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Bout to shoot this Mac thing in my house!!

A

ardametus

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 10, 2008
5
0
My son bought a n iMac i guess its called, off of craigslist. No disks no anything. The OS is password protected, and me being an old PC guy, had no clue what so ever on what to do. We got Mac OS X v 10.2 and started to do a new install and wipe out the old OS on the system. It asks for preferred language, then sais its unpacking and reading packages, and has been there since last night. over 12 hrs. Is this normal? Is there something wrong? I am confused, I know when my son gets home from school he will be super frustrated... any ideas or tips?


Thx in advance
 
Can you give more information on the specifications of the iMac. Is it the new Aluminum iMac, the old white iMac? Is it the Intel version or the PowerPC version?

If it's an Intel version, you will need to install the newest operating system on it which is 10.5 (Leopard).
 
As the other posters have said, we need more info.

Take a look a the bottom of the screen, bottom of the foot or bottom of the case (dependent on which model it is) and find the label that lists the model number of your machine and post it back here (no serial # needed BTW- just the model number).

Many of us have references that we can look up the model number in to get started helping you out.
 
If you're really new to the Mac you might have trouble answering themoonisdown09's question. The simple way of determining what Mac your son purchased is basically this
1) An iMac with a candy coloured (or grey) semi-transparent top is a Power PC version.
2) If the iMac has a half sphere base and a monitor on a chrome arm it's one of the older white Power PC iMacs
2) if it looks like a white flat panel computer on a stand it could be either a G5 (Power PC chip) or an intel chipped iMac
3) If it looks like an aluminum flat panel it's an intel chipped iMac.

A 12hour install is certainly not typical. The operating system you've attempted to install is now 3 generations older than the most current, and I'm not sure if it plays well (if at all) with newer intel macs.
 
grr grr and more grrr

purplish blue, semi transparent white face. monitor and computer all in one. theres no model number I can find...but there is a family number? m5521. I put that into google and came up with G3. heres the link google gave me.

http://www.dealtime.com/xPF-Apple-A...0-400-128-10-DVD-SND-NC-MAC-OS-9-2-BLEU-Apple


So I am assuming that m5521 IS the model number....

Oh and it is STILL "reading packets"

*sigh
 
Your iMac should be able to run 10.2 (Jaguar), as we call it. Is the machine making a ticking noise? (hard drive hitting the wayside?) Or the operating disc scratched?
 
G3s can run 10.2. It is a little sluggish, but for internet and iTunes and other simpler stuff like that it is workable. Is the disc a system restore disc or retail. The system restore discs will be gray and if not for the exact model will not work. The retail version of 10.2 will be 2 white discs with a Jaguar print "X".

I remember that 10.2 had 2 discs. If you only have one that maybe part of the issue. I think even the restore disc had 2.
 
ladedadeda

Disks are 2 with white print and big lepord/jaguar spots.

Cd is making what seems to me normal sounds of working, as if the reader is going back and forth on the disk...sort of a soft tick....
 
I found one of those over a year ago that was put to the curb. It cleaned up o.k. and worked fine for a year before giving up the ghost. It originally had OS9 on it (complete with user data) but I put Panther (10.3) on it no problem. It's possible that this is a similar discard not necessarily stolen goods. In any event, it is an old machine that may just not be totally working.
 
pol0001 said:
Be careful with that iMac. If there are no discs and the previous owner doesn't have the password for the OS, it is most likely stollen.
Click to expand...

Possibly. I borrowed my Tiger disk to my ex girlfriend to use on her identical mac. She never returned it. I traded it for an iMac.
 
!!!!UPDATE!!!! All weapons are put away...

My son took his computer to school and his Mac loving teacher (who gave him the install cd's) and she installed 9.0 i think, and it worked fine, she is going to take the mac to her house and did whatever she needed to do that got 10.2 installed on her daughters Mac wich was the same as my sons...


Ugh...


Sorry to say this guys but

VIVA LA MICROSOFT!!!!
 
ardametus said:
My son took his computer to school and his Mac loving teacher (who gave him the install cd's) and she installed 9.0 i think, and it worked fine, she is going to take the mac to her house and did whatever she needed to do that got 10.2 installed on her daughters Mac wich was the same as my sons...


Ugh...


Sorry to say this guys but

VIVA LA MICROSOFT!!!!
Click to expand...

You do realize that you're an exception? I've never really heard of people having problems installing OS X lol. Your disks were probably dead. Even a 5 year old could install OS X if he had good disks.
 
^
But taking them is so much more fun.

I don't suppose we knuckleheads could talk you into buying a new iMac could we? I haven't yet wanted to shoot mine. I think you'd have a better experience with a slightly newer model. You could even run dear old XP if you wanted.
 
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