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how to install programs on G4

U

uniqueusername4

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 28, 2009
9
0
My first Mac, a G4 M8570. Friend gave it to me and it has 10.2.8. I download the Firefox installer "Firefox 3.5.1.dmg" and it sits on the desktop. All of the tutorials say that Macs are so easy to install programs, just drag the installer to the applications folder, which I did. Now it sits in the applications folder. Is it installed? Nothing happened, no progress bar, no indication that anything happened. When I double click on it, the Firefox logo appears briefly on the toolbar and bounces up and down very nicely, but quickly disappears. or sometimes the Applications icon appears instead and does the same thing. Very strange. I didn't know Macs were so difficult to use! :D The Firefox download did say it was for OS X 10.4 and above, could that make a difference?

thanks, roger
 
10.2.8 is quite a "*****" system, try to get your hands on Tiger (10.4) or Panther (10.3) and upgrade your system to that.

Have you read anything regarding navigating Mac OS X?

It might be a simple OS, but one still needs to learn to find its way around.
There are many guides available, even on this site.

As Firefox already stated , it needs Mac OS 10.4, so it can't run on 10.2.8, as it is quite outdated and older than 5 years.

Have fun experimenting.

PS: Normally one can install by a simple drag and drop, but it only works with compatible programs, and no software today is being written for 10.2.8 or 10.3 anymore.
 
thanks, that's about it, the software just isn't compatible with the 2002 operating system. 10.4 should be fine, yes? I don't want to overload this system too much, is there an advantage to going with 10.5 as opposed to 10.4? And if i get my hands on older copies of Adobe, then it will at least work with 10.4.
 
Yes that's just it. You need to upgrade your os for many of the newer programs to be able to work. I would recommend just upgrading to 10.5 and save yourself the trouble of compatibility issues since even 10.4 is pretty old now. Overloading that system shouldn't be a problem either as long as you turn some of the features in leopard off.
 
RE: how to install programs on G4

RE:
"My first Mac, a G4 M8570. Friend gave it to me and it has 10.2.8. I download the Firefox installer "Firefox 3.5.1.dmg" and it sits on the desktop."

Best thing to do is find a copy of 10.4.x "Tiger" and do a clean install. Then use the Apple updaters (available through Apple's site or software update) to upgrade to the last version of Tiger which is 10.4.11.

If you've just received the Mac, and it has either little or none of your own personal information and data on it, you might do best by using the Tiger disc to do a "wipe" of the internal drive, and then do a totally clean install of the OS.

If you buy a copy of Tiger on ebay, MAKE SURE that you are buying a "universal" copy (i.e., can install the OS on any Mac). Be aware that there are copies of Tiger sold that can only install onto the particular Mac with which they were sold.

At the very least, try upgrading to Panther (10.3.x). It was much improved over version 10.2.x. In fact, this is being typed on a g4 Mac running 10.3.9.

- John
 
thanks again, but to get 10.5 on there wont i need a dual-layer DVD reader? I thought that was how that disk came. Again, I know not much about Macs or what fits with what.
 
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