macupgrades.co.uk
01223 833 412 Delivery Options: Postal Delivery (small items) - £2.37 + vat (£2.78). City Link Delivery (2 working days) - £5 + vat (£5.88). Collect from Store - Free. 2:30pm Order Cut-Off.
Skip Navigation | Compatibility Help  |  Installation Service  |  How To Order  |  Positive Feedback  |  Sell My Mac My Account  |  Cart Contents  |  Checkout   

PowerBook G4 Aluminium 17" Upgrades

G4 17" Front
G4 17" Front

Original Tech Specs

  • introduced : JAN 2003
  • CPU: MPC 7455/7447/a (G4)
  • CPU speed: 1.0/1.33/1.5/1.67GHz
  • FPU: integrated
  • Maximum RAM:1024-2048 MB
  • RAM sockets: 2, DDR 2700 SODIMM
  • Minimum speed: 333MHz
  • VRAM: 64MB
  • ROM: 1 MB ROM +
  • L1 cache: 32 k data, 32 k instruction
  • L3 cache: 1MB backside (1:2)
  • Data path: 64 bit
  • Bus speed: 166MHz
  • System Software: 10.2 - 10.5
  • Slots: 1 PCMCIA CARDBUS SOCKET
  • USB : 2
  • FireWire: 1 / 1 + 1 FireWire 800
  • AirPort: One Socket ( Extreme)
  • HD: 40-80 GB Ultra ATA-100
  • CD: COMBO / SUPERDRIVE
  • Display: 1440x990
  • Ethernet: 10/100/1000B-T
  • Gestalt ID: 406
  • power: 65 Watts
  • Weight: 6.8 lbs.
  • Dimensions: 1.18" H x 15.4" W x 10.2"
G4 17" Top View
G4 17" Top View
G4 17" Side View
G4 17" Side View
G4 17" Ports
G4 17" Ports

History

This page covers all versions of the PowerBook G4 17" - which have a silver keyboard and a 17" display.

In January 2003 Apple revamped the PowerBook range and brought the biggest available LCD, with a resolution of 1440 x 990 pixels, to this top of the range offering.

These machines were designed as powerful desktop replacements, aimed at digital video and design professionals.

There have been several different models of the 17" machines - with an increase in CPU clock speed each time. All the units use DDR or DDR2 RAM and have USB, FireWire, Ethernet, Airport Extreme and a front mounted slot loading SuperDrive. The later models have USB 2.0.

The first PowerBook G4 17" was released in January 2003 with a 1GHz CPU, Apple specs here.

An upgraded model with a G4 1.33GHz processor, a better graphics card, and USB ports replaced with USB 2.0, was released in September 2003, Apple specs here.

In April 2004 the 17" PowerBook G4 moved to a 1.5GHz CPU, an upgrade graphics card and SuperDrive as standard. Apple specs here.

January 2005 the processor was upgraded to 1.67GHz. Apple specs here.

The last model of the PowerBook G4 17" was released in October 2005. This was a major update, with a higher resolution screen and a move from DDR PC2700 memory to DDR2 PC4200. The processor speed remained at 1.67GHz. Apple specs here.

How to Identify these Machines

The G4 Aluminum 17" has a silver keyboard and a 17" display.

There were also 12" and 15" models made - to tell them apart without measuring, look at the edges of keyboard. If there is no gap then the machine is 12", if there is a 1" gap between the keyboard and the edge then its a 15", if its more like 1.5" then you have a 17" PowerBook.

Apple System Profiler (Apple Menu>About this Mac; click on "More Info") can be used to tell what processor speed you have. Clicking on the PCI/AGP Cards item in Apple System Profiler will also tell you what resolution your PowerBook runs at.

If you are still unsure you can contact us on 01223 833 412, or by email for confirmation. If you want to upgrade but aren't happy to install your upgrades then we can help. Simply ask our engineers for further details.

Memory Upgrades

The PowerBook G4 17" Aluminum has two memory sockets. Models up to and including the 1.67GHz running at 1440x900 resolution accept up to 2GB in RAM in two 1GB chips.

The October 2005 revision of this PowerBook changed from DDR to DDR2 RAM. These PowerBooks also run at 1.67GHz, but can be distinguished by the fact that they run in 1680x1050 resolution. Clicking on PCI/AGP Cards in Apple System Profiler will tell you what resolution your PowerBook runs at.

INSTALLATION - RAM in an Apple Laptop£15.00 + vat (£17.62)
Kingston DDR2 PC4200 SODIMM 512MB£11.54 + vat (£13.56)1
Kingston DDR2 PC4200 SODIMM 1GB£26.53 + vat (£31.17)1
Kingston DDR-PC2700 1GB SODIMM£48.61 + vat (£57.12)2
Corsair PC2700 512MB SODIMM£25.62 + vat (£30.10)2
1Only compatible with 1.67GHz PowerBooks running at 1680x1050 resolution.
2Compatible with 17" PowerBooks with CPUs up to and including 1.5GHz, and the 1.67GHz models that run in 1440x900 resolution.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 3 / 5 - Reasonably Easy

Turn off the machine, and remove the power cable and battery.

