is there an update available for an IMac G3 with OS X running 10.3.9
I have an old IMac GE running OS X ver. 10.3.9 build 7w98. Are there updates for this OS or should I and can I update to a newer OS?
iMac, Mac OS X (10.3.x)
G3 iMacs with tray-loading optical drives, and slot-loaders with 350 mHz processors max out at OS 10.3.9. If it has a 400mHz or faster processor, it will support up to OS 10.4.11 "Tiger." However, you may need more RAM for effective performance. Models taht supoprt Tiger can handle up to 1GB RAM; for most people 512MB RAM will run Tiger fine on a G3.
So this boils down to the question, "Which iMac do you have?" Probably the easiest way with an older Mac is to use this website's tool that translates a serial number to a model name:
http://www.everymac.com/ultimate-mac-lookup/
If you do not want to enter your serial number there are other identifiers you can use. They are explained on that page.
True retail install versions of Mac software like Tiger are still in high demand. As Apple no longer sells old OS versions, you are at the mercy of the open market and some copies may cost 2-4 times the current value of a G3 iMac, so be forewarned.