Club 17

[laptech]

I am now part of this club. Got myself the 17inch 1.67 HR/DLSD. Not perfect condition, has some minor bumps and bruises. It came with 512Mb and Tiger 10.4.2. Tested it out and it was as i expected but when i upgraded it to 2Gb of memory, oh wow, it runs like a rocket. I am so used to using my G4 667 powerbook that moving to this 17inch beast makes a world of difference.

I currently upgraded it to Leopard 10.5.8 just to see how it performs in this machine, but for now, i am loving this machine. All this time I thought my G4 667 was reasonable but this 17inch, i can see why many people enjoy this machine

 

[elf69]

I got this one:

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/...k-pro-core-2-duo-2.4-17-santa-rosa-specs.html

but looks like GPU has gone as boots to chime only nothing on screen.

 

[laptech]

I got this one:

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/...k-pro-core-2-duo-2.4-17-santa-rosa-specs.html

but looks like GPU has gone as boots to chime only nothing on screen.

more than likely something to do with the screen or the lcd driver circuit or the lid close circuit on the PCB. In my experience of fixing macbooks (later editions), if GPU is faulty, it will either display corrupted graphics on the screen of kill the whole machine. Only in rare cases have i found the GPU to be faulty and the machine still able to boot.

A way of proving this is to use an external display. If it displays on an external screen then it's more than likely LCD screen related.

 

[MagicBoy]

Anyway, that's one for the MacBook forums...

 

[benwild_33]

I am now part of this club. Got myself the 17inch 1.67 HR/DLSD. Not perfect condition, has some minor bumps and bruises. It came with 512Mb and Tiger 10.4.2. Tested it out and it was as i expected but when i upgraded it to 2Gb of memory, oh wow, it runs like a rocket. I am so used to using my G4 667 powerbook that moving to this 17inch beast makes a world of difference.

I currently upgraded it to Leopard 10.5.8 just to see how it performs in this machine, but for now, i am loving this machine. All this time I thought my G4 667 was reasonable but this 17inch, i can see why many people enjoy this machine

I’d highly recommend an SSD, the jump to 2GB of ram was nice but the SSD made my one feel like a modern computer

 

[elf69]

Did not come here for fixing advice on my 17" but thanks.

I miss the real estate of the 17" even it it was a big heavy beast of a machine.

I am looking to get another 17".

Which keyboards to you guys prefer?

I prefer the island type (black keys) over the older silver keyboard.

With silver one find it missing letters out, which is less of issue with the island type keys.

 

[benwild_33]

Did not come here for fixing advice on my 17" but thanks.

I miss the real estate of the 17" even it it was a big heavy beast of a machine.

I am looking to get another 17".

Which keyboards to you guys prefer?

I prefer the island type (black keys) over the older silver keyboard.

With silver one find it missing letters out, which is less of issue with the island type keys.

I find I make less errors on the island type but that is mainly due to having used them more. Interestingly I prefer the keyboard on my titanium powerbook to the on on my 17” powerbook. The titanium keyboard is like new so it could just be wear.

On the subject of the 17” MacBook, the GeForce 8600m gt is extremely prone to failure so I’d avoid anything with that.

 

[eyoungren]

Anyway, that's one for the MacBook forums...

Post 1 mentions this thread is also for the early aluminum MBPs. Otherwise, mine would be excluded.
[doublepost=1511446482][/doublepost]

Did not come here for fixing advice on my 17" but thanks.

I miss the real estate of the 17" even it it was a big heavy beast of a machine.

I am looking to get another 17".

Which keyboards to you guys prefer?

I prefer the island type (black keys) over the older silver keyboard.

With silver one find it missing letters out, which is less of issue with the island type keys.

Prefer the silver keys on the Aluminum series. I type better with them and it's in keeping with the design.

The black keys on my old TiBook always seemed to clash with the silver body to me. Never cared for them.

 

[elf69]

my 17" is a aluminium pro, 2007 A1229 model.

It is not a powermac though sorry didn't read thread string location before posting.

I loved the 17" looked like the G4 models, did they share casings?
But was never fan of the keyboard.

I would say though it was faster than my 2010 MacBook when they both ran el cap.
my only powermac now is a G4 iBook that sees no use.

 

[eyoungren]

my 17" is a aluminium pro, 2007 A1229 model.

It is not a powermac though sorry didn't read thread string location before posting.

I loved the 17" looked like the G4 models, did they share casings?
But was never fan of the keyboard.

I would say though it was faster than my 2010 MacBook when they both ran el cap.
my only powermac now is a G4 iBook that sees no use.

Reread the very first line in post #1.

Admission to Club 17 is in ownership of a 17" PowerBook G4 or a 17" MacBook Pro (Aluminum body).

The casings are similar, but the MBP has slightly different dimensions to account for the camera in the lid.

PS. You actually have one of the models I desire, the last 17" MBPs capable of running the latest or close to latest OS.

My A1151 is Snow Leopard only as it's not a Core Duo.

 

[elf69]

find a 4,1 pro and it can be hacked to run Sierra/high Sierra I want one them!

my 3,1 runs el cap really well, or did until no screen output.

got 4gb ram and a 500GB hdd, no SSD yet.

It would run warm at times but great machine to use hence I'm on lookout for another if cannot fix this one.
using 11" air right now and bit cramped.

 

[benwild_33]

I picked up a whole pile of these yesterday.

I needed some Titanium parts and saw a joblot of G4s and thought may as well go for it as my 17" needed a new speaker. Turns out they hadn't been treated too well, I got the following.

