iBook G3 Gemini

Hey everyone, first post here. I'm a really big G3 iBook fan, and have a couple already (like my near-new tangerine 300mhz).

I just got a 466mhz (!) iBook G3 Gemini for a buck. Yes, seriously, a dollar. Anywho, it's in great working/physical condition with the exception of the touch screen. It has a ding in the screen, so it doesn't work like it should.

Personally? I dont care about that. Right now, it has OSX on it, and I'm assuming drivers for the touch screen, as in order to get the mouse to work you have to press on the screen which frees the cursor to be able to be moved by the mouse.

I want OS 9 on this thing, and am about to buy the install disk. But I wanted to know, if I installed a fresh copy of OS 9 on this without any "Gemini" drivers on the thing, would the screen just act like a normal non-touch screen, making the mouse work like normal?

I'll be setting it up like it's pictured below. I just want to make it so the mouse can work on OS9 without touching the screen.

Also, is it possible to find a replacement touch screen for this thing in the future? Thanks evreyone.

As far as the touchscreen...Apple has never made a commercially available Apple computer with a touch screen...and Apple certainly never made a computer with a touchscreen when OS 9 was the current OS (about 10-12 years ago). So an install of OS 9 is not going to help with the drivers needed to make that touchscreen operate as a touchscreen.

That's a pretty cool little computer you have there...about the only thing I can suggest is search the heck out of the internet to see if you can dig up any info to get the touchscreen working. I did a quick search...and a bunch of hits came up...so you should be able to find something useful.

Good luck,

- Nick

The Gemini wasn't made by Apple, no. But this was originally released with OS9, meaning the touch screen drivers for the unit were for OS9 originally, as most of these Gemini units were 300mhs and 366mhs models.

Like I said, I guess my question is, to make sure the touch screen IS NOT functional, so I can move the mouse freely, would installing a fresh install of OS9 without the custom touch screen drivers made it so it worked like a normal non-touch screen mac?

It'll be setup like shown above, so more like a desktop use.

I'll try to look on the net to find how to fix the dent in the touch screen though. Hopefully there's a solution somewhere..

ceramicsaturn said:

The Gemini wasn't made by Apple...

Click to expand...

Yes I know that Apple did not make this "Gemini" iBook G3...I never said they did. What I said was...Apple never made a touchscreen computer...thus Apple never had a need to develop touchscreen drivers.

ceramicsaturn said:

But this was originally released with OS9, meaning the touch screen drivers for the unit were for OS9 originally, as most of these Gemini units were 300mhs and 366mhs models.

Like I said, I guess my question is, to make sure the touch screen IS NOT functional, so I can move the mouse freely, would installing a fresh install of OS9 without the custom touch screen drivers made it so it worked like a normal non-touch screen mac?

Click to expand...

My initial thought is if you install OS 9...this computer should operate like a "normal" iBook G3 (able to use a mouse). But since these computers (Gemini) are so unusual and rare...it's really hard to say 100%.

Basically...an OS 9 install disk is not going to be that expensive. Just buy the install disk...do the install...and then you will have the answer to your question

- Nick

Ok, having a problem I got my orange OS 9 install disc today in the mail. When I try to boot from disc (hold c on start) I get an alternating flashing ? folder to folder, back and forth. It then thinks for a little bit, then boots into Mac OS X like normal.

How do I re-write OS9 over OSX.

Also, the disc tray ejects at start up when I press and hold C or Shift. Not sure why...

ceramicsaturn said:

Ok, having a problem I got my orange OS 9 install disc today in the mail. When I try to boot from disc (hold c on start) I get an alternating flashing ? folder to folder, back and forth. It then thinks for a little bit, then boots into Mac OS X like normal.

How do I re-write OS9 over OSX.

Click to expand...

When you normally boot into OS X...have you tried loaded a CD to see if the CD drive works. If it doesn't work in OS X...then something may be wrong with the drive (broken or dirty).

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

When you normally boot into OS X...have you tried loaded a CD to see if the CD drive works. If it doesn't work in OS X...then something may be wrong with the drive (broken or dirty).

- Nick

Click to expand...

Nope, the drive is fully functional. The OS 9 disc even shows up on my desktop, though I can't install the OS 9 "classic" file. Text files and PDFs within work though.

ceramicsaturn said:

Nope, the drive is fully functional. The OS 9 disc even shows up on my desktop, though I can't install the OS 9 "classic" file. Text files and PDFs within work though.

Click to expand...

Ok...good to hear that the drive is working. With the OS 9 disk in the CD drive & visible on the desktop...have you tried (when in OS X):

- Apple Menu
- System Preferences
- Startup Disk
- select the OS 9 disk
- click the "Restart" button

* Nick

pigoo3 said:

Ok...good to hear that the drive is working. With the OS 9 disk in the CD drive & visible on the desktop...have you tried (when in OS X):

- Apple Menu
- System Preferences
- Startup Disk
- select the OS 9 disk
- click the "Restart" button

* Nick

Click to expand...

When I do this, it reboots, shows one ? folder, then one folder, ejects the CD tray, then boots up OSX.

Doesn't boot OS9... :-/

Although, interestingly enough, just like when Im in Safe Mode, the mouse works without having to press on the touch screen. Weird. Everything else seems normal though. Still can't boot into OS9

Just a thought, is the reason this isn't working is because it's 9.0.4? I thought I remember hearing once that the later model iBooks (like my 466mhz) didn't work with older versions of OS 9. Which one should work?

Let me know if I need to get my firmware number for you.

ceramicsaturn said:

Just a thought, is the reason this isn't working is because it's 9.0.4? I thought I remember hearing once that the later model iBooks (like my 466mhz) didn't work with older versions of OS 9. Which one should work?

Click to expand...

I checked on that...and according to what I found...the iBook 466mhz shipped with OS 9.0.4.

- Nick

Wow, then I'm lost. The only thing I can think to do at this point is find some Panther discs, erase the HDD, and then try installing OS 9. Hopefully my firmware isn't the issue here.

ceramicsaturn said:

Hopefully my firmware isn't the issue here.

Click to expand...

It's great that you're aware of this. I know some of the G3 iMacs had firmware updates that after applying the update some limitations were realized as to not being able to run older OS versions.

One thing to keep in mind (since you're dealing with a heavily modified G3 iBook). Something could have been done to it that is relatively unique...and thus tough to find info on how to solve software/OS related issues.

- Nick

Very true. I hope I can figure this out. What angers me is that the previous owner had OS 9 on it, and right before selling it to me, upgraded it. Would have alleviated all my problems if he had just left it alone. My firmware is (boot ROM version) 3.3.3f3.

If anyone knows if this firmware has problems with earlier versions of OS 9, please let me know.. and please let me know what I would be able to download.