Just bought a Lombard G3 laptop - questions...

catchawave · Jul 10, 2005

Not sure if my topic fits here but here goes.... I currently have an eMac running on OS X using a dial up.
I just bought an old Lombard G3 laptop. I just wanted an older laptop for a backup. I only use my computer for email and internet research. Nothing fancy, nothing special.
I plan to do a bit of upgrading on the Lombard when I get it. Like more ram and possibly the HD.
It comes with a battery but it hasn't been used. I'm wondering how much battery life will have been lost? It started out with a 5 hour life but the seller doesn't know what it is now since the computer was not being used.
Also, I would like to go wireless with it. I'm clueless about wireless!!
Like I said, I'm dial up right now with my desktop. Where I live, there is limited service. I'm with a local ISP that offers dial up and cable. But where I live, there is no cable service.
There are a few services I could switch to like AOL, or some other local ones that offer out of state numbers.
Now, if I was to get a PCMICA wireless card -- how do these things work??
I'm assuming I will still need to switch ISP's correct? To get wireless service in the first place.
Can someone explain the purpose and workings of these cards?
Do I need to switch servers to have the card work? Like I said, I'm clueless.

Catchawave

EDIT-XTREEM · Jul 10, 2005

catchawave said:
Not sure if my topic fits here but here goes.... I currently have an eMac running on OS X using a dial up.
I just bought an old Lombard G3 laptop. I just wanted an older laptop for a backup. I only use my computer for email and internet research. Nothing fancy, nothing special.
I plan to do a bit of upgrading on the Lombard when I get it. Like more ram and possibly the HD.
It comes with a battery but it hasn't been used. I'm wondering how much battery life will have been lost? It started out with a 5 hour life but the seller doesn't know what it is now since the computer was not being used.
Also, I would like to go wireless with it. I'm clueless about wireless!!
Like I said, I'm dial up right now with my desktop. Where I live, there is limited service. I'm with a local ISP that offers dial up and cable. But where I live, there is no cable service.
There are a few services I could switch to like AOL, or some other local ones that offer out of state numbers.
Now, if I was to get a PCMICA wireless card -- how do these things work??
I'm assuming I will still need to switch ISP's correct? To get wireless service in the first place.
Can someone explain the purpose and workings of these cards?
Do I need to switch servers to have the card work? Like I said, I'm clueless.

Catchawave

Well,
The way a wireless card work is that you need a wireless card for each computer plus a router. a router is a central bay-station that send the internet signals out to the computers. there are many choices when it comes to routers, there is the Airport Extreem ($199) and Airport express with airtunes ($129). The air port express is my percinal favorite because you can streem music throught it to a speaker package, and it is cheeper.

You must get and air port extreem cared for all computers. after you have that set up you must find an isp the will give you a broudband/dsl modem the will connect through the router, wirelessly to the computers.

catchawave · Jul 10, 2005

So bascially I need three things to work wireless - 1) a router which is the airport extreme, is this a machine? Or a card? (now this Lombard doesn't have an airport in the machine) this is what it has:
* 2 USB
* stereo in
* stereo out
* video out
* S-video out
* HDI-30 SCSI
* IR
* 2 expansion bays
* 1 PC card slots
* ethernet
* internal modem
2) I'll need a wireless card
3) I'll need an ISP which I can get dsl service.
So the only thing I'm unsure about is this router thing. I asked the seller if this computer can be used wireless and he said yes but I would need to get a pcmica wifi card. And I'm sure there are several different types of cards - not just the wifi?? Correct me if I'm wrong.

catchawave

mblphnlvr · Jul 10, 2005

My grandparents have a wireless network with dial up service. I would only reccomend this if you can't get high speed in your area.

You also do not need a router. You can simply set up a network from computer to computer. My grandparents do this and it works fine.

catchawave · Jul 11, 2005

How can I set up from computer to computer if my eMac does not have an AirPort?
I have sharing in preferences but I don't know what they all mean.
Mainly I'm wanting wireless for when we leave the state for vacation. It's not real necessary but I thought it would be neat to have.

D3v1L80Y · Jul 11, 2005

You do not need an AirPort Extreme base station. I find them to be overpriced and nothing especially grand. Any router will do. I myself use a cheapo $40 Linksys B-router and it works just fine.
You can set up a network to share a dialup connection, though you will find it painfully slow...at least I would. A broadband connection would be the more desirable choice if you are ever able to get it.
You could still have a computer to computer network with a wireless router however. You can wire the eMac to the router and your Lombard will need a PCMCIA card. Two decent ones are:
This 802.11b card
or
this 802.11g one
Personally, the only benefit of a 802.11g is if you are doing some heavy computer to computer file transfers. Otherwise, 802.11b is just fine.
Both of those cards use the existing AirPort software on your Mac.

You could always use the same router to have a wired connection between the eMac and the PB as well.

jhelm007 · Jul 11, 2005

catchawave said:
I'm wondering how much battery life will have been lost? It started out with a 5 hour life but the seller doesn't know what it is now since the computer was not being used.

If the battery really wasn't used much it may be OK... for a short amount of time. Once you start using it the effective battery life will probably drop off quickly. Li ion batteries deteriorate even when they aren't being used. You may even find that the battery life is already very short. Check out the long lived replacements at OWC. www.macsales.com

I got one for my Pismo and it kicks tushy.

MadSkillzMan · Jul 11, 2005

i love these laptops. i have a wallstreet myself. YOu can upgrade the **** out of them!

You can get a standard laptop hard drive, however you will need to put a certain peice of metal under it, as the magnetic force will mess with your sleep function.

CPUs are nicely upgraded with Sonnet cards. i can get a G4 for mine thats 500mhz (as oppossed to the stock 233) which when i have the cash i will do

jhelm007 · Jul 11, 2005

MadSkillzMan said:
i love these laptops. i have a wallstreet myself. YOu can upgrade the **** out of them!

