Worth updating a 2002 PowerBook G4?

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Worth updating a 2002 PowerBook G4?

Hey, I have an old PowerBook G4 and I was looking to upgrade its memory and specs. I can do most of the work myself, I was just wondering if it would be worth the investments to update this old computer! It's working great, but it's a bit slow and I don't think it would be able to handle Lion with only 512 MB and a 130 GB hard disk. Both would be swapped out and Lion would be installed. Would it be a smarter idea to just buy a new MacBook Pro and send my old computer in for the Recycling Program? Thanks

PowerBook

Posted on Jan 22, 2012 6:14 AM

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Answer 1

Jan 22, 2012 6:19 AM in response to Hanstolt

Forget about either Lion or Snow Leopard because they both require an Intel processor instead of the PowerPC processor which your PB G4 contains.

Allan

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Answer 2

BGreg

Level 6

17,558 points

Jan 22, 2012 6:51 AM in response to Hanstolt

The latest operating system you can upgrade to is OS X 10.5 Leopard, which Apple no longer sells. While you can upgrade memory and hard drive, if you plan to use it to access the internet, you'll find that streaming video just doesn't work well, with lags and stuttering. If you want to view sports online, some web sites like ESPN require an Intel processor to view video, and there are other sites that require that too. Some vendors have stopped supporting the PowerPC platform, for example, Adobe Flash comes to mind.

Unfortunately, the switch to Intel-based macs has left the PowerPC platform behind. Even Lion no longer support running PowerPC programs under the Rosetta emulator.

So, while the system would work for stand alone programs, email and some web surfiing, you'll start to find limitations that may prove frustrating. And as more computing power is required in the future, you may find a newer model serves you better.

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