Connecting Mini to old iMac G4

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Connecting Mini to old iMac G4

OK so I have and older iMac G4 800MHZ Power PC. It's the 17" one that looks like a lampshade. Best looking computer EVER if you ask me. I have a G5 that I bought back in 2005 and just upgraded it to Leopard. But my older G4 needs to be 866 MHz to upgrade. Mine is only 800. Apple said there is nothing I can do, but I am wondering if there is a way to go and buy a new Mac mini and just use the older G4 mac as it's monitor. Please tell me there is a way to do this... it would be so cool to use it again.

iMac G5 2GHz PowerPC 1 GB DDR SDRAM, Mac OS X (10.5.6), 60GB V iPod, CanoScan LIDE 20, Canon HD10&ZR40, Samsung ML 2010, Epson PictureMa

Posted on Mar 4, 2009 11:25 AM

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Answer 1

Niel

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Mar 4, 2009 11:30 AM in response to Ryan Griffin

But my older G4 needs to be 866 MHz to upgrade. Mine is only 800.

If you have a Mac OS X 10.5 Family Pack licence or two retail packages, install it onto a FireWire drive and move the installation to the iMac G4, or clone an existing installation onto a drive accessible to the G4. That requirement applies to installation, not usage.

I am wondering if there is a way to go and buy a new Mac mini and just use the older G4 mac as it's monitor.

Not without a standalone monitor for setup and troubleshooting.

(41347)

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Answer 2

Ryan Griffin Author

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Mar 4, 2009 11:36 AM in response to Niel

Wow thanks for the quick response. So let me get this right, I could install Leopard onto an external firewire drive first. Then connect that drive to my older mac, and then select the external hard drive as the startup disk? That would work?

#2 I'm sure I could find a monitor somewhere I could borrow for setting it up. What would I do next?

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Answer 3

Niel

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Level 10

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Mar 4, 2009 11:39 AM in response to Ryan Griffin

Then connect that drive to my older mac, and then select the external hard drive as the startup disk? That would work?

Yes, provided the installation is done on a PowerPC Mac such as your G5.

What would I do next?

Use ScreenRecycler.

(41348)

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Answer 4

May 23, 2009 1:36 PM in response to Niel

Dear Niel--You seem to know as much about this as anything. My wife has an old lampshade Mac (OS 10.3.9, 800 MHz PowerPC G4) that I would love to preserve (the monitor) by connecting a new Mac Mini to it. Can do? Thanks!

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