Used G5 Mac - I am a brand new user...

[Intell]

You can still buy new-old stock Leopard discs from Apple. You need to call their phone order line and request it. You'll get a new OEM Leopard disc in the mail. I think you can ever order Tiger and Penter this way, if they still have any instock. Even try going to your local Apple Store. They may still have a few in the back room.

[ChrisMan287]

Originally Posted by Intell

You can still buy new-old stock Leopard discs from Apple. You need to call their phone order line and request it. You'll get a new OEM Leopard disc in the mail. I think you can ever order Tiger and Penter this way, if they still have any instock. Even try going to your local Apple Store. They may still have a few in the back room.

Is that true? Hmm.. I've been looking for a Leopard disc..

[skateny]

Originally Posted by ChrisMan287

Is that true? Hmm.. I've been looking for a Leopard disc..

When I saw the last coupla posts on this thread, I posted a new thread where you can get install discs for ten bucks.

----------

Originally Posted by iceman01

So a friend of mine had a desktop G5 mac that he was going to junk as he got a new Ipad. I told him I would take it, he gave it to me for free. I will be picking it up from him in a few days. I have never owned a Mac before but I hear this is the place to go for answers so here I am. It is a G5, dual core, 2 Gb RAM, 500 GB HD. Is this a decent computer? Will is be ok to install linux on? Any information about this PC woud be great, I am excited to pick it up.

Thanks in advance,

Iceman01

I've posted this before. I don't see any reason whatsoever why a new Mac user would benefit from jumping straight to Linux. Leopard is an awesome OS, and if you get bored with it or just become curious about Linux, then go for it. Whereas Leopard "just works," Linux has (for newbies) a fairly steep learning curve and often some headaches.

I've played around with Linux on other people's rigs and there's nothing about it that would make me want to install it on my iBook.

Bottom line: If you've never owned a Mac, why not use the Mac OS? To me, this is a no-brainer.

[Intell]

Originally Posted by ChrisMan287

Is that true? Hmm.. I've been looking for a Leopard disc..

Yes it's true.

[ChrisMan287]

Originally Posted by skateny

When I saw the last coupla posts on this thread, I posted a new thread where you can get install discs for ten bucks.

Your Craigslist link doesn't work.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1503755

Originally Posted by Intell

Yes it's true.

I'll have to call and ask

[cocacolakid]

Originally Posted by justperry

I know what I would do but can't tell you, the machine came with an OS and I agree with Thekev, Apple should have a legal way to download it, they could even ask a couple of $$ for it, download it, burn to disk and you'll have a legal OS Install disk.
Now, people on Ebay make big $$ from it and I think that most are even copies.
Or they just get a copy illegally.

They're not selling copies on eBay. They're the original retail Leopard discs, which is why you don't see any seller selling multiples, nobody has more than one to sell. A copy is worthless and will get a seller banned. Apple is extremely proactive in policing eBay sellers.

[seveej]

Originally Posted by ChrisMan287

Is that true? Hmm.. I've been looking for a Leopard disc..

A word of warning,

I tried this some time ago...
I had a MBP (rev. A), and I wanted to reinstall leopard.
I had managed to lose my Leopard installation disk and wanted a new one.

Once my call was routed to the correct desk, the discussion went somewhat like:
Apple Rep: Have you registered your product.
Me: This computer? No I do not think so.
AR: Allright, can you give me a serial number
ME: <reading off the serial number>
AR: Rright, that machine came preinstalled with Tiger, so I can send you a tiger install DVD, but if you want leopard, I can send you that too, but then you'll need to pay the original price of <I think it was 129€>.

=> So, unless i got shafted, this programme Apple has, allows you to, for a nominal charge, get the install disk for the system which your computer was shipped with, but not any system.

In the OP's case that would mean Tiger, which IMNSHO still is the third-best OS Apple's done (and the 2nd best for PowerPC's).

RGDS,

[76ShovelHead]

I was toying with the idea of installing Linux on an eMac in the event that it may be faster and have better support than Leopard. Fortunately a lot of members here have tried and tested Linux on the PowerPC and reported that it was extremely buggy and just not stable. I decided to just reinstall Leopard on another drive and that gave me the performance boost I needed.

Having said that, I love Linux too, it runs way better than Windows and is much nicer, but I have always used OS X first. If you can get a computer that runs OS X take advantage of that. OS X is waaay better than Linux just for the features and functionality you get out of the box (Time Machine, Automator, etc). Not to mention it is just as secure and fast.

[cocacolakid]

OP should wait on doing anything with Linux and instead use Mac OS X for a couple of weeks (get past the first few days learning curve of a new OS before making any decisions).

