Getting mac OS 8.6 onto a Imac G3

The iMacG3 400DV upscale model was shipped with the orange iMac 8.6

install CD although it had a CD/RW & DVD/player; w/ FireWire400. Also the

upscale model has a hidden video-out port for external display. The DV

model was good movie player and included 'A Bugs Life' on DVD.

About the optical drive; it may be upgraded (to DVD/CDRW) if suitable

replacement could be located. There are these articles from iFixit; also

some related info on powerbookmedic.com. Maybe new or used parts.

iMac G3 Model M5521 Repair - iFixit

iMac G3 Model M5521 Repair. ... Repair guide for this iMac to replace the

optical drive. iMac G3 Model M5521. 5 Answers . 2 Score. How do I open the ...

https://ifixit.com/Device/iMac_G3_Model_M5521

Optical drive is faulty. - iMac G3 Model M5521 - iFixit

went on MacUpgrades.co.uk site which had no spares for the optical drive. iMac G3

Model M5521 ... Repair Guides Answers Forum Parts & Tools Store Teardowns ...

https://ifixit.com/Answers/View/41258/Optical+drive+is+faulty

iMac G3 (M5521) - powerbookmedic.com

Apple Service part replacement for iMac G3 (M5521) ... CD-ROM Drive, Slot-Loading,

24x. 661-2224 ... repair, and service for a ...

powerbookmedic.com/parts/M5521/

Otherwise the specs are somewhat alike; these are grouped together.

I may still have a universal Mac OS8.6 install CD (instead of update to

be used with 8.5 CD) that was not available retail; was a tech version.

Because several of those sellers may suggest they won't accept returns

you may feel lucky if you get what works, and if not, they may take it back.

The 'orange disc' has fair or better odds of working; the only reason why

it may not, would be if they were to have changed the ROM version. This

may affect how it installed in an iMac400 DV (with combo optical drive)

compared to the lower-end iMac350 of same series. So it may just work.

A later Firmware Update 4.1.9 (link to official archive download was

in a different ASC discussion) is needed to go past Jaguar 10.2.8.

• iMac Firmware Update 4.1.9: Information and Download

I'd installed it in my Lime iMac400DV because previous owner may not

and the unit suffered logic board issues; and then saw some repairs.

Because the 350GHz model of this build series cannot use Tiger 10.4

there may be other shortcomings with software, internet access, etc.

The Classilla browser from maker of TenFourFox is likely or only one.

Hopeful the disc choice(s) may work out; this model (or the 400MHz

version of mine) had a fair selection of original software. Not sure if

there was a workable iTunes or if it was culled. One for Tiger works

(9.2.1) but not for earlier MacOS. Was good for free internet radio.

Good luck & happy trails! 🙂

>if its possible to get files onto Macintosh (128/512k(e), se, plus)

As Jeff mentioned, a beige G3 would be useful in a situation like this. If your applications do not require the power or flexibility of a beige G3, one could also use another (approx. 1992-1997) Mac desktop or notebook with a floppy drive for both 800K and 1.44 MB as a bridge machine. Preferably, a model with Ethernet (built-in or via a separate card).

In case you already have a Macintosh computer such as a Plus or an SE, complete with system software and an appropriate communications program on 800K floppies, it would per se be possible to establish a (serial) null-modem link to (for instance) a Windows PC. For practical use, a hard drive (external or internal, depending on model) would be needed at the old Mac. With proper handling/encoding/decoding, such a setup would allow transfers to the Mac of files downloaded onto the PC. However, having a Macintosh bridge computer (as described above) would make things easier. Another way to use a bridge machine (a PowerBook 540 in this case) with a Plus can be seen in Re: Mac Plus connect to USB drive?

Do you have the original (orange, Mac OS 8.6) iMac installation CD or are you using an OS 8.6 installation disk for another model? Is the optical drive functioning? The correct installation CD set looks like the one pictured here.

That orange set of installation disks is what my iMac DV400 shipped with. It was released in October 1999, as was the blueberry iMac w/o FireWire that you have. As for the optical drive not ejecting the disk, the drive has a rod with a pair of rubber sleeves that grip the disk when it's inserted, to pull it fully inside. They also grip it, to roll it out on ejection. The rubber sleeves dry out over time, losing their capability to gently grip the disk. Some won't pull or eject the disk at all, and others will partially function, requiring some pushing/pulling with one's fingers. While some owners have used petroleum distillate-based cleaners to clean them, they really can't restore the natural surface friction of new rubber. They only soften it a little, making the rubber a little tacky, which isn't the same thing. There is a tiny, manual-eject hole, through which a paper clip can be inserted to force-eject the disk. The slot-loading G3 iMacs shipped with one of (3) available optical drives: the 24x CD-ROM drive, the 4x DVD-ROM drive in the "DV" models, and the 8X/4X/24X CD-RW drive in the 2001 models. There were no factory-installed, combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drives available. For $149 (USD), you can buy an internal DVD±RW drive from a third-party dealer, but given the failure rate of the P-A-V board in those iMacs over time, it's not worth it. My iMac 400DV worked OK the last time I used it (about a year+ ago), but two weeks ago, I plugged it in again and it wouldn't do anything. It isn't stored in an overly cold or hot room, so that had nothing to do with what happened to it. I turned it upside down and removed the bottom cover to replace the motherboard battery. As I looked down into the upper housing, I saw 6 broken pieces of a slightly-curved, light-brown plastic material, the type of plastic coating that surrounds an electrical component. I had to tilt the computer all around to get the pieces to fall out through the bottom, and then I put them aside. After installing the battery, I pressed the power button and only heard (3) muffled sounds (like a pfff pfff pfff), but it wouldn't start. Resetting the PMU made no difference — it's dead. The designers seemed to think that convection cooling for quieter operation was more desirable than maximizing the service life of the unit. A CRT-type TV generates a lot of heat, and when it's combined with a computer in the same housing, one would expect heat-related degradation of the components over a period of time. Those iMacs were manufactured between 1999-2001 and nothing lasts forever. With that in mind, investing any $$ in an older electronic device that has design flaws is not advisable 16-18 years later.

In that case, enjoy it while it works, but don't be too disappointed if it stops functioning without warning. My older Power Macs (7300s, 8600s, beige G3s, B&W G3s, etc.) still run like new, even though they're older than the slot-loading iMac. They do require a separate display, so the compact design of the iMac was appealing at the time.

An 800K floppy disk can only be read (or created) on an older Mac having the variable-speed floppy disk drive. Otherwise, it's a 720K disk used in PCs. Modern USB FDDs don't recognize 800K-formatted disks. That's what makes the beige G3s models so much more useful than the newer iMacs, for users wanting to do the type of thing you have in mind. They had the legacy hardware: the FDD and onboard SCSI support, but also expansion options with PCI slots and an upgradable processor.