and more, The Book Review, 2008.12.19. Also using third-party monitors with Late 2008 MacBooks, MacMagSaver protects MagSafe cord, $25 802.11g USB adapter, bargain Books from $500 to $2,299, and more.
The Better Safe Than Sorry Guide to Installing Mac OS X Updates, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.12.16. Most users encounter no problems using Software Update, but some preflight work and using the Combo updater means far less chance of trouble.
Why You Should Partition Your Macs Hard Drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.12.11. At the very least, it makes sense to have a second partition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you have problems with your work partition, you can boot from the emergency partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics.
Every working computer is useful to someone, Allison Payne, The Budget Mac, 2008.11.19. Whether its a PowerBook 1400, G3 iMac, or Power Mac G4, it could be all the computer someone needs.
G3 and low end G4 Mac performance comparison, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.10.15. Factors that impact performance are the version of CPU, the size and speed of the Level 2 cache, and how much RAM is installed.
TruePower battery can run WallStreet PowerBook past the 5 hour mark, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2008.10.10. If you have a rugged old PowerBook but its battery is losing capacity, TruePower can give you plenty of time in the field.
Getting the most from your G3 Mac, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.10.03. Most G3 Macs can be upgraded so they can run Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger quite nicely. Heres how.
The best browsers for older Macs running Tiger, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.09.25. A dialup users overview of browsers for Mac OS X 10.4 puts the emphasis on reliability, downloads, and speed.
Tiger great on old G3 Books, maximum RAM for 867 MHz PowerBook G4, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.10.01. Also why 4 GB of RAM in a 32-bit Vista PC wastes most of the last gigabyte and system profile software for Windows PCs.
9 browsers for G3 and older G4 Macs compared, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.09.26. The latest versions of Opera, Safari, Shiira, iCab, Radon, Firefox, Demeter, Sunrise, and Camino that run on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.
Portable Mac as primary vs. secondary computer, looking at ThinkPad design, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.09.17. Also learning from the Mac Portable, upgrading a PowerBook 5300, another free app to assure maintenance routines are run, and more.
In praise of rugged Mac notebooks of the past, POP3 vs. IMAP email, and buying glasses online, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.09.11. G3 PowerBooks were the high water mark for ruggedness, expandability, and reliability. Also the benefits of POP3 email for dialup users, and another article praising online eyewear.
Bring back the Macintosh Portable, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.09.09. Not to fault todays MacBooks, but theres something to be said for a no compromise, very expandable, portable Macintosh as well.
Are G3 Macs still viable work machines?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.09.08. For basic tasks writing, email, and using the Web a G3 Mac with Mac OS X 10.4 and sufficient memory provides plenty of power.
Using Word 5.1 files with later versions of Word, keyboard marks on a MacBook screen, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.08.14. Also the value of Panasonics UJ-850 for older PowerBooks and shipping concerns about the SteelPad mousepad.
TruePower AC adapter for iBooks and PowerBooks is rugged, reliable, and affordable, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.08.14. Apples track record with AC adapters is spotty, but the TruePower adapter is tough enough to survive being run over by a truck.
8 hour runtime realisitic with TruePower batteries for Lombard and Pismo, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.08.05. Apples original batteries could keep you going for up to 5 hours when they were new; these high capacity replacement batteries improve that by 60.
Tricking out your notebook for superior desktop duty, Charles W Moore, Book Value, 2008.07.29. For desktop use, you dont need to be limited by the built-in trackpad, keyboard, and display or a notebooks compromised ergonomics.
Bumps in the road for G3 Macs, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.07.28. MobileMe wouldnt sync with the Pismo, and Skypes software refused to install, but both problems were solved.
The Compressed Air Keyboard Repair, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.07.24. If your keyboard isnt working as well as it once did, blasting under the keys with compressed air may be the cure.
Turn your old Mac into a web server with Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 2008.07.09. Step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP on an older Mac.
Praise for Opera, low cost iBook mobo replacement, IrDA and IRtalk, WaMCom recommended, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.06.18. Also the use of compleat, booting from CD, new Toshiba 1.8 drives too thick for MBA, and PowerPC support and Snow Leopard.
