Q: New to Mac, confused about OS and updating?

If you have an iMac G5 it would not be from 2012. Anything newer than 2006 would

likely be Intel-based. To upgrade an OS X past the native version requires a retail

OS X install DVD; a purchase. So it helps to know what you have, as the limits are

published. (I've had trouble posting here, second try.) G3/G4/G5 are PowerPC.

If both of your recently acquired Mac computers are older hardware that pre-date

the arrival of Intel processor technology, they are unable to run an OS X newer

than Mac OS X 10.5.8, if they have a processor speed of 867MHz or better. For

those with slower than that, they'd be stuck with OS X 10.4.11. Or older OS X.

To correctly identify the hardware build version of each product, the Mini and iMac

would be essential to knowing what you have and then making a suggestion.

Upgrades to system software and applications to run on the newer, are limited by

the hardware build model of the computer; so that is key to how to purpose these.

Sites such as Everymac.com can be viewed with an idea of matching your model

products by specification, and that can tell you some detail plus expectations.

Also a fair download database for most things Apple is available from MacTracker

See http://mactracker.ca for details on what it is, & other info.

The PowerPC architecture has been vintage or obsolete, with limited to zero support

for some time now; however the products can still be used for a variety of projects

if you have software for their vintage. There also are browsers such as TenFourFox,

SeaMonkey for PPC, and iCab, among a few others that do well in pre-Intel Macs.

The Intel-based Macs have their own limits going forward... from 2006. Several do

not fare so well in the Early editions, past Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion 10.7.5. To

upgrade past Snow Leopard, for those supporting that, the Mac App Store is needed.

You can buy Snow Leopard 10.6 on DVD from Apple. Update it free online to 10.6.8.

But it won't work on PowerPC based older Macs.

Good luck & happy computing!

For a start, please do "About this Mac" from your Apple menu (left end of menubar at top) and tell us what your iMac says in the spaces I've indicated with red arrows below:

Is my iMac an iMac PPC or Intel?

It is important to tell us the age of your machine so we can tell you what you can restore it with.

EMC 2496 iMacs, and 2012 iMacs and later iMacs can only be restored by Internet restore directions of command-R booting.

Earlier iMacs come with prebundled discs specific to them, and may also be compatible with retail Mac OS X installs depending on age.

danny

Please do as Allan says AND on the same "About This Mac" Dialog click the  [More info...] button.

Copy the info in the right pane of System Profiler and Paste it here. Mine looks like this:

Hardware Overview:

  Machine Name:    PowerBook

  Machine Model:    PowerBook3,1

  CPU Type:    PowerPC 750  (83.0)

  Number Of CPUs:    1

  CPU Speed:    500 MHz

  L2 Cache (per CPU):    1 MB

  Memory:    512 MB

  Bus Speed:    100 MHz

  Boot ROM Version:    4.1.8f5

  Serial Number:    QT****HDS

  Sales Order Number:    M7633LL/A

Stick with it, you will love using your new Macs.

CCC

<Edited by Host>

I've asked a moderator to remove the serial number.  That is NOT safe to include in posts.

a b

CCC needs new optics... not these kind Thanx for noticing. I have honestly say in all the times I have used SysProfiler I have never noticed that the serial# was in that list. I never noticed the "Sales Order #" either. guess that is of no consequence?

EDITadded

I guess keeping an eye on the OP's reply with my stoopid instruction would be in order?

endEDIT

FWIW, sales order # hasn't been used for some time (that used to be the model number); Intel Macs have a model identifier now such as iMac 10,1 or MBP 8,2. For one thing, that is what is used to figure out what RAM a Mac needs. This is what "system report" (that is what it's called now) looks like: