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

maximit

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 20, 2009
80
52
I gave up on trying to run a modern web browser on the G4 iMac 15" Nvidia. I tried all the various Linux distros including YDL. I settled on running Sorbet Leopard + Apple Remote Desktop and connecting to another Mac in the house to use the browser and other basic apps. I think this is the best way to browse on these Nvidia PPC machines if you have another more modern Mac in the house.

tempImagermDQMH.jpg
 
That certainly is a way and one I’ve done before in a similar fashion. Then I started redefining what “modern” means and realized that context matters.

For example, I wanted my iBook G4 to be a modern python development. I was able to do that with the help of NetBSD. Will it ever browse the modern web under its own steam? No, but it can browse the pages I need it to with Netsurf and Firefox 52.

In that respect, it does what I need it to do with mostly modern software. It really depends on what you want vs the needs the machine can fulfill.
 
I gave up on trying to run a modern web browser on the G4 iMac 15" Nvidia. I tried all the various Linux distros including YDL. I settled on running Sorbet Leopard + Apple Remote Desktop and connecting to another Mac in the house to use the browser and other basic apps. I think this is the best way to browse on these Nvidia PPC machines if you have another more modern Mac in the house.

View attachment 2442748
It's a work of art, so just having it sit there would be enough for me.
 
It's a work of art, so just having it sit there would be enough for me.
Me too. In the same way I use PowerPC and EI minis as book shelf ends I have three imacg4s sitting around just to look at really. I haven't turned them on in probably 8 months ... a year maybe? What can I say, Macintosh design language is interesting to look at.

With that being said, I think OPs use of the imac g4 as a terminal of sorts, remoting into a modern Mac and using that Mac to interface the modern web is cool and an elegant solution to keep old Macs useful.
 
Last edited:
Thank you, it was the only feasible way to use it for me after trying all others.

Also I agree its a great design, but its not quite up to "work on art" for me. Maybe its because ive owned both G4 and G3 iMacs when they were new so I dont see them that way. This particular iMac G4 has a fun story.... it was owned by my first GF, then she sold it to someone locally in Toronto. Eventually after almost 15 years a friend of mine brought an iMac to me asking "can you make this work for my kids web browsing?". I told him it was a bit too old unfortunately, he just left it. It laid around for a few years as I could not bring myself to trash it. Eventually i took a look at it and as I was manually erasing all the files I recognized it as my ex GFs computer! Looks like it went through a few owners, winding up with my friend as payment for a debt from an ex business partner, and now with me. Toronto is a big city so this was a fun coincidence. Anyways i kept the little Mac in the basement after maxing out the RAM, in case i need a bigger screen than my phones.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.