This Rare Accelerator Only Works on This Mac

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Today we're building a super-rare Sonnet HARMONi upgraded Bondi Blue iMac G3!
LINKS:
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🍎 Fixing the iMac's Display: • This iMac G3 Has a Ter...
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#iMac #PowerPC #Sonnet

[@charlesswansonii9319]

I'd just leave it running Mac OS 9 to be honest. That's a perfect machine to be running the Marathon Trilogy on now.

[@Adams-78]

And emac still exist ;) for newer os on crt allinone

[@iiiiiifggffggffgfgfg]

And all the other OS9 gaming.

[@jlj945]

That’s not exactly the point of the channel, though. Also, it’s perfectly capable of having both installed.

[@commentarysheep]

Why not dual-boot? I agree with the guy before me; this channel is all about retro computer tinkering.

[@nickwallette6201]

I tried OS X 10.0 on my Bondi. It was... not pleasant. These things run OS 9 very well. OS X was too much for them.

[@zerofox3d]

The level of engineering that went into lots of the Sonnet upgrades was insane.

[@akatsukilevi]

The 'denied' screen usually means that some compatibility check failed, got used to it during my hackintoshing time Usually setting the '-no-compat-check' flag on nvram does the trick(on hackintosh, using clover you can simply pass the flags, unsure how you could set it on the iMac G3)

[@bobpegram8042]

How do you do that? What should be typed in CLI? I ran into it with the video card on my H3 Blue & White when trying to install Adelie. Thanks.

[@akatsukilevi]

@@bobpegram8042 It's a boot flag argument, you can set it by using: $ sudo nvram boot-args="-v -no-compat-check" Basically, it just needs to be written into the NVRAM of the device into the 'boot-args' key If you're using Clover/OpenCore, or even one of the older Darwin bootloaders, you might have a option to pass arguments before booting

[@florider_hd]

Hey i just wanted to tell you that your videos are cheering me up in a bad phase of my life. This came just the right time. Thanks Action Retro

[@zatomlzxzanamolzy1253]

It's a good sign to recognise it as a "phase." I'll apologise in advance just in case. Sorry if this comes off as condescending, that's not what I intend. Don't let over thinkinking your feelings and situation hold you back, and just remember that everyone has bad times and regrets and mistakes that we all make more if an issue outbif than they're worth. Everything's going to be fine and you'll have a good life from now on. Good luck is coming your way, don't worry about it.

[@florider_hd]

Thanks for your kind words! I hope you’re well and stay well!

[@organiccold]

Be strong 💪

[@kazeko0]

Hope things get better for you bro

[@kryskarr23]

Same here. I’m pulling for you. Hope things are better soon.

[@krishnapriyaka3261]

watching these retro Mac videos is making me feel relaxed.. maybe because those 90s graphic design aesthetics of Mac OS reminds me of a much simpler time in my life

[@MarkyShaw]

There are so many crazy Mac upgrades I never knew existed! This is awesome. Those beeps sounded like the thing was on life support. Glad it pulled through like a champ!

[@JustFixIt99]

Would love to see you send the original CPU board to DosDude and have him shoehorn a G4 Sonnet upgrade card onto it. Would be an awesome colab if the two of you could make it work.

[@DatBlueHusky]

problem is the firmware might not work and brick it

[@eDoc2020]

@@DatBlueHusky If it bricks, just unbrick it. It's not hard when you have the proper tools.

[@eDoc2020]

@@PyrrhianScavenger An EEPROM programmer is what you need to unbrick something. Just burn the original firmware back. Obviously it's best to make a backup first, otherwise you'll need to try to find a copy online and hope there weren't any unique IDs stored there. If the firmware chip is socketed you just unplug it and pop it in the programmer. Otherwise you hope there's a connector for easy in-circuit programming, or a special clip might work. Worst case you need to desolder the chip.

[@halfsourlizard9319]

Few things are more satisfying than tech shenanigans to work around 'intellectual property' restrictions. Love seeing engineering that side-steps Apple's paternalistic b.s.

[@GendoPrime]

Next you need to "borrow" Steve's Voodoo 2 for the mezzanine slot.

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

The fact all these aftermart upgrades exist is telling of the diffrence between what Apple wanted and what the users wanted

[@halfsourlizard9319]

It's almost like Apple actually doesn't know what people want ...

[@Kyle-xv5kv]

I'm sure there is a voodoo card you can get which adds into the mez slot on the underside of the logic board. Combine that with this monster CPU upgrade you've got a brutally powerful retro gaming iMac!

[@that_colin_guy]

Was about to comment this. That old mezzanine voodoo card is a rare bird.

