Cheap Mac

[Whotheheck]

Are there any places that you know of that sell cheap macs? Even if they are 1 generation old or whatever, it doesn't bug me too much if I can save some money.

[FuzzyBallz]

Check Apple's reburb section. You definitely don't want an old Mac that can't run Mac Panther smoothly. If you want cheap, buy a PC. Macs don't come cheap, unless you like burning money.

[Whotheheck]

I think I might just end up getting an emac. I was hoping to spend about $700 but I guess $100 more (+ tax) won't kill me.

[Chip NoVaMac]

I can say that the eMac is not a bad deal after getting one a few weeks ago. IMO is the issue of lack of Core Image support on the current eMac.

[paxtonandrew]

Is it possible to change the graphics card in a computer such as the eMac or the 'Book range? I have been wanting to change the graphics card in my PowerBook for about a month, and I don't know if this is possible. If so, could anyone recommend a 256 mb card?

Thanks

[liketom]

i think no and no is the answer , BTO is the only way of uping the card and the eMac has no graphics card BTO options , but it does play almost any game you can chuck at it.
The PowerBook is same again , only BTO ups the card to 128MB .

tom

[tristan]

For deals, try:

www.lowendmac.com
www.dealmac.com
www.dealsontheweb.com
Apple's "Special Deals" section.

Oh and whatever you do DONT try to get away with running the minimum RAM config. Yeah, RAM costs money, but it's crazy to spend $700 on a computer and then not put in the $65 worth of RAM that will make it shine.

[solvs]

You could also try someplace like Powermax (http://www.powermax.com) or Smalldog (http://www.smalldog.com). They sell used, last generation, open box, and refurb stuff.

[wordmunger]

Check Apple's reburb section. You definitely don't want an old Mac that can't run Mac Panther smoothly. If you want cheap, buy a PC. Macs don't come cheap, unless you like burning money.

Old macs run panther fine. I've got it running on two cubes, a Rev a iBook, and a Tibook. Biggest issue is HD space -- I had to upgrade the iBook's HD.

[cubist]

I have a 400MHz G4 that runs Panther fine. You need a good size hard drive and plenty of RAM, which is cheap for the G4 tower. Try to get a Sawtooth or newer machine for $300-$400. If you're going to spend more than that, the eMac will outperform it, and you won't need a separate monitor. If you get the eMac, make sure you get the tilt & swivel base.

G3 models may be cheaper, but they will be much slower. You might find a used G4 Powerbook (TiBook) that fits your budget.