Upgrading Panther 10.3.9 to Leopard 10.5.6 on eMac

Good Morning,
Looking for help to upgrade/install on eMac. We're trying to read current web pages that don't support our Safari browser (1.3.2). Required browsers seem to be Safari or Firefox, 3.2 or above. Of course these won't mount unless we upgrade our operating system. The specs are all good according to Apple Support and Sales. It's a PowerPC 4 (3.3) 1Ghz, 768 MB RAM, and has 40 GB of hard-drive still available. We purchased Leopard 10.5.6 from Apple at $129 and then inserted disc. Didn't read it. Tried other DVD's in drive and apparently laser is not working on drive. Tried an external Lacie drive through the USB 1.0 and it reads but won't install. The OS X install icon comes up and when clicked, asks for code for computer, which when entered tells us it's needs to restart. When that is clicked, it just loops back to the install dialogue box. It never installs even after multiple reads. Called Apple Support and Lisa suggested to reboot/start holding the option key down. Did that and they grey screen with the Apple icon and the spinning gear/sun comes up and just stayed there. Never loaded. The tech didn't appear much more knowledgable than me so got a senior tech on who troubleshooted. Confirmed various things and then suggested trying to load through firewire from a Macbook. When connected neither computer lists the other on the HD sidebar. I looked over the Forum and saw numerous posts on upgrading. Consensus seems to try a install rather than upgrade. That actually didn't seem to be an option yesterday. Also noticed some posts said you couldn't load the Leopard with a non-Intel chip. Think that's incorrect but.... Also wondering if it makes sense that we try an intermediate step of installing Tiger first. Lot's of posts here that talk about problems with Tiger and others say no such thing. Pretty lost at this point. Trying to minimize another dead end. Also thinking with the minimal CPU speed should just tell the owner to buy another system...?
Thanks
Pete

Note: Moved thread to appropriate forum. This has nothing to do with Community Suggestions and Comments.

Welcome to Mac-Forums Pete.

It's a quantum leap from Panther to Leopard for a 1 GHz eMac. You've bought a retail Leopard disk - right? If so, then follow your own thoughts about just installing 10.5.6 directly from the disk, but ......

Using the LaCie via USB 1 will not work. You will need a firewire drive or other computer. Quite why your two Macs are not reading each other I can't fathom from your post. How are you trying to get the two Macs to interconnect (eg. holding the T key on reboot)?

You definitely do not need an Intel machine to operate Leopard, and no, you do not need to go to Leopard via Tiger.

You've hinted at possible problems with a 1 GHz eMac and Leopard. The processor is going to struggle, even with maximum RAM (1 Gb - I think*).
*There were two 1 GHz models, one being what I think you have, the other being the later model with USB2.

Please understand that a full (or clean) install of Leopard will wipe ALL the data presently on the eMac's hard drive. Have you backed up the files you wish to keep to another drive?

All software upgrades boil down to the same thing: they are temporary solutions. It just depends on how much time you need. Eventually, the hardware will not support the software needed. If you get that eMac to run on Leopard, and Safari 3 or 4 to load your web pages, sooner rather than later, another web page you need won't load. It's only a matter of time. Your last statement may be the answer.