[@AmstradExin]

You wouldn't believe how much of an upgrade a Voodoo is over a Ati Rage 2. With the Rage, Klingon Honor guard is barely playable and with a Voodoo 2 the framerate is maxed out.

[@nucflashevent]

11:40 -- It was very smart of Sonnet to keep the little cover at the bottom of the side panel so if you happened to be one of the few with a Rev A-B with a Mezzanine card it would still accommodate it.

[@slowednation999]

very cool video Sean ! i myself just scored the deal of a lifetime in my eyes. i went to a retro games store close to my town a few days ago, and in that store was sitting a basically pristine blueberry iMac G3. the 98 model with the tray loader. it didn’t have a price tag on it so i approached the store worker and asked how much they want for it cause it also came with its original accessories. they only wanted $100. as soon as he said that, i was sold and now it’s mine. i plan to do so much with it i have always wanted my own G3 ever since they came out and i was a little kid with no chance of ever getting that kind of money 😂 i’ve already successfully put Mac OS 9.2.2 on it. just thought i’d share.

[@beenine5557]

I love how our childhood dreams can come true!

[@StarFireG3]

Glad to see people are still modding old Apple hardware. Too bad I sold my early Bondi Blue. But I still have an »Sonnet Encore G4 500« card for my G4 400 laying around. Someday I will install it.

[@larrydanna]

“I guess I’ll read the instructions. Uh, not something I normally do.” At 6:01. Oh how I laughed, and laughed!! Priceless.

[@CralexKokiri]

Awesome that you were able to get a brand new card and document the process for future enjoyment.

[@8ullfrog]

The firewire daughterboard was so elegantly designed, and then the parasite cord... wasn't.

[@halfsourlizard9319]

Oh, shit, we need to get power to it! Eh, just use a bodge wire.

[@nickwallette6201]

What else can you do? If there's no 12v on the CPU daughtercard socket, you can't just elegant your way into having it. :-) Not sure siphoning power from the logic (3.3v? 5v?) rails and using a boost converter would be wise, since you're passing that power on to an external device that consumes ??? amps, and is ... _hopefully_ ... well-behaved.

[@NightimeDemon]

It's really cool to see what is possible on these old macs. I never used one growing up until middle school and high school, when macs were using x86-based processors. I've learned a lot from you about the history of these computers and see their appeal. Keep up the great work!

[@wagnerpanther]

Great video! For whatever it's worth, I have a Harmoni G3 600 upgrade that I found preinstalled on a Rev B Bondi Blue and I haven't been able to run any Mac OS X versions from an SSD after weeks of tinkering (and I have tried about 4 different adaptors, half a dozen SSD's of different sizes, IDE SSD's, M2 to IDE, etc.). I could get some SSD's to work on Mac OS 8.1/8.6/9.22 triple boot but I often ended up having disc problems on the 9.22 partition. I'm happy with the speed I get with a 120GB 7200rpm IDE HDD that I borrowed from a Sawtooth G4. It feels really cool to have such power on a classic Blue.

[@DavidStahlOLDHAPPyMACs]

Sean That is the slickest Upgrade by sonnet I have ever seen To bad that got rid of the Mezzanine slot on the later G3 iMacs

[@alwinter]

Whoa. That's a huge improvement! I didn't know this was possible.

[@MrGencyExit64]

Through the magic of editing, the optical drive magically reappears :)

[@performa9523]

Oh man that is wild! I didn't even know that they had upgrade cards for the original iMac- that's amazing!

[@helloimacat000]

Who want a iMac G3 With most overlocked maxed power and mods?

[@em5345-]

Me.

[@joseph58tech]

Who doesn't?

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

@@joseph58tech Me lol. Life long windows user who's never owned a Apple product, strangely I still really ejoy this channel... I think it's the shenanigans

[@gamingmark54]

​@@joseph58tech me 😢

[@pje_]

yeah 10 GHz with 128 cores ... on an iMac G3 😂

[@AlexKiraly]

I just love the enthusiasm on this channel.

[@notation254]

Yo man, your channel is awesome. I just want to tell you that you're doing great work, and I look forward to your videos. Keep doing what you're doing.

[@stevemcknelly5036]

One of your better videos. I truly enjoyed it!

[@nitrax8629]

Nice upgrade, though that Mezzanine slot is practically begging for a Voodoo 2 upgrade!

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

Afaik, Sonnet is still around. They now make Thunderbolt peripherals, primarily for Macintoshes.

[@kbhasi]

(13:06) The low pitched beeps it made while flashing the card ROMs reminded me of BBC News countdowns.

[@MSmith-Photography]

The upgrade shenanigans are a success!

