OSX 10.3.x on iBook 300MHz, Possible?

I've recently purchased a iBook clamshell 300 MHz PowerPC Processor, 512kb L2 backside cache, 160 MB RAM, 6 Gig Hard Drive and 6MB of VRAM.

It is currently still running OS 9.x, stunningly well. However, being a OS X fan, I was wondering if it is possible to run OSX 10.3.x efficiently on the iBook. I'm aware it will be dragged down by the lack of VRAM, however this machine is for display and basic text editing purposes and some OS 9 games only, so minor lag is acceptable.

So, my main question is: Is it possible to run OSX 10.3.x on an iBook G3, if not, is it possible to get a stripped down version of OSX that requires less VRAM/whatever is the problem?

I'm quite happy to max out the machine if needed, I'm a sucker for the design of it, so will take any measure to bring it as close to functional with my 15" MBP i5.

Also, does anyone know of anyone who has replaced the internals with intel components? Also, if it is possible to purchase the stuff for this?.

Sorry for the essay of questions, but I was 4 when the computer was new, so I'm not familiar with PPC models bar my iMac G3 and quad G5.

Thank you!

It's definitely possible to run Mac OSX 10.3 and I highly recommend it, not being a huge fan of Mac OS 9. The minimum RAM requirements, if I remember correctly, is 128MB, so 160 or even 192 should run like a champ.

Here are the specs of your machine:-

iBook G3/300 (Original/Clamshell) Specs (Original/Clamshell, M7707LL/A*, PowerBook2,1, M2453, N/A) @ EveryMac.com

The hard drive is extremely small so to get Panther OS X.3.9 , the latest OS it can use, you would have to erase Classic (OS9) to get sufficient hard drive space. Also boot the memory up as all versions of OS X are hungry cats. You would need to find Panther on CD's as your machine came out originally with a CD reader only and not a superdrive.

harryb2448 said:

Here are the specs of your machine:-

iBook G3/300 (Original/Clamshell) Specs (Original/Clamshell, M7707LL/A*, PowerBook2,1, M2453, N/A) @ EveryMac.com

The hard drive is extremely small so to get Panther OS X.3.9 , the latest OS it can use, you would have to erase Classic (OS9) to get sufficient hard drive space. Also boot the memory up as all versions of OS X are hungry cats. You would need to find Panther on CD's as your machine came out originally with a CD reader only and not a superdrive.

Click to expand...

Is it possible to do a minimum install in order to keep OS9, many applications and games I want require classic mode. If not however, what HDD/SSD size would you recommend?

ZeziChan said:

Is it possible to do a minimum install in order to keep OS9, many applications and games I want require classic mode. If not however, what HDD/SSD size would you recommend?

Click to expand...

Go into the advanced options during the install -- unchecking the languages and printer drivers significantly reduces the install size. How much free space is left?

harryb2448 said:

Here are the specs of your machine:-

iBook G3/300 (Original/Clamshell) Specs (Original/Clamshell, M7707LL/A*, PowerBook2,1, M2453, N/A) @ EveryMac.com

The hard drive is extremely small so to get Panther OS X.3.9 , the latest OS it can use, you would have to erase Classic (OS9) to get sufficient hard drive space. Also boot the memory up as all versions of OS X are hungry cats. You would need to find Panther on CD's as your machine came out originally with a CD reader only and not a superdrive.

Click to expand...

kahlil88 said:

Go into the advanced options during the install -- unchecking the languages and printer drivers significantly reduces the install size. How much free space is left?

Click to expand...

I have about 3GB left, though allot of the stuff on it needs to be deleted, how much will I need?

Much more than that alas!

To work anywhere near peak efficiency a hard drive requires some 15% free space, and that 6GB after formatting will reduce to about 5GB so after OS 9 and applications are installed there will not be enough room for Panther to run any near its best. Suggest you look for a 60GB hard drive.

harryb2448 said:

Much more than that alas!

To work anywhere near peak efficiency a hard drive requires some 15% free space, and that 6GB after formatting will reduce to about 5GB so after OS ( and applications are installed there will not be enough room for Panther to run any near its best. Suggest you look for a 60GB hard drive.

Click to expand...

Thank you very much for the help, greatly appreciated.