learning to use a mac with a g4?

joesqp · Oct 9, 2010

Hi there,

am considering switching from pc to mac but need time to secure the neccessary funds to do so. Was thinking about purchasing a refurbed powermac g4 in the meantime (for peanuts) in order to get used to mac.

Is there any advantage in this or will it be too outdated to use new software, os, etc?

Rough spec:
G4 Digital Audio 466Mhz, 768MB RAM, 60GB HDD, OS9

Thanks

MacDude121 · Oct 9, 2010

I's say that would be fine just to learn the OS. It can take up to 10.4 which isn't TOTALLY outdated. Plus, you could always use it for lite web browsing etc.

pigoo3 · Oct 9, 2010

joesqp said:
Hi there,

am considering switching from pc to mac but need time to secure the neccessary funds to do so. Was thinking about purchasing a refurbed powermac g4 in the meantime (for peanuts) in order to get used to mac.

Is there any advantage in this or will it be too outdated to use new software, os, etc?

Rough spec:
G4 Digital Audio 466Mhz, 768MB RAM, 60GB HDD, OS9

Thanks

My quick answer is...don't buy anything you need to dump any additional money into. Make sure the computer you get has everything you need.

For example...the computer you listed mostly looks fine (hardware-wise) a little more ram would be nice...but I only see Mac OS 9 mentioned. If you want to learn how to use a Mac...it's not about the hardware...it about the software. And this means you want at least Mac OS 10.3...or better...MAc OS 10.4 installed on it (you don't want to have to buy it).

And unless you get REALLY lucky...don't expect this computer to be capable of wireless internet/networking (it is capable)...but most times it won't come with the needed Airport card.

HTH,

- Nick

joesqp · Oct 9, 2010

Cheers for the swift reply,

on closer inspection machine comes with os 10.4 installed, intending to use it only for word processing and web browsing either via a lan cable or by upgrading to an airport (wireless?) card for additional £30-50.

should cost roughly £100-120 all in (incl monitor mouse keyboard etc.). A viable option until i have the thousand pounds for a new model in the new year??

thanks

pigoo3 · Oct 9, 2010

joesqp said:
Cheers for the swift reply,

on closer inspection machine comes with os 10.4 installed, intending to use it only for word processing and web browsing either via a lan cable or by upgrading to an airport (wireless?) card for additional £30-50.

should cost roughly £100-120 all in (incl monitor mouse keyboard etc.). A viable option until i have the thousand pounds for a new model in the new year??

thanks

Sounds like a decent setup to learn from!

I know computer prices (new or used) are more expensive in the UK than here in the US...but YIKES...£100-120 for the setup + another £30-50 for the airport card!!!

Hopefully it comes with a decent LCD monitor (not CRT)!

To be honest...here in the US I wouldn't pay more than $30 (£18) for that computer. If the monitor is an LCD...it's actually worth more than the computer (or about the same).

Good luck,

- Nick

MacDude121 · Oct 9, 2010

pigoo3 said:
Sounds like a decent setup to learn from! I know computer prices (new or used) are more expensive in the UK than here in the US...but YIKES...£100-120 for the setup + another £30-50 for the airport card!!! Hopefully it comes with a decent LCD monitor (not CRT)!

To be honest...here in the US I wouldn't pay more than $30 (£18) for that computer. If the monitor is an LCD...it's actually worth more than the computer (or about the same).

Good luck,

- Nick

Wow, I really have to say the prices of these computers seem to be decreasing drastically. (If not already hit rock bottom)

pigoo3 · Oct 9, 2010

MacDude121 said:
Wow, I really have to say the prices of these computers seem to be decreasing drastically. (If not already hit rock bottom)

A few weeks ago I purchased:

- a 733mhz Powermac Quicksilver with ZIP drive!

- an HP All-In-One inkjet printer (with extra ink cartridges)
- and a full set of Mac OS 10.4 install disks

..all for $30 bucks

That's an even better deal than I mentioned about a 466mhz Powermac G4 being worth $30 above.

I also recently purchased an:

- original Clamshell iBook (perfect condition)
- great shape "Yo-Yo" power adapter
- full set of OS 10.3 install disks...with original box

...all for $20 bucks!

The deals are out there,

- Nick

p.s. For computers of this vintage (7-8 years old & older)...prices pretty much are rock bottom. The ram & hard drive in them is worth more.

louishen · Oct 9, 2010

Bear in mind that any PC keyboard and mouse you may already own will work on that G4, so they may be purchases you dont actually need

You can get an airport card for £20

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/sis.html?_nkw=Apple+USB+Airport+Card+Adapter+G3+G4+G5+iMac+MacBook

The fact that the computer comes with tiger is good news, Tiger install disks are pretty expensive on the second hand market

pigoo3 · Oct 9, 2010

louishen said:
Bear in mind that any PC keyboard and mouse you may already own will work on that G4...

