Is this a good price for an imac on Craig's List?

[jbg232]

Hi everyone,

I found this imac on craig's list - the seller doesn't know the specs but sent me these pictures. I think it's an imac dv but can't be sure.

Questions:

1. What do you guys think this is?
2. What are the likely specs on it?
3. How much is it worth?
4. Can I put OS X on this baby (not leopard, but some other lower form of cat?)

He said he paid $200 for it but is looking to get rid of it because he is not using it and will sell it to me for $100. Is it worth it?

 

[stainlessliquid]

Good deal at 200? No. At 100? I guess.

To a lot of people a computer that old is worthless, but if you think you can manage doing very few things on it (ie web WITHOUT FLASH, email, crappy sounding music, turning on flash will completely kill it thanks to the large amount of complicated flash ads) then I guess $100 isnt that bad as long as you dont have to pay shipping.

Keep in mind that it is a CRT screen. A very old CRT at that. The picture is going to look horrendous compared to a modern LCD, the resolution will be low with a headache inducing refresh rate and it will be like looking at a screen projected on a baskeball since its so round. Frankly I wouldnt even use it if it was free thanks to the screen, those old screens really cause headaches and eye strain because of the 60hz refresh rate.

 

[iCube]

Good deal at 200? No. At 100? I guess.

To a lot of people a computer that old is worthless, but if you think you can manage doing very few things on it (ie web WITHOUT FLASH, email, crappy sounding music, turning on flash will completely kill it thanks to the large amount of complicated flash ads) then I guess $100 isnt that bad as long as you dont have to pay shipping.

Keep in mind that it is a CRT screen. A very old CRT at that. The picture is going to look horrendous compared to a modern LCD, the resolution will be low with a headache inducing refresh rate and it will be like looking at a screen projected on a baskeball since its so round. Frankly I wouldnt even use it if it was free thanks to the screen, those old screens really cause headaches and eye strain because of the 60hz refresh rate.

-crappy sounding music?
-projected on a baskeball since its so round?
-headache inducing refresh rate?
-very old CRT?
-picture is going to look horrendous?
-WITHOUT FLASH?
-flash will completely kill it?
-those old screens really cause headaches?
- wouldnt even use it if it was free?

You're kidding right?

That's pretty harsh without even attempting to identify it for the original poster. Ridiculous comments...

It's an iMac "Graphite" Special Edition DV 500 or 600MHz G3 (PowerPC) slot-loader with a DVD-ROM optical drive. $200 is fine esp. if it has an Apple Wireless Airport Card in it! I use one everyday, with high speed internet you can view any web site, youtube works fine etc. It can handle up to a 120GB IDE ATA 3.5" HD and 1024MB (1 GB) of 168-pin SDRAM. It can run Tiger 10.4 no problem. Make sure you have minumum 512MB RAM. The CRT display is awesome! The Harmon/Kardon factory speakers sound great. It runs at 100MHz bus speed. It has 2 Firewire ports. It's a 2000/2001 machine. It probably has a 30GB HD now. It is convection cooled, no fan. It has an on board ATI Rage 128 Pro 8MB VRAM AGP 2X graphics processor to push the 13" display. It has a VGA out to hook another display to. Is it near you? Go pick it up. Here's the original commercial from Apple! I'm on one now, they rock! It doesn't have a round screen, it's almost flat and it handles flash no problem. It was $1499 new.
http://www.theapplecollection.com/Collection/AppleMovies/mov/iMacIIDVSE.mov

Also check http://www.apple-history.com/?page=gallery&model=dvse2000&performa=off&sort=date&order=ASC

 

[jbg232]

Thanks for that post! I haven't used OS 9 in forever so I'm wondering how I can tell the guy to check out what the specs are (he doesn't seem like the most computer-savvy guy in the world). Is OS X I know to just go to the apple and hit about this mac - is it the same in OS 9 as well? What about a hardware profiler? Also, how do you know it is a DV SE 2nd edition (just for my own knowledge)

 

[Adokimus]

Buy it if you want it... but I've seen the same iMac on craigslist for $25 to $50 and nothing higher. You could easily find it elsewhere for $50. Seriously, it's a very old computer and not worth $100 fair market value, but if it's worth that to you and it's in good shape, I won't tell you how to spend your money.

