Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Author Topic: Will this work?  (Read 10287 times)

Description:

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline ArgoTopic starter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2002
  • Posts: 3219
    • Show only replies by Argo
Will this work?
« on: March 25, 2011, 02:13:52 AM »
Just inquired about a G4 iMac offered on the local Freecycle list.
Here are the stats:

  17 in. LCD display
   800MHz processor (not intel, i forget what mac used before that,
but it's that)
   80GB HDD
   Apple SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
   nVidia GeForce4 MX series video
   56K modem, 10/100 LAN
   2xFireWire, 5xUSB, integrated Mic, space for AirPort Card (but no
card), mini-VGA out
   includes Speakers, powercord, no mouse, no keyboard (both must be USB)
   RUNNING OS 10.2 (but has disk for 9.something)

Not sure what model it is. Just that is is an 800MHz G4 CPU.
 

Offline Franko

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 5707
    • Show only replies by Franko
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2011, 02:57:10 AM »
Im using one right now cos me iMac G5 is still installing OSX again... :(

Same specs just the 20" version, gotta be honest it's fine for browsing the web but don't expect to be able to watch live video or any kind of online videos to be honest, it's more like watching a slidsehow than a video... :(

Browsing is pretty slow unless you use an adblocker to get rid of all those annoying flash ads, fit a bigger HD 80GB is useless on the thing go for at least 160GB... :)

Most stuff stuff runs quite well but not as fast as the iMacG5 and you'll need to upgrade from 10.2 to 10.4.11 (don't pay someone 300 quid to upgrade it though, boy was I ripped off)... :(

The main reason for upgrading to 10.4.11 is that most of the software you be running on it requires this, it's almost impossible to fin old 10.2 versions now and they are really naff if you do find them... :)

If you wanna know anymore send me a PM and I'll help you out... :)

PS: it's PPC and makes a great desk lamp... :D
 

Offline fishy_fiz

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jan 2005
  • Posts: 1813
    • Show only replies by fishy_fiz
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2011, 03:04:33 AM »
Might help if you elaborate as to what you want it to work with before people can tell you if it'll work?  :)
Being that it's an amiga site Im going to assume you mean with MorphOS. If that is the case then I can only tell you that you'll need to replace the video card with an ATI/AMD card up to R300 based (if I recall correctly). Im sure others will be able to give you additional details.
Near as I can tell this is where I write something under the guise of being innocuous, but really its a pot shot at another persons/peoples choice of Amiga based systems. Unfortunately only I cant see how transparent and petty it makes me look.
 

Offline smerf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2002
  • Posts: 1666
    • Show only replies by smerf
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2011, 03:08:02 AM »
Hi,

@Franko,

I think what he wants to know and what I want to know is:

Will it run OS4.0
Will it run MorphOS

If you know of something better, HELP

smerf
I have no idea what your talking about, so here is a doggy with a small pancake on his head.

MorphOS is a MAC done a little better
 

Offline ArgoTopic starter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2002
  • Posts: 3219
    • Show only replies by Argo
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2011, 03:27:22 AM »
WELL, since this is Amiga.org and I AM posting in the MorphOS -- Hardware requirements and availability discussion subforum. I might perchance want to try running Morphos on it.

I've never used Morphos. This is free, so I'd like to try it. The computer isn't blazingly fast, but if it is enough to poke around and try various feature so I can get a feel for it. That would be okay.
 

Offline Franko

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 5707
    • Show only replies by Franko
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2011, 03:53:56 AM »
@ Argo

Nope it wont run MorphOS as Piru told me a wee while back when I asked about it... :(
 

Offline fishy_fiz

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jan 2005
  • Posts: 1813
    • Show only replies by fishy_fiz
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2011, 03:57:30 AM »
Aah, Id never noticed the forum category listed at the top of threads before. It's kinda hidden away in plain site.
Near as I can tell this is where I write something under the guise of being innocuous, but really its a pot shot at another persons/peoples choice of Amiga based systems. Unfortunately only I cant see how transparent and petty it makes me look.
 