[@CasioMaker]

Time for a spot of breakfast and the newest Action Retro video to keep me company

[@ManleyEvangelista]

Watching this, while eating dinner for me! It's always a good Saturday night, whenever an ActionRetro video drops!

[@MikeFromDownUnder]

Thanks for sharing this.

[@waydegutman7339]

That was an interesting upgrade to watch. Cannot help but wonder what other upgrades that can be done to it. 🎉

[@chrism869]

i wish i can take a break and get of, but i cant

[@JayJay-88]

Yay, new Action Retro video 🥰

[@sjgrall]

Maybe if I had gotten one of these plus a RAM upgrade, I'd have kept my then brand new 1999 Rev D (Lime) longer than just a few years.

[@anumeon]

Well it sure is a Solid A55 State storage media.

[@RiggityWRECKED]

Sonnet is frickin awesome. Just recently picked up a McFiver for my 2012 Mac Pro 5,1

[@theharbingerofconflation]

I hunted this thing all over ebay for 3 years, quite the accomplishment that you found and won one!

[@wilsondavenport6939]

ok i would love to see this mac running minecraft!

[@Philfluffer]

Daisy chaining adapters (more like conversion tech) usually is a recipe for a headache if not a complete failure.

[@gaeljehnno]

I used the same model back in school. Whe used the ir port with a cellular phone for connecting to the internet back in the day.

[@Neumaticgrunt]

Just put a G4 into my G3 slot loader, quite exciting when it just worked.

[@liaminwales]

I loved my Imac G3, relay cool computer. The speakers where amazing, made almost all PC's sound so bad by contrast.

[@BladeOlson]

I absolutely owned this and it was super easy to install.

[@1eyedwilli3]

I just bought an eMac 1.25 G4. IT WORKS perfect, but man that display is fuzzy.

[@AnthonyChopra]

3:01 "And we can test that later" *While u show Sorrow for the G3imac that you will put it in pain again of opening it*

[@ericwood3709]

Fix your CD-ROM, damn it. You failed to reattach the spring mechanism that keeps it pushed up toward the front. I learned that the hard way years ago.

[@emantv5268]

This upgrade card finally enables a first gen iMac to talk and sync to a first gen iPod! And DV video capture for iMovie!!

[@KennedoMaker]

Oo, I've been waiting for this upload since the little teaser in the G3 video haha

[@jdmcs]

Nice upgrade!

[@The-i-Shakk]

Sweet video, I have a Rev A with all originals. Just replaced the PRAM Battery on it.

[@benotsilent6703]

0:55 - this is exactly why I subscribed to your channel.

[@felixg3]

Hope to see you mod an eMac G4 sometime!

[@MoominBoomin]

Why haven’t you showed up in my feed ever? Love this kind of content, happy to sub

[@mel816]

The tones during the ROM flashing remind me of those heart/patient monitors at hospitals😄 I wonder if it gives a "flatline" (long continuous tone) if there was an error in the flashing and fails to boot😛

[@joepena5771]

Now you have to upgrade the video too! The iMac Game Wizard Voodoo2 card.

[@suddenlyvlogs]

Make sure you set up TimeMachine. Yknow, to back that A55 up.

[@paulwalker427]

Splendid episode

[@bltvd]

“When you take a sip you buzz like a hornet / Billy Shakespeare wrote a whole bunch of sonnets”

[@andyttm14]

It sounds like a heart monitor is bleeping and it makes me think your computer is about to flatline or something😂 13:19

[@95Comics]

sonnet cards! my favorite! ive never had this one. or even seen it before only read about it. so awesome!

[@georgesenda1952]

I loved my G3 and iMac DV but hated that the cd drives would stop working and the same goes for my beloved clamshell I book. I hated the slot loading ones. I hope to get another G3 or G4 this year so I can play my older games with an external Apple CD drive. I still have all my Apple 2 computers, all 6 of them. I love older games.

[@Scott__C]

I never had a problem with a slot loader myself.

[@dropes]

I haven't watched it yet (stopped literally at 1:02), but I just wanted to say that I love the onomatopoeias in your videos.

[@thenerd6192]

A daughter card of a daughter card? Like some kind of granddaughter card?

[@bmichel5581]

I'm curious how this would stack up against Dosdude1's 400Mhz G4 / 1MB L2 upgrade he did to his slot loader

[@alextirrellRI]

I love that this adds FireWire but also keeps the mezzanine slot.

[@organiccold]

Now, that was actually really cool :)

[@zaxchannel2834]

I recall being sad I wasn't able to do a CPU upgrade in the 600MHz Snow iMac G3 I used to have :P

[@fenixlolnope361]

Ugh I wanted this thing SO BAD as a kid. Literally turns any iMac into a modern PC.

