Just got iMac G3 and loving it!

I decided about a month ago I wanted to look around for an iMac G3 for several reasons. I needed a computer while I send my PowerBook in to get a new battery... I'm about to move and want to use it as a living room computer/for guests... They are just so freaking awesome... To use for Folding@home... to play around with a new toy... etc... You get the idea.

So I watched on eBay for one in good condition. I decided I wanted either Ruby, Indigo, or Sage. So I got this one about 2 weeks ago for about $170 shipped and I had some PC 100 memory laying around and a 40GB hard drive from back in the day when I used to build PCs.

To make a long story short, I've got it up and running with Tiger and 768MB of RAM. Its a Sage 450MHz (as you can see in my sig). I ran it for a little while with the 128MB of memory that came with it and needless to say, it was pretty slow doing anything. But now that I've put the extra memory in... I've really been impressed with how well this little thing keeps up for being a 6-year old computer. Surfing the net is fast enough that I don't even feel like I'm using an old computer.

Anyways, just wanted to share my iMac happiness with you guys since none of my friends are geeks like me and get excited over computers.

Here's a few pics...

This one is my full setup with my PB (on an iCurve) and you can see the iMac and my RX500 in the background. I use the iMac as a print server so I can printer wirelessly from the PB. (I didn't think of that use until after I got the iMac, but its been pretty convenient.)



And here's two closer shots of the iMac.

strydr said:

But I gotta ask... Is that a M$ mouse on your PB??
I'm not a fan of Apple's mouse (any of them), but a M$ mouse??

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Yeah it is... I know its a disappointment to some people. I used to work in a computer store and sell them, so I've tested out almost every brand. I still think MS makes the best ones...

I might give that one up for a bluetooth mouse some day, I just haven't used a wireless mouse that I feel like the tracking is as precise as the good ole wired versions.

ehurtley said:

I just wish they made a Sage at 700 MHz with a Combo drive. (I guess if I get a Sage, I'll have to swap motherboards with my Graphite, then upgrade the drive.)

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Yeah one of the things making it hard to decide was that Indigo was the only color I would have considered in the higher processor speeds. I didn't want Snow or Graphite or Flower Power, etc... But I didn't want to spend as much as the those would have cost anyway so it worked out.

Lord Blackadder said:

I have a Lime 266MHz G3 iMac...OS X is a bit slow with 288MB RAM but it still works well for basic websurfing/email. OS 9 runs faster on it though.

The G3 Macs have had a very long useful life and really will only become truly obsolete with the demise of PPC support.

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This one came with OS9 on it, but I switched right as Panther was released so I had no idea what to do with OS9. It looked pretty foreign to me. I didn't really want to take the time to learn it since I thought OS X would run well on this one.

MacHarne said:

This about settles it. I have the chance to get a well-preserved 500 MHz Indigo iMac for ~$80. Your post effectively drilled a hole in my wallet.

But that's ok! Thanks for the push over the edge.

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Thats a great deal... I don't think you'll regret it at all. LPus there's always the coolness factor of owning the computer that effectively turned Apple Computer around. But I guess thats only if geekness=coolness...