Offline Cammy

Re: Will this work?
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2011, 04:18:31 AM »
iMacs aren't supposed by MorphOS (yet), so you'll be stuck with OSX or Linux on that for now if you get it.
A1200 030@28Mhz/2MB+32MB/RTC/KS3.1/IDE-CF+4GB/4-Way Clockport Expander/IndivisionAGA/PCMCIA NIC
A1200 020@14Mhz/2MB+8MB/FPU/RTC/KS3.0/IDE-CF+2GB/S-Video
CD32 020@14Mhz/2MB+8MB/RTC/KS3.1/IDE-CF+4GB
A600 030@30Mhz/2MB+64MB/RTC/IDE-CF+4GB/Subway USB/S-Video/PCMCIA NIC/USB Numeric Keypad+Hub+Mouse+Control Pad
A500 000@7Mhz/512kB+512kB/ROM Switcher/KS3.1+1.3/S-Video

Get AmigaOS
 

Offline Franko

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 5707
    • Show only replies by Franko
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2011, 04:26:31 AM »
Here's where you can find all the specs about that iMac model or any other for that matter... :)

iMac Specs

PS:Forgot to mention MorphOS won't work with this model beacuase the GFX card isn't supported and you can't replace it cos it's integrated onto the motherboard, in fact the only things you can replace in these "table lamp" style models is the HD & DVD drive... :(
 

Offline ArgoTopic starter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2002
  • Posts: 3219
    • Show only replies by Argo
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #9 on: March 25, 2011, 04:29:13 AM »
Yeah, I just found the spec a few minutes ago and some searching here on AO. Look like it needs it would need an AGP slot. Oh well. I can always mess around with OS X.

Thanks Franko & Cammy.
 

Offline Franko

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 5707
    • Show only replies by Franko
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2011, 04:34:10 AM »
If you are going to muck around with it, try and upgrade the OS to it's max (OSX 10.4.11) it becomes very usable if you do so, 10.2 is really awful and not supported very much software wise... :)
 

Offline nicholas

Re: Will this work?
« Reply #11 on: March 25, 2011, 09:32:41 AM »
Quote from: Franko;624480
If you are going to muck around with it, try and upgrade the OS to it's max (OSX 10.4.11) it becomes very usable if you do so, 10.2 is really awful and not supported very much software wise... :)


10.5 is the last version of OSX that runs on these old machines.

http://leopardassist.sourceforge.net/supported.html

Just make sure to max out the RAM. (2GB usually)
“Een rezhim-i eshghalgar-i Quds bayad az sahneh-i ruzgar mahv shaved.” - Imam Ayatollah Sayyed  Ruhollah Khomeini
 

Offline Iggy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Join Date: Aug 2009
  • Posts: 5348
    • Show only replies by Iggy
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2011, 12:13:23 PM »
Yep, its not a matter of whether not not it has an AGP slot or ATI graphics, iMacs aren't supported under MorphOS.
On the other hand, Franko's right, its not a bad OSX machine (or Ubuntu for that matter).
See if you can upgrade to at least OSX 10.4 (Nicholas and Franko both have points here, 10.5 is better but you're going to need 10.4 at minimum).
"Not making any hard and fast rules means that the moderators can use their good judgment in moderation, and we think the results speak for themselves." - Amiga.org, terms of service

"You, got to stem the evil tide, and keep it on the the inside" - Rogers Waters

"God was never on your side" - Lemmy

Amiga! "Our appeal has become more selective"
 

Offline Franko

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 5707
    • Show only replies by Franko
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #13 on: March 25, 2011, 12:30:16 PM »
Quote from: nicholas;624509
10.5 is the last version of OSX that runs on these old machines.

http://leopardassist.sourceforge.net/supported.html

Just make sure to max out the RAM. (2GB usually)


Hmmm... not sure who wrote that but he forgot to point out that on the iMAC G4 800Mhz PPC (table lamp version) it DOESN'T WORK with 10.5... :(

I've tried it myself on my fully expanded iMACG4 and yes you can install 10.5 but...

Expect countless "Application Not Responding" crashes & lockups...
Random and totally unpredictable and unexpected Freezes...
Utils & Apps that you download written for OSX 10.5 not to install and most will (if they do install) quit with random errors telling you all sorts of weird stuff...

Ended up having to reformat the drive and doing a total re-install of OSX 10.4 again... :(

Definetaly not worth even attempting to install 10.5 on these particular iMAC G4 Models as you'll soon realise if you do that it doesn't have the power or the GFX Board to cope with 10.5 apps... :(
 

Offline tone007

Re: Will this work?
« Reply #14 on: March 25, 2011, 12:59:30 PM »
Quote from: Iggy;624528
its not a bad OSX machine (or Ubuntu for that matter).


Actually, it is a bad Ubuntu machine, last I tried (and I seem to recall Franko trying as well) 10.04 and 10.10 didn't work on it, at least not without a lot of trouble.
3 Commodore file cabinets, 2 Commodore USB turntables, 1 AmigaWorld beer mug
Alienware M14x i7 laptop running AmigaForever