iBook Hack: How to Add Internal BlueTooth to an iBook

[berniej]

Warning: Not for the faint hearted *and* I do not recommend anyone who, like me, to do this with their "precious".

A guy was able to hack his iBook so that it now sport internal BlueTooth. Apparently, its not that difficult for those who already have experience opening their 'Books. One side-effect of this is it will disable one of the USB ports.

The whole story/how-to here.

This is how the iBook's innards would look like after the "operation".




[Edited on 11-4-2004 by berniej]

[El CaMOTe]

Now that is really a 'Pinoy' type gawa ng paraan Hack job !

Main problem with that are the wires that are exposed to the chips and other sharp solder points of the top of the MoBo PC (printed circuit), no long term double insulation of the wires coming from the bluetooth 'dongle' to the disabled USB connector, bahala na mentality and hope for the best, which our friend Mr. Murphy's law will just love !!

When it is closed, if the lappies' other components and/or chassis bear down on the wires and cut through the wire insulation, I can see some nice sparks fly !! Bye bye MoBo, and you scratch your head and wonder what happened !!

I would not recommend this at all !! Good luck to those 'short minded' who try this out.

:dry::2cents:

[randytamayo]

Haha, very MacGyver...

rt

[ultratramp]

im assuming this guy wanted to save a few bucks without considering the possible cost of a fried 'book. why go through all the trouble, isnt there an apple-made BT device that can be installed? or should it be a BTO for it to be internal?

[hannibal]

didn't want to go through all these "macgyver" things so i really made sure i have the bluetooth BTO in my iBook.

[Edited on 11-4-2004 by hannibal]

[maryannemoll]

why doesn't he just use a bt dongle, since with his hack job, he just disabled one of the usb ports, anyway, as well as voided his warranty, and risks short circuiting everything?

[ultratramp]

Originally posted by hannibal
didn't want to go through all these "macgyver" things so i really made sure i have the bluetooth BTO in my iBook.

[Edited on 11-4-2004 by hannibal]

so you mean you cant have the BT installed aftermarket? it's either BTO or dongle?

[El CaMOTe]

Right you are MaryanneMoll, you wonder why that fellow did his horrible hack !!

yeah, Ultratramp, I have a Billionton 'blue' dongle which I use on my Quicksilver and my TiBook ! The better ones come with a little cute antenna, DLink is good !

BernieJ, if you know this fellow, please tell him of the potential problems shared in this thread.

In Spanish, such work is called "Hecho por los pies" (Made with the feet).
:sick::roll:

[berniej]

hehehe... I don't personally know the guy who did it. I just saw his "monsterpiece" at the hackaday.com blogsite

[bittersweet]

Originally posted by maryannemoll
why doesn't he just use a bt dongle, since with his hack job, he just disabled one of the usb ports, anyway, as well as voided his warranty, and risks short circuiting everything?

Exactly. I found it so silly that he went through all the trouble when he could just plug in a dongle to a port and get the same bluetooth-y effect. :wound: