OSX for iMac Power G3 400

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Level 1

17 points

OSX for iMac Power G3 400

I have a iMac Power G3 400 MHz currently running OS 9.2 with 1G of memory and a 40G hard drive. I would like to upgrade to OS 10.3.9 to mirror my PowerBook G4 laptop. Is this doable? I have been given conflicting advice.

iMac Power G3 400, Mac OS 9.2.x

Posted on Dec 23, 2006 12:31 PM

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Answer 1

Anne Bras

Level 4

1,760 points

Dec 23, 2006 12:55 PM in response to Lucy Rust

You can also run OSX Tiger (10.4) on your iMac using XPostFacto! It's better to run OSX Tiger because it is a more up to date operating system.

OSX will run fine on your iMac, but it is not fast, actually quite slow. For text-editing and browsing it does satisfy, but not much more. In OS 9 you can do a lot more, the Operating System itself does need less processor speed.

What do you exactely mean with: to mirror my PowerBook G4 laptop

Hopefully this is helpfull or solved your problem.
(please see the "helpfull" and the "solved" button's above this message)

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Answer 2

mrtotes

Level 6

11,836 points

Dec 23, 2006 1:00 PM in response to Lucy Rust

Yes an iMac 400 with 1Gb of RAM will easily run 10.3.9 but you must update the firmware first. Do it now to be on the safe side; no time like the present.

All >=400MHz iMacs can also run OS 10.4.8 (no XPostFacto required ;-)). 10.3.9 is no longer available for sale so 10.4.8 is easier to buy. You can't use the grey-coloured Powerbook G4 install disks as they won't work on the iMac G3. (Plus it's illegal to do so.)

If you do go with 10.4.8 the Migration Assistant will allow you to mirror the two machines very well.

Merry Christmas

mrtotes

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Answer 3

Anne Bras

Level 4

1,760 points

Dec 23, 2006 1:02 PM in response to mrtotes

mrtotes: You are right. I was confused with the 300mhz iMac, which does need something like XPostFacto to run Tiger.

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Answer 4

Lucy Rust Author

Level 1

17 points

Dec 23, 2006 1:41 PM in response to Anne Bras

Hi Anne,

I want to be able to run the same verions of the programs I have on my laptop on the iMac. I have recently had a problem with a failing disk drive on my laptop and it has been out of commission for almost a week - under warrenty, thankfully, but a huge pain never the less! I transferred all of my data to the iMac, but I haven't been able to do my work because my Illustrator 10 files won't open in Illustrator 8, I use InDesign on my laptop and Quark on the iMac, & on & on & on.

"Not fast, actually quite slow" doesn't sound like this would be a good solution. I run graphics programs most of the time. How would they work?

Lucy

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Answer 5

Anne Bras

Level 4

1,760 points

Dec 23, 2006 1:59 PM in response to Lucy Rust

Adobe product's are going to be really slow on OSX (especially the Creative Suite version's! You are not going to work with it really nice, a lot off waiting. Maybe big file's will even not open.

Photoshop CS2 will work, but Adobe Illustrator 10 can not even run on your iMac:
Minimum Adobe Illustrator 10 system requirement's:
PowerPC® G4 or G5 processor
Mac OS X v.10.2.8 (10.3.8 or higher recommended)
256MB of RAM (512MB recommended)
960MB of available hard-disk space
Color monitor with 16-bit video card
1,024x768 monitor resolution
CD-ROM drive

If you want to have a nice extra system, i would probably buy something like a G4 MacMini. Those are fast enough for your requirement's and quite cheap (used one's ofcours) for the performance you get.

Hopefully this is helpfull or solved your problem.
(please see the "helpfull" and "solved" button's above this message)

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Answer 6

Lucy Rust Author

Level 1

17 points

Dec 23, 2006 2:17 PM in response to Anne Bras

Hi Anne,

Thank you for the quick response. I wish it was what I wanted to hear. I guess I should look for another laptop to use as a backup. Lately my iMac has only been used as a fax machine when I'm out of my home office and file storage. It would've been nice to make it more useful.

Have a wonderful Holiday!
Lucy

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Answer 7

Anne Bras

Level 4

1,760 points

Dec 23, 2006 2:20 PM in response to Lucy Rust

I do really hope you will find a nice new Mac.

Have a beautiful Holiday and a wonderful new Year!

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Answer 8

Dec 27, 2006 5:32 PM in response to Lucy Rust

Lucy,

I'm catching this post a few days late and hope you had a lovely Christmas. I too own an iMac G3 450 slot loading and I was researching for so long to upgrade it. After searching the best prices and figuring everything I needed to make it current it would cost $500.00 Canadian and in the end I was told Tiger wouldn't run fast on it and I was better off gettig and new intel Core2Duo which I bought and love. Maybe one day I will update my older one. Hope you find a solution.

S.

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Answer 9

Duane

Level 10

124,267 points

Jan 3, 2007 9:36 AM in response to Anne Bras

...I was confused with the 300mhz iMac...

Sorry but there seems to be a little more confusion. There are 233 MHz iMac, 266 MHz iMacs, and 333 MHz iMacs... but there is not a 300 MHz iMac.

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