That should at least have 10.4 OS X Tiger on it. It might already have 10.5 OS X Leopard. Under no means should the OP delete the OS X installation and do a full Linux installation. Just partition the drive and install Linux if that's what he wants. If he decides to sell that Mac in the future, having Linux on it destroys any value it has for most buyers. And if he decides that Linux does not work well on it, once he's deleted the OS X installation he'll have to go buy the Tiger or Leopard discs at $100 or so to get it back to the way he just received it.

[Jessica Lares]

Just a small note... PowerPCs are not THAT old. At least the G5 models aren't.

First Power Mac G5 was in June 2003, and iMac G5 August 2004. Last models came out in late 2005.

That might be a super long time ago for some of you, but they shipped with OS X 10.2, and the last Power Mac even Tiger. By late 2003, nothing was being shipped with OS 9 or earlier.

For those of you coming from Windows... XP was introduced late 2001. Vista in 2007. This is the timeline of OS X:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History..._.22Cheetah.22

When I got my MacBook Pro (Core 2 Duo), it came with Tiger. That was late 2006. Leopard didn't come out until October 2007. and the last stable release of that was in August 2009. So only three years ago.

And if you had an extended AppleCare coverage in 2005, it would have ended in 2008.

YouTube launched in November 2005 by the way... Just to throw that in there.

[ihuman:D]

Originally Posted by iceman01

This sounds very promising. I cannot believe the fast responses I am getting, you guys are all great and very helpful! Most of the forums I have attempted to take part in arent even close to as good and helpful as this. So thank you to all of you who have responded! If I were to install Linux is it as simple as it was when i installed it on my HP laptop? For that all I did was put in a CD/DVD, reboot and hit "any key to boot from a CD"... then followed the prompts on the screen. Something tells me that it wont be as easy....

Is the G5 really that powerful of a machine?? dual processors, pre intel, 2 GB ram, just doesn't sound all that great...

It's not PRE-intel it's PRE-INTEL MAC, there's a BIG difference. Good dual core consumer CPUs didn't start becoming available until the CD/C2D. And the original Mac Pros only came with 1gb of ram.

The machine is still pretty fast even today.

[thekev]

Originally Posted by Intell

You can still buy new-old stock Leopard discs from Apple. You need to call their phone order line and request it. You'll get a new OEM Leopard disc in the mail. I think you can ever order Tiger and Penter this way, if they still have any instock. Even try going to your local Apple Store. They may still have a few in the back room.

I didn't know that. I wonder if they have restore disks rather than retail as well. Either way it corrects my quote about lack of a legitimate method.

[skateny]

Originally Posted by Jessica Lares

Just a small note... PowerPCs are not THAT old. At least the G5 models aren't.

First Power Mac G5 was in June 2003, and iMac G5 August 2004. Last models came out in late 2005.

That might be a super long time ago for some of you, but they shipped with OS X 10.2, and the last Power Mac even Tiger. By late 2003, nothing was being shipped with OS 9 or earlier.

For those of you coming from Windows... XP was introduced late 2001. Vista in 2007. This is the timeline of OS X:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History..._.22Cheetah.22

When I got my MacBook Pro (Core 2 Duo), it came with Tiger. That was late 2006. Leopard didn't come out until October 2007. and the last stable release of that was in August 2009. So only three years ago.

And if you had an extended AppleCare coverage in 2005, it would have ended in 2008.

YouTube launched in November 2005 by the way... Just to throw that in there.

I agree. There's very little about my iBook that seems old, handling everything I need.

There are times when I think about it's age and marvel at its performance.

[DockMac]

I highly recommend a OS X on the G5.

However, if you want to try Linux, I recommend Yellow Dog Linux. This was the Linux distro that was in its prime during the era of the G5, and arguably the most compatible: http://www.yellowdoglinux.com/products/ydl/

[Android4tw]

http://mintppc.org/

[iceman01]

Thank you all for your thoughts, ideas, and help. After much reading I have decided to keep the Mac OS that is on the system (leopord). I have decided to partition off the HD and I will install a distro of linux, maybe MintPPC or Yellow Dog on the partition. The G5 comes with a 500 GB HD, and I have a 1 TB to place into it as an upgrade. More than enough to go around. I will be throwing some RAM is as well to keep things moving along... Thanks again all!

[MisterKeeks]

Great to hear! I think you'll like the Mac OS. The G5s are underrated when it comes to the power they still possess in a completely different world.

[iceman01]

Originally Posted by MisterKeeks

Great to hear! I think you'll like the Mac OS. The G5s are underrated when it comes to the power they still possess in a completely different world.

Well guys (and gals) I finally got the G5! It came with a 21" Apple Wide Cinema display and a brand new 1TB HD. All for free! I installed the drive and gave the computer a good cleaning, I couldn't believe the dust! I set it all up and must say, Leopard seems great! A little corny at times, but I guess I am used to MS Vista. I may just forget Linux after all. Right now it has 2 GB RAM, would it be a good idea to install more? If so, how much? I have 8 slots I think. 4 on top and 4 on bottom behind the fans that cool the dual processors.

