idialman

I just got myself a powerbook 1400 to try out mac OS and come across your site.. I have some questions.. How do you check the OS version and other specifications of the laptop like RAM and processor speed? I also have some questions about the battery reconditioning program.. I tried running it and some buzzing sound appeared while the screen turned fuzzy..Is it supposed to be like that?

Thanks..

mariyaa

Apple menu -> About this Mac shows memory use and OS version.

Apple menu -> System Profiler (if I recall) gives all the other info in OS 9, which is what I am assuming is running.

Can't help with "the battery reconditioning program" because I don't know what that is. What is it?

idialman

uh..it is os 8.0!! the battery reconditioning program is suppose to recondition those old ni-mh battery from memory effects (they might not have it for the newer mac as it uses li-on with now memory effects). do you know how I can connect to the internet? I am using a "powerport platinum pro" pcmcia card, but everytime I try to connect to the net, it tries dialing using the phone line, while I am attaching a LAN cable to it. Do you know where I can set it to use the LAN port? thanks..

miketoy

if you can, get a copy of MacOS 9.1 to put on it, or maybe 8.6. 8.0 is just so ancient I don't know if it will be useful at all for trying out "the file system and stuffs", but I guess at least it isn't System 7.

Even so, the leap from MacOS 8.0 to MacOS X 10.4 is just too huge to say. The best you're gonna do is know what it was like to use a Mac in 1997.

idialman

I know I know.. I just wanted to try out the file system and stuffs.. If I really like it, I will upgrade to the newer macbook..I just can't justify spending that much money into something that I am not sure I'll like..thats all.. Thanks..

mariyaa

Just to let you know, the Mac OS you are trying out on the PowerBook 1400 is basically obsolete, and probably won't give you much of a sense of what current Macs are like, as they now use a new OS called OS X. I just thought this was worth mentioning since you said you got this to try out Mac OS, and I wanted to warn you that it wouldn't really be a good indicator of what an actual current Mac would be like.

idialman

Ok..Thanks for your replies guys.. It has been really helpful.. I will see what I can do about getting newer computer with the latest OS..

miketoy

I understand. That's the thing though, the old Mac OS filesystem, Finder, etc. are really not related at all to Mac OS X, so it won't really tell you much.

If it helps, Apple has a number of movies, etc. of Mac OS X Tiger:

mariyaa

that is the best way to check it out without having to make any investment, since they should have some computers running OS X.

miketoy

Nickel Metal Hydride batterys have no memory effect. Nickel Cadmium (and perhaps others) batteries have the memory effect.