My 4 favorite PowerBooks, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 2008.05.28. The PowerBook 150 has a big screen for a vintage PowerBook, the 165c has color, the 100 is diminutive, and Lombard has USB and a great keyboard.
WiMax likely, Apple not green enough, next MacBook in Q3, Cool Feet for notebooks, and more, The Book Review, 2008.05.23. Also LED backlighting in all MacBooks in 2009, cooling down hot laptops, OLPC plans second generation laptop, universal Apple notebook battery charger, slim external third-party SuperDrive, bargain Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
Mac OS 9 still nice, anticipating Odysseus, PowerBook 1400 upgrades, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.05.14. Also rebuilding PowerBook batteries, FastMac vs. NuPower replacement batteries, and only one G4 upgrade left for WallStreet PowerBooks.
Mac value, the Hackintosh market, unsupported Leopard, and USB 2.0 for older PowerBooks, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.30. High-end Macs cost less than comparable HPs and Dells, the need for a Mac minitower, a Leopard installation tip, Leopard on an 800 MHz iBook, and which PC Cards work with Mac OS X drivers.
A very Pismo Christmas in April, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.04.30. Everyone maintaining a vintage Mac should have a parts donor, and sometimes the parts machine may have upgrades for your old Mac.
Overpriced Macs, 4-core Mac Pro value, USB for G3 PowerBooks, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.24. Also reader feedback on running a keyboard through the dishwasher, tips for using external DVD drives, and 8 GB partition issues with the Classic Mac OS on the beige G3.
OS X for PCs, Mac mini with HDTV, 802.11n options, upgrading from Mac OS 9, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.22. Also reviving a dead PowerBook 5300, Lucida Grande, external FireWire SuperDrive advice, OS X and the DeskWriter, and royalties.
Outliners for word processing, Mac compatible WiFi cards, iWork disappoints, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.03.27. Also running Leopard on a maxed out Digital Audio Power Mac, Clamshell iBook hacks, Lombard external display resolutions, and collective nouns.
Fading magic at Apple, Major League Baseballs rebound, and an iMac that wont boot from a CD, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.04.02. Reflections on Apples success as a business, CD-ROM problems in a G3 iMac, and Pismo processor problem solved with thermal paste.
Stupid Pismo tricks, 2008 edition, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.02.20. Six uses for the weight saving device and how to use the Pismo as a DVD player.
Wireless FAQ for Older Apple PowerBook Computers. Resources to help you to install and maintain 802.11b/g wireless PC Cards on older PowerBook computers.
The Complete and Utter Guide to PC Cards and Expansion Bays on the PowerBook, Insanely Great. All about the PCMCIA, PC Card, or CardBus slots used in various PowerBooks.
Power your recycled laptop with a rebuilt battery, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.02.20. Old notebook computers usually mean old batteries that may be dead or on their last legs. You can buy a replacement battery, or you can have your old battery rebuilt.
3 ways to better YouTube viewing on older Macs, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.02.06. Watching YouTube videos in your browser on G3 Macs can be painfully slow, but there are several ways to improve your YouTube viewing experience.
Better YouTube viewing on older Macs, too many dead pixels, Safari problems in Panther, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.02.05. Also picking the right used G4 iBook, Quartz Extreme support for PCI video, problems with Mac OS 9.x on G4 Power Macs, open firmware problems with 667 MHz PowerBook, and more.
MacBook Air upgradable enough?, Lombard cache problem, and more on the liberal-conservative debate, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.02.04. Another go around on whether Mac users are liberal or conservative. Also looking for an OS X driver for the Netgear WG511T.
Dells 802.11g card for PowerBooks, glad for the death of Classic, FireWire cams, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.11.05. Also silent computing with obsolete Macs, Leopard and the 867 MHz limit, and Tiger performance on a 600 MHz G3 iBook.
Reasons for sticking with the Classic Mac OS, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2007.10.30. Whether its the simplicity, elegance, speed, or desire not to replace lots of expensive hardware, there are lots of good reasons for sticking with Mac OS 9.
iBook G3 quality, 802.11g for older PowerBooks, installing Tiger on a CD-ROM eMac, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.10.29. Also FireWire webcam options for the classic Mac OS and installing Leopard on an upgraded Power Mac G4.
