Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Panther on a 333 iMac

Horrortaxi

Horrortaxi

macrumors 68020
Original poster
I've seen a couple questions about this so I wanted to share my experience. Yesterday I installed Panther on my mom's 333mhz iMac with 288mb. It's definitely worth doing. The interface doesn't feel clunky like it did in Jaguar. It is pretty peppy now. It's still a 333 so if you tax the processor it will crawl, but the overall feel is much better.
 
This is GREAT news. It'll save the high school I do IT work at over the summer about 20,000 dollars! We replaced a lab of 24 Bondi's with new eMacs this summer, and this next summer we are talking about either replacing another lab of 24 450/500 MHz Ruby's with new computers, but if we can just install Panther and get another year or two, this is awesome news.

Interesting that the latest Mac OS works decent on 4 year old Macs, meanwhile the two year old Gateway boxes on the campus here running at 900 MHz are struggling with basic operations in Windows 2000.
 
I'm running Panther on my mom's iMac DV 400 (using it right now), and I couldn't be happier. I honestly don't feel I'm using a 5 year old computer. When people ask, "How old is this thing?", they are uterly shocked when I tell them five years. Their year-old PC's are crapping out on them. That's when I smile and let them in on a secret: Windows sucks. 😀
 
can you guys help me out? panter wont install on my imac500 cause it says i dont have the updated firmare... but i cant find anything on apples site... any ideas?
 
runing a g3 iMac 400 panther with 128sdram i am happy and content


only one problem cant use the user swithc cube of course i know wy but hell ill wait till i get a new Mac some day
 
gwuMACaddict there should be firm ware updates on panthers insatll disks i think and there should be some on apples site iam sure of it
 
Originally posted by Sabenth
gwuMACaddict there should be firm ware updates on panthers insatll disks i think and there should be some on apples site iam sure of it
Click to expand...

none on the install discs as far as i can tell... cant find any recent ones on the site either. i had to update my firmware last to install 10.2. so i dont know whats up... any ideas?
 
This is very good news. I have an iMac DV+ (450 I think).
I was kind of hesitant on installing it, but now I think I will.
 
just noticed this

Originally posted by Sabenth
runing a g3 iMac 400 panther with 128sdram i am happy and content


only one problem cant use the user swithc cube of course i know wy but hell ill wait till i get a new Mac some day
Click to expand...

why can't you use the user switch cube effect?
 
just noticed this

Originally posted by Sabenth
runing a g3 iMac 400 panther with 128sdram i am happy and content


only one problem cant use the user swithc cube of course i know wy but hell ill wait till i get a new Mac some day
Click to expand...

why can't you use the user switch cube effect?
 
Running it on 233 iMac w/320mb ram. Much smoother than Jag. Expose is a godsend for managing windows on such a small screen.
 
Originally posted by gwuMACaddict
can you guys help me out? panter wont install on my imac500 cause it says i dont have the updated firmare... but i cant find anything on apples site... any ideas?
Click to expand...

are you up to date? the correct firmware for your is 4.1.9 the update is available on apple's software downloads page.
 
i put panther on my 500mhz imac and installed one of the maxtor diamondmax plus 9 7200rpm 8meg drives and it feels like a new machine. everything is faster.
 
Originally posted by strider42
are you up to date? the correct firmware for your is 4.1.9 the update is available on apple's software downloads page.
Click to expand...


isnt this an OS9 updatre though...? or do i need to go boot up in 9 and install it?

thanks for helping me out
 
Originally posted by gwuMACaddict
isnt this an OS9 updatre though...? or do i need to go boot up in 9 and install it?

thanks for helping me out
Click to expand...

Straight from the Apple's mouth... "To install the iMac Firmware Update 4.1.9, your iMac (Slot Loading) computer must be started up from Mac OS 9.1, or 9.2, which must be installed on the hard disk. You cannot install the firmware update if the computer is started up from a CD-ROM, or a network disk. If you normally start up the computer with Mac OS X, you must start up from Mac OS 9.1 or 9.2. The iMac Firmware Update 4.1.9 is available on the Mac OS X Install Disc 1 in this path:
Mac OS X:Utilities:Firmware Updates:iMac Firmware Update

You may also download it from Apple Software Downloads. See software download document 75130, "iMac Firmware Update 4.1.9: Information and Download."
 
233 mhz imac, 512 MB, 20 GB drive and still going. it's like a restored clunker classic car--maybe not the best handling or quickest around, but she does well. this doesn't mean, of course, i don't want something new...
 
I think the cube effect only works on new hardware or more ramm etc seeming iam using only 128sdram iam supprised that exspose works so well


will admit thought that the whole system like so many have said already feels like a new machine. It maybe not the greatests in the speed Department but at least it runs faster than Jag.
 
My mom uses a 333MHz iMac, so if I get a dual 1.8 (which is extremely tempting) I will install panther on my mom's comp.

It is SLOW as hell, so she needs it.

scem0
 
thanks for the help guys... i was just a little confsued when i had to go back in to OS9 to fix everything... panther is up and running, takes a little getting used to- but it does seem to make the computer a little faster- esp on startup
 
Well, I upgraded my Daughters iMac G3 500 Indigo FW CD to Panther. I increased the ram to 320. And put in a Maxton Ultra Series 120GB 7,200 RPM Drive with 8MB Cache, and this little puppy is much more responsive than my old iMac 1GHZ G4 with jaguar. Panter rocks. Yea, it may have some issues, but overall. OS is much, much better.

Expose rocks. I am actually suprised that it works with only 8 MB of video ram. Yea, I wished the fast user switching cube would work too. 😉
 
Originally posted by MoparShaha
I'm running Panther on my mom's iMac DV 400 (using it right now), and I couldn't be happier. I honestly don't feel I'm using a 5 year old computer. When people ask, "How old is this thing?", they are uterly shocked when I tell them five years. Their year-old PC's are crapping out on them. That's when I smile and let them in on a secret: Windows sucks. 😀
Click to expand...

You're pushin' it a bit there buddy 😉
I have a rev. D 333 MHz Strawberry iMac and it's "barely" 4.5 years old. Release date on thos slot-loading one's was Juily 2000.

Still, it's pretty impressive that it's doin' so good after more than 3 years 😛
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back