The sockets are underneath the machine - turn the machine over on a soft cloth. There is a plate held in place with 3 screws remove these to reveal the RAM sockets.

Place new chips in sockets and reassemble the machine.

Apple's own guide can be found here.


CD & DVD Drive Upgrades

All PowerBook G4 Aluminums came equipped with a Combo or SuperDrive.

We sell both internal and external CD/DVD writers for this laptop. We also offer an installation service for the internal parts.

INSTALLATION - Internal CD/DVD Drive in a PowerBook, MacBook Pro or Cube£29.00 + vat (£34.08)
Internal Combo Drive for Aluminium PowerBook, G4 Cube, iBook G4 or Mac Mini£85.00 + vat (£99.88)
Internal DVDRW for Al PowerBook, iBook G4, G4 Cube, iMac G5 or Intel, Mac Mini and MacBook Pro£119.00 + vat (£139.83)
REFURB 8x Internal DVDRW for Al PowerBook, iBook G4, G4 Cube, iMac G5 or Intel, Mac Mini and MacBook Pro£59.00 + vat (£69.33)

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 5/5 - Very Hard (internal)

The optical drive on the PowerBook G4 17" is not classified by Apple as a user installed part. Mac Upgrades can install drives for you, please contact us for details.

You can purchase the drive for installation yourself, but Mac Upgrades cannot provide instructions or support for the install process.


Internal Hard Drive Upgrades

This range of drives will work in your PowerBook G4 17", although user installation is advised against.

If you don't want to fit a new hard drive yourself, you can take advantage of the MacUpgrades Installation Service. Add the installation service from the list below to your cart along with your chosen hard drive. We can also clone your existing hard drive onto the new one, simply add the Clone Original Hard Drive service below to your cart.

Once you have booked the service, send your machine to us, we will carry out the work and return it to you. Alternatively, we do offer a Collection Service with our courier, please see here for details.

INSTALLATION - Internal Hard Drive in a PowerBook or MacBook£29.00 + vat (£34.08)
INSTALLATION - Clone Original Hard Drive£25.00 + vat (£29.38)
Western Digital Scorpio 120GB 2.5" IDE 5400RPM£51.15 + vat (£60.10)1
Western Digital Scorpio 160GB 2.5" IDE 5400RPM£56.79 + vat (£66.73)1
Western Digital Scorpio 250GB 2.5" IDE 5400RPM£70.82 + vat (£83.21)1
Western Digital Scorpio 320GB 2.5" IDE 5400RPM£79.20 + vat (£93.06)1
1Professional installation recommended.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 5 / 5 - Very Difficult

The PowerBook 17inch's internal hard drive is very difficult to get to and is not classified by Apple as a user installable part. Installing a replacement drive during warranty will void any remaining warranty.

Mac Upgrades does sell drives for user installation, but we cannot offer instructions or support for the install.

We do offer a drive fitting service, but this is for out of warranty machines only. To preserve warranty, a drive must be fitted by an Apple Authorised Service Centre.


Graphics Card Upgrades

This laptop can take a secondary graphics card through it's PCMCIA (Cardbus) slot, to allow it to control a wider range of external displays that it can by default.

There are no graphics card upgrades available for these Macs

Difficulty 1 / 5 - Very Easy.

Install any supplied software, turn off the machine, and insert the PCMCIA card into the socket on the left of the machine.

Connect it to your monitor and your finished.


Expansion Card Upgrades

Your PowerBook G4 Aluminum has one available PCMCIA socket for connectivity expansion. The slot is located to the left of the machine.

These credit card sized sockets allow users to take advantage of newer, or additional, connectivity.

INSTALLATION - Expansion Slot Card in a Laptop Mac£15.00 + vat (£17.62)
Trust BT-2400p Bluetooth 2.1 USB Adapter Ultra-Small£12.50 + vat (£14.69)1
Sonnet Aria Extreme Wireless CardBus PC Card£55.00 + vat (£64.62)2
1Requires Mac OS 10.4 or later.
2Requires MacOS 10.3.5 or later

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 1 / 5 - Very Easy.

Install any supplied software, turn off the machine and insert the PCMCIA Card into the socket on the left of the machine.

Restart machine and away you go.


Keyboards & Mice

The following keyboards and mice are compatible with this Mac.

Macally Pebble USB 5 button laser mouse £14.20 + vat (£16.68)
Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (UK) Wired£28.97 + vat (£34.04)

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 1 / 5 - Very Easy

Keyboards plug into the relevant port on your Mac. Mice can either be plugged into your keyboard, or they can be plugged directly into your Mac.

Power Supplies & Batteries

Listed below are power supplies, batteries and related products we supply for this Mac.

Macally AC Adapter for White iBook and G4 PowerBook£29.00 + vat (£34.08)
BTI Battery for PowerBook G4 17" Aluminium£79.00 + vat (£92.83)

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Cables & Tools

Listed below are power cables, tools and related products we supply for this Mac.