[@wifinesesi]

Enjoy it

[@drewbeattie6346]

Pretty cool upgrade. Have to ask, what is that SSD to firewire adapter you got there?

[@DatBlueHusky]

its just a generic firewire external drive to a ssd. I have one thats 2.5 sata and i just stick a 120gb ssd in it

[@GraemeWoller]

Rocking that NIN T-shirt, bro!!

[@therobb5738]

Love the Nine Inch Nails shirt

[@keancv]

love the video. The sweaty palms is what makes everything worthwile. Rather than do the screen repair, F-B transformer, what about a mod to use a modern LCD?

[@2dfx]

I'm pretty sure the Sonnet ROM code modification breaks XPostFacto...could be mistaken though.

[@SullySadface]

That's actually pretty neat. I'd love an old Jolly Rancher g3 just to chew on it yes, literally.

[@stpworld]

i have a dv imac and the schooo left all there stuff and made a cool start up screen to

[@PhirePhlame]

Huh, judging by the beeps and the fact that it works while there's no ROM present on the system, there must be some kind of built-in service feature that the software uses to flash the ROM?

[@MattJones210585]

Absolutely brilliant video. Same as all your content. As a fellow retro modder I salute you! Keep it up dude!

[@wojiaobill]

what a sweet-A55 drive

[@weok-doing-things]

those beepings sounds like lifesupport lol

[@mdkoehn]

I wonder if it would be possible to erase or replace the ROM on the upgrade card to restore it to "new" state.

[@okkrom]

Can I call myself a shenaniganner?

[@minty_Joe]

Evil shenaniganner!

[@brucesyvertsen2147]

Great timing. I just purchased one of these G3's. Now to start looking for the upgrade card :-) Also what brand is the smaller electric screwdriver you're using? Looks like something I need too! Very informative post.

[@GrimeyJr]

Looks like a wow stick or similar.

[@brucesyvertsen2147]

@@GrimeyJr thanks so much for that! Found and ordering.

[@BladeOlson]

I would suggest you keep this at OS 9, it is the ultimate 1st iMac RevB

[@rickkarrer8370]

I wanted one of those so badly back when they were new, but couldn't justify the price. Ended up getting an eMac later instead lol.

[@Killerspieler0815]

getting to the hard drive is not that annoying considering today´s user hostility of Apple´s Standards incl. "repair"-program ... but installing this old MacOS version from an external DVD-drive is amazing, Windows often had problems with it ... Edit: we have a heart beat, literally ...

[@stevencarlson5422]

where in the world do you find this awesome stuff

[@enilenis]

The odds of the flyback transformer fixing the issue, I think, are minimal. Something's generating an extra drain. Some capacitor must have an ESR out of whack.

[@asystole_]

Love the NIN t-shirt!

[@tappdarden]

I had a rev D new. And I wanted this accelerator so much. Would be great to have FireWire !

[@TUUK2006]

This over-animated, try-hard presentation style is bloody exhausting.

[@banks3388]

If you get the very first iMac G3 with the Mezzanine card you can actually get a custom Voodooo 2 extreme card for it...

[@brentconley8902]

Man, I was excited to see you try to play on it. Never happened lol

[@JakeR0bH]

HARMONi Overclock? More like HARMONi Overdrive!

[@morosmokhtar9532]

PC guy here: Kinda sad apple doesn't allow this kind of tinkering with their toys anymore. I don't know why, but watching mac guys tinker with their stuff gives me nerd comradery vibes. Just the other day I jumped through some fun hoops to get USB-C on an older machine and I had a similar giddy reaction by the end lol. Anyways - long way of saying I liked your video and I hope you keep it up for many years to come.

[@wskinnyodden]

Who knows why Firewire become named Firewire, I do :P Burning cables due to low quality thinner than it should be copper was the nick name and final name root cause in that order :P

[@zatomlzxzanamolzy1253]

Feels like buying upgrades for a 1991 VHS 📼 player. It's working better now, but the videos have been uploaded to many digital mediums, and they're all better than all the upgrades in the world. It can make a VHS player match the quality. Much as this OS could probably be emulated on a microwave and still outperform this, even with every single ossible upgrade. 😆 🤣

[@waterheart95]

Classic Power PC MacOS emulation is currently does not much an actual mac in performance, especially if graphics or a task that actually hits the powerpc cpu. Sound emulation is also not the greatest also.

[@TradieTrev]

OMG I gave one of those G3s away to an ex gf I restored; Wasn't the best machine but got her on the internet back in the day. Now she has 3 children from 3 different fathers but no IT experience haha!

[@johncate9541]

Sounds like you're fortunate you got away without a gift that kept on giving...