PB17" 1.5GHz (Broken keyboard connector, now repaired)
PB 17" 1.33GHz (Broken Keyboard ribbon cable)
PB 17" 1GHz (Looks good and boots)
PB 15" 1.5GHz (looks to be good)
PB 15" 1.25GHz (Pretty much destroyed)
PB Titanium 1GHz (Broken hinge)
PB Titanium Unknown A1001 (Very Worn paint)
iBook G3 12" Unknown

I'm gonna fix as many as I can and move on what I don't need

 

[bobesch]

find a 4,1 pro and it can be hacked to run Sierra/high Sierra I want one them!

Do you think, there's any benefit from upgrading to Sierra/HighSierra? I run both a 15" and 17" early 2008 silverkey-MacBookPro and I'm quite happy with El Capitan.
I'm afraid, that Sierra hack would draw too much time and effort to be worth it for my purposes.

 

[benwild_33]

I wouldn’t say Sierra is worth it over El Capitan, you pretty much get Siri and iMessage gets some new features, I hardly noticed anything apart from that. If it were me I’d stay on El Capitan until you find you need to upgrade for app support.

 

[philgxxd]

What about performance ?
El capitan versus Sierra/High Sierra on that particular 4,1 model ?
Can you elaborate on that matter as I'm about to try it also.
[doublepost=1511735097][/doublepost]I'm using it with an SSD which I think is mandatory for modern osx...or macos if that matters.

 

[benwild_33]

I can’t comment on performance, my experience was on a Mac Pro 4,1 with 12 cores and an ssd, both felt identical.

 

[philgxxd]

Did you upgrade it to the 5,1 firmware ?

 

[weckart]

Do you think, there's any benefit from upgrading to Sierra/HighSierra? I run both a 15" and 17" early 2008 silverkey-MacBookPro and I'm quite happy with El Capitan.
I'm afraid, that Sierra hack would draw too much time and effort to be worth it for my purposes.

El Capitan has a broken USB stack - apparently due to poor programming on behalf of the wage slaves at Cupertino - and it won't be fixed. Ever. If you were planning to throw in a USB 3.1 card, you might find a manufacturer's caveat that said card will operate in Yosemite and Sierra (and presumably also H Sierra) but with the glaring omission of El Capitan.

If this doesn't matter to you right now (and this only affects Mac Pros really), then stay with El Capitan.

 

[bobesch]

El Capitan has a broken USB stack - apparently due to poor programming on behalf of the wage slaves at Cupertino - and it won't be fixed. Ever. If you were planning to throw in a USB 3.1 card, you might find a manufacturer's caveat that said card will operate in Yosemite and Sierra (and presumably also H Sierra) but with the glaring omission of El Capitan.

If this doesn't matter to you right now (and this only affects Mac Pros really), then stay with El Capitan.

Oh, I was just happy to find any ExpressCard34 to support USB 3.0 for my early 2008 15" MacBookPro4,1 ...
But thanks for your confirmation, that I don't miss anything, when staying with El Capitan.
(Well, isn't it somehow strange, to think about a company like Big-Apple being
short of programming people to support legacy-hardware&customers !? Where does all the money go to?)

 

[benwild_33]

Did you upgrade it to the 5,1 firmware ?

Yes, you have to in order to have the 6 core cpus and Sierra

 

[bobesch]

Which keyboards to you guys prefer?
I prefer the island type (black keys) over the older silver keyboard.

I find I make less errors on the island type but that is mainly due to having used them more. Interestingly I prefer the keyboard on my titanium powerbook to the on on my 17” powerbook. The titanium keyboard is like new so it could just be wear.

Prefer the silver keys on the Aluminum series. I type better with them and it's in keeping with the design.
The black keys on my old TiBook always seemed to clash with the silver body to me. Never cared for them.

I enjoy them both black and silver on the MacBooks. Typing on the silver-keyboard feels really good. For the black keyboard I use a MingFi TPU cover, which saved my ass once, when I spilled water all over the place. And it keeps dust and dirt off the keyboard.

 

[VanneDC]

Mine doesn't turn on anymore

 

[CooperBox]

........For the black keyboard I use a MingFi TPU cover, which saved my ass once, when I spilled water all over the place. And it keeps dust and dirt off the keyboard.

I recently ordered a MingFi silicon keyboard cover to change from an AZERTY to a QWERTY. Just fitted it. Good quality and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it fitted the keys perfectly and stayed perfectly in place without sliding - as some of the cheaper silicon overlays tend to do.

 

[bobesch]

I recently ordered a MingFi silicon keyboard cover to change from an AZERTY to a QWERTY. Just fitted it. Good quality and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it fitted the keys perfectly and stayed perfectly in place without sliding - as some of the cheaper silicon overlays tend to do.

Ah, you should go for the TPU-version. But it's only 'clear'. I feels really great and saved my ass two times, when spilling something into the direction of my MacBookPro.
It's such a great thing, Apple didn't change the Keyboard-styl from late 2008 to 2016 for all of it's devices and external KB !!!
I guess I should also have to take a look at the silicon-KB-covers.
It's a pity, the US-KB is arranged in a completely different kind compared to the international-ones. I once did have problems to find a fitting cover for my 2014 11" MacBookAir, that I've got in SF. Well - it was kind of 'luck' then, some bad a** took it away from my bag at my office. My only satisfaction about that is, that that guy now has to bother with the ugly stickers on the KB.

BTW: "Sent from my Sinclair ..." YMMD!

 

[eyoungren]

I feels really great and saved my ass two times, when spilling something into the direction of my MacBookPro.

Beer maybe?