Good luck with your purchase,

Ado

 

[iCube]

Thanks for that post! I haven't used OS 9 in forever so I'm wondering how I can tell the guy to check out what the specs are (he doesn't seem like the most computer-savvy guy in the world). Is OS X I know to just go to the apple and hit about this mac - is it the same in OS 9 as well? What about a hardware profiler? Also, how do you know it is a DV SE 2nd edition (just for my own knowledge)

You're welcome.

In OS 9 he can find "Control Panels" under the "Apple" menu. In there find "System Profiler."

***Also, make sure that the Firmware is updated to 4.1.9 BEFORE installing ANY OS X on your iMac. If he kept the updates from Apple current, he might have done it years ago. OS X will kill the iMacs video without 4.1.9. Firmware is written on a chip NOT on the Hard Drive. It has to do with the core functionality of your iMac. The firmware update is available thru Apple's site and can ONLY be done in OS 9!!! Tell him to read you the Boot ROM version in the Hardware section of System Profiler. It should be in some form of 419. Doing the Firmware update requires a little hands on by using the programmer button on the side of your iMac. It's the one and only time I've ever had to use it.

The display refresh rate is 95Hz not 60Hz. I recommend setting the display to 800X600.

There were many "Graphite" iMacs. 400, 500, 600 & 700MHz

The first was a 400MHz DV in the (code name) ~Slot Loading~ category from Oct 99 to July 2000. It was first called the "Special Edition" because it had 128MB of RAM and a 13GB HD instead of the regular 64MB of RAM and a 10GB HD. I bought my first ever computer and it was a 400MHz Grape DV 64MB RAM and 10 GB HD for $1299. I drooled when I saw those amazing "SE DV" specs for $1499. Remember this is in 2000 and RAM was big $$$$$$ and 3 extra GB in an HD was huge technology.

The next Graphite from July 2000 to Feb 2001 ~Summer 2000~ category was called an "SE DV" because it had a 30 GB HD and the CPU was bumped to 500MHz and was also in a "Snow" color!!

The third Graphite "SE" was from Feb 2001 to July 2001 ~Early 2001~ was offered in a 600MHz with a 40GB HD.

The forth was an "SE" in July 2001 to Jan 2002 ~Summer 2001~ with a 600 or 700MHz with a 40 or 60GB HD with 256MB RAM!

So yours could be 400 to 700Mhz.
I buy from a friend who is an Apple reseller/ recycler on ebay and he sells clean working slot loaders for $150-200 a lot. The craigslist ones mentioned for 25 -50 might be trashed. Hard to tell.

I also recommend downloading Mactracker 4.3.1 for Apple info it's awesome, esp. "Benchmarks"!!
http://mactracker.ca/

 

[stainlessliquid]

Ive used it before. Its a piece of crap and worth nowhere near $200.

And yes the screen is so rounded that it feels like a picture projected on a ball. And yes it gives you headaches if you arent used to the crappy refresh rate, even great CRT's will so dont tell me that it doesnt unless it can do 120hz at a high res (which it cant, and even 120 isnt that great to look at if you spent the last couple years on an LCD). Going to a website with a lot of modern flash ads made the computer practically unusable, scrolling was hell, going to a teenage girl's myspace page would be quite an interesting experience on an old computer like that.

If you have extremely low standards then its fine. But the reality is the computer is virtually worthless to anyone but a collector.

 

[Kwill]

Hi everyone,

He said he paid $200 for it but is looking to get rid of it because he is not using it and will sell it to me for $100. Is it worth it?

Are you starting your own museum?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/soyburger/sets/72157594228629049/