Apple users do the darnedest things with old gear. Recently a guy stuck a USB-C port in an iPhone X and got $86,000 for it on eBay. We profiled a Romanian developer who designs games for souped-up vintage Macs. Then there was the guy who merged an M1 Mac mini with an iMac G4.
And now we find a clever TikTok user crafting a retro-cool iPad case with an Apple Watch charger out of a classic iBook G3 laptop.
From old iBook G3 to new iPad case with extras
The TikTok user, @skipperfilms, used 3D printing technology and power tools to convert an iBook G3 shell into a working iPad case with a slot for an Apple Pencil and an embedded Apple Watch charger just above the keyboard.
He gutted an iBook G3 and replaced various internals with modern Apple technology. He excised many existing parts, leaving the shell. Then, through the magic of 3D printing, he made the pieces he needed to mount the iPad and accessories, like a keyboard with trackpad.
In his first big move, he replaced the monitor with the iPad. Then he set USB-C ports into the old port slots, and added a portable, rechargeable battery bank to provide juice to the iPad and Apple Watch charger.
In the finished product, the cables hide behind the casing. The iPad nestle in place of the old monitor and a new keyboard with trackpad replaces the old one. Custom 3D-printed plates support the portable battery, keyboard, Apple Watch charger and Apple Pencil holder.
You can watch the first video below for a quick walk-through of his process set to music:
@skipperfilms Once a year I find the patience and drive to do something like this. Love this #ibookg3 to #ipad conversion! #fyp #foryoupage #3dprinting
The second video, below, is an update that followed numerous user comments about the first video. In the update, he reassures viewers that he used a nonworking iBook G3 for the project — he’d never gut a working one! — and explains a bit more about what he did.
@skipperfilms Reply to @castroms0 #ibookg3 #ipad conversion update and tour! #PepsiApplePieChallenge
