How I made a PowerBook G4 awesome again!

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  • shovenose
    Send Doge Memes
    • Aug 2010
    • 6575
    • USA
    #1

    How I made a PowerBook G4 awesome again!

    Yesterday my uncle gave me some random laptops he didn't need anymore.
    Among them was a PowerBook G4... it's a totally beast computer with 1680x1050 resolution, a huge screen, and a very messed up battery...

    It ran OS X 10.4 (Tiger) and it was ssslllooowww... Opening Firefox 3.6.10 (for some reason I couldn't update more) took like 30 seconds. It's got a 120G hard drive, and after removing 85GB of crap (4GB free) I had more than 91GB free. I removed a bunch of the crap I didn't need, but it was still extremely so.

    Then I had an idea. What about Linux?
    Googling "PowerPC Linux" eventually got me to a download page for Ubuntu 10.10 PowerPC. I downloaded it, burned it, and booted the PowerBook from it. The installation went well, and it ACTUALLY WORKS!

    Even better, this computer (keep in mind it has a 1.67GHz CPU) Can run Firefox 3.6.24 (latest version of 3.6, the newer version I couldn't get to install and it is too bloated anyway)...
    It's much much much much faster, and Ubuntu includes full support for sound and wireless!

    Now I have a nice huge laptop that's very fast!
    Now, If only I could get the trackpad to work...
    Tags: None
    • thesloc
      Banned
      • Dec 2011
      • 587
      #2
      Re: How I made a PowerBook G4 awesome again!

      Nice find but you will be disappointed to know that flash doesn't work because PPC Ubuntu isn't supported by Adobe.

      I believe the trackpad could get working if you run an update...

      Here's what I would do:

      -Install Leopard OS X 10.5 (let me know if you need a link)

      -Install El Camino instead of FF, seriously, it's a looooooooooooooot faster!


      PPC 1.67Ghz is plenty for basic needs. Believe me.

        Comment

        • shovenose
          Send Doge Memes
          • Aug 2010
          • 6575
          • USA
          #3
          Re: How I made a PowerBook G4 awesome again!

          Nah, I'm not going to bloated Mac OS X
          This computer with the 1.67 PCC running PPC Ubuntu is faster than the MacBook Core Duo running Snow Leopard I also got

          Yeah, the updates fixed the trackpad.

          Right now I'm using the Toshiba L25 I also got...

            Comment

            • thesloc
              Banned
              • Dec 2011
              • 587
              #4
              Re: How I made a PowerBook G4 awesome again!

              Originally posted by shovenose
              Nah, I'm not going to bloated Mac OS X
              This computer with the 1.67 PCC running PPC Ubuntu is faster than the MacBook Core Duo running Snow Leopard I also got

              Yeah, the updates fixed the trackpad.

              Right now I'm using the Toshiba L25 I also got...
              How's YouTube and flash working?

                Comment

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