Just bought second-hand eMac

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I apolgise if this has been done before... would be grateful for a few tips though.

I've bought a second-hand eMac from a school that was clearing them out. It's running 10.4.11 with 256Mb of RAM. It didn't come with system disks.

There's loads of the previous user's crap on there, and I just want to use it for a music studio. Am I right in thinking that:

1. I can upgrade the RAM to 1GB? I've also read that it can take 2GB, but need some advice on that. I can do the memory installation myself.

2. If I buy some 10.5 system disks, can I wipe everything and start again? This is just a case of starting up and holding 'c', right? Hope so.

Sorry if I'm wide of the mark. I don't need much apart from a quick-ish computer running Garageband and a couple of other apps, so I'm grateful for any help.

Sorry. Another question.

If I buy some OSX 10.4 system discs (bit cheaper, and might be easier for the old eMac), do I have to buy them for a specific Mac model? An eBay search suggests that they are specific to different Macs.

Thanks.
 
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10.5 is for Intel Macs. There should be a model number and date on the back. I take it its a PPC model and 10.4 is what you want. You just have to make shure that the machine has its right firmware installed. You can get them from Apple for free. My OSX 10.4 disc is black with the silver X,its on DVD. If your CD drive is not DVD you can change it out. If its got 10.4 on it already I would just go throw it and clean out the Apps you do not want and run the system utilities to make shure its ok.
 

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Click the Apple in the top left corner of the screen and on About This Mac. Post the specs here please. CPU Speed for one thing.

That will tell us if you can run Leopard. The Retail version of Leopard will install just fine on a Power PC machine but it has to have at least a 867Mhz G4. Do not get a Machine Specific CD/DVD but the full Retail.

Post the specs please.
 

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Absolutely correct Nick. Wonder if Mac SK actually meant to type OS X.6? This whole Intel nonsense as a 'must have' is just that. I have customers using their G3 iMac slot loaders with OS 8.6 and they are very happy Mac users also.

To the OP if your eMac is a 1.25GHz, boost memory up to a minimum of 1GB, it will in fact handle 2GB, and by all means run Leopard. Here are the specs if she is a 1.25:-

Apple eMac G4/1.25 (USB 2.0) Specs (eMac USB 2.0 - M9425LL/A*) @ EveryMac.com

Even luckier if you have got a 1.42GHz machine.
 

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Absolutely correct Nick. Wonder if Mac SK actually meant to type OS X.6? This whole Intel nonsense as a 'must have' is just that.

It's possible, "Mac SK" may have meant OS 10.6...but then the "OP" did mention 10.5.

But with all of the rumors floating around about 10.6 (that I've seen), although most of the rumors say 10.6 will be "Intel only"...I've seen other rumors that are still suggesting 10.6 may not be Intel only.

But the consensus seems to be that 10.6 is Intel only.

That's the problem with rumors...they're not 100% fact. ;D

- Nick
 

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'10.5 is for Intel Macs.'


Read it again dtravis7 - the statement was 10.5 is for Intel Macs and that, as you know, is blatantly incorrect.
 

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'10.5 is for Intel Macs.'


Read it again dtravis7 - the statement was 10.5 is for Intel Macs and that, as you know, is blatantly incorrect.

I think you took my post wrong as I never said 10.5 will only run on Intel Macs. BUT only the retail version of 10.5 will install on a PPC Mac. The Gray DVDs of 10.5 that come with Macs are for Intel Only. They never made a 10.5 DVD that shipped with a Power PC machine.

What was later said in answer to the poster who tried to say "10.6" might work on a Power PC. It will not. It's right in the URL on Apples page on Snow Leopard. Snow Leopard ACCORDING TO APPLE needs an Intel CPU. I was not the one that said 10.5 only worked on Intel hardware.
 
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Wow Dudes,lets get testy. Most likey the Emac is not super new it came out of a school. I should of said 10.5 is for newer macs and most likely on DVD. Sorry I boobed up. Whip me whip me good. It did stir the pot,need more of that around here. Most likey the guy was looking at the DVD grey disc and would be better off fixing whats on the emac.
 

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Wow Dudes,lets get testy. Most likey the Emac is not super new it came out of a school. I should of said 10.5 is for newer macs and most likely on DVD.

No problems Dude! Sometimes what we are thinking & what we write doesn't always come out the way we thought it would when someone else reads it.

In regards to 10.5 & "newer macs"...this depends on how you define newer macs. Everybody's idea of "newer" is different.

As mentioned above, Apple says you need a minimum of an 867mhz G4 processor...so that covers some G4's desktops & laptops, all the G5 computers, and all Intel based Mac's...

...God I hate saying "Intel Macs"...it just seems wrong!!!;D

Believe it or not, a 867mhz G4 Tower was launched in July, 2001!!!

- Nick
 

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No problems Dude! Sometimes what we are thinking & what we write doesn't always come out the way we thought it would when someone else reads it.

