Airport Card
Tools
These are some common tools used to work on this device. You might not need every tool for every procedure.
Troubleshooting
Track down a number of hardware problems using the PowerBook G3 Pismo troubleshooting guide.
Upgrades
There are a number of components in the PowerBook G3 Pismo that can be cost effectively upgraded.
- Memory: The Pismo has two RAM slots. You can place a 512 MB chip in each one for a gigabyte of memory. Browse our Pismo RAM selection for a chip that suits your need for speed. You must use a low profile chip in the lower slot, but the upper slot can be whatever you choose. Don't forget to install it using our free iFixit PowerBook G3 Pismo RAM installation instructions.
- Hard Drive: With our tools and instructions, you can install your new hard drive yourself!
- Processor: If you are running a Pismo on a 400 Mhz Processor, try bumping it up to 500 MHz. Check out our easy PowerBook G3 Pismo Processor installation instructions.
- Optical Drive: Here are the compatible drives. Check out our easy PowerBook G3 Pismo Optical Drive installation instructions. If you choose a new drive, you may have to transfer the casing from your old optical drive to your new one.
Identification and Background
The Pismo was available at a CPU clock of 400 or 500 MHz, with a front side bus of 100 MHz, one-third faster than the Lombard's front side bus; it also implemented a unified motherboard architecture, and replaced SCSI with the newer FireWire interface (IEEE-1394). It was also the first PowerBook with AirPort networking as an official option.
The PowerBook G3 Pismo was the last of the G3 line. It was succeeded by the PowerBook G4 Titanium models.
Use the laptop identification system to help you identify your machine. PowerBooks tend to look very similar, and it's important to know which machine you have before ordering any replacement parts.