Buying old imac g4 - price?

That's a little more difficult a request, since I am not familiar with so many;
but when looking for "a machine specific disc set" you could read into the
MacTracker downloaded database and see the version(s) they show as
having shipped with each Mac computer listed. There are hardware test
versions and series versions of installer by number shown in there.

A shop that repairs computers may have a database on what discs may
have shipped with a computer; and then with a given disc set number
or part number (such as the item would have as an Apple part) an ebay
or other online item may be found at random. They are no longer made.

The other option would be to try and find a suitable newer retail disc set
that could be used to install the full OS X in any supported computer.

Then, if other apps such as iLife were wanted, buy that separately. For
old apps such as AppleWorks 6, if you have the other installer, and it is
not being used by a computer (not running that software) you could get
and use in demo mode, the Pacifist utility, a download software that is
shareware but will work to extract software packets and install items from
an installer disc without having to actually install a full set of software
from the disc. Thus, Pacifist extracts a package and helps you install it.

There is a learning curve, since sometimes this will not work; and it
won't work to install a OS X version into a non-supported computer.

The iMac G4 information in MacTracker should show you info on the
software packet that shipped with the computer in question. That may
help find a source for that original package; but you may not want to
get that old of a software for future use of such a computer. The Apple
Hardware Test is one of the better reasons to get the original installer.

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

As far as I know there are no iMac G4s with 900MHz...maybe that's a typo. If that's an 800MHz machine, is indeed in mint cosmetic and working condition and the seller cannot provide any legit set of install disc(s), I wouldn't pay more than $275. Also, it won't cost you $150 to get the original system/software install discs; you might be able to get them from Apple or from eBay for $30-$40.

No, no, I didn't mean that in sarcastic way, if that's what you're implying. As you know, every individual has a different way of seeing/interpreting/judging/evaluating things. For example, I consider my iMac to be in mint condition but you might see it as being in just good condition. Does that make sense?

While I don't recall the issues your iBook had, regarding the trading stock
value in this circumstance, depending on what that problem was with it
could make it worth more or less. Aside from a partial trade, where you
get rid of the iBook and get this iMac G4 800 (17") with superdrive; the
software set is not really worth anything since all the official installer discs
for the OS X, the MS Office, and others, are not included in the deal.

And, if the computer is running 10.5, that is a marginal installation in the
800MHz 17" iMac G4; the super drive and other hardware specs can
manage iLife's apps in the '06 iLife vintage, but not later. Tiger is OK in
that machine and works wonderfully. (I had one, nearly perfect with all
the accessories, and Airport card installed; gave it to a friend with the
software installers and backup of free installer downloads on DVD, etc)

A local business (in larger town north of me) had four iMac G4s including
the 1.25GHz USB2.0 iMac with 17" display, for $150. each; probably had
a few for a little more money, but said they'd been checked over and were
original, other than maybe added RAM. All had a fresh install of OS X, and
worked well. They'd upgraded to a later model; that was via craigslist.

Of course, I have a few iMac G4 17" 1.25GHz models & a mid-2005 iBook.
And I have an unused Mac OS X 10.5 retail installer; so would be looking
for something to put the newer OS version into; not an iMac G4.

$350. may be a bit steep for the iMac G4 you cite; if it had like new original
accessories, keyboard, mouse, speakers, Airport card, extra cables ie:
USB, ethernet, phone modem, firewire, and original power cable; factory
software on original disc media, and a retail copy of the newer OS X in it...
Then it would be worth $350. with valid licensed OS X software.

The added Office and anything without a retail installer with password
put into the computer is worthless. You can't install it, & it is illegal. If
the seller worked in a retail store and knows software, he should know.

Per your iBook G4, I forget what the issues were; you could probably
get it repaired for about $60. labor plus parts, if not a logic board; from
a known-good Apple portable expert such as wegenermedia.com.

If the iMac G4 seller had a 1.25GHz model with wireless card, it may
be worth $350. including all the original accessories. In a retail market,
the model could be priced higher; if expecting a limited guarantee.

The older USB1.1 iMac G4 800 with 17" display, & original Airport card,
with SuperDrive, 1024MB RAM, speakers, keyboard, mouse; in great
shape? Deducting something for the iBook (status: questioned) you
shouldn't pay over $200. for it; not without licensed OS X discs included.

But that's just my opinion. There is still a demand for the iBook G4,
though if it has some serious issue it may be OK trading stock as-is
and I would only fix it if I were expecting to get it going for under $150.
through wegenermedia. They offer fixed computers. sS figure what
any extras are worth you can separate from your iBook, in a trade.
The RAM upgrade, if removable, the wireless card, etc. If you decided
to get another iBook some of the extra upgrades may fit an identical one.

Anyway, that's two topics; plus the value issues.

I'm on the fence, on this one. You could get a
tower computer with dual processors for $350.
Maybe even a PM G4 dual 1.42 like new. I read
of people getting an air-cooled PM G5 tower for a
few hundred dollars (dual 2GHz) with LCD panel.

{And some repaired & warranted MacBook Core2Duo
machines are out there - comparatively inexpensive.
Ones that can run 10.5 and maybe 10.6. Early Intel-
based Macs shipped with Tiger 10.4. And some of
them don't like Snow Leopard, so values vary there.}

Without a thorough service tech report on that iMac G4's status, he may
want a bit too much for it. Not seeing it run, and not performing any
third party tech utility tests on it (diskwarrior, techtool, etc) it is a question.

My upgrade path would have to include a computer
that can support an OS X later than Leopard, if new;
or run Leopard without any issues. That's fairly basic.

With three G4s running Tiger 10.4.11, that is OK. But
it isn't really great when the future for Tiger is closed.
No security updates, no java updates. Looking at 10.5.

If by now, you've seen and bought the iMac G4 800MHz
17" with superdrive, you could have done worse. Or it
could have been money toward a refurbished MacBook
from the online Apple Store; or a wegenermedia iBook.

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

Tiger 10.4.11 works well in the iMac G4; and in some cases, Leopard 10.5
may do OK if the computer is 1.25GHz and has large HDD, and more RAM.

(The iMac G4 1.25GHz computer can run 2048MB of RAM, total.)

The original install disc set is good since it has the original Apple Hardware Test
& that boots from the installer disc#1 of that sets DVD on the Superdrive model.

Without an optical drive able to use the OS X installer on DVD, the bottleneck is
the installation and any disk maintenance afterward requiring a boot DVD or a
third-party disk utility on a DVD you may find handy or a worthwhile investment.

Well, I have to go...
Good luck & happy computing! 🙂