Q: I am using a Mac mini with system 10.4.11. Can you advise me of feasability of upgrading my system software?

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If it's an Intel mini you can go to snow Leopard, and maybe even Lion.  If it's a PPC Mac you can only go as far as Leopard.  Snow Leopard and Lion are cheap and easy to find. Leopard is hard to find an expensive ($130+).

Leopard 10.5 Technical Requirements - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3759

Snow Leopard 10.6 Technical Requirements - http://support.apple.com/kb/SP575

Mac OS X: System requirements for Lion - http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html

Your old G4 cannot be further updated. It is also officially obsolete and no longer supported by Apple.

Obsolete products are those that were discontinued more than seven years ago. Apple has discontinued all hardware service for obsolete products with no exceptions. Service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products. These include ALL G4 models.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1752?viewlocale=en_US

I too have a Mini running the latest OS it will take, but plan either to junk it or replace it.  If the latter, is there a current Mini and do you recommend it?

Dante

Yes.

http://www.apple.com/mac-mini/

Thanks!  How outfitted?  For its day, mine (bought on ebay) was maxed out.  I have a DVI display that should be sufficient, a magic mouse (a gift that I never use with our laptops), but want a new keyboard.  Is the base model,

• 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
• 4GB memory
• 500GB hard drive¹
• Intel HD Graphics 4000
• OS X Maverick

adequate, or do I start hanging more expensive processor and hard drive, etc.?

Only you can judge your requirements.

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2295 will tell you the pitfalls of upgrading from your old Mac Mini.

You can also install 10.5.8 for the most current operating system for your Mac Mini, but as far as cost/benefit, you have to also see if you need Classic, and the application support is significant enough:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2275

I really have the same problem and i really wish that i could upgrade because i cant afford a new mac. im running 10.4.11 and i can barely do anything with it. ive had this mac for many of years.

Julius,

As I already said in this thread, if you have a Mac Mini PowerPC, you can upgrade to 10.5.8, providing you don't need Classic, and your data is backed up.  It is unknown if the original thread starter is still here with us.

If you can ever afford a hardware upgrade, consider this Mac Mini 2011, Apple Mac Mini MC815LL/A Desktop

It is the last model that can be made to boot and run Snow Leopard natively (through the instruction of newfoundglory in the thread: "Can I install Snow Leopard on the new Mac Mini?"

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3209335?tstart=0

Usually I do not recommend a used Mac...

I run a Mac mini and with 4 GB of memory even I am constantly running low on memory for applications and crashing. 

Best advice about Yosemite:  DON'T UPGRADE TO YOSEMITE with less than 8GB of RAM installed unless you really need Yosemite functionality. 

If you can get up to 4GB of memory installed, go with Mavericks.  Mavericks was rock solid and very light on memory use....

According to what i can see, you can upgrade your Mac Mini only to Leopard 10.5 at the highest because it was the last Mac OS X to support any kind of Power PC type (G4/G5) processor family.  As of 10.6 Snow Leopard, the OS went Intel processor only.  It looks like you also have enough memory to run 10.5 as it only requires ½ GB of RAM.  Leopard is a pretty solid OS, worth the upgrade.  Can probably be found for pretty cheap now online on eBay or elsewhere.