New owner of Old G-4 (1 Viewer)

[Michael_K_Sr]

There's no need to rush out now and purchase Tiger, especially with the next major revision of the OS (Leopard) probably just months away.

I think you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of your machine. We still have several of the Quicksilvers in production at the office.

 

[DaveF]

Michael Harris - thanks for the comments. As Michael K Sr advocates, there's certainly no desire to make you feel bad about your decision. I was just curious about the buying process.

And while a mini for $599 can be good, as you observe, it's without a monitor.

I don't know the differences between 10.3 and 10.4, but I'm hoping that 10.5 brings peace to all mankind. Or at least some very nice upgrades for my wife's system. So it may be worth skipping 10.4 and waiting for 10.5 later this year.

 

[Michael Harris]

Hopefully this will be my last question for a while but what is required to make my machine work on an 802.11g wireless network? It is looking like it is not as easy as just tossing in a Linksys wireless card into the machine. Is there some Apple specific piece of hardware?

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

I think your machine only had an internal slot for Apple's original AirPort card (since discontinued), which was 802.11b. 802.11g should be just as easy as tossing a Linksys PCI card or using a wireless USB adapter.

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

Okay, my question -- as a desklamp iMac G4 owner (since 2002) who's likely to upgrade this summer after OSX 10.5 is released, what are your options to donate old Mac hardware? I know Goodwill takes stuff, but I'm looking for educational outlets and the like.

 

[Derek Miner]

For wireless on a Quicksilver, you need a card compatible with the AirPort drivers. This Belkin one supposedly works:
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProdu...duct_Id=136479

This card (more expensive) is also supposed to work:
http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_g...ype=bottomline

Other wireless cards can be made to work via third-party software drivers. I went that route with my Quicksilver. Unfortunately, it's been several months, and I can't remember the name of the package I got!

 

[Michael Harris]

Derek, thanks for the recommendations. I bought the second one you mentioned and it worked right out of the box. Connecting to my wireless network was a breeze, easier than any XP machine I have.

I've also installed a second 80Gb hard drive, which will be used to store my photos while working on them. Again, it was a snap and the OS accepted it right away.

Once I went on line, I downloaded any updates. It seems that the reseller did load this machine with the latest version of Panther so I only needed four files and two were for iTunes and Quicktime.

I also installed Firefox, ICQ, VLC, and Windows Media Player. Again, no issues, but I'm sure you Mac folks already know that. I still have to get used to the file structure but I can see OS X's UNIX underpinnings.

The 17" Apple LCD monitor is wonderful. Compared to the cheap Compaq LCDs that I have on my PCs, it was like looking through a clean window. The fact that just one cable provides video, power, and USB connectivity is a sign of design genius.

Alas, I wish that genius would extend to the mouse and keyboard. The "hockey puck" mouse is a mess and I immediately plugged in one of my Microsoft mice. What a difference. The keyboard feels like a toy. Again I'll have to turn to Microsoft because I'm a big fan of their ergonomic keyboard.

So, I may have over paid for this thing but I really like it. Yesterday I was at a local Apple Store and just started looking for the next model. Mmmmmmm, Mac Pro!

 

[Derek Miner]

You weren't actually using one of Apple's old mice that literally was round like a hockey puck, were you? That one is way out of date with the machine you bought. As established earlier, you also got the wrong keyboard. The keyboard and mouse that came with the model computer you're using (or were supposed to) were very design-wise made to complement the machine. The mouse that came with my Quicksilver was one that is essentially a giant button. You just put some pressure on the front to click. It's quite elegant, in my opinion.

 

[Michael Harris]

I don't believe it was the machine that was out of date since all the documentation I've seen shows the keyboard, etc. you've described. My hunch is that the reseller did not have the "official" keyboard/mouse combo so he must have matched it with some other Mac keyboard/mouse combo. No biggie since I'm partial to MS keyboards and mice.

PS: After some sleuthing on Apple's site, I figured out that my keyboard and mouse combo is a refugee from a first generation iMac.

 

[Derek Miner]

I figured that was the scenario, actually. I didn't mean to imply you had a different machine than suggested. I feel bad that we've given you a hard time for paying too much for this machine, but you also got gypped on the keyboard and mouse that were supposed to come with it... even if you do like the Microsoft mice better.

 

[Michael Harris]

I may have paid too much but at least I'm actually enjoying using it. Imagine how I would have felt if I came to the realization that the Apple Mac OS was a load of crap. Also, looking and playing with keyboards and mice at the Apple store, I would have replaced those as well. Hell, I still miss the classic industrial strength IBM keyboards that made a real "click" when the key was pressed but then again I learned to type on a manual typewriter.

 

[Carl Johnson]

What's interesting (to me) is that Mr. Harris is the second person here to recently buy a used G4 system

And I am the first. Since hindsight is 20/20 I'm going to back up and tell the story of my search for a new computer from six months ago.

The Windows ME enabled PC that I've been using since 2001 is dying a slow death. The video card, the monitor, and the hard drive are all shot. I've heard that the release of Windows Vista is around the corner so that's what I'm waiting for. Don't know if I'll get system running Vista or an XP system that's on clearance to make way for the Vista but either way I come out ahead.
While debating XP vs Vista the option of going with a Mac comes into the picture when I hear that theirs is the most user friendly OS available. I've also heard that Linux is great for those willing to put the time and effort into figuring out how to use it but that's not me. At this point all I want is a system that can surf the internet quickly and effortlessly. Anything on top of that is gravy.
In this thread
[link]http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/showthread.php?t=247481[/link]
I said that I had decided to go with a Mac and asked for advice. I was told that eMacs are stable machines, that I should wait for Leopard, and that I could just as easily stick with Windows because a $2500 PC is just as reliable as a $2500 Mac. The cheapest iMac that I was willing to consider was the $800 model that came equipped with a DVD burner. When I found a gently used $400 eMac that came with a DVD burner I jumped on it.
In the end to get an iMac I would have had to spend twice as much on the hardware plus the cost of a monitor to get the same features I got on the eMac. Sure I knew that the iMac would be faster and more reliable, but if the eMac lasts at least 12 months I will consider it a good investment. By this time next year $800 will buy me a Mac that comes prepackaged with 1 gig of ram, a DVD burner, the Leopard OS, and maybe a TV tuner too

By the way I've seen multiple advertisements on ebay and elsewhere for a keyfob that has a USB conector on one end and a coaxial connector on the other that will turn any computer into a television / Tivo. Does it, or anything like it, actually work?

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

You're talking about Elgato's EyeTV Hybrid. One of my colleagues owns one and thinks it's amazing. It can even handle OTA HD broadcasts. Here's a quick review of it.

 

[Ted Todorov]

EyeTV's software is certainly very nice. I have the EyeTV 500, their previous generation firewire HD DVR and it works flawlessly.

Ted