Still 'viable'?

I was amazed at the speed of a 1Ghz eMac at an internet cafe the other day. It booted up in about 30 seconds and iMovie (I think it was iMovie HD) loaded immediately. This got me wondering whether I should buy one, and looking at reviews, some people have been commenting on the speed, and that some versions can out perform an iMac G5 on some tasks.

So, if I were to get one, this would be my first mac... I would like to use it for light video editing (unfortunately the G4 can only run iMovie HD ), lots of Garage Band (podcasts, songs etc), loads of Web editing (probably with iWeb), and listening to music, maybe the odd game (eg Roller Coaster Tycoon 3), some school work (using MS Office 2008 and iWork) and lots of internet surfing (which involves watching videos online). Would the 1.42 GHz version be able to do all of this? If I were to buy one, I would probably get the Ram and Memory upgraded to the maximum, and connect an external hard drive and speakers. I would love to run Leopard, which these things can do !

Also, I would like to run the latest version of iLife, which, looking through the system requirements, Apple - iLife - System requirements for iLife ’09 on the Mac. , says that iMovie requires an intel processor, and so does Garageband 'Learn to Play.' Chances are, I'll never use 'Learn to Play', and that, as nice as iMovie '09 looks, i reckon '06 could still do the job well. Would I be able to use the rest of the iLife suite on my eMac, and would I be able to use Garageband without using the 'Learn to Play' option.

Finally, with Leopard, iLife x2 ('06 and '09 - I'll need '06 for iMovie, but, if I can (another question!) I will uninstall the rest of the programs, and uninstall iMovie '08), a couple of games, iWork, MS Office 2008 and what ever else takes my fancy... how slow will the system be? Would this be a good system for me to use for my desired tasks? Or should I wait out and get say, a Mac Mini or a white iMac with intel?

All help helps! Thanks!

Edit: Are the screens any good? I've read that they flicker a bit - but on seeing one in person I didn't really see that. Are they safe? Apparently they can be seen as a health risk, is this true? Thanks again, and sorry for such a long post!

It will run Leopard, perhaps with a little difficulty considering the amount of memory installed, the age of the graphics card and the age of the machine. If you get it cheap enough great but CRT displays are starting to get towards the end of their life. These machines are coming up towards their sixth birthday.

Having said that some folks use G3 iMacs running OS 8.6 and are very happy with them. If it is what you like enjoy it!

The 1.42GHz eMac would be plenty viable for you.

You can use as large a hdd (ide, not sata) as you can buy, and ram maxes at 2gb. I've been running Leopard on mine until recently and it ran absolutely perfect.

I don't know about iLife 09, but iLife 08 with iMovie 06/HD works just fine on my 1.25GHz. If you want to use iLife, go with 08 over 06 as it has more features. You will definitely want to grab a video adapter and hook up a second screen as well, I find it a PITA to do my webpage work on a single screen.

NeoOffice is a great alternative to MS Office.

The 1.42GHz also has an upgraded video controller with 64mb ram as opposed to the 32mb the 1.25 and below have.

The 1.42GHz would do well for you, and as a bonus, the guy I bought my 1.25GHz from usually has 1.42GHz eMacs up for grabs. Here is the link to one in his EBAY store.

Apple eMac G4 1.42 GHz 1GB 80GB 17" Display CDRW - eBay (item 230351349852 end time Aug-22-09 11:35:42 PDT)

That is a pretty fair price for a 1.42GHz machine with Tiger. Ask if they can throw in a Tiger OS disc as the install CD's are the best utility available. You could upgrade this eMac with more memory and a superdrive. OWC advise they can take 2GB memory and here are the specs:-

Apple eMac G4/1.42 (2005) Specs (eMac 2005 - M9834LL/A*) @ EveryMac.com

I use a Samsung dvd burner from TigerDirect in my eMac, so you aren't limited to using the Apple Superdrive.

Also, he doesn't ship the eMac's with a copy of the os disc.

Thanks everyone! Yeah, I might go down the route of iLife '08, unfortunately, I live in the UK, so I can't get that computer. Looks ace though! The price in pounds is about is about £82.50! (Used a currency converter , not completely, rounded down though!). The equivalent in Britain, where everything is more expensive, is this:

Apple Emac G4 - 1.42Ghz on eBay (end time 12-Aug-09 20:52:41 BST)

That means with postage it'll be 179 pounds!

Should I wait and say, get a mini, or an old iMac, or will an eMac do?

Thanks to everyone who's helped, +rep!

I'd say an eMac would do for the time being, but in the future you might find yourself wanting more, at which point I would recommend something newer, such as the Mac Mini.

I'm upgrading my home office next month, basing it around a Mac Mini. After evaluating everything I ask of my computers, and going through what is available on each Mac, I decided I'm going to go with the setup listed in the bottom of my signature...which needless to say does include a couple fun bits.

, very nice ! a 42" inch LCD! That's pretty immense!

Back to topic, with all this stuff on my computer, would it be 'sluggish'?

As I mentioned in my earlier post, in Leopard I've run iLife 08 and iMovie 06/HD, as well as my regular gamut of applications, like VLC, iTunes, World of Warcraft, and quite honestly, a lot more.

iLife runs pretty good, but I do have lag problems with iWork. However NeoOffice (a port of OpenOffice) performs excellent for me.

