[iBook] upgrading ibook G3 report

[Stefan King]

As a matter of public responsibility I wanted to
report a successful disk upgrade of a 12" ibook G3
800 MHz.  I used Graham Cox's instructions for the
ibook G3/500 Mhz.  His instructions are very+ useful
even though the innards you will see vary a little
from his photographs.

I used a 80 GB Hitachi Travelstar drive, 7200 rpm,
ATA-100.
The height of this drive is 9.5 mm, same as the
original IBM drive.
I believe the icebook's bus can only do ATA-66, but
the drive works fine in that mode.

If I had to do it again, I would use more magic 
marker pens to draw on the rf shields etc. inside
the machine, to help reassembly.  Also, I used 
separate containers for each subassembly's screws
and that was not really adequate.  The procedure
took longer than I expected; longer than my short-term
memory extinction time, so having better drawings
and fastener organization would have helped do
reassembly.  Also, I should probably have replaced
the fan, since it is so much work to get in there,
it would be a smart thing to replace in a 3 year old
machine.

Difficult areas are 1) getting the outer shell to
release from the frame.  This takes a lot of gumption,
and just the right blend of finess and brutality to
accomplish without damage.  2) releasing the 
keyboard ribbon cable retainer.  3) releasing the
upper RF shield from the frame.  This shield is
held down at its center by double-adhesive tape 
which is not visible anywhere.  I got all the screws 
out and was perplexed as to why it still would not
release.  

I was impressed with the number of possible
holes that did not in fact contain fasteners.  I would
have thought this would have been a smart investment
of a few grams, as I think it would make the machine
tougher.  Whatever, apple must know what it is doing.

When I went to install an OS, I was surprised when
the install CD did not see the new drive.  In mac
land you have to build a file system on the drive
before the installer will find it.  Hmpf.  It's no
problem, just a bit terrifying if the drive lies
behind so much disassembly and one is not expecting
it.

HTH

Stefan K.