iMac G3s

I'm trying to get my hands on an iMac G3, and live in the UK. I also a supernoob Mac-wise, and as these computers were released before I was born, I have little knowledge of them. After a couple of hours of researching, it turns out I should get a slot loading iMac G3 in either Graphite or Snow colours... which are incredibly hard to find!

So, can you guys help? Should I get one of these machines (running 10.3.9), and where would be best to get one?

I'm also sorry if I've put this in the wrong place. Let my post count post for itself

Also, I'm at school, so therefore have very little cashflow - so it would a bit of stretch to get an eMac - and I think they're a bit ugly. I was aiming for the fifty pounds bracket, but may still be able to stretch a bit more if I get a good report this summer! Also, this will be my first Mac, and my first 'own computer.' So, I probably won't be stripping it and adding Ram and extra hard drive space, but my Dad is good at that stuff so updates may be available. Sorry about being so picky!

Thanks for all your help

Apps, the Snow g3s are harder to find, but if you can get one with at least a 500mhz G3, it should be fast enough (given plenty of ram) to handle everyday tasks. That said, take a look around ebay, I found my 600mhz snow g3 for about $25 (15 pound give or take), however that was a very lucky find for me.

If you just want a taste of mac, and really want to save, look for a 400mhz Inidgo model slot loader. Market always seems to be saturated with them since schools tended to buy them in bulk.

Good luck

I have the best of both worlds, a Graphite G3 iMac 600 (UK£60) running Panther, and an eMac 1.25 GHz (UK£180) running Tiger. Avenger is right, Snow iMacs, especially the 700 MHz model, are hard to locate, and they hold their price really well.

The G3 iMac (500 MHz or greater) is rock-steady and handles some tasks as smoothly as the eMac.

My advice to you is to 'hang in there', for a graphite or snow. Advertise, Google for Mac user groups within the UK. Your difficulty is that the UK has never gone for Macs in the way some other countries have, so you may need to shop offshore.

Don't be too quick to dismiss the eMac. Sure, it's not the prettiest computer in the show (I call mine 'the frog'), but it's well-engineered. The notorious capacitor problem is well-documented, so go in with your eyes wide open. The eMac 1.42 GHz is a computer I'd go for like a shot (if I could only locate one here in NZ) but it would probably cost you more than your budget allows.

I don't know if they would ship you one,you would have to do the electric plug convert. eBay Store – erecycler llc: Search results for Erecycler.

Thanks everyone. I'll keep my eyes open for a graphite one ! Though, I am slightly persuaded by an eMac... especially since it can run Tiger.

Apps said:

Thanks everyone. I'll keep my eyes open for a graphite one ! Though, I am slightly persuaded by an eMac... especially since it can run Tiger.

Click to expand...

But remember...you said earlier that you thought that the eMac was "a bit ugly"! ;D

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

But remember...you said earlier that you thought that the eMac was "a bit ugly"! ;D

- Nick

Click to expand...

All computers are ugly! The iMac G3 though just stinks of soul - and the colours etc. BUT, I am very persuaded by an eMac. Put it like this: if I can't get hold of an iMac G3 in graphite, and have managed to get sufficient funds, then that eM will be mine.

One quick question... can it run Leopard?

Depends on the eMac. We have a range of 700mhz to 1.25ghz machines at work on light duty. I tried leo on a 1ghz and a 1.25, and it runs much better on the 1.25 (DDR memory, better video card), but I would suggest you stick with Tiger unless you manage to find a 1.42.

Avenger2SER said:

Depends on the eMac. We have a range of 700mhz to 1.25ghz machines at work on light duty. I tried leo on a 1ghz and a 1.25, and it runs much better on the 1.25 (DDR memory, better video card), but I would suggest you stick with Tiger unless you manage to find a 1.42.

Click to expand...

Yeah, Tiger it is! How much does a 1ghz or 1.25 normally cost? On eBay, the costs seem to be all over the place. I also came to an executive decision - screw the G3! I've decided to go with an eMac for sure, as long as the price is right. The cheapest I've found is £70, and I'm currently at £23! Still, I may be able to take out twenty pounds, which takes me to 43, and then it'll have to be saving/begging from then on.

Wish me luck!