With the eMac you are looking at, you would have more processor and better graphics with more vram to work with, so you might not see as much of the lag as I have.

I would definitely recommend the eMac as a starting point. I also recommend getting the mini-vga to vga adapter, and grabbing a second screen. Go ahead, give it a shot. If, after awhile, you decide it's not for you, you won't have blown a small fortune on a new setup, and can recoup most of what you spent by reselling it.

OnlyTimeWillTel said:

As I mentioned in my earlier post, in Leopard I've run iLife 08 and iMovie 06/HD, as well as my regular gamut of applications, like VLC, iTunes, World of Warcraft, and quite honestly, a lot more.

iLife runs pretty good, but I do have lag problems with iWork. However NeoOffice (a port of OpenOffice) performs excellent for me.

With the eMac you are looking at, you would have more processor and better graphics with more vram to work with, so you might not see as much of the lag as I have.

I would definitely recommend the eMac as a starting point. I also recommend getting the mini-vga to vga adapter, and grabbing a second screen. Go ahead, give it a shot. If, after awhile, you decide it's not for you, you won't have blown a small fortune on a new setup, and can recoup most of what you spent by reselling it.

Click to expand...

Mmm... I see what you mean. But, I'm a student, so 179 pounds is a small fortune for me ;D ! But, anyway, if I do love my eMac, and find a tinsy bit slow, it's my birthday in a couple of months, and then Christmas, so I can pick up a mini or save up and get an intel iMac... or maybe a G5 mac pro !

I've heard that with iMovie '08, which isn't compatible with anything PPC, people could download iMovie '06 for free. Will this be compatible and is this still available? Also, where would be a good place to get old software, like iLife and iWork, not forgetting Leopard?

Another thing is the internet - which is probably going to be this Macs biggest use. Will it be OK, I've heard that older macs can be a bit 'meh' in the web department. I watch loads of videos, so a good internet surfer is a must!

The final question is about the screen, being a CRT, will it last? And will it be safe if the screen is damaged at a point? Also, if I decide to get a cinema display or something, and the screen is broken, will I be able to shut off the main screen and use the second one?

Thanks for all your help

The screen on my eMac is in excellent shape, save for the grubby fingerprints I seem to be leaving on it...but that's another story.

I'm not sure what the earlier poster meant about the CRT being at the end of its life.... I have a buddy with 1950's tv's that are still as sharp as the day they came out, and I've used CRT's that were easily 12 years old without a problem.

Should your CRT start to have problems though, there are a number of things you can do, starting with using an external display as the primary screen. There are also people that have modified their eMac's to replace the CRT with an LCD. Not exactly a plug and play deal, but not the most technically demanding mod either.

As for the web, mine works just fine, I just find I have to let videos finish loading sometimes before watching them. Not a big deal really.

Apps said:

... or maybe a G5 mac pro !

Click to expand...

FYI...there is no such thing as a G5 Mac Pro! It's either a Powermac G5, or an Intel Mac Pro.

Good luck with your purchase.

OnlyTimeWillTel said:

The screen on my eMac is in excellent shape, save for the grubby fingerprints I seem to be leaving on it...but that's another story.

I'm not sure what the earlier poster meant about the CRT being at the end of its life.... I have a buddy with 1950's tv's that are still as sharp as the day they came out, and I've used CRT's that were easily 12 years old without a problem.

Should your CRT start to have problems though, there are a number of things you can do, starting with using an external display as the primary screen. There are also people that have modified their eMac's to replace the CRT with an LCD. Not exactly a plug and play deal, but not the most technically demanding mod either.

As for the web, mine works just fine, I just find I have to let videos finish loading sometimes before watching them. Not a big deal really.

Click to expand...

Cool. These are starting to persuade me loads. Just the issue of getting one now, getting Leopard and all my software, and then playing . Thanks for your help.

And yes I know there is no such this as a Mac Pro G5. I was just letting my stirring stick get the better of me.

Sorry to double post, but I was just wondering whether Apple still offered the free download of iMovie '06 for iLife '08 customers, and whether iM '06 would be compatible with a G4 processor.

Thanks.

Sorry to double posting and bumping to the extreme. I'd just like to say thanks for everyone's help and....

I bought one!

Tiger, 1.25, USB 2.0 and a 40 gig hd. (Gonna use my 160GB iPod as an external drive!)

Guess how much?

£45! £60 including P and P!

I CAN'T WAIT! It doesn't have iLife though, does anyone know a legal way of getting hold of iLife '06? (Also need Leopard ) No Airport or keyboard or mouse either, but these normally sell for over a hundred pounds! Just need to buy all of them, but there costs are fairly minor. Anyway, I prefer Tiger!!

Apps said:

I bought one!

Tiger, 1.25, USB 2.0 and a 40 gig hd. (Gonna use my 160GB iPod as an external drive!)

Click to expand...

Ok...good news & bad news:

Good news: Congrats on your eMac purchase & getting it for a great price.

Bad News: The 1.25ghz eMacs suffered from a bulging capacitor issue. So keep your eye out for problems.

emac capacitors - Mac Support

Congrats again on your purchase,

- Nick