FastMac 8x SuperDrive and BurnAgain DVD: Fast and easy multisession disc burning, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.10.08. FastMacs 8x SuperDrive upgrade is remarkably fast compared with older PowerBook burners, and BurnAgain DVD makes it easy to append files to a previously burned CD or DVD.
Replacing Home Page, Compact Flash in Lombard, Leopard hardware requirements, mini upgrades, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.10.04. Also the problems with using old computers in school, rebate problems, free imposition software, and a dead LC 520.
WiFi options for Lombard, installing Tiger on a DVD-less eMac, 3D home design software, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.10.01. Two PC Card 802.11g options for the Lombard PowerBook, PowerPC version of OS X needed for eMac, three programs for home design, and a source for downloading old Mac software.
The future of G3 PowerBooks in the Age of Leopard, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.09.11. Theres no G3 support in Leopard. What does that mean for Kanga, WallStreet, Lombard, and Pismo PowerBooks?
Pismo the best PowerBook, capacitor problems in Macs, XPostFacto for Leopard, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.06.28. Also more on tin whiskers and why you sometimes have to remove RAM to get OS X to install on older Macs.
Even if Leopard leaves G3 behind, Tiger users will still be able to run up-to-date apps, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.06.18. While Apple may drop G3 support in OS X 10.5, there will continue to be plenty of options for 10.4 users who want to run up-to-date browsers, email clients, and instant messaging programs.
Compact Flash faster than a hard drive, CF in a clamshell iBook, eSATA for PowerBooks, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.06.12. Faster boot times with a flash drive, replacing the hard drive in an iBook with Compact Flash, eBay feedback tips, eSATA CardBus options for PowerBooks, and the importance of G3 support in Mac OS X 10.5.
Silence is golden: Running your existing notebook using flash memory, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 2007.05.23. With a new adapter from Addonics, you can replace your laptops IDE hard drive inexpensively and boot silently from a Compact Flash card.
Why Apple must continue G3 support in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.05.08. Were worried about what happens if Apple unchecks that box in Xcode to include the instructions necessary to run OS X on G3 processors at all.
Format Any Drive for Older Macs with Patched Apple Tools, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2007.04.25. Apple HD SC Setup and Drive Setup only work with Apple branded hard drives until you apply the patches linked to this article.
First Blu-ray drive for Apples Books, replace notebook hard drive with Compact Flash, and more, The Book Review, 2007.04.13. Also 160 GB 7200 rpm hard drives, upgrading from a MacBook Pro to a MacBook, Waterfields flexible new Sling bag, bargain Books from $170 to $1,699, and more.
Drag and drop problems with flash drive, troubleshooting a Mac with Linux, G3 video problems, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.03.27. Also FireWire boot drives, bootable partitions, bootable external DVD drives, and maximum hard drive size on older Macs.
OS X 10.3 or 10.4 on a G4/533?, Lombard to Pismo hard drive swap, Book repair, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.01.29. The best OS for a G4/533, migrating by swapping hard drives, WallStreet and iBook repair and replacement options, and upgrading RAM in Lombard.
PC Card WiFi for OS X PowerBooks, installing Classic for OS X, Gmail problem with Shiira, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.01.15. A low-cost WiFi PC Card for PowerBooks running OS X, tips on installing Classic under Tiger, Gmail broken with Shiira 1.2.2 browser, and stimulating a flashd rive on pre-USB PowerBooks.
Disabling deep sleep on MacBooks, Other Red a scam?, mixed RAM can reduce performance, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.11.13. Also other disk utilities Mac owners should know about, Lombard cooling, Netscape 7 on OS 9, Final Vinyl for ripping LPs, and more.
Best OS X for Pismo, mixing RAM speeds, LP to MP3, SpeedFan cools MacBook running Windows, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.10.30. Also Lombard still rocks, Powerlogix WallStreet upgrade tip, old Macs still perform admirably, a 64 GB flash drive, and RadTechs clever BT600 mouse design.
