I took my iMac G4 apart.

[Eug]

I just picked up the first model iMac G4 15". I opened it up to put in a new hard drive a bigger DIMM.

Because Apple's all-in-ones are built not to have the case cracked... well, people don't crack the case. So, it just continues and continues to collect dust. After 7 years, this is what it looks like:

http://www.eugbanana.com/files...Open-CloseUp-crop2.png

http://www.eugbanana.com/files...ryLogicBoard-crop2.jpg

After I cleaned out a lot of the crap, I pulled out the drives to expose the fan. This is after I blew much of the dust out of the fan too.

http://www.eugbanana.com/files/Apple/iMacG4/Fan-720.jpg


Now I have a 160 GB drive (harvested from my PVR, after I put a 400 GB drive in it) and 512 MB RAM internally in the iMac, with another user-accessible SODIMM slot still empty waiting for another 512 MB.

http://www.eugbanana.com/files...filer_AfterUpgrade.png

 

[chcarnage]

Wow, I bet the iMac weights fifty grams less now. 😉 Thanks for sharing the photos.

 

[zacharace]

Hmm, no wonder my iMac G4 runs so loud now...the fan is clogged! ;-)
Nice pics. I'm thinking about doing just that to my G4; the CD drive is already broken, so why not upgrade the whole thing in one fell swoop?

 

[TheStu]

What I think would be really sweet is to drop a Mac Mini into the iMac G4 shell. I always liked the iDesklamp design, and with a decent dual core in the base of that thing it would be pretty slick.

 

[umrigar]

Originally posted by: TheStu
What I think would be really sweet is to drop a Mac Mini into the iMac G4 shell. I always liked the iDesklamp design, and with a decent dual core in the base of that thing it would be pretty slick.

I like the way you think!

 

[TheStu]

Now, I just need to find about $1000, a G4 iMac with a busted logic board, and a new Mac Mini.

 

[Eug]

It's been done with the Cube, but so far I haven't seen anyone manage it with the lampshade iMac.

It's very easy with the Cube, since the Mac mini fits entirely inside the Cube. You just line up the slot-load drive to the slot on the Cube, and then find something to wedge the Mac mini in place, and you're good to go.

 

[Keitero]

Maybe I should clean out my mom's G4 iMac. Maybe add some more RAM and get Leopard on it.