You can get a standard laptop hard drive, however you will need to put a certain peice of metal under it, as the magnetic force will mess with your sleep function.

Amen to that Brother.

I don't think the lombards need the metal strip mod to keep sleep working, only the Wallstreets.

As for the processor upgrades check this out!
http://www.4daystar.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=78

You can also get combo and super drives for lombards at www.fastmac.com

Once again congratulations on your purchase! The Lobard is the second best laptop ever made by Apple... But then I'm a bit partial to my Pismo.

catchawave · Jul 12, 2005

jhelm007 said:
If the battery really wasn't used much it may be OK... for a short amount of time. Once you start using it the effective battery life will probably drop off quickly. Li ion batteries deteriorate even when they aren't being used. You may even find that the battery life is already very short.

.

this Lombard has a 50 Wh Lithium Ion. And supposedly it hasn't been used. But that means it's been sitting around for a long time.
Do you think there will be any life left?

jhelm007 · Jul 13, 2005

catchawave said:
this Lombard has a 50 Wh Lithium Ion. And supposedly it hasn't been used. But that means it's been sitting around for a long time.
Do you think there will be any life left?

There is only really one way to find out. As I said before it will probably still have some life left in it, but it may start to drop off pretty quickly after you start using it (say... after a couple of months or so). When I got my Pismo it had been sitting around for about a year and the batteries (it came with 2) were not used much. I used one for about 3 months, then switched to the other one for about 2 months, and then used both of them at the same time for about 2 months. Finally I broke down and bought a brand new High cappacity battery I've been using it for about 6 months now and it still gives me about 5 hours even with a G4 upgrade installed (which uses more power).

If the battery hasn't been used at all and has been stored in very good conditions (not to hot, not to cold) it may give you 6 mo to a year of reasonably good charge. I doubt a six year old Li Ion battery will last much more than that.

I got my high cap. battery from www.macsales.com. When your OEM battery goes south I highly recomend them as replacements. DON'T buy one from ebay. it will probably have less charge than the one you've already got.

catchawave · Jul 13, 2005

jhelm007 said:
I got my high cap. battery from www.macsales.com. When your OEM battery goes south I highly recomend them as replacements. DON'T buy one from ebay. it will probably have less charge than the one you've already got.

thanks for the tip. Yes, I'll find out when it gets here. There's so much I want to do to it! Upgrade the ram, upgrade the HD. If you've seen my post on memory for it... please someone answer it

I haven't checked yet to see if someone has yet. But I"d really like to get the ram ordered real soon. I"m just not sure which 256MB to buy since there are two.

jhelm007 · Jul 13, 2005

catchawave said:
If you've seen my post on memory for it... please someone answer it
I haven't checked yet to see if someone has yet. But I"d really like to get the ram ordered real soon. I"m just not sure which 256MB to buy since there are two.

Try this link (if it works):

http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/Upg...I=#TimeFormat(Now(),+&shoupgrds=Show+Upgrades

catchawave · Jul 13, 2005

That's the one I've been looking at -- which 256MB??

jhelm007 · Jul 13, 2005

catchawave said:
That's the one I've been looking at -- which 256MB??

I think the low profile one (either of the two more expensive ones) will fit in either the top or bottom slot.

azcarl · Dec 4, 2005

Lombard - wireless aspect

catchawave said:
Not sure if my topic fits here but here goes.... I currently have an eMac running on OS X using a dial up.
I just bought an old Lombard G3 laptop. I just wanted an older laptop for a backup. I only use my computer for email and internet research. Nothing fancy, nothing special.
I plan to do a bit of upgrading on the Lombard when I get it. Like more ram and possibly the HD.
It comes with a battery but it hasn't been used. I'm wondering how much battery life will have been lost? It started out with a 5 hour life but the seller doesn't know what it is now since the computer was not being used.
Also, I would like to go wireless with it. I'm clueless about wireless!!
Like I said, I'm dial up right now with my desktop. Where I live, there is limited service. I'm with a local ISP that offers dial up and cable. But where I live, there is no cable service.
There are a few services I could switch to like AOL, or some other local ones that offer out of state numbers.
Now, if I was to get a PCMICA wireless card -- how do these things work??
I'm assuming I will still need to switch ISP's correct? To get wireless service in the first place.
Can someone explain the purpose and workings of these cards?
Do I need to switch servers to have the card work? Like I said, I'm clueless.

Catchawave

I also purchased a used Lombard for use in RV travels. I have upgraded RAM and added a PCMCIA card for wireless. The card I bought works fine with 10.2.8. It is an Aria extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g made by Sonnet. at the time it cost about $65.

My knowledge about wifi is marginal at best. when I acquired the card my proving ground to test it was our local public library. there I found it worked great for WWW activity but not for email. I could not determine why this was before our next departure date rolled around. so I left town doubtful it would work for email, my principal need.

then wouldn't you know - at a park in Missouri I set up the computer and it handled both WWW and email great. this was repeated at more locations along our route. if I had to guess I would say that there might be security factors involved which can cause a particular location to not be successful.

hope this helps

switchedtomac1 · Jan 18, 2006

I am a new lombard owner also. Get a low profile 256 MB memory stick for the lower slot and a standard one for the top slot-this gives you 512MB RAM.
http://www.penmachine.com/techie/airport1400.html#pb1400 this is a good do it yourself link-tons of info
I set mine up for wireless internet with a Linksys router and a DELL! True Mobile 1150 pc card I bought on EBAY cheap. You have to get a driver to make the card work under Mac OSX, mac os 9.2 picked up the card no problem. I have Road runner cable for internet.

Just bought a Lombard G3 laptop - questions...

catchawave

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