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Old iMac G4 "Lampshade"

Jonathansm

Jonathansm

macrumors member
Original poster
So I have an old iMac Lampshade and I don't know what to do with it. I want to keep it because they are pretty cool computers. So any idea on what to do with it.
 
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iTunes server?

FTP server/network storage?

Light duty web-browsing? Kitchen kiosk for recipes and weather?

Your options are fairly broad provided your expectations are realistic.
 
kitchen kiosk, iTunes server and network storage/seedbox combined should be no problem at all.
 
My thoughts on these type of questions is that if you can't easily figure out a use for it on your own then you really don't need it at all. Why not sell it to someone who would actually get a lot more out of it?
 
like i said in the other post about iMac G3's ...you can do exactly the same with your iMac G4 what you can do with a new iMac i7 , just older OS and older versions of the same App's
or do you think people in 2003 did only play itunes from time to time or looked up cooking receipts on their iMac G4 , trust me they used them for the same purpose as people use now i7 iMac's
 
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zen.state said:
My thoughts on these type of questions is that if you can't easily figure out a use for it on your own then you really don't need it at all. Why not sell it to someone who would actually get a lot more out of it?
Click to expand...

Wow, I was just wondering if anyone had ideas.
 
zen.state said:
My thoughts on these type of questions is that if you can't easily figure out a use for it on your own then you really don't need it at all. Why not sell it to someone who would actually get a lot more out of it?
Click to expand...
Exactly - if you have a use for it then keep it, otherwise I'd say do what I do, either sell it, or keep it around as a backup in case a computer you actually use dies. Or stash it away and wait for it to appreciate over time 🙂
 
"Lampshade"?! 😕

This beauty is affectionately known as the "Luxo", as in the baby Anglepoise mascot/logo of Pixar Animation Studios (apt given the Jobs link).
 
As already said, they can have a variety of uses if your expectations are realistic. The thing you've got to ask yourself is if you can find something you can do with it that will benefit YOU, thats half the fun with these old computers. Just tinker about with it and see if you can integrate it into something useful.

My iMac G4 is a kitchen hifi/online cook book/print server
 
Like I say in every other thread where people ask what they can do with old G3s and 4s, turn it into an OS 9 gaming machine.

Carmageddon, Quake, Secret of Monkey Island, Unreal, all the Maxis Sim games, A-10, the first 3 Myst titles, and tons of other cool games will work perfectly on there.
 
Intel LampShade?

I have already bought a 1920x1080 LED 17" panel for MBP for replacement into the iMac

I am waiting for a nano size i3 MB to se if it can fit in

I bought a ITX i7 MB and it was about 3mm bigger than the base plate of the iMac🙁. I putting it into the iMac G5 instead 😛
 
Jonathansm said:
So I have an old iMac Lampshade and I don't know what to do with it. I want to keep it because they are pretty cool computers. So any idea on what to do with it.
Click to expand...

If it is faster than 700mhz , and has at least 1GB ram upgrade it to leopard and you can use it as a extra computer for web browsing for friends or family when they come over or you could use it to store and watch media off of it . A great app for power pc mac is Mactubes for watching youtube videos , make sure in the preferences you select quick time as the video player though for videos to work good . Also a good web browser for power pc is tenfourfox it really is the best browser available right now for it right now . Make sure you use the g4 version for your imac . It will work on Mac OS X Tiger 10.4 and Mac OS X Leopard 10.5 and Mactubes works with both too . Just make sure you use the software updater and upgrade to the latest version of Mac OS X so that software so that it will run .

If it can not run leopard install tiger on it or put mint ppc or lubuntu on it . Also another good linux distro for power pc is yellowdog linux

You can dual boot Mac and any of those linux distros I have listed . Keep in mind that the imac g4 is a old computer and it will not run everything like a modern computer and software is getting harder to find for power pc macs , but with that said they are still very usable in 2012 .
 
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Agreed!

I started out with a single 700 just because I had always wanted one. It became my paper writting computer for college when I was at home. The DA/533 and G5 where to distracting with all the screens and horse power. The luxo gave me the right combination of light web work, pages and music to get down to business and get things done. I know have 2 20" luxo's in my kids room for their needs and they LOVE them. Does not seem to matter to them how old the computers are, they just love to brag how much "cooler" their macs are compared to their friends boxes! Best advice? Cram all the ram into it you can, if you feel savy enough? Upgrade the hd, keep with either 10.4 or 10.5 if you want to stay pure mac. If not? MintPPC is a great alternative, though you do loose flash support, so know that going into it if that is a deal breaker.
 
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