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Just Bought 31 iMac G3's
- Thread starter MAC MAN JW
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ppcg4mac
macrumors 6502
Update!!
I only have 6 iMacs to go tell they are all done🙂. I was working on them to 1AM the first week i got them now i am slowing down to 1 or 2 every 3 days or so. I am having fun doing it so that is all that counts😀. I am starting to think i should have not bought them as they are not selling at all and after i put my Ad. on our local Craigslist some one posted a free original iMac right after i posted mine🙁 My room is full of iMac G3's i don't even have Room for my TV Or Stereo, but on the plus side i will always have a computer to use tell they sell🙂 More pics coming soon!
I only have 6 iMacs to go tell they are all done🙂. I was working on them to 1AM the first week i got them now i am slowing down to 1 or 2 every 3 days or so. I am having fun doing it so that is all that counts😀. I am starting to think i should have not bought them as they are not selling at all and after i put my Ad. on our local Craigslist some one posted a free original iMac right after i posted mine🙁 My room is full of iMac G3's i don't even have Room for my TV Or Stereo, but on the plus side i will always have a computer to use tell they sell🙂 More pics coming soon!
Did you try on Ebay? I tried to do post one, just yet. I have put a starting bid of 15USD and it showed me no fees. So it seems you can try to sell them without any costs, when they will not be sold. (I did not read the american reglementation, this is because I just tried.). It seems they have a special offer at the time in America, too (in Germany one can sell items till 30th of April without fees at any given starting price as long as it is set as an auction and not as buy-it-now item).
If you offer shipping, more people will bid. A good description is a MUST! as well as a good title and pictures.
(you can find out shipping quotes, if you go to everymac.com and look up the dimensions and weight for the iMac. Cart Boxes and soft material can be found in workshop-markets and music-instrument-shops. They give them away as trash without taking money for it. A cart box of a 18"-22" Bass drum would be ideal!
stroked
Suspended
I tried US mail from Chicago to Detroit online and I got a price of 25.75USD for priority mail (online price). (By the way shipping costs 10EUR here). Maybe one could try it still.
Also, if he won't get them sold for 15USD each, he could lower the price every time he puts up the auction again, until he is at least at the point of what he payed for the units (about 3,22eur). If they do not go for 3,22USD. He could sell the mainboard and PSU as parts. I have seen these parts for 5-20USD.
One could still try to add an offer for delivering with the own car when bidder pays the fuel price (I guess fuel prices in the US are quiet low, aren't they? It's 1,68EUR per litre here, which I find expensive). OK, the OP's dad would have to drive 🙂
Or just try with local pickup, fewer bidders will do that, but maybe more look into Ebay than into craigslist???
Also, if he won't get them sold for 15USD each, he could lower the price every time he puts up the auction again, until he is at least at the point of what he payed for the units (about 3,22eur). If they do not go for 3,22USD. He could sell the mainboard and PSU as parts. I have seen these parts for 5-20USD.
One could still try to add an offer for delivering with the own car when bidder pays the fuel price (I guess fuel prices in the US are quiet low, aren't they? It's 1,68EUR per litre here, which I find expensive). OK, the OP's dad would have to drive 🙂
Or just try with local pickup, fewer bidders will do that, but maybe more look into Ebay than into craigslist???
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Two words - Garage Sale.
Post flyers at all the local schools and on the bulletin boards at all the local grocery stores.
Pick a day and have them all set up and working - sell them for like $5 each, cash and carry. Shoot, offer to set them up at the persons house for an extra $5 or $10 dollars.. There are a LOT of older folks and PC ignorant people that need this kind of CHEAP service... not the $$$ best buy charges.
Advertise them as the perfect first computer for someones kid... Which they are. Shoot, offer to set them up at the persons house for an extra $5 or $10 dollars.. There are a LOT of older folks and PC ignorant people that need this kind of cheap but vaulable service... not the $$$ best buy charges.
The upside - this is also a good way to build a client base if you want to do computer repairs down the road - have business cards printed up and pass them out.
Post flyers at all the local schools and on the bulletin boards at all the local grocery stores.
Pick a day and have them all set up and working - sell them for like $5 each, cash and carry. Shoot, offer to set them up at the persons house for an extra $5 or $10 dollars.. There are a LOT of older folks and PC ignorant people that need this kind of CHEAP service... not the $$$ best buy charges.
Advertise them as the perfect first computer for someones kid... Which they are. Shoot, offer to set them up at the persons house for an extra $5 or $10 dollars.. There are a LOT of older folks and PC ignorant people that need this kind of cheap but vaulable service... not the $$$ best buy charges.
