James Snedeker
Level 1 (99 points)
Desktops

Q: Trying to get OS 9 and OS 10 to play with each other

My dad has an old G4 tower--the Quicksilver--that has just had its logic board go bad.   We're trying to come up with solutions.

 

He's willing to buy a brand-new desktop, but one thing is stopping him.  He does a lot of creative work in OS 9, which he has maintained on his G4.  The G4's maximum OS is 10.4.11, which allowed for the use of OS 9 in addition to 10.4.11.  But obviously, a new system with Yosemite would not allow him to use OS 9.  He does like 10.4.11, but would love to be able to upgrade his OS as far as possible.   But the need for OS 9 access obviously is a sticking point.

 

So we're examining different options.   Perhaps you could steer us in a good direction?  Here are the ideas I've come up with:

 

1.  Figure out a way to get his OS 9 on a new Yosemite machine.   (Good luck with that one.)

2.  Replace the bad G4 with another working, vintage computer that allows OS 9 and figure out a way to hook that one and a new Yosemite machine together, so he'd only have one keyboard to worry about.

3. Simply replace the bad G4 with another working, vintage computer (such as another Quicksilver) that uses 10.4.11 and do a data transfer.

4. Get a G4 logic board and replace the bad one in the current machine.

 

Getting a working G4 or replacing the logic board are the simplest options, but then you're talking about hardware that is at least a decade old.  Getting a new machine would obviously be preferable, but... OS 9.

 

Anyone care to comment on any of these options, or have better ideas?  Thanks.

Posted on Jan 3, 2015 4:46 PM

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James Snedeker

Q: Trying to get OS 9 and OS 10 to play with each other

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  • by James Snedeker,

    James Snedeker James Snedeker Jan 4, 2015 3:17 PM in response to James Snedeker
    Level 1 (99 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 4, 2015 3:17 PM in response to James Snedeker

    Thank you, everyone, for your helpful information!   My dad is going to talk with his Mac guy tomorrow, and is very pleased to be armed with all this advice, so they can talk it over to see what the best solution will be. 

  • by John Helock,

    John Helock John Helock Jan 5, 2015 1:38 AM in response to James Snedeker
    Level 2 (199 points)
    Jan 5, 2015 1:38 AM in response to James Snedeker

    If you do look at a mirror drive door, be aware that the fw800 machines cannot boot into OS 9. They can run it in classic mode only. The fw400 machines can boot into OS 9. All are also quite loud.

  • by MichelPM,

    MichelPM MichelPM Jan 5, 2015 2:38 AM in response to John Helock
    Level 6 (14,294 points)
    iPad
    Jan 5, 2015 2:38 AM in response to John Helock

    It is still my contention that OS 9 WILL be installable and bootable and can run on a PM G4 MDD FW 800 version from an external hard drive.

    It just won't run from that Mac model's internal hard drive.

    All MDD models were quite loud.

  • by Jon Smith,

    Jon Smith Jon Smith Jan 5, 2015 8:27 PM in response to James Snedeker
    Level 4 (1,385 points)
    Jan 5, 2015 8:27 PM in response to James Snedeker

    Hello James,

     

    I'm with BD Aqua on this one. I have a bunch of 2002 Quicksilvers and I volunteer at a place that recycles (repairs or deconstructs) old Macs of all sorts; the Quicksilvers are highly reliable and in my experience always repairable. I'm surprised you lost a logic board - usually it's the power supply that goes. Cheap as they are, you might even keep a spare around so you're never without. (I say this as a power outage has just done in a dual 1.25GHz PowerLogix CPU that served my main Quicksilver for ten years and I just finished a quick swap). 

     

    Get a dual 1GHz model and fit an Evercool 60x25MM CPU fan #EC6025H12CA (available from http.www.Coolerguys.com for $6.49) and disregard the third (variable speed) wire; they move more air and are scarcely any noisier. A cool Mac is a happy Mac!

     

    Not to badmouth The MDD, but they tend to run hot, and are fussier and harder to work on.

     

    Quicksilvers forever! ... Regards and good luck... Jon

  • by James Snedeker,

    James Snedeker James Snedeker Jan 6, 2015 7:55 AM in response to Jon Smith
    Level 1 (99 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 6, 2015 7:55 AM in response to Jon Smith

    Jon,

     

    Thanks for the information.  It's good to know!   The unit is at the repair shop now.  We're waiting to hear what they recommend.  I will forward your suggestions as appropriate.

     

    Jim

  • by E. Kennedy,

    E. Kennedy E. Kennedy Jul 13, 2015 1:13 PM in response to James Snedeker
    Level 2 (185 points)
    iPad
    Jul 13, 2015 1:13 PM in response to James Snedeker

    Also try ebay...here's a link to a search I did today (7/13/15) for "PowerMac G4"  where prices/bids start at $0.99 (with 5 days left) up - and I saw one with a "Buy it Now" price of $50.00

     

    Good luck!

     

    http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l2632.R2.TR9.TRC1 .A0.H0.Xpowermac+g4.TRS0&_nkw=powermac+g4&_sacat=171957

  • by KeatonS1234,

    KeatonS1234 KeatonS1234 Jul 13, 2015 3:28 PM in response to James Snedeker
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 13, 2015 3:28 PM in response to James Snedeker

    I think you should get another PowerMac G4, you could get the 1.25 Ghz MDD and you could boot into OS 9 directly, or if you want more power you could get the 1.42 Ghz MDD (FW800) but, you can not boot into OS 9 natively.

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