Clamshell iBook Hard Drive Replacement Alternative

I found this post hanging out from 2018. I thought I would share it. See my update about my Amazon Associate account.  

My aging Blue iBook is suffering from a lack of space. This machine shipped with a 10 GB hard drive way back in 1999. Since I launched theseoldgames.com, the need for installation space has gone up noticeably.

Ifixit.com has wonderfully detailed instructions for the repair of a variety of consumer products, including the iBook. They are my "go-to" site for most repair projects. However, replacing the iBook drive has 10 sections, 36 steps, and no time listed for the upgrade. It is also marked as difficult. Since I trust them, I believe that this is within my skill range, but will exceed my patience for the task.

When I upgraded my old computer's hard drive, the task took all of an hour. This is a much bigger project, one I am not convinced that I am ready to start.

I had been using a USB thumb drive as an alternative to upgrading the drive, but having a little dongle sticking out of the side of the computer was always a recipe for disaster. What if I broke the one and only USB port?

Well, that is where the SanDisk Cruzer Fit USB drive comes in. It's a tiny USB drive with more than adequate storage. 

The SanDisk Cruzer would not be my first pick because I am clumsy and forgetful. Under normal circumstances, I would lose this thing in less than a day. However, once it is plugged into the iBook, its sleek, small form is perfect for this machine. As you can see in the next picture, the SanDisk Cruzer doesn't extend past the edge of the case.

Perfect! Drive problem solved, no particular downsides other than losing the use of the USB. To be honest, aside from flash drives, I don't really plug in anything. 

One caveat when plugging any drive into an OS 9 Mac - Sometimes the Mac will want to initialize the disk into a flavor or form it can use. Most modern machines do not have this problem, so plugging the drive into the Mac first, formatting if needed, then putting information on it using a different machine is the route to go.

In a perfect world, I'd upgrade the hard drive, but this solution is so handy compared to the real fix, I'm gonna run with it.

Pros: Cheap and easy. You can find one like this on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means I may receive a commission if you click on links and make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

Cons: Can't boot from USB. Utilizes the only USB port on the machine.

Laser Cutter Update

I took some time to knock out a few projects this weekend. I created two different-sized boxes using an online template, finished a couple more bowls, and my wife added two requests for her plaque holder. 

It's really cool to have a laser cutter, but it is difficult to pick out which items to spend time on. 

The boxes are 9x5x2 1/4 and 6x4 3/4x1 1/4. They don't really suit any particular project I have in mind, but I will use these to practice staining and painting. Once have the finishing bit down, I will scale them up to hold figures and models.

What size would be best for figures? I'd really like to stop storing my Battlemechs in a terrium to protect them from my evil cats.  

The lids are totally plain, so I might add some designs to them. I don't really have the knack of double burning, where I cut out one lid and then burn an image on it, so I need to work on that process. 

Also, this particular type of wood is very "pitchy". The brown streaks in the images aren't an imperfection in the wood; it is the tar-like material that comes out of the wood when I cut with the laser. 

You can really see this substance in the images of the bowls. The small hexagon bowls are 5 3/4 by 1 1/2, while the larger ones are 6 1/2 x 2 inches. These examples highlight my lack of skill in finishing items. I tried painting some and finished the others with beeswax. I do like the beeswax finish. 

I can sand that brown stuff off, but with each layer of the bowl being 3/8 inch wide, sanding this one project is difficult. Sanding the boxes is a snap. This also highlights a couple of problems with these types of projects. I will hit on this last*. 

I don't know what the last two items are called. My wife purchased some home decor from 15 Monkeys. These included door hangers, signs, and these "plaques", for lack of a better word. Beth, the owner of 15 Monkeys, does a couple of subscription packages which we really enjoy. However, there are only so many Disney-themed items you can have in one home. My wife tends to switch up the subscriptions. 

You should check out 15 Monkeys on FB and on the website above. We have so many cool things designed by Beth. 

Jen asked me to make a couple of Dave Matthews Band-themed plaques to go in the holder she got from Beth. They are really easy to make if you have the measurements and a good idea of what you want. In the first image, you can see the DMB Coffee Rings, and a fire dancer in the second. 

What makes a good design is all in the finishing. Beth's 15 Monkey's designs are perfect, every time. These, not so much. My wife likes the natural wood, but that style doesn't match the holder. I might simply place hooks on my designs to be used as wall hangings. 

The last issue is, I'm happy to make my wife or myself something quick and kitchy. However, I have this vision of actually selling items. I don't have a storefront; I am just an online digital retailer. While one of my outlets does support physical goods, I am stuck with the twin dilemma of what style/size at what price? 

Costing out materials is easy. All of the items in this post cost less than $3 in materials. 

The machinery cost is higher. I have two computers, a laser cutter, a tablesaw, 3d printer, and a host of other tools I need to produce these items. As I use each tool, the price per item goes down. That is weird.  

Costing time is something else. Worse, getting good at something takes more time than the actual production of a finished good. My time is worth something. 

For this example post, I ended up creating 12 bowls (6 unseen), 6 boxes (4 unseen), and 2 plaques. All of these are non-saleable items. I think I need to think in terms of projects, as opposed to time to create and assemble a single item. 

I am not sure how to proceed, but you can be sure to see some new and unique items on my websites.