The upside - this is also a good way to build a client base if you want to do computer repairs down the road - have business cards printed up and pass them out.
charlieroberts
macrumors 6502a
This is an amazing idea, and since you are in it for the learning experience, well, go the extra mile and get some entrepreneurial exp as well!
Really good idea IMHO
GermanyChris
macrumors 601
Update!!
Sorry for the late reply🙁. This is a great idea and i think i will try this🙂 we had a yard sale back in summer 2009 and had a good turn out, we live in the country and in 2009 i was not even able to sell my 2.4GHz Dell with 1GB Ram,120GB HD,15in LCD,Geforce 8400 gs. for $45 most of the people bought Power tools but now 3 Years later and now a computer is almost a necessitie i think they may sell it can't hurt to try😀. Some guy wanted to buy 2 off me from Craigslist because he loved the look of them but he called 2 days before and said his car broke down and now the money needs to go for that oh well🙁. The original imac's wear/are a pain in my butt 1 imac i left a cd in and forgot about it so i tryed to turn it right back on to get the cd out and it would not come on and then 2 other's that worked when tested now don't power up nether only 1 original has a bad flyback the rest i think are good i tryed to give the originals away free but not one reply🙁 I think all they need is a new pram battery but i am not sure? at lest they may be worth something in the future being they are 233MHz Rev.A. My main Mac is now nothing else but a 500MHz iMac G3 With 512MB Ram and OS X 10.4.11 Thank god for TenForFox only thing i don't like about TenFourFox is that it is a RAM hog. So far i would do it all again i had lots of fun doing all of it but only next time do newer Macs that will sell quicker.
Sorry for the late reply🙁. This is a great idea and i think i will try this🙂 we had a yard sale back in summer 2009 and had a good turn out, we live in the country and in 2009 i was not even able to sell my 2.4GHz Dell with 1GB Ram,120GB HD,15in LCD,Geforce 8400 gs. for $45 most of the people bought Power tools but now 3 Years later and now a computer is almost a necessitie i think they may sell it can't hurt to try😀. Some guy wanted to buy 2 off me from Craigslist because he loved the look of them but he called 2 days before and said his car broke down and now the money needs to go for that oh well🙁. The original imac's wear/are a pain in my butt 1 imac i left a cd in and forgot about it so i tryed to turn it right back on to get the cd out and it would not come on and then 2 other's that worked when tested now don't power up nether only 1 original has a bad flyback the rest i think are good i tryed to give the originals away free but not one reply🙁 I think all they need is a new pram battery but i am not sure? at lest they may be worth something in the future being they are 233MHz Rev.A. My main Mac is now nothing else but a 500MHz iMac G3 With 512MB Ram and OS X 10.4.11 Thank god for TenForFox only thing i don't like about TenFourFox is that it is a RAM hog. So far i would do it all again i had lots of fun doing all of it but only next time do newer Macs that will sell quicker.
A pity, you discovered some more problems.
233MHz Rev.A.
You can update rev. A to B, by installing additional VRAM (SG-RAM). They look like Laptop-SDRAM (SO-Dimms), but have the cut in another position (ok, this description is misleading, one could mix them up with DDR-SO-Dimms..., wel I guess you will find them on Ebay).
Cheapest wway to get them is searching for "kg RAM" or "ounces RAM" or "kg memory" or "RAM recycling". You can buy a for example 5kg RAM, which is declared as faulty/untested. Of course you would have to test them...
You can put them aside, and everytime you need RAM you test one. Keep those that are defective and sell them again on Ebay or bring them to a local recycler (in Germany the price for 1kg RAM is 22,50EUR, at the time. I do not know, if you have an option where you live).
You can test the RAM with this http://www.command-tab.com/2008/01/11/how-to-test-ram-under-mac-os-x/
(this is very time consuming, so if you want to be honest to the buyers, you could also just drop them in and test, if the iMac powers up and recognizes the RAM. Then you would have to tell the buyer, that you did not test the added RAM further, but booting up etc.)
Maybe you find two 512MB Sticks for your main machine as well.
233MHz Rev.A.
You can update rev. A to B, by installing additional VRAM (SG-RAM). They look like Laptop-SDRAM (SO-Dimms), but have the cut in another position (ok, this description is misleading, one could mix them up with DDR-SO-Dimms..., wel I guess you will find them on Ebay).
Cheapest wway to get them is searching for "kg RAM" or "ounces RAM" or "kg memory" or "RAM recycling". You can buy a for example 5kg RAM, which is declared as faulty/untested. Of course you would have to test them...
You can put them aside, and everytime you need RAM you test one. Keep those that are defective and sell them again on Ebay or bring them to a local recycler (in Germany the price for 1kg RAM is 22,50EUR, at the time. I do not know, if you have an option where you live).
