Stop-Gap Mac Needed!

[Lord Blackadder]

My trusty iMac has, I fear, reached the end of its tether. I had the usual CRT control board problem common with this type a few years ago. Unfortunately, the display and power supply seem to have suffered collateral damage (the service people denied it...long story not for here) and has never been 100% since. Now it is back to the flickering, crackling mess it was when the high voltage board blew the first time. Not to mention how aggravatingly slow it was anyway (though panther actually helped).

I'm a grad student and need the machine for word processing and communicating with profs. I use my digital camera a lot with an old version of Photoshop. I also constantly use it on the internet a for work-related communication. I was saving up for a G5 tower, but didn't expect to buy it for another 9-12 months. So I need a stop-gap machine that I could get for around $500 to use till then. I've been looking at older G4 towers. They're a big improvement speedwise, and I can steal the display from my Linux box for it. I think an eMac would be overkill, and I don't want to (and can't anyway) spend more than $500 at the moment - but I need something and I'm tired of all-in-ones.

What to you think?

[Mudbug]

look for a Rev. B dual processor G4 tower, like a 500 Mhz DP. They make great machines, are compatible with all current system upgrades, and are definitely workhorses. You can often find good deals on used models by looking in the marketplace section in the forums, or on ebay, or my advice: ask around at advertising agencies & newspapers in your hometown. Many times agencies would like to upgrade their equipment, but worry about the cost of G5's and the question of what to do with the old equipment. I bet you'd find someone willing to do their upgrading at your benefit.