And most monitors (I think some of the older Powermac G4's had a VGA port)...but maybe need an adapter.

- Nick

MacDude121 · Oct 9, 2010

pigoo3 said:
A few weeks ago I purchased:

- a 733mhz Powermac Quicksilver with ZIP drive!
- an HP All-In-One inkjet printer (with extra ink cartridges)
- and a full set of Mac OS 10.4 install disks

..all for $30 bucks

That's an even better deal than I mentioned about a 466mhz Powermac G4 being worth $30 above.

I also recently purchased an:

- original Clamshell iBook (perfect condition)
- great shape "Yo-Yo" power adapter
- full set of OS 10.3 install disks...with original box

...all for $20 bucks!

The deals are out there,

- Nick

p.s. For computers of this vintage (7-8 years old & older)...prices pretty much are rock bottom. The ram & hard drive in them is worth more.

Yes. But I like to think the price varies with the costumer. Like, for example. You don't have a computer, but you want one, plus, you want it to be reliable, and not have many problems. (Okay I'm referring to a Mac here

) And you see an iMac G3 for sale. You just wanna do your basic e-mail and such. Maybe join Facebook... Would you pay $40 for it? I would. Where else are you gonna get a computer for $40? A 10 year old dell can't do half the stuff that a G3 still can do, and that's how much people would charge for a dell that old. So what I'm saying is, it probably depends on the buyer.

dtravis7 · Oct 9, 2010

pigoo3 said:
A few weeks ago I purchased:

- a 733mhz Powermac Quicksilver with ZIP drive!
- an HP All-In-One inkjet printer (with extra ink cartridges)
- and a full set of Mac OS 10.4 install disks

..all for $30 bucks

Great deal there Nick! I got my 733 Quicksilver with 512 Megs RAM, 40GB HDD, 250Mb Zip about 1 year ago for $39. It had 10.4.11 installed but no media. So you scored!

The 466Mhz G4 Digital Audio is a good machine but with that CPU, don't expect You Tube videos to be smooth. Otherwise it will be fine to mess with OSX and get used to it. 768MB RAM will work for basic stuff with Tiger fine. It does take 3 512Meg PC133 Dimms. Since you are saving for a new Mac, try not to put anymore $$$ into it if you can help it.

pigoo3 · Oct 9, 2010

MacDude121 said:
Yes. But I like to think the price varies with the costumer. Like, for example. You don't have a computer, but you want one, plus, you want it to be reliable, and not have many problems. (Okay I'm referring to a Mac here ) And you see an iMac G3 for sale. You just wanna do your basic e-mail and such. Maybe join Facebook... Would you pay $40 for it? I would. Where else are you gonna get a computer for $40? A 10 year old dell can't do half the stuff that a G3 still can do, and that's how much people would charge for a dell that old. So what I'm saying is, it probably depends on the buyer.

Of course it depends on the buyer...and the selling price of a computer can vary based on the buyer. My buying stories are from my point of view...because they are my personal experiences. I have multiple computers...so if I can't get a price I'm happy with...then I just walk away from the deal.

If I see a computer for $100 dollars & I offer $50 and the seller agrees...great. That doesn't mean that a different buyer (who may not be as aggressive as me...or has a harder time walking away from the deal for whatever reason)...wouldn't be wiling to buy it for $60, $75...or even the full $100!

I don't overpay for any computers I buy. This covers the entire spectrum of Macintosh computers...from a lowly old Clamshell iBook or G3 iMac...to a MUCH newer Mac Pro desktop or a 17" Macbook Pro! Every computer I purchase I got for a KILLER price...since I'm willing to wait for the right deal to come along. Sometimes the best deals happen when you're not looking for them!!!

- Nick

pigoo3 · Oct 9, 2010

dtravis7 said:
Great deal there Nick! I got my 733 Quicksilver with 512 Megs RAM, 40GB HDD, 250Mb Zip about 1 year ago for $39. It had 10.4.11 installed but no media. So you scored!

Sounds like you got a real good deal as well.

When I got my 733mhz Quicksilver...I didn't realize that the seller was including the OS 10.4 disks until I showed up at the sellers place. He was basically getting rid of all his Macintosh stuff...after deciding Mac's weren't for him...so it was "Mac Clean-Out Day" for him...and a great deal for me!

- Nick

MacDude121 · Oct 9, 2010

pigoo3 said:
Of course it depends on the buyer...and the selling price of a computer can vary based on the buyer. My buying stories are from my point of view...because they are my personal experiences. I have multiple computers...so if I can't get a price I'm happy with...then I just walk away from the deal.