Sonnet FireWire 400 to 800 Adapter£9.95 + vat (£11.69)1
Torx Screwdriver Set - 20mm T6, T7, T8, T9, T10£8.00 + vat (£9.40)
Screwdriver Set - 20mm Phillips #00, #0, #1 - Flat 1.4mm, 1.8mm, 2.4mm£7.00 + vat (£8.22)
Anti Static Wrist Strap£7.50 + vat (£8.81)
1Only suitable for later models of the Mac (those with a FireWire 800 port).

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.


External Hard Drive Upgrades

This Mac can use any of the following external hard drives.

3.5" USB 2.0 Hard Drives

Iomega Prestige 3.5in USB 2.0 7200RPM External Hard Drive - 1.5TB£105.24 + vat (£123.66)1
Iomega Prestige 3.5in USB 2.0 7200RPM External Hard Drive - 2TB£140.09 + vat (£164.61)1

3.5" FireWire 400/eSATA & USB 2.0 Hard Drives

Macally G-S350SUA External FireWire 400/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 500GB Hard Drive£82.82 + vat (£97.31)
Macally G-S350SUA External FireWire 400/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 750GB Hard Drive£100.40 + vat (£117.97)
Macally G-S350SUA External FireWire 400/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 1TB Hard Drive£106.94 + vat (£125.65)
Macally G-S350SUA External FireWire 400/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 1.5TB Hard Drive£123.53 + vat (£145.15)
Macally G-S350SUA External FireWire 400/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 2TB Hard Drive£158.02 + vat (£185.67)

3.5" FireWire 400/800/eSATA & USB 2.0 Hard Drives

Macally G-S350SUAB External FireWire 400/800/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 500GB Hard Drive£99.87 + vat (£117.35)
Macally G-S350SUAB External FireWire 400/800/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 750GB Hard Drive£121.54 + vat (£142.81)
Macally G-S350SUAB External FireWire 400/800/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 1TB Hard Drive£129.83 + vat (£152.55)
Macally G-S350SUAB External FireWire 400/800/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 1.5TB Hard Drive£146.41 + vat (£172.03)
Macally G-S350SUAB External FireWire 400/800/eSATA/USB 2 3.5in 2TB Hard Drive£180.90 + vat (£212.56)

2.5" FireWire 400 & USB 2.0 Hard Drives

Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 250GB 5400RPM Hard Drive£68.36 + vat (£80.32)
Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 320GB 5400RPM Hard Drive£74.15 + vat (£87.13)
Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 500GB 5400RPM Hard Drive£85.18 + vat (£100.09)
Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 640GB 5400RPM Hard Drive£107.82 + vat (£126.69)
Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 250GB 7200RPM Hard Drive£69.89 + vat (£82.12)
Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 320GB 7200RPM Hard Drive£74.75 + vat (£87.83)
Macally PHR-S250CC FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 2.5in 500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive£94.73 + vat (£111.31)

3.5" Drive Enclosures

Macally G-S350SUA External USB 2.0/FW400/eSATA Enclosure for 3.5" SATA HDD£52.65 + vat (£61.86)

2.5" Drive Enclosures

Macally PHR-S250CC External FireWire & USB 2.0 Portable 2.5" SATA HDD Enclosure£38.45 + vat (£45.18)
Akasa Integral P2 USB 2.0 & eSATA Enclosure for 2.5" SATA Drives£21.52 + vat (£25.29)2
FireWire Enclosure for 2.5in IDE hard drives£29.00 + vat (£34.08)
1Only suitable for versions of this Mac with USB 2.0 built in, will not boot this Mac.
2Only suitable for this Mac if you have a version with USB 2.0 built in, or if you have added USB 2.0 or eSATA with an expansion card. Will not boot this Mac.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 1 / 5 - Very Easy

Install any supplied software and connect the new device.

You will need to format the drive before use. This is done with the "Drive Setup" utility, which can be found in Applications > Utilities.

Continue
Shopping Cart more
0 items
Categories
 RAM
 Optical Drives
 Internal Hard Drives
 External Hard Drives
 eSATA Storage
 Graphics Cards
 Expansion Cards
 Keyboards & Mice
 Power Supplies & Batteries
 Cables & Tools
 Networking
 Software
 Clearance Items and Parts
Manufacturers
Information
MacUpgrades & You
How To Order
Shipping Information
Installation Service
FAQs & Guides
Terms & Conditions
Privacy Notice
About Us
Contact Us
Positive Feedback
Newsletter
Quick Find
 
Use keywords to find the product you are looking for.
Advanced Search

© Copyright 2005 - 2010 www.macupgrades.co.uk -- Mac Upgrades is trading division of Second Chance PC Limited.
All images, logos and pictures remain the property of their respective owners.
PowerMac, iMac, eMac and iBook are registered trademarks of Apple Computer Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
All images are for illustrative purposes only. All offers Exclude Errors and Omissions
Company number 4331031. Registered for VAT GB 783705210.
Website powered by osCommerce.