Just found an IMac G3, is it worth keeping around? please read

The battery starts new and runs down. It does not recharge. Therefore, there is no physical harm in leaving it alone (I don't think lithium batteries leak when they get old). However, a weak or dead PRAM battery has been reported to cause odd startup issues.

They are pretty cheap to replace.

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/BAA36VPRAM/

I'd leave that bad USB port alone. Sounds like it might mess up the rest of the Mac, or the device you are plugging in.

You can use these instructions for installing an AirPort card to see if there is one in there.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2367

Since those original 802.11b AirPort cards are no longer produced and somewhat valuable (because they can be used in several different Macs), it is possible the previous owner removed it and sold it separately.

The first thing to understand is that the G3 processor has been left behind as far as many web sites with video are concerned. Newer video content tends to run poorly--enough to make you want to force quit the browser. If you need to use the internet for more than text-based sites, prepare for some long waits. Basically a G4 iBook will beat the socks off a G3 iMac.

The rest depends on the complete specs of the iMac. The later ones have fast enough processors to help with the video stutter, but not completely eliminate it. Please do the following so we can see the specs:

1) In the Apple menu (left end of menu bar) click on "About this Mac..." The resulting window will show the speed of the processor and the amount of RAM installed. The "Physical memory" is what is important; don;t worry about "virtual memory at this point. Post the processor speed and the physical RAM.

2) Highlight the hard drive and then type command-i. The resulting window will show the capacity of the hard drive and how much of that capacity is used. Post both values.

3) Also from the Apple menu, launch Apple System Profiler. In the first pane is a section for Memory. Expand that section if needed by clicking the little disclosure arrowhead at the left. Look in that section for "VRAM" (video memory) and post that.

This info will give a more complete picture of you rescued machine.

The last version of MS Office for OS9 was Office 98; it is very capable and runs well on almost any iMac. If it has Office 98 and you need the Office functions and the computer otherwise is working well, that's reason enough to use it. However,it does not address your space at home. If space is really that strained, then you should go with the faster machine.

The presence of a DVD drive is a real plus. The drive alone, carefully removed from the iMac, is potentially worth more than you could derive from selling the machine intact.

Again, with your posting more specs, people here can give you a better idea of how useful your findling can be.

Also, in addition to what Allan said, you don't own the licenses to use those program, just because they were there on the hard drive. There is nothing that prevents you from using them, but it may be best to discuss and consider the value of the iMac itself (without bringing that software into the discussion).

Even with Mac OS 9, you could use it to off-load tasks from the iBook G4 (or whatever computer is your primary). For example, you could use an old version of iTunes to play music through external speakers or your stereo system. If you did it that with the iBook, playing music in iTunes (in the background) may slow it down for doing other tasks concurrently. I have an old Mac OS 9 machine that I use to digitize music from cassette tapes (using an old freeware audio recording program called Coaster). I could do it on my day-to-day iMac with a Mac OS X program, but recording analog sound is time-consuming, and to get the best results, you should not use the Mac for other activity while recording. So my Mac OS 9 machine frees up my other Mac from such tedious tasks; once the audio is digitized, I can do the editing and conversions using my primary Mac.

So to answer your question, that old iMac is worthwhile to you if (1) you just like playing with old Mac hardware and software, and/or (2) you can put it to use to off-load tasks that would otherwise occupy your primary computer. If (1) and (2) do not apply, it would just be taking up your limited space, so you may want to consider getting rid of it. In my case, both (1) and (2) would apply. 🙂

You didn't indicate the color of the plastic housing, but if it has a single 128 MB DIMM, I would tend to think that it's the factory-installed memory. If so, it's probably an iMac DV Special Edition model. If it has the 500 MHz processor, the specs can be found here. The specs for the 400 MHz model can be found here. In either case, the VRAM is soldered to the motherboard, so there is no physical AGP slot to enable an upgrade.

They are both the same, and they are USB 1.1 ports, not 2.0; so they are really slow and not well suited for storage devices. The FireWire port is much better for storage - you can even boot the Mac from it.

You can use it with a USB hub. A USB 2.0 hub should work, although it will still be 1.1. The type of hub that is self-powered would be better.

Some flash drives may require USB 2.0, but if the specs say it will work with 1.1, then it will probably work under Mac OS 9.2. They may need to be formatted for Mac.

Each one (that is setup and working) has its function. And I don't personally use all of the Macs in the house, but I'm the unofficial +tech support+ for them. 🙂

NOTE: Mac keyboards (except for the wireless ones) have two USB ports on them. So if you had the little keyboard that came that iMac, you would plug the keyboard into the Mac and the mouse into the keyboard. Then, you would still have one extra low-power USB port on the keyboard and one extra full-power USB port on the Mac. Well, you would still have to use a hub because one of your Mac USB ports is broken.

Whether the flash drive works or not depends on the type. If it is formatted for Windows, you may want to format it as +Mac OS Extended+ using your iBook before connecting it to the iMac. But then, you will not be able to use it with Windows.

If installed, you'll see the AirPort card directly behind the memory slots.