If I see a computer for $100 dollars & I offer $50 and the seller agrees...great. That doesn't mean that a different buyer (who may not be as aggressive as me...or has a harder time walking away from the deal for whatever reason)...wouldn't be wiling to buy it for $60, $75...or even the full $100!

I don't overpay for any computers I buy. This covers the entire spectrum of Macintosh computers...from a lowly old Clamshell iBook or G3 iMac...to a MUCH newer Mac Pro desktop or a 17" Macbook Pro! Every computer I purchase I got for a KILLER price...since I'm willing to wait for the right deal to come along. Sometimes the best deals happen when you're not looking for them!!!

- Nick

EXACTLY! Sometimes, you gotta check where the seller is at. They may be asking $45 for something. But might take $15 for it! (iMac G3 buying experience here) And that seller may have gotten somebody that REALLY wanted a G3 and may have paid the full $45 for it. I just wasn't that person.

pigoo3 · Oct 9, 2010

MacDude121 said:
EXACTLY! Sometimes, you gotta check where the seller is at. They may be asking $45 for something. But might take $15 for it!

This is EXACTLY my mindset. $45 might be a fair price for a computer...but since we're not shopping at a store where the price is what the price tag says it is...you got to offer the seller something less than $45. You never know...the seller might have had this computer sitting in a corner taking up space collecting dust for 5 years...first cash offer gets it...sooner it's gone the better!

But for most sellers who still feel the item has "some value" to them...the trick is not to offer a price that is so low that it's insulting or disrespectful (if you really want the computer).

- Nick

MacDude121 · Oct 9, 2010

pigoo3 said:
This is EXACTLY my mindset. $45 might be a fair price for a computer...but since we're not shopping at a store where the price is what the price tag says it is...you got to offer the seller something less than $45. You never know...the seller might have had this computer sitting in a corner taking up space collecting dust for 5 years...first cash offer gets it...sooner it's gone the better!

But for most sellers who still feel the item has "some value" to them...the trick is not to offer a price that is so low that it's insulting or disrespectful (if you really want the computer).

- Nick

Yeah. Well he didn't use the computer at all, was taking up space, and didn't really even know how to use it. Not to mention when I got it home, I found that the graphics on the thing were all screwed up, and it took me a hour to fix it. So he couldn't have used it even if he wanted to.

Mac SK · Oct 9, 2010

pigoo3 said:
A few weeks ago I purchased:

- a 733mhz Powermac Quicksilver with ZIP drive!
- an HP All-In-One inkjet printer (with extra ink cartridges)
- and a full set of Mac OS 10.4 install disks

..all for $30 bucks

That's an even better deal than I mentioned about a 466mhz Powermac G4 being worth $30 above.

I also recently purchased an:

- original Clamshell iBook (perfect condition)
- great shape "Yo-Yo" power adapter
- full set of OS 10.3 install disks...with original box

...all for $20 bucks!

The deals are out there,

- Nick

p.s. For computers of this vintage (7-8 years old & older)...prices pretty much are rock bottom. The ram & hard drive in them is worth more.

WOW....Nick...You know I need a Quicksilver zip drive bezel. Ill trade you a solid one. :Mischievous:

pigoo3 · Oct 9, 2010

MacDude121 said:
Yeah. Well he didn't use the computer at all, was taking up space, and didn't really even know how to use it. Not to mention when I got it home, I found that the graphics on the thing were all screwed up, and it took me a hour to fix it. So he couldn't have used it even if he wanted to.

I was actually just using your numbers as an example. But good to hear (I think) that you were able to figure out the graphics issue.

- Nick

pigoo3 · Oct 9, 2010

Mac SK said:
WOW....Nick...You know I need a Quicksilver zip drive bezel. Ill trade you a solid one.

Interesting offer

...but if I traded you the zip drive bezel...then what would I use?

- Nick

Blazkowicz · Oct 9, 2010

The stock video card in the 466 DA is going to choke on anything other than basic stuff on the web; try to pick up a Mac compatible card like a 9200 or at the very least a GeForce2 (all over eBay for <USD 20) if you plan on using it for any extended period of time.

With that said, even a Rage 128 runs 10.4 flawlessly and will putter around on the web in an acceptable way.

learning to use a mac with a g4?

joesqp

MacDude121

pigoo3

Well-known member

joesqp

pigoo3

Well-known member

MacDude121

pigoo3

Well-known member

louishen

pigoo3

Well-known member

MacDude121

dtravis7

pigoo3

Well-known member

pigoo3

Well-known member

MacDude121

pigoo3

Well-known member

MacDude121

Mac SK

pigoo3

Well-known member

pigoo3

Well-known member

Blazkowicz

Shop Amazon