Ubuntu on older Macs; Lombard, Pismo, and WallStreet upgrade questions; installing clamshell RAM; and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.10.09. Also more on why some older Macs cant read modern CR-R discs and Russell Beatties underhanded criticism of OS X.
Better laptop performance: Whats the best upgrade?, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.10.09. Memory, CPU, bus speed, and hard drives all impact performance and battery life. Which upgrades will give you the most up time in the field?
Lombard, the middle child PowerBook G3: Good enough for OS X?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.10.02. The PowerBook G3 (Bronze Keyboard) was slimmer, lighter, and less expandable than the WallStreets it replaced. It added USB, gave up ADB, and retained SCSI.
Is Ubuntu Linux a sensible alternative for Mac users?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.09.18. If your Mac can run OS X decently, is there any reason to try Ubuntu Linux? If it cant run OS X well, is Ubuntu a reasonable choice?
MacBook shutdown solved, better batteries after recall, MacBook Pro better for Vista than Vaio, and more, The Book Review, 2006.09.15. Also MacBook troubleshooting, the value of a used iBook, Apple to sell 1 million Books this quarter, replacing cells in an old PowerBook G3 battery, bargain Books from $299 to $1,299, and more.
Inside your notebooks battery: Ordinary AA Li-Ion cells, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.09.08. That expensive battery in your notebook computer probably holds less than $30 worth of off-the-shelf AA Li-Ion batteries.
Is the G3 still a practical choice?, Matthew Jay, Macs to the Max, 2006.08.10. Although the G3 is several generations old, it has enough horsepower for most of the things we do on our computers.
Customizing Mac OS 9, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.08.01. Fiddling with themes, picking a browser, and making the Classic Mac OS work just the way you want it to.
7 tools for keeping your laptop (uh, notebook) cool, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.07.24. A quick look at the Podium CoolPad, ChillMat, ChillHubs, Laptop Desk, Xpad, iLap, and iBreeze seven stands designed to keep you Books running cooler.
Upgrade your Pismo with a dual-layer DVD burner, Jason Schrader, Maximize Your Mac, 2006.07.19. If you want to add a DVD burner to your PowerBook Pismo, FastMacs new dual-layer SuperDrive merits serious consideration.
Power strategies for using your Book in the field: Batteries and AC adapters, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.06.05. One or two extra batteries and at least one spare AC adapter can be essential when youre traveling and need to get hours and hours of use from your Book.
Pismo modem issues, best Mac keyboard, Pismo processor upgrade value, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.05.01. Also swapping screens between Lombard and Pismo, more on Frankenpismo, PRAM reset may resurrrect dead Lombard, and more on the dead Lombard.
Modern computing: First impressions of a $10 PowerBook G3, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2006.04.26. The price was right, assuming it worked, but how beat up and underpowered would this $10 PowerBook be?
Replacing Lombard with a TiBook: which one is enough?, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 2006.04.19. Nice as the Lombard was, it has a new owner. The new Book should have FireWire, G4 power, and run Tiger nicely. How much TiBook is enough?
Making the move from Jaguar (OS X 10.2) to Panther (10.3), Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2006.04.11. One advantage of Apples no upgrades policy for OS X someone can give you their old copy after upgrading without worrying about violating their license.
Many G3 Macs now considered vintage, Mac News Review, 2006.03.31.
Pismo and Panther, Pismo on last legs, and Lombard vs. PowerBook G4, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.03.08. More on OS X 10.3.9 as the best for Pismo, Pismo plagued with kernel panics, and whether to upgrade a Lombard or replace it with a PowerBook G4.
FastMacs $190 8x dual-layer SuperDrive for PowerBooks and dual USB iBooks, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.01.30. For US$190-250 you can replace the CD-ROM, CD-RW, Combo, or slow old SuperDrive in most PowerBooks, white iBooks, slot-loading iMacs, and Cubes with a faster, dual-layer drive.
Replacing or upgrading the optical drive in your PowerBook G3 or 1400, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 2006.01.24. If your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM has died or you want to upgrade to a CD or DVD burner, heres how to do it yourself.
