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Found this first Gen Apple LCD display for cheap. Anyone have one?
Posted by: sunvalleylaw on 2026-01-12 08:17:01 The ATI Rage from a Blue&White G3 is a decent upgrade for any beige G3, much faster than onboard and super cheap. The beige G3 SGRAM is harder to find these days. You can pilfer one from a Rev. B to D trayloader iMac, or from contemporary (to the Beige G3) ATI graphics cards. But often easier to get a Rage 128, as you say. Actually, as it turns out, the seller had installed an ATI card from a later G3 tower. Not sure if it is the rage model or not and sorry if that is totally newbie, but I just am still learning the difference between things again. But it does have one in there.
Posted by: sunvalleylaw on 2026-01-12 08:19:48 Cool. What’s the Tracking button do? Oh dear, could it be needing a recap? Definitely worth it. Yeah, I bet it could be needing a recap. And I’m not sure what powers the backlight or controls that. I’m really starting at Ground Zero here as I want to get more into repairing old electronics, including these computers, and also old solid state and tube audio equipment. Going to check in at the Reuseum store and stem class facility here in Boise as they tend to regularly offer soldering and electronics classes. Also, I will be surfing around here and elsewhere for getting started guides on some of this stuff so as to try to limit my dumb questions.
Posted by: croissantking on 2026-01-12 08:19:49 Actually, as it turns out, the seller had installed an ATI card from a later G3 tower. Not sure if it is the rage model or not and sorry if that is totally newbie, but I just am still learning the difference between things again. But it does have one in there. Grab a photo
Posted by: sunvalleylaw on 2026-01-12 08:20:57 Grab a photo Yeah, I’ll try to find time to open it up later
Posted by: sunvalleylaw on 2026-01-12 08:23:22 Here is what the tracking button pulls up. I messed with it yesterday and the course adjust seems to smooth out lines in the display in a course way and the fine adjust just fine tunes that. To make the screen image appear smooth as it says.
Posted by: croissantking on 2026-01-12 08:27:47 Yeah, I’ll try to find time to open it up later You could also just see what Apple System Profiler says… Here is what the tracking button pulls up. I messed with it yesterday and the course adjust seems to smooth out lines in the display in a course way and the fine adjust just fine tunes that. To make the screen image appear smooth as it says. Ok, interesting. Those old VGA LCDs needed a lot of fine tuning.
Posted by: sunvalleylaw on 2026-01-12 08:33:43 Also started messing around in the appearance controls and found a background I like better. Bring on the flower power.
Posted by: sunvalleylaw on 2026-01-12 08:37:51 You could also just see what Apple System Profiler says… Ok, interesting. Those old VGA LCDs needed a lot of fine tuning. OK, another “duh” moment. Sure, enough, ATI Rage 128!!
Posted by: croissantking on 2026-01-12 08:40:26 OK, another “duh” moment. View attachment 94275 Sure, enough, ATI Rage 128!! Great. You’ll just need an adapter to get that working. What’s in slot A1?
Posted by: sunvalleylaw on 2026-01-12 09:17:19 Great. You’ll just need an adapter to get that working. What’s in slot A1? Don’t know yet other than what it says there on the system profiler which says something about a PCI bridge. I sent a message to the seller to see if he knows anything.
Posted by: obsolete on 2026-01-12 09:30:42 PCI Vendor 1668 is Actiontec, whose bridge chip comes up in reference to the Sonnet Tempo Trio card. If that's what you have, very nice score. Don’t know yet other than what it says there on the system profiler which says something about a PCI bridge. I sent a message to the seller to see if he knows anything. You could open the case and look. Edit: I think the reference to the Sonnet Tempo Trio I found in this thread may be a red herring. Actiontec makes wifi hardware. My bet is that this is a wifi card.
Posted by: sunvalleylaw on 2026-01-12 10:00:49 PCI Vendor 1668 is Actiontec, whose bridge chip comes up in reference to the Sonnet Tempo Trio card. If that's what you have, very nice score. You could open the case and look. Edit: I think the reference to the Sonnet Tempo Trio I found in this thread may be a red herring. Actiontec makes wifi hardware. My bet is that this is a wifi card. The seller replied to me and indicated it is a USB and fire wire card that only works properly with OS 10.3+ which is too slow on this machine in his opinion.
Posted by: croissantking on 2026-01-12 10:35:01 The seller replied to me and indicated it is a USB and fire wire card that only works properly with OS 10.3+ which is too slow on this machine in his opinion. Yeah that makes sense. Grab a photo later if you can and we’ll be able to identify it properly. 10.3/10.4 work well if you have upgrades (fast CPU, graphics, HDD and lots of ram).
Posted by: sunvalleylaw on 2026-01-12 16:16:52 OK, yeah, when I have a chance to open it up and look, I will. Just did some other work today and then recovered from setting the resolution wrong and freaking out the Apple studio display, and then not being able to undo it because I couldn’t see what I was doing. Went down to the Reuseum store and got a VGA monitor and some cables cheap and connected both monitors. The Apple to the ADB and the DB 15, and the Acer to the VGA on the ATI rage card. And now everything works. Yay! Will move further discussion of the Power McIntosh G3 266 over to its thread. But thanks for all the assistance so far!
Posted by: sunvalleylaw on 2026-01-12 16:32:25 I actually like this look better. I may need to still recap this Apple studio display, but things seem to be working better now.
Posted by: sunvalleylaw on 2026-01-13 10:05:49 Its nice, and scary like a portable😉 mine also has a bit of that red hue, it dissapears a bit when its warmed up. I think harvesting some blue/white displays (sometimes i buy one for 15-20 euros) for spare panels would be smart Good idea. Will keep my eyes open.
Posted by: sunvalleylaw on 2026-01-13 10:07:48 Yeah that makes sense. Grab a photo later if you can and we’ll be able to identify it properly. 10.3/10.4 work well if you have upgrades (fast CPU, graphics, HDD and lots of ram). That is the direction I will head with this machine when I can get there.
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