iLife '04 or iLife '05 for tangerine iBook?

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Level 1

45 points

iLife '04 or iLife '05 for tangerine iBook?

I am going to install Panther on my tangerine iBook (300 MHZ G3 processor, 288 MB Ram, 30 gig hard drive), and I was wondering if I would be better of installing iLife '04 or iLife '05 (after I've upgraded to Panther)? I am not too techie with computers, but I've been reading that this old iBook might not be able to handle many of those iLife applications.... How do the system requirements for the two iLife's differ? Will I have to do anything special to install iLife - either version - (besides plugging in an external DVD drive)....?

Any input would be appreciated....
Thanks!

Posted on Oct 5, 2005 3:52 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 5, 2005 5:01 PM in response to Olivia

Hi Olivia,

Most of the iLife applications ('04 and '05) have system requirements that exceed that of your iBook. About the only one that will work fully is iTunes (and you can get that free anyway).

Also, your iBook does not have Firewire, and only has USB 1.1. It cannot run a DVD drive properly. The most "powerful" drive you would be able to run is a CD-R drive.

My daughter has one of these units (with 320 Mb RAM and a 30 Gig HD) and has a great time with it, but it does have its limitations.....

Cheers!

Karl

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Answer 2

Olivia Author

Level 1

45 points

Oct 5, 2005 7:20 PM in response to Olivia

So, I guess GarageBand is a no-go, too.....?

Ok... What about the iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD versions that came with Jaguar? Would those work on the iBook? (Would I even be able to put those on my iBook if I install Panther?)

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Answer 3

Olivia Author

Level 1

45 points

Oct 5, 2005 7:39 PM in response to Olivia

Here's another question for you.....

What if I just install Jaguar instead of Panther?
I would then have those older versions on the iLife apps (except garageband, of course)... Would I be able to use them???

Next question.... What about OS 9? Isn't there a version of iMovie on OS 9? Would this one run on my iBook????

My husband really wants to be able to use iMovie on this computer, so I am trying to figure out the best way to make this happen.... He would also love to use garageband, but if that's just not going to happen (no matter what), we'll just have to accept that....

Thanks for the great advice!!!!

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Answer 4

Oct 6, 2005 12:59 AM in response to Olivia

Hi Olivia,

Garage Band is a no-go. 😟

iPhoto will install, but runs very very slowly (lots of waiting while the beachball spins), and is not reliable. 😟

iMovie and iDVD will not install, because a properly functioning DVD drive needs to be detected (which you can't really run anyway). 😟

Cheers!

Karl

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Answer 5

Oct 6, 2005 1:05 AM in response to Olivia

Hi Olivia,

Much the same restrictions apply as for Panther. You are hampered by the fact that this iBook was not set up to run a DVD drive.

The same applies to OS 9, unfortunately.

Video playback on these units is very choppy because the CPU is just not up to it, so even if you were to get these applications onto the computer, you wouldn't get good performance at all.

This is all a great pity, as they are a funky little unit with loads of quirky appeal.

It's pretty good with iTunes, though.........

Cheers!

Karl

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Answer 6

Olivia Author

Level 1

45 points

Oct 6, 2005 5:32 AM in response to Olivia

Ok, then.... Looks like I'm sticking with Panther.
It's too bad those iLife applications won't work.....

Is there any 3rd party software (movie-making, music-making) that would work on this iBook? Or, am I looking at the same kinds of problems that I would have with the iLife apps?

Thanks a bunch!

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Answer 7

Oct 6, 2005 6:41 AM in response to Olivia

Hi Olivia,

This iBook was intended for use in word, processing, database type functions, preparing documents and still shot presentations, as well as having "in the field" internet capabilities through its internal modem and Airport Card option.

It still fulfills those functions quite well, albeit a little more slowly than later models.

It was never intended for audio or video editing (which is what Garage Band and iMovie do respectively). Moreover, its inability to drive a DVD properly is a serious impediment to these sorts of activities.

For movie making, the OS 9 version of Final Cut Pro or iMovie would probably function, but you wouldn't be able to get stuff on and off the computer easily unless you were hooked in via Firewire to a network that included appropriate other computers.

For these applications to work, you would have to boot up in OS 9 - Classic won't support them.

I don't know what music making software was around for OS 9. Maybe try googling for it.

Cheers!

Karl

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Answer 8

Duane

Level 10

124,293 points

Oct 6, 2005 7:39 AM in response to Karl Texler

For movie making, the OS 9 version of Final Cut Pro or iMovie would probably function...

There is an OS X version of iMovie 2.1.2 that will work on a clamshell with Firewire.

...unless you were hooked in via Firewire...

Olivia's tangerine iBook 300 MHz does not have Firewire.

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Answer 9

Duane

Level 10

124,293 points

Oct 6, 2005 7:40 AM in response to Karl Texler

iMovie and iDVD will not install, because a properly functioning DVD drive needs to be detected...

iMovie doesn't care about a DVD drive, it cares about Firewire. iMovie 2.1.2 is the last version of iMovie that will work on the clamshell iBook.

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Answer 10

Olivia Author

Level 1

45 points

Oct 6, 2005 8:28 AM in response to Olivia

Has anyone heard of Emagic Logic Express 6...?
Will this music software work on this iBook?

Thanks!

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Answer 11

Olivia Author

Level 1

45 points

Oct 6, 2005 8:46 AM in response to Olivia

Yet another question........
If I plug in an external DVD drive, would I even be able to install any version of iLife....? Or, will I get some kind of error message?

What about the very first version of iLife ('03, I think)...? Am I able to install any of these version of iLife on this iBook via an external DVD drive?

My husband is now telling me that he really wants to use Garageband.... I can understand not being able to use iMovie.... But, what about Garageband?

I was thinking.... If I could at least get the iBook to do the installation of iLife, I could keep Garageband and toss the rest.... Would that work? I really don't want to buy any version of iLife before I know that the iBook will even perform the installation...... Help!

Thanks!!!!

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Answer 12

Duane

Level 10

124,293 points

Oct 6, 2005 9:55 AM in response to Olivia

What about the very first version of iLife ('03, I think)...?

You will only be able to use iTunes. But iTunes is a free download so you don't need to buy iLife to get it.

But, what about Garageband?

GarageBand requires a 600MHz G3 or faster processor. Your iBook's 300 MHz processor isn't up to the job.

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Answer 13

Oct 6, 2005 2:39 PM in response to Duane

Hi Duane and Olivia,

"...unless you were hooked in via Firewire..."

It was late at night in Australia, what I should've said was "via Ethernet" (I knew that Olivia's iBook was non Firewire, it's the same as my daughter's).

Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.

Cheers!

Karl

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Answer 14

Oct 6, 2005 2:58 PM in response to Olivia

Hi Olivia,

External DVD drives run off either Firewire or USB 2.0 and need a fairly decent CPU.

Your computer doesn't have Firewire, and only has USB 1.1. It's CPU is only 300 Mhz (400 MHz is the bare minimum for DVD drives, and 600-700 MHz is what most DVD applications are comfortable with).

You would not be able to get a DVD drive to function properly.

As Duane and I have said before, you can't use Garage band with this computer, it's just not up to it, unfortunately.

As regards iLife here are some bottom lines:

iTunes: Yes (but you can get it for free anyway)
Garage Band: No
iMovie: Yes (Version 2.1.2) but access to a DVD drive is problematic
iPhoto: Yes, but very slow and unreliable (it comes bundled with the Panther Installation anyway)

There is no point in you buying any of the iLife packages for use on your Tangerine Clamshell.

Cheers!

Karl

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