Power Mac G3 (Blue & White)

Power Macintosh G3

‘Blue & White’

History

Introduced: January 5, 1999

Discontinued: August 31, 1999

Original Retail Price: $2,499

Model #: M5183

Tech Specs

Processor: 350 MHz PowerPC G3

RAM: 192 MB (upgraded)

Hard Drive: 64 GB SSD (upgraded)

Optical Drives: CD-ROM, ZIP

OS: 9.1

Condition & Notes

This unit is in like-new condition. It’s complete with all the original packaging, plastic bag, power cable, keyboard, mouse, PlainTalk mic, Mac-to-VGA adapter, USB extender cable, software CD, documentation, and the original Apple stickers from 1999.

When I acquired it, the tower still even had much of the original protective plastic film on it - see the bottom of this page for photos of this.

The prior (original) owner of this machine used it for some light graphic design work and for performing demos of high-end drum scanner devices made by Aztek and Howtek.

Apart from the stock Rage 128 graphics card, my unit also has a SCSI-2 card installed, hence the additional large port on the rear.

In 2024 I replaced the original 12 GB hard drive with a 64 GB SSD. HDD to SSD conversion is a common technique used in vintage computer preservation, as the original hard drives are prone to failure due to age. This upgrade also makes the computer quieter, faster, and more reliable. Scroll to the bottom of the page for more on this.

It is in beautiful working order and is currently running OS 9.1.

Model Identifier

This particular machine is the 350 MHz model.

Packaging

Main Tower

Accessory Kit

Translucent PlainTalk microphone, keyboard, mouse, Mac-to-VGA adapter, USB extender cable, power cable, documentation packet, and software CD.

Warranty/license/registration info, software coupons, setup guide, troubleshooting handbook, support guide, Adobe flyer, software CD, and Apple stickers.

The famous “hockey puck” mouse bundled with iMac and Power Mac models between mid-1998 and early 2000.

Aesthetically, this keyboard and mouse are my favorite models made by Apple. Even the bottom of the keyboard is beautiful, with the translucent plastic and holographic decal.

With 15” Studio Display (Blueberry)

System Specs

mSATA SSD Installation

This upgrade makes the computer quieter, faster, and more reliable. I chose to install a 64 GB mSATA SSD using a 2.5” mSATA-to-SATA adapter housing and a 40-pin IDE-to-SATA adapter.
Note that the B&W G3 can be VERY picky about IDE devices; myself and other enthusiasts have found that this particular IDE-to-SATA adapter (with the red PCB) is the ONLY adapter that works with this model. I tried several others, such as this one, this one, and this one, with no luck.

This SSD was a plug-and-play solution with the original IDE and power cables. Since the 2.5” drive enclosure does not align with the screw holes in the 3.5” drive bay, I mounted the drive with some thick double-sided adhesive.

Original Photos with Plastic Wrap

When I acquired it, the tower still even had much of the original protective plastic sheeting/film on it. After taking (many) photographs, I did eventually remove this, as there was buildup of dust/dirt behind the film in several locations and some pieces were already separating. In addition to this, I’m more concerned with keeping the plastics free of prolonged contact with adhesive, dust, & debris than I am concerned with preserving any additional value that would be incurred due to the presence of this film. All of the film pieces were carefully bagged and placed in the bottom of the box.