Web browser tips for the classic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.01.03. Tips on getting the most out of WaMCom, Mozilla, Internet Explorer, iCab, Opera, and WannaBe using the classic Mac OS.
The best browsers for PowerPC Macs and the classic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2005.12.16. Two browsers stand out from the pack: iCab 3 is modern and remains under development, and WaMCom brings Mozilla to older Macs.
Software that worked during my months in Iraq with my PowerBook, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 2005.12.20. Two operating systems and over a dozen programs that made life better while deployed in Iraq.
Configuring a PowerBook for months in Iraq without Internet access, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 2005.12.13. What do you need to keep yourself entertained and be able to work for months without Internet access? A Mac.
Lombard: A great $400 field computer, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 2005.12.06. Rugged, reliable, and feature-laden, this G3 PowerBook also fully supports OS X and is available at decent prices.
Configuring a PowerBook for months in Iraq without Internet access, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 12.13. What do you need to keep yourself entertained and be able to work for months without Internet access? A Mac.
iFixIt Guide: PowerBook G3 Lombard, PB FixIt. All you need to know to take apart, upgrade, repair, and put your PowerBook back together again. Online and print versions available.
Lombard renaissance, Charles W Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 2004.03.23. Both Newer Technology and PowerLogix made G3 upgrades for the Lombard for a time, but they apparently didnt sell especially well.
The strong value of the Lombard PowerBook G3, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2003.03.19. Why the 333 MHz Lombard is a particularly good value in portable computing.
Flash memory improves PowerBook, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2002.11.14. Using Compact Flash to boot, save files, run silently, extend battery life, and as virtual memory on a PowerBook.
Is the Lombard a lemon?, Charles W Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 10.15. one might deduce that either a design flaw or hardware defect is beginning to manifest widely in these machines as they age.
Rage Pro Driver for Lombard, James Denton. Oops, OS X 10.1.5 missed acceleration support for Rage LT Pro in Lombard. This patch solves that oversight.
Rage at being left behind, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2001.12.24. Its official Apple doesnt plan to support graphics acceleration for any Mac with ATI Rage video.
Recall: PowerBook G3 AC Adapter Exchange Program. Most WallStreet and Lombard AC adapters recalled. See Apples page for details.
OS X graphics speedup with early ATI video, Mac OS X: Optimizing for Earlier ATI Graphics Accelerators, 2001.03.09. ATI Rage II+, IIc, Pro, and LT Pro faster displaying thousands of colors, not millions.
SCSI and FireWire Disk Modes, Paulo Rodrigues, Tangerine Fusion, 2000.11.29. How to use SCSI Disk Mode and FireWire Target Disk Mode for ultrafast file transfers.
Accelerate Your Mac! has downloadable color profiles for the iBook and recent PowerBooks that really improve on-screen color.
Recovering a stolen PowerBook, The Book Page. One users experience.
PowerBook G3 Series memory pricing, ramseeker
Review: PowerBook G3s, Macworld, September 1999, p. 34
PowerBook G3 Computers: How to Identify Different Models, Apple TIL 24604
PowerBook G3 Series (Bronze keyboard): How to Differentiate from Other PowerBook G3 Series Computers, Apple TIL 58328
PowerBook G3 Series (Bronze Keyboard) Technical Specifications, Apple Cautions
Be sure to specify low-density DIMMs, which have 16 RAM chips on them. High-density DIMMs have only 8 RAM chips, and the computer will only use half of their capacity.
From Apple Knoweldge Base Archive Article 58386: When the PowerBook G3 Series [Lombard/Bronze Keyboard] wakes from sleep, the Password Security control panel is activating before the PowerBook has a chance to enable the USB bus. This results in any external USB keyboard not working.
There is an incompatibility between the Kensington Startup ADB extension (part of Kensington MouseWorks) and the Trackpad control with Mac OS 9.0.4. The trackpad will respond during boot, but not after the extension loads. The solution is to disable the extension. This may apply to other versions of Mac OS 9 on Books with USB ports.
keyword: pblombard