Agreed completely. We all were just trying to help the OP with their question. Sometimes it's hard to pick the right words that everyone will understand. :D

And to Mac SK, sorry if you were offended. There was so much being said then 10.6 Snow Leopard was thrown into the mix. Nothing against you at all! :D

In regards to 10.5 & "newer macs"...this depends on how you define newer macs. Everybody's idea of "newer" is different.

As mentioned above, Apple says you need a minimum of an 867mhz G4 processor...so that covers some G4's desktops & laptops, all the G5 computers, and all Intel based Mac's...

For overall use 10.5 runs very well on the minimum 867Mhz G4. It's the OS on my main system which is an iMac G5 2.1Ghz. Runs very well there as well as on my G4 Mini.

...God I hate saying "Intel Macs"...it just seems wrong!!!;D

I agree 100%! It took me quite a while to say Intel and Mac in the same sentence! :D


Believe it or not, a 867mhz G4 Tower was launched in July, 2001!!!

In Computer age that is quite a long time. Things change so fast now a days.
 

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It's OS on my main system which is an iMac G5 2.1Ghz. Runs very well there as well as on my G4 Mini.

Wow...top of the line G5 iMac! Before you posted it, I didn't realize they made a G5 iMac that fast!

I may have to try 10.5 on my G4 Mac-mini as well.

- Nick
 
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To identify your eMac model, just catch your finger nail into the crack along the top of the optical drive flap and pull it down. The label on the inside of the flap lists the serial number and full original spec. Early eMacs would only take 2 x 512MB PC133 DIMM's, later 2 x 1GB DDR SIMMS. They all benefit from maxing the memory, replacing the HD, all ATA, with a larger more realistic size, and possibly fitting a modern DL DVD writer while the eMac is open.

The main problem a lot of the newer eMacs suffered from, mainly the 1.25 GHz model, was bulging capacitors on the logic board causing random freezes, sometimes with video distortion. Apple used to have a warranty extension for this, it's now expired. If you take off the bottom cover to expose the RAM slots and PRAM battery and you see any of the electrolytic capacitors bulging or showing brown deposits on the tops, forget about upgrading the eMac.
 
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Thanks to everyone who responded.

Sorry to sound like a complete noob, but is there a particular edition of the OSX 10.4 system discs I should have? Someone lent me the system discs from an iMac, and they didn't work. Also... where can I get them?
 
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10.5 is for Intel Macs. There should be a model number and date on the back. I take it its a PPC model and 10.4 is what you want. You just have to make shure that the machine has its right firmware installed. You can get them from Apple for free. My OSX 10.4 disc is black with the silver X,its on DVD. If your CD drive is not DVD you can change it out. If its got 10.4 on it already I would just go throw it and clean out the Apps you do not want and run the system utilities to make shure its ok.
10.5 isn't only for Intel Macs! It's happily running on my iMac G4!
 

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10.5 isn't only for Intel Macs! It's happily running on my iMac G4!

I think you're getting in a little late on this thread...the fact that "10.5 in not only for Intel Macs" has already been covered & confirmed multiple times in this thread.

- Nick
 
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First up the iMac discs will not work as they are no doubt the silver grey coloured system restore discs which are good only for the model they came with.

You need the black coloured full retail install discs which may be available from sites such as eBay, Craiglist, Amazon etc. You may have a bigger problem in that schools often purchased downgraded machines with, say, no DVD reader installed, only a CD drive to save a few dollars. It all added up if the school purchased say ten eMacs at a time.

It is almost impossible to find Tiger on CDs, and there are four in the set from memory. And Leopard did not come out on CDs at all.
 
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Try as I might, I cannot find a response from Richey as to the specs of his eMac in regard to processor, hard drive, optical drive, etc. That information is essential for accurate answers. The OP simply stated "running 10.4.11 with 256Mb of RAM".

TechiSteve has given sound advice about what can be done to upgrade an eMac, depending on model.

My eMac 1.25, manufactured in 2004, was issued with OS 10.3.3 (Panther) on two grey machine-specific dvds (not CDs). Later on I purchased a full retail version of Tiger and proceeded with regular updates to the final 10.4.11, which is probably what happened at the school from which Richey bought his eMac.

Harry B has advised correctly - Richey needs a retail version (black) dvd of Tiger in order to gain access to the admin account, to erase the HD and to reinstall Tiger. Retail Tiger is, unfortunately, hard to find nowadays. Apple may be able to help, but expect to pay top $$.

Richey may find something Here.
 
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Try as I might, I cannot find a response from Richey as to the specs of his eMac in regard to processor, hard drive, optical drive, etc. That information is essential for accurate answers. The OP simply stated "running 10.4.11 with 256Mb of RAM".

Sorry.

It's an eMac (ATI Graphics), 1 GHz PPC G4 processor, 133MHz bus speed.

Another problem now... I bought 2 x 512MB memory things to max out the memory. They don't work. I get one beep, which according to Apple's startup beep guide, means 'No RAM installed'. I made sure they were properly installed, and managed to re-install the old ones properly.

These are the units I bought. Have I bought the wrong ones?

I really should have paid someone to come and do this for me...!
 

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