You can test the RAM with this http://www.command-tab.com/2008/01/11/how-to-test-ram-under-mac-os-x/
(this is very time consuming, so if you want to be honest to the buyers, you could also just drop them in and test, if the iMac powers up and recognizes the RAM. Then you would have to tell the buyer, that you did not test the added RAM further, but booting up etc.)
Maybe you find two 512MB Sticks for your main machine as well.
well, they have some appeal. I would want to have one of every colour, if I had the space and would have to much money 🙂
one note about the stuck CD:
isn't there a small hole you can put a needle in, which will let the drive pop out? (since you done a lot of work on these and have gotten some knowledge, you probably tried this anyway, but I thought, it's better to post it, since everyone forgets something from time to time 🙂)
one note about the stuck CD:
isn't there a small hole you can put a needle in, which will let the drive pop out? (since you done a lot of work on these and have gotten some knowledge, you probably tried this anyway, but I thought, it's better to post it, since everyone forgets something from time to time 🙂)
Are there any local charities in the area that might be able to use some? Thinking something for underprivileged children.
First of all, this is awesome. Secondly I was wondering if you could help me out. I'm trying to figure out how to put the bottom part of the case back on and can't figure out the metal bracket in the back connecting the colored portion to the clear frame. Replys to my email (jzak2392@gmail.com) would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks i will look into the vRam upgrade if i can get the original iMac's to work %100🙂. As far as the 512Mb Ram goes in my iMac i seem to be doing ok by disabling Dash board and spot light and have no pages outs With TenourFox open with 3 Tabs🙂 if 512MB PC133 Ram was not so much money i would get it, i may end up buying new ram any way being when i turned on my iMac i got a half a startup tone and in system profiler it shows only 256Mb Ram when i have 512MB (2x256MB) and it did show it before i will try to reseat the ram to see if that works. Im on my sisters(Now Somewhat Mine😀) Laptop it is a old 2.4GHz Core i3 Laptop that she used to have before she got her MacBook i had to put a new HD in it and the Built in Wi-Fi does not work for nothing but i keep the OS (Windows 7) Clean and it runes as fast as it did when i installed the OS on the new HD a year ago i will say when i use the iMac i do miss the 6GB Ram and the 17in 1920x1080 Display🙁. once i get the iMac running again i will be useing that i will even take a G3 Mac over a PC any day🙂 i will have to say Windows 7 is one of the best OS's from Microsoft in a awhile XP is ok well🙂. The Good news is i sold 2 iMacs and i got $50 for the 2😀.
All ready tryed😀 tryed to give one to my sister for hear B-Day and she would not take it because it was not good anuff for hear😡 some of my friends might want one to use as a jukebox i will have to ask Them🙂
I still am trying to get one of every color as well🙂 And yes that was how i got the CD Out🙂
I'm not Sure😕 if the iMac's are not gone by the end of summer i will try to find a place that can use them🙂
Thanks! Do you mean the medal Cover/shield that goes over the logic board?
Old Smuggler
macrumors 6502a
If you use a older version of skype and a old isight Cam it may work but i dont think the video would look all that good🙁
AWESOME!! I got my start from working on iMac G3's. I brought about 10 home and worked on them all. I remember when I was nervous to open them up lol. I had a nice snow 600mhz one in my garage but i brought it to the dump because I had no space even though it worked fine 🙁 I really regret getting rid of it. However I have a mint condition blue one in my room.
you can get those 512MB RAM for cheap the same way you can get the vRam. Buy 1kg (or ounce) or better more and look if there is a functioning one in it.
On your bad RAM: I hope it is not the RAM-Slot on the LogicBoard that is faulty. Did you try other RAM (no matter what size, as long as it is above 256MB minimum together) in that Slots? So you will know, if it is not the Logicboard.
(is your 500MHz one, the only 500MHz one or are there any others under the 31? Maybe a 600MHz, you could swap?)
I'm looking on ebay for the ram it looks as if i spend $40 i can get a pound of ram mayby 25 pieces i just don't know if it is pc133 but i might be willing to take a risk as to get all the iMacs working i had to use 2.5GB+ of Pc133 from my own macs and now they have none even if it was not pc133 i can still find a use for Them😀. I still have to try new ram in my iMac or try the old ram in my G3 B&W Tower, i some what don't want to see the imac right now as i spent 3 Days getting it as i like it and then it does this😀 But i will make This my job for tomorrow at lest the HD is ok i think. yep,it is a 500MHz indigo, most of the other ones are 500MHz as well and some are 350MHz BlueBerry's but no 600MHz🙁. I Do have 3 spare 500MHz logic board's from iMacs with dead CRT's so i can use one of them if i need to. i might put the spare 500MHz logic board's in the 350MHz blueberry's to get them a little faster🙂