PlainTalk mic

The "microphone" input to many Macs is actually a line-level input \[an amplified input, like that from a tape player or CD].

A true microphone input is far too low to produce anything useful on those Macs. To get around that problem, the PlainTalk Mic has an extended plug whose tip picks up Power at the far end of the jack. This so-called "mic" is actually an amplified mic.

Used Mac dealers, eBay, the used Mac dealers in the sidebar at low end Mac, or a google search for the Apple part number may be your best bets.

You could use any-old-microphone, with a regular \[shorter] plug, but you would need to boost the level up with a cheap amplifier for it to work.

Hello! can you post a pict of it. I may have one lying around that I don't use. Tom

You could look into a usb mic like the blue snowball. The usb carries both the power and the audio and it sounds fantastic.

Griffin Technologies use to make an adapter so that you could use a standard mic with an Apple. If they don't carry it in inventory, it should be available on eBay.

Those old beige PlainTalk Mics are dirt cheap ($2-3.00) on eBay and you may even be able to find a new one listed.