In the states, I would say about $100-$150ish. I have no idea how prevalent these are in the UK. I know for a fact that in Italy they're virtually unheard of.

Good luck, and keep in mind you can also get a PowerMac G4 if all else fails.

Sorry to 'bump'

Hi, researching eMacs, but just need some advice. How fast is the 1GHz? (... and the <1GHz models). 1.25s seem VERY pricey, and the 1.42s are above a hundred pounds!

As advised earlier, the 1.42 eMac is gold, and the price reflects that. I would expect to pay in excess of NZ$400 for one, and for a 1.25, about NZ$350, so the >£100 is comparable and probably about right, although your sales taxes (if applicable) in the UK are steep. I paid NZ$400 for my 1.25 eMac four years ago, but that was a mate's rate - they were fetching about $500-600 back then.

How fast is 1 GHz? Not lightning, it'll beat a G3 600 or 700, but not by a lot. It depends on how 'heavy and hungry' the tasks are that you want to do. My 1.25 GHz eMac is good, I'm happy enough with it, but I've used faster machines.

Don't be too taken with the speed thing, I've read expert reviews and comparisons where the loading, multi-tasking and consistency are more important.

Sorry to "bump" again, but there has been some interesting developments. Basically, I could get an eMac 1.42GHz VERY quickly, but, is it worth holding out a couple of months and getting an iMac G5 1.6/1.8Ghz? (With a 17" screen)

The G5 processor is certainly an improvement on the G4, and it's not just in terms of speed (1.42 vs 1.6 - nothing much in it). There were negative reports concerning overheating on the PPC 970 in the G5 tower machines, so do some serious homework on what you're thinking about buying.

hughvane said:

The G5 processor is certainly an improvement on the G4, and it's not just in terms of speed (1.42 vs 1.6 - nothing much in it). There were negative reports concerning overheating on the PPC 970 in the G5 tower machines, so do some serious homework on what you're thinking about buying.

Click to expand...

Well, there is a worrying amount of for Spares/Repairs iMacs on ebay, but, there is a local Mac Specialist who may be able to fix it if something to goes wrong. Should I be worried about overheating? I've done a little of research, and it seems that the iMac G5 has 3 cooling fans, so surely it should be ok..?

I really want one, but loads of people have installed leopards on the low-spec 1.6/8/9 GHz versions - and from looking at the Leopard tech specs some seem a little under-qualified. So, if I were to get a sluggish 10.5 running machine, could I backdate it to 10.4 (Tiger's my favourite )? (Via disks of course!)

Thanks for all the help

When you read breadth and depth on the iMac history, you realise that the design concept of packing everything into a space of about 2" was a major engineering challenge. Keeping everything cool in that tight confinement was difficult, and so arose the problem I referred to - overheating.

However, I've never owned a PPC G5 iMac, just used them, and so hopefully someone on M-F who's got to know that model of computer intimately will be able to advise you better.

Leopard on a 1.6? I wouldn't, but then I tend toward the cautious and conservative. For Leopard I'd want a 2 GHz or greater, but that brings in the $$ consideration. I think you could erase Leopard and then install Tiger (which I too prefer) on the iMac HD, but I'd rather have a blank hard drive, and start from scratch.

Yeah, I would prefer to start from scratch, but can't that cost quite a bit?

hughvane said:

Leopard on a 1.6? I wouldn't, but then I tend toward the cautious and conservative. For Leopard I'd want a 2 GHz or greater, but that brings in the $$ consideration.

Click to expand...

I would venture to say very very conservative! Apple's minimum requirements for Leopard is an 867mhz G4 processor. I would say that a 1.6ghz G5 is fine to run Leopard.

- Nick

Leopard runs fine on my 1.42 GHz eMac, even with only 512 MB of RAM. It's not a speed demon, but it's plenty fast for light to medium computing. Bought it for $200 shipped on eBay. (Which is around 100 pounds IIRC.)

I would say the minimum for a usable machine with Leopard is 1 GHz.

Another development . . .

I went ebaying researching and, to my amazement, the G5 styled Intel iMacs - with iSight, are in some cases less than G5S! There was a very nice one going for £290. Are the Intel Processors worse than the PPC?

Thanks for all the help btw. I've given some +reps!