PS: The monitor is kinda odd. It props up in the back like a picture frame... it has a clear plastic frame... I must admit the picture is so vivid on it. Do macs have better resolution? I'm lovin it!

[Intell]

That is an Apple Studio Display. They came in sizes of 15", 17", 20", 22", and 23". You might have the 20". They have very good picture quality for their age. Love mine and use it daily.

For general use, 2GB of ram is adequate. But ram for that machine is getting cheaper by the week. Just make sure you install the ram in matched pairs or it won't read it.

[cocacolakid]

Originally Posted by iceman01

Well guys (and gals) I finally got the G5! It came with a 21" Apple Wide Cinema display and a brand new 1TB HD. All for free! I installed the drive and gave the computer a good cleaning, I couldn't believe the dust! I set it all up and must say, Leopard seems great! A little corny at times, but I guess I am used to MS Vista. I may just forget Linux after all. Right now it has 2 GB RAM, would it be a good idea to install more? If so, how much? I have 8 slots I think. 4 on top and 4 on bottom behind the fans that cool the dual processors.

PS: The monitor is kinda odd. It props up in the back like a picture frame... it has a clear plastic frame... I must admit the picture is so vivid on it. Do macs have better resolution? I'm lovin it!

Congrats! That's a sweet deal you got. That Apple display was quite expensive when it was new. It is in an odd style of frame compared to the newest monitors, but it still has a great picture.

BTW, more RAM is always a good idea. If you can get it up to at least 4GB that should be plenty for most of your tasks unless you're going to edit HD video or things of that sort that require larger processing and RAM.

[iceman01]

Originally Posted by Intell

That is an Apple Studio Display. They came in sizes of 15", 17", 20", 22", and 23". You might have the 20". They have very good picture quality for their age. Love mine and use it daily.

For general use, 2GB of ram is adequate. But ram for that machine is getting cheaper by the week. Just make sure you install the ram in matched pairs or it won't read it.

I know that the RAM has to be installed in matching pairs.. When I took the fans out I noticed that all 4 RAM slots on the bottom were being used, but only two on the top. If RAM must be installed in pairs, does this mean that I am not getting use out of existing installed RAM?

Also, can I scrap all the RAM that is in it now and put at least 4 2GB RAM Chips in?

[Intell]

Originally Posted by iceman01

I know that the RAM has to be installed in matching pairs.. When I took the fans out I noticed that all 4 RAM slots on the bottom were being used, but only two on the top. If RAM must be installed in pairs, does this mean that I am not getting use out of existing installed RAM?

Also, can I scrap all the RAM that is in it now and put at least 4 2GB RAM Chips in?

You have a AGP PowerMac G5, it cannot take 2GB sticks of ram. It can only take 1GB DDR1 sticks. You can try rearranging the current ram to see if you can increase the amount by matching it.

[skateny]

Originally Posted by iceman01

Well guys (and gals) I finally got the G5! It came with a 21" Apple Wide Cinema display and a brand new 1TB HD. All for free! I installed the drive and gave the computer a good cleaning, I couldn't believe the dust! I set it all up and must say, Leopard seems great! A little corny at times, but I guess I am used to MS Vista. I may just forget Linux after all. Right now it has 2 GB RAM, would it be a good idea to install more? If so, how much? I have 8 slots I think. 4 on top and 4 on bottom behind the fans that cool the dual processors.

PS: The monitor is kinda odd. It props up in the back like a picture frame... it has a clear plastic frame... I must admit the picture is so vivid on it. Do macs have better resolution? I'm lovin it!

I've maxed out RAM with every Mac I've owned. More RAM makes up for a lot sins. Especially now with it being so cheap for PowerPCs.

[iceman01]

Originally Posted by Intell

You have a AGP PowerMac G5, it cannot take 2GB sticks of ram. It can only take 1GB DDR1 sticks. You can try rearranging the current ram to see if you can increase the amount by matching it.

According to this it can take more... Any thoughts?

The G5 "Dual Core" runs 533Mhz DDR2 memory. These dual core G5's can come with either 1 or 2 processor cards that have two processors on each, and are Dual or Quad G5's. The dual core G5's have 8 memory slots which can each hold a maximum of 2Gig, for a system maximum of 16Gigs.

[Intell]

Originally Posted by iceman01

According to this it can take more... Any thoughts?

The G5 "Dual Core" runs 533Mhz DDR2 memory. These dual core G5's can come with either 1 or 2 processor cards that have two processors on each, and are Dual or Quad G5's. The dual core G5's have 8 memory slots which can each hold a maximum of 2Gig, for a system maximum of 16Gigs.

If you have a Studio display on your machine, it isn't a dual core. It's a dual processor or a signal processor both with a signal core. Those can only take DDR1 ram.