2nd Mac To Supplement Sick iBook G3

deebster · Jul 5, 2005

A lightning flash fried my iBook's firewire port last night. Tried all the suggested fixes I've found but still no dice, so it looks like I'm in the market for another Mac, probably a desktop of some sorts.

I was thinking about a Mini, but after adding RAM, wireless (which I want to go with the broadband that I'll be getting once I return to the UK later this month), a monitor and maybe a large HD to go in my firewire box, the cost goes up quite a bit. I also want a DVD burner for the other firewire box I have too.

So, maybe an iMac would be better, but it seems a bit expensive to shell out up to £ 1000 when Intel-based models might be coming next year.

I use my Mac for the usual net stuff, iTunes, watching movies (which my G3 is now too slow for it seems) and sometimes a little encoding to VCD. I'm not a gamer, musician, movie maker or design guy, so there's no great need in those departments.

Would a Mini be a wise move you think, or maybe a second hand G4 tower? Presumably the cost of fixing my iBook would be prohibitive, so I just want something to tide me over for a couple of years til the Intel Macs are available and bug-free.

shadowmoses · Jul 6, 2005

If i were you i wouldnt bother with a mini as it costs too much once you add the extras...

Have a look on ebay for either quicksilver g4's, iMac G4's or eMac's as they are all good buys at the moment and if you are patient and the right auction comes along you can pick one up fairly cheaply....

ShadOW

m4u · Jul 6, 2005

changing Ids with js

shadowmoses said:
If i were you i wouldnt bother with a mini as it costs too much once you add the extras...

Have a look on ebay for either quicksilver g4's, iMac G4's or eMac's as they are all good buys at the moment and if you are patient and the right auction comes along you can pick one up fairly cheaply....

ShadOW

I don't see why you need to change the id of an element with javascript...Actually, even if you want to show the current active tab, there's no need to change the id of the <li> element...just make use of the CSS would do.

FFTT · Jul 6, 2005

Hi Deebster,

For what you're doing, I'd have to recommend either a 12" PowerBook
adding an external display once you get home or a new Rev B 17" 2.0 iMac.G5 if you want the best system overall with a bit of future resistance.

Either one is about the same price, so it all depends on how much importance you put on portability when you get back to the UK.
Would you need a portable for work?

One of our close friends just lost his Rev A 20" iMac to a bad midplane board after 6 months.
Seems there's an issue with a bad batch of capacitors.
Excellent article here: http://www.oliver-kreuzenbeck.de/iMac_problems/iMac.html

The Rev B's have far better features all the way.

You could get by with a 1.25 GHz mini w/ SD, but by the time you configure
one with all the desirable goodies, you're into $700-900US.

Chip NoVaMac · Jul 6, 2005

I would think that the G5 iMac would be a great choice. It would cover you for the next three years, and allow for the rev. B's of the Macintels to get to the marketplace. Good news is that the iMac's are now 120/220 50/60 compatible.

deebster · Jul 6, 2005

I'd forgotten there was still an eMac

Maybe I can find a nice second hand one of these, or another G4, as you say shadowmoses.

FFTT mate: 'work', what does that mean? You know me from outside this forum and you know I don't do the w word. You also seem to have ignored pretty much all I wrote in the first post.

I'll keep the iBook now anyway, so another laptop isn't what I'm after, plus if I am going to have to pay up to £ 1000 then I want the best value for my money, so a PowerBook is pretty much bottom of the list.

Sure the iMac looks nice, and it does come with all I want in the stock model, it's just the price that I don't like. And as I mentioned, the Intel thing discourages me from spending more than I need to right now.

Maybe eBay will turn up something good, but I'm kind of interested in how users of the other G4 Macs rate their speed and usability compared to newer G5 models.

shadowmoses · Jul 6, 2005

The G4's will blow your iBook G3 out of the water for speed, the newer G4's arent too much slower than G5's they are still very good processor's and do most things just fine.......

I picked up an eMac on ebay for a very good price and it is a very nice machine well worth the price i got it for they really are dirt cheap and when you change the HD and add a fast superdrive they are a superb machine...

SHadOW

deebster · Jul 6, 2005

Thanks shad0w. That's what I wanted to hear

It's not too difficult to open up the eMac and change the HD and optical drive is it? I have 2 firewire boxes already, but if I can go internal then that makes for a less cluttered desk.

I could do with USB 2.0 also, to make loading my iPod shuffle less of a pain, so that rules out any eMac prior to the revision before last doesn't it?

I can feel a plan coming together...

FFTT · Jul 6, 2005

I forgot to look at the eMacs.

Not bad at all and they're relatively kid proof as well <">

shadowmoses · Jul 6, 2005

deebster said:
Thanks shad0w. That's what I wanted to hear

It's not too difficult to open up the eMac and change the HD and optical drive is it? I have 2 firewire boxes already, but if I can go internal then that makes for a less cluttered desk.

I could do with USB 2.0 also, to make loading my iPod shuffle less of a pain, so that rules out any eMac prior to the revision before last doesn't it?

I can feel a plan coming together...

If you have ever built a PC before or have a knowledge of components taking apart a eMac and sticking in a bigger HD and optical is a piece of cake took me about an hour.

http://www.lbodnar.dsl.pipex.com/eMac/eMac-upgrade.html

Check that link out for more info.....

The older eMacs do not have USB2.0 but they have firewire which in my opinion is a far superior data transfer method. But i can understand where you are coming from with a shuffle i have one too and just have to deal with the time USB1 takes to load it up...

Taking up the eMac experiment is very enjoyable and gives you a feeling of satisfaction when you see your eMac has 200gb storage and a 16x DVD burner all for just over £400.....

ShadoW

deebster · Jul 6, 2005

Excellent link mate

Yeah, I know that feeling of satisfaction well. Replaced the dead combo drive in this iBook last year. Only took 6 hours or so

Chip NoVaMac · Jul 6, 2005

deebster said:
I'd forgotten there was still an eMac Maybe I can find a nice second hand one of these, or another G4, as you say shadowmoses.

Keep in mind eMac's are 120 or 220 depending on country of sale.

deebster · Jul 7, 2005

Yeah, if I buy second hand it would only be from within the UK.

Today for some reason I'm looking more favourably upon a new Mini and using my firewire boxes to soup it up a bit with a large HD and dual layer DVD burner.

But the eMac prices on eBay sure are nice too.

Decisions decisions...

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2nd Mac To Supplement Sick iBook G3

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