****Need iMac G5 buying help!!!*****

That is a great deal for an iMac G5 like that. Just add some more RAM and it'll be a killer machine.

Apple should also still cover it under the video/power supply repair extension if something goes wrong.

http://www.apple.com/support/imac/repairextensionprogram/

I personally wouldn't want a Rev. A, but that deal is amazing. I doubt I would've passed it up.

would that be a Rev A iMac if it's a 20" 1.8? or did they make Rev B's that way, too? Either way, that's a nice deal, and I'm shopping around for an iMac G5 as well and would go for something like that.

oo5yolo10 said:

what is the difference between A and B? Advantages and disadvatages?

Click to expand...

The Rev. B had few issues with the logic board, power supply, and video. On the Rev. A the capacitors on the logic board would pop and the video would fail. Apple has a repair extension on all models. Still it might not happen at all.

The Rev. A also has some lower specifications but that's obvious.

Eidorian said:

The Rev. B had few issues with the logic board, power supply, and video. On the Rev. A the capacitors on the logic board would pop and the video would fail. Apple has a repair extension on all models. Still it might not happen at all.

The Rev. A also has some lower specifications but that's obvious.

Click to expand...

Yeah, the Rev. B also has a better video card with more VRAM, and built in BT2 and AE, although it sounds like this person got those things as upgrades.

I dunno. The logic board and midplane stuff scares me, to be honest. But this *is* an outstanding price. And the failure rate, though higher on the Rev. A, doesn't seem to be astronomical. Just higher.

The one other piece of advice is that there is NO WAY you should leave this thing with 256MB of RAM if you buy it. Don't buy it unless you can budget at least an additional 512 and preferably an additional 1GB of memory. There are two slots, but I would recommend that you get the 1GB stick. About $100.

mkrishnan said:

Yeah, the Rev. B also has a better video card with more VRAM, and built in BT2 and AE, although it sounds like this person got those things as upgrades.

I dunno. The logic board and midplane stuff scares me, to be honest. But this *is* an outstanding price. And the failure rate, though higher on the Rev. A, doesn't seem to be astronomical. Just higher.

The one other piece of advice is that there is NO WAY you should leave this thing with 256MB of RAM if you buy it. Don't buy it unless you can budget at least an additional 512 and preferably an additional 1GB of memory. I think there's only one slot, so you should probably get the 1GB stick. About $100.

Click to expand...

The iMac G5 Rev. A/B have two RAM slots. The take up to 1 GB PC3200 (400MHz) DDR RAM sticks. That's where you get the maximum of 2 GB.

If that iMac is working and the midplane issue occurs Apple WILL repair it even if it's out of warranty and falls within the serial number range.

http://www.apple.com/support/imac/repairextensionprogram/

Apple said:

How long is the iMac G5 Repair Extension Program available?
The program covers affected iMac G5 computers for up to two years from the original date of purchase. Apple will continue to evaluate the repair data and will provide further repair extensions as needed.

Click to expand...

Eidorian said:

The iMac G5 Rev. A/B have two RAM slots. The take up to 1 GB PC3200 (400MHz) DDR RAM sticks. That's where you get the maximum of 2 GB.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I was going and checking, and I edited it while you were posting. I never paid close attention to the Rev. A because I needed BT and there wasn't enough chance that it would be installed on a Rev. A. But you're quite riight. I'd still recommend getting a 1 GB memory module.

mkrishnan said:

Sorry, I was going and checking, and I edited it while you were posting. I never paid close attention to the Rev. A because I needed BT and there wasn't enough chance that it would be installed on a Rev. A. But you're quite riight. I'd still recommend getting a 1 GB memory module.

Click to expand...

That's ok. I'm a specifications memorization obsessed person. I'm quite happy with my Rev. B iMac G5 and don't plan on getting an Intel until it's necessary.

The OP also mentioned that it had a Bluetooth adapter. It could be USB or internal.

oo5yolo10 said:

excellent thanks for the help. I just emailed him back asking what type of keyboard and mouse, also what type of bluetooth. I wouldnt need to printer or external hard drive so I would purchase a 1GB stick with this baby. So if the logicboard ( I think thats what fails) fails, apple will fix it because its a defect?

Click to expand...

It's actually the capacitors on the motherboard. It's not just an Apple problem either. A lot of computer manufacturers got a bad batch in 2003-2004. I remember hearing about Dells also having a similar problem. MacFixIt posted that eMacs made during the same time are having a capacitor issue too.

Apple has an extended repair plan for two years after the purchase of the machine (Find out when it was originally bought) regardless of warranty status. You'll just need to take it to an Apple store or call them up about it.

If I didn't have my iMac already I would jump on that offer. It's a great deal for a 20" machine. Just make sure the video is working fine and their aren't any power issues before you buy it. That's just to be on the safe side.

oo5yolo10 said:

I am not new to macs but am new to the ins and outs of them. I am planning on checking it out when I get there, and I would just turn the thing on, run through some programs stuff like that to see how it looked. What are some main things I should look at and ask to make me sound "smart" when I am inspecting it. Like mentioned, check the video and power, sounds stupid, but I wouldnt even know how to do that!

Click to expand...

Apple said:

Affected systems will exhibit one of the following video- or power-related symptoms:

Scrambled or distorted video
No video
No power
Note: If your iMac G5 is not experiencing any of these symptoms, you do not have to contact Apple or any Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Click to expand...

Just check to make sure if the video isn't scrambled and that it runs fine. Make sure to get the recovery DVD's too.

If you can get the serial number using System Profiler (/Applications/Utilities/System Profiler) and paste it in our at Apple Support.

http://www.apple.com/support/

Note: Down in the lower right hand corner just below the batteries and "About Your Support Coverage".

oo5yolo10 said:

Eidorian, you have been a rockstar thank you! Since I noticed you have an iMac, what are some specs that the REV. A has? I looked online and couldn't find basic specs that this guys leaves out (airport, superdrive). any help.........again

Click to expand...

http://www.lowendmac.com/imacs/g5.html

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/stats/imac_g5_1.8_20.html

Not very pretty but you should be able to at least print or write one down.

Eidorian said:

The Rev. B had few issues with the logic board, power supply, and video. On the Rev. A the capacitors on the logic board would pop and the video would fail. Apple has a repair extension on all models. Still it might not happen at all.

The Rev. A also has some lower specifications but that's obvious.

Click to expand...

My brother & I bought Rev. A 17" iMac G5's about a month apart. I had this logic board problem back in September, he has never had any problems.

Mine was fixed and has since worked great. My Mom has it now, I passed it along to her and got a new 20" iSight iMac for myself back in December (which has never had any issues).

If you can, test out the machine before you buy and play some mpeg videos and a DVD to see if the video acts up. I remember when I brought mine in for service that's what the Apple guys did to recreate the problem in the store (which it did).

oo5yolo10 said:

Does anyone know how many EXTRA RAM slots there are on a REv. A?

Click to expand...

There are 2.

I'd buy the a refurbished one from Apple for cheap. Plus, you don't have that video/powersupply issue! ...and you get a warranty.

I've got a 17" iMac G5 (iSight) and I love it, so you know, 17" displays are just as nice too... just less screen space.

Yeah, I agree. Buy 1 gig of more RAM for it, (or 512), and you'll be killin'! You can get a brand new iMac G5 (iSight) 17" for $900 at my Apple Store, but it doesn't come with these cool things. I don't know, ur choice.

oo5yolo10 said:

Does anyone know how many EXTRA RAM slots there are on a REv. A?

Click to expand...

Well there are two slots in the iMac G5. One already has a 256 MB stick in it and the other one is open.