Novice- need advice for my old eMac

I'm running 10.4.11 on a desktop eMac I bought 8 years ago. Other than put OS X on it, I really haven't done much to this machine. It's been great, but it's starting to slow down. Also, with this version of OS X, I can no longer upgrade Firefox, move to iTunes Cloud, etc.

I still use this machine a lot for iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, etc.

What can I do (if anything) to keep this machine relevant and useful? Or is it simply time for a new machine? Any advice is appreciated, although keep in mind that I'm no "techie". Thanks.

Hardware on this eMac:
Machine Name: eMac
Machine Model: PowerMac4,4
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (3.3)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 1 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 256 KB
Memory: 1 GB
Bus Speed: 133 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 4.6.4f1
Serial Number: G83223QQNLZ

You can update the OS to version 10.5.8 (you will need an OS 10.5 install disk). Best place to purchase one is e-Bay...$80 to $100 bucks.

This most likely will not speed up your eMac...but it will help keep it more relevant. Keep in mind though...OS 10.5 is not exactly a new OS version...since the current Mac OS is 10.7.2 (but the latest OS your eMac can run is 10.5.8).

HTH,

- Nick

It is simply time for a new machine. Why keep making so much effort (and eventually, quite a bit of expense) to simply stay way behind the standard?

Modern computers should be expected to have a "useful life" of 4-5 years or so *IF* the user keeps everything up-to-date. Beyond that, you might get a little extra time but its basically time to start saving up for a new machine.