Maximizing a G4 Mini...?

I picked up a 1.42 G4 mini yesterday for $250. My mom's been itching to make the jump to a mac (she really wants a macbook), so I figured this would hold her over until she's ready to buy a laptop.

First Q: How much ram will this mini take? Everymac specs says 1GB (which it has), but for some reason I had 2GB stuck in my head (my old powerbook had 2GB in it). If it is more than 1GB, what type do I need to look for?

Also, what are the best ways to maximize the machine for speed? I noticed when I was testing the machine before purchase that it was surprisingly slow beachballing a few times on startup. She uses almost no HD space, so I'm not concerned much about that. Would Leo be a decent upgrade? Would that speed things ups (or slow things down) at all?

 

Thanks. It's got 1GB already, which is why I was surprised that it was slow. It hasn't been wiped clean yet though, and I didn't have a chance to see how full the HD is. It may be jam packed. I'll have more time to look at it through the week.

The webcam idea is a good call though.

 

Damn, only 1 slot huh? For some reason I had it in my head that the later G4 minis had 2 slots. Ok. I guess I'll play with it and see how slow it really is, esp. after a clean install, etc. If its too bad, I'll turn around and sell it. I don't want her first mac to be so much slower than her PC that she thinks they're all crap. She's not expecting it, so it won't be a disappointment if it doesn't happen.

I'd be willing to toss a faster HD in it. Can't be that hard to do... (famous last words).

 

Just noticed from an email I got before buying it that there's less than 4GB free on the HD. That'd slow it down a bit too wouldn't it?

 

Thanks, I'll keep it in mind. I've also found a 60GB Seagate that runs at 7200rpm for $35. Seems like it might be worth the upgrade.