How do you replace or upgrade the hard drive in the iBook models? What are the capabilities of the optical drive provided by the iBook models? Can one upgrade the optical drive?: EveryMac.com

iBook Q&A - Published June 15, 2007

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How do you replace or upgrade the hard drive in the iBook models?

The Apple Support Site provides instructions on how to upgrade or replace the wireless card (AirPort), battery, keyboard, and memory in the iBook (Clamshell), "White" iBook G3, iBook G4, iBook G4 (Late 2004), and iBook (Early 2005) models.

Apple does not consider the hard drive in any iBook models to be a "customer-installable" part and does not provide instructions. For users with extensive experience upgrading notebooks, however, the always excellent iFixit provides guides for the iBook (Clamshell), iBook G3 12-Inch, iBook G3 14-Inch, iBook G4 12-Inch, and iBook G4 14-Inch that include instructions to replace or upgrade the hard drive as well as other internal components.

Site sponsor Other World Computing "strongly recommends" professional installation of a new hard drive in the iBook models due to its complexity. OWC sells a large number of hard drives compatible with the iBook and also offers installation service.

What are the capabilities of the optical drive provided by the iBook models? Can one upgrade the optical drive?

The iBook models shipped with a wide range of slot-loading optical drives of differing capabilities. This information is available on the specs page for each model, but for your convenience, it also is summarized in the handy chart below:

iBook	Optical Drive
G3/300 (Original/Clamshell)	24X CD-ROM
G3/366 SE (Original/Clamshell)	24X CD-ROM
G3/366 (Firewire/Clamshell)	24X CD-ROM
G3/466 SE (Firewire/Clamshell)	4X DVD-ROM
G3/500 (Dual USB - Tr)	24X CD-ROM*
G3/500 (Late 2001 - Tr)	24X CD-ROM
G3/600 (Late 2001 - Tr)	8X DVD-ROM*
G3/600 14-Inch (Early 2002 - Tr)	8X "Combo Drive"
G3/600 (16 VRAM - Tr)	24X CD-ROM
G3/700 (16 VRAM - Tr)	8X "Combo Drive"
G3/700 14-Inch (16 VRAM - Tr)	8X "Combo Drive"
G3/700 (16 VRAM - Op)	24X CD-ROM
G3/800 (32 VRAM - Tr)	16X "Combo Drive"
G3/800 14-Inch (32 VRAM - Tr)	16X "Combo Drive"
G3/800 (Early 2003 - Op)	24X CD-ROM
G3/900 (Early 2003 - Op)	8X "Combo Drive"
G3/900 14-Inch (Early 2003 - Op)	8X "Combo Drive"
G4/800 12-Inch (Original - Op)	8X "Combo Drive"
G4/933 14-Inch (Original - Op)	8X "Combo Drive"
G4/1.0 14-Inch (Original - Op)	8X "Combo Drive"
G4/1.0 12-Inch (Early 2004 - Op)	8X "Combo Drive"
G4/1.0 14-Inch (Early 2004 - Op)	8X "Combo Drive"
G4/1.2 14-Inch (Early 2004 - Op)	8X "Combo Drive"
G4/1.2 12-Inch (Late 2004 - Op)	8X "Combo Drive"
G4/1.33 14-Inch (Late 2004 - Op)	8X "Combo Drive"*
G4/1.33 12-Inch (Mid-2005 - Op)	8X "Combo Drive"
G4/1.42 14-Inch (Mid-2005 - Op)	4X "SuperDrive"

*These models had more than one optical drive offered as a standard configuration.

For the exact speed of each optical drive reading and writing different media, please refer to the specs page for the particular model of interest.

The optical drive in each iBook model can be upgraded, but Apple does not provide any instructions or support for doing so. For users with extensive experience upgrading notebooks, however, the always excellent iFixit provides guides for the iBook (Clamshell), iBook G3 12-Inch, iBook G3 14-Inch, iBook G4 12-Inch, and iBook G4 14-Inch that include instructions to replace or upgrade the optical drive as well as other internal components.

Site sponsor Other World Computing sells a variety of more capable optical drives -- including dual-layer SuperDrives -- for the iBook G4 models as well as professional installation service.

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