06-02-2005, 07:33 AM

I am very interested in buying a mac just to mess around on and do some video editing. I am thinking of buying a G4 power mac with a 700mhz processor. I am currently looking at faulty ones which i would then repair. The only faulty ones i can find have PSU problems.

Is it hard/expensive to change a PSU in a G4?

I am also wanting to network it to my modem/wireless router, will it connect to the net through my modem/router even though windows systems are currently connected?
The router says mac compatible.

I also have a query about an imac G4 but have posted it in the imac section.

06-02-2005, 09:21 AM

1) get a working powermac i mean comeon they arent that expensive really are they!?

2) wireless will work fine but if you go down the apple road only the airport will work meaning your stuck will 11Mbs or get a different card and enjoy a full 54Mbs

3) routers are just routers they dont care what your O/S is and as long as you set you mac to connect to the net via wireless it will work a treat

06-02-2005, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by inflexion

2) wireless will work fine but if you go down the apple road only the airport will work meaning your stuck will 11Mbs or get a different card and enjoy a full 54Mbs

3) routers are just routers they dont care what your O/S is and as long as you set you mac to connect to the net via wireless it will work a treat

I think you contradicted yourself between #2 and #3. If you use an Airport for wireless connection, it will work for both PC and Mac at 54MBps, 11MBps or both in Mixed Mode Wireless. Depending on the iMac G4, I believe the first models were just Airport, and the 1GHz+ were Airport Extreme. Eitherway, an Extreme base station or Express would work.

r/
-IanCT

06-02-2005, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by inflexion

1) get a working powermac i mean comeon they arent that expensive really are they!?

No but i have seen PSU's for £20 on ebay and the faulty macs are going for less than £100 so shouldn't really be a problem if it is easy to fix.

Thanks for the networking advice.

06-02-2005, 01:44 PM

Just wait - once you get a mac, your lust for apple computers will take you over.
I highly recommend making the purchase.

06-02-2005, 01:58 PM

Just had a word with a friend with a 20 year mac history and he has convinced me to get a mac mini. Thanks anyway!

06-02-2005, 02:29 PM

Mike -
That is what I got as well. You will not be dissapointed. In comparison with my brothers iMac G5 - The mini is just as good, if not equal. You will love it.

06-02-2005, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by COUNT MACULA

Mike -
In comparison with my brothers iMac G5 - The mini is just as good, if not equal. You will love it.

well not quite, but still, the mini is a great machine. you cant really compare a g4 to a g5, in my opinion

06-02-2005, 10:07 PM

Yeah, in my experience (with friend's computer and at the Apple store) the G4 is notably slower, but that's like saying that a Camaro is slower than a Porche 911T. Either one's nice for most of us!

06-13-2005, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by Mike

No but i have seen PSU's for £20 on ebay and the faulty macs are going for less than £100 so shouldn't really be a problem if it is easy to fix.

Thanks for the networking advice.

There is a good how-to in www.xlr8yourmac.com for re-wiring an ATX power supply into a G4 tower. That's cheaper, but more hassle than getting a used apple PSU. They also have a thread on wireless PCI cards that work natively with the apple airport software (I got a motorola, but they switched the chipset since then). The powermac towers are fun to take apart and play with, but if I were buying a mac today. I'd probably go mini so your friend is giving you good advice.

Good luck

06-16-2005, 02:40 AM

You can upgrade that Mac you were talking about to a 2.0 Ghz G4 it appears for $600 or so.....

Im not quite sure i agree, and I own a mini, and a new-to-me G4 466 power mac with a PSU problem (I think)

I think the expandability of a PM puts you above and beyond a mini, $70 for a PSU, plus your upgrade, and you can be as fast as a mini....

heres the link to upgrades for my G4 466:

http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/Upgr...=Show+Upgrades

Something to think about, depending on what you can get the 700Mhz for

06-17-2005, 09:11 PM

I use both Macs and Winboxes all the time, and absolutely refuse to get into the 'which one is better' argument.

I will say though that apart from the odd post where someone was really unlucky and got a duff unit, I have never actually seen anyone disappointed about the fact they bought a Mac.

I can't begin to say why, but they're very satisfying to own. Do it, you'll be quite happy you did.