Chosen Solution
I’ve got this PowerBook G4 restoration/upgrade project going but good parts are hard to come by here in New Zealand so I was wondering: can I use parts from the early 2006 MacBook Pro Aluminum?
Bottom case is definitely different but pictures posted on iFixit guides suggest that the top case+keyboard are similar - even the keyboard ribbon looks the same - and maybe the display could be interchangeable as well… does anyone ever attempted this sort of ‘transplant’? :)
I have both a 2005 PowerBook G4 DLSD/HR and a 2006 MacBook Pro. While they look similar, none of the parts are interchangeable. The dimensions are slightly different, as the MacBook Pro is a tad wider than the PowerBook. Even if you cut down the edges of a MacBook Pro keyboard to somehow fit, the trackpad is still a different shape and would not function with the powerbook, and I doubt the keyboard would either. The displays are different shapes, the powerbook display is 60 pixels taller due to the MacBook Pro having a webcam while the PowerBook doesn’t, Your best bet is to buy parts computers off of eBay, or go down to a local tech thrift store or recycling center, as people are still getting rid of their old ones. These are fun computers to play with, and I have found that even on 10.5 Leopard they are still somewhat usable. Good luck!
Carlos Ferrari “turn this into a p!ss!ng context “ I don’t think so. Remember, advise on here is always free and you can take it however you see fit. Could be an interesting project for as long as you know that you may have some machining etc. to do to get things somewhat to fit. Dremel tools will be your friend! Anyhow, not to many parts that are fully compatible. From the exterior, the MacBook Pro has a similar look to the previous aluminum PowerBook computers. However, as far as major part compatibility only the power cord and power adapter AC plug are the same. It is always possible that ribbon cable etc will suit your purpose since there may be some connectors that allow some interchange. Take a look PB_G4MBP06
Sorry to say I think you’re just jumping from the pan to the fire here ;-{ I strongly recommend you just bite the bullet and focus your efforts on a newer model than either of these. Even if you were able to make this frankenstein system the OS it would run won’t run most of todays apps and it would not be smart using it online either.
