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

Wanted G4 Mac mini 2005

Garyed055

Garyed055

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
148
46
Canton Georgia
hi all

I need your help I’m trying to acquire a G4 Mac mini but being on a fixed income I can’t easily afford the prices I see. Would someone here be willing to donate one?

Thanks

Gary
 
Garyed055

Garyed055

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
148
46
Canton Georgia
leekil said:
What's your price limit? There are some on Ebay for $70 or less.
Click to expand...
Thats just the problem $74 for a G4 mac mini is too high. There are 2009 intell mac minis on ebay for the same $70, and they can almost run current MAC OS. The G4 is limited to OSX 10.5 leopard. Kind of a moot point though my income doesn't allow me much

Gary
 
Boyd01

Boyd01

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 21, 2012
7,432
4,261
New Jersey Pine Barrens
Was playing with my PowerBook G4 a couple years ago and having fun with the old operating systems and software. Went out of the room for a few minutes and when I came back, it was dead with the dreaded startup chime. Tried switching RAM, etc but it was just dead. A few days later I dragged my old Power Mac G4 out and tried it (I actually wanted to access some very old MacDraw II files). After less than a half hour, it also completely died.

My point is that the $70 you might spend for a very old computer is only the beginning. ;)
 
Partron22

Partron22

macrumors 68030
Apr 13, 2011
2,655
807
Yes
I use my 2005 G4 mini to run OS 9 stuff, as well as 10.5.11. It's pretty much been in continuous use since 2005.
Never had any trouble with it.

Looks like you're reasonably near Atlanta, which has several colleges and Universities.
They usually have surplus shops or regular surplus auctions where you can pick up older computers very cheaply.
Pick a University and look up "surplus sales" or similar on their website.
Possibly $10 and gas will get you what you want.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Boyd01
Garyed055

Garyed055

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
148
46
Canton Georgia
Partron22 said:
I use my 2005 G4 mini to run OS 9 stuff, as well as 10.5.11. It's pretty much been in continuous use since 2005.
Never had any trouble with it.

Looks like you're reasonably near Atlanta, which has several colleges and Universities.
They usually have surplus shops or regular surplus auctions where you can pick up older computers very cheaply.
Pick a University and look up "surplus sales" or similar on their website.
Possibly $10 and gas will get you what you want.
Click to expand...

WOW I didn't even think of that I'll check it out ASAP Thank you

Gary
 
Garyed055

Garyed055

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
148
46
Canton Georgia
Hey guys

I understand what your saying its asking a lot of someone and I appreciate greatly the suggestions and ideas and your willingness to hear me out. its not easy trying to maintain a hobby like this one when most of your income goes to bills and food.

thanks again

Gary
 
  • Like
Reactions: Boyd01
borgranta

borgranta

macrumors 6502
May 9, 2018
304
96
Garyed055 said:
hi all

I need your help I’m trying to acquire a G4 Mac mini but being on a fixed income I can’t easily afford the prices I see. Would someone here be willing to donate one?

Thanks

Gary
Click to expand...
You may be able to start a go fund me page to raise money for the Mac Mini.
 
bse5150

bse5150

macrumors 6502
Jan 12, 2014
276
121
Garyed055 said:
hi all

I need your help I’m trying to acquire a G4 Mac mini but being on a fixed income I can’t easily afford the prices I see. Would someone here be willing to donate one?

Thanks

Gary
Click to expand...

What would you do with a G4 Mac Mini? Just curious.
 
Garyed055

Garyed055

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
148
46
Canton Georgia
opeter

opeter

macrumors 68030
Aug 5, 2007
2,654
1,577
Slovenia
Garyed055 said:
Hi

I have a gofund me page for a different Mac Mini for video work

https://www.gofundme.com/need-new-mac-for-youtube-videos


Gary
[doublepost=1527766675][/doublepost]
hi

I want to pick up a G4 mac mini for using photoshop and possibly Linux as an email server

Gary
Click to expand...

What version of Photoshop?

The PPC Mac minis are practically unusable these days. Yes, there are some Linux version, that you can install on PPC (Yellow Dog Linux, Debian, some Ubuntu version, maybe Mandrake), but most stuff (read: applications) doesn't work on this version.

http://lowendmac.com/2018/installing-linux-on-powerpc-macs/
https://www.debian.org/ports/powerpc/

If I were you, I would consider an Intel Mac mini, that could be still used for some time.
The best would be an Core 2 Duo (click here).
 
Garyed055

Garyed055

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
148
46
Canton Georgia
opeter said:
What version of Photoshop?

The PPC Mac minis are practically unusable these days. Yes, there are some Linux version, that you can install on PPC (Yellow Dog Linux, Debian, some Ubuntu version, maybe Mandrake), but most stuff (read: applications) doesn't work on this version.

http://lowendmac.com/2018/installing-linux-on-powerpc-macs/
https://www.debian.org/ports/powerpc/

If I were you, I would consider an Intel Mac mini, that could be still used for some time.
The best would be an Core 2 Duo (click here).
Click to expand...

I understand what your saying but I can't swing the cost of a Core 2 Duo machine. I'd love to get a 2009 Intel Mini which can use up to OSX 10.10 but can't spare the money. I started a gofundme page its the best I can do.

Gary
 
TC_GoldRush

TC_GoldRush

macrumors 6502
Dec 6, 2017
283
272
Nevada, USA
Garyed055 said:
I understand what your saying but I can't swing the cost of a Core 2 Duo machine. I'd love to get a 2009 Intel Mini which can use up to OSX 10.10 but can't spare the money. I started a gofundme page its the best I can do.

Gary
Click to expand...
I got my hands on a Black Macbook Intel core 2 duo for less than $50. Couldn't imagine a Mac Mini core 2 duo being worth much more. Buy a broken one and fix it yourself for cheap.
 
Garyed055

Garyed055

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
148
46
Canton Georgia
opeter said:
What version of Photoshop?

The PPC Mac minis are practically unusable these days. Yes, there are some Linux version, that you can install on PPC (Yellow Dog Linux, Debian, some Ubuntu version, maybe Mandrake), but most stuff (read: applications) doesn't work on this version.

http://lowendmac.com/2018/installing-linux-on-powerpc-macs/
https://www.debian.org/ports/powerpc/

If I were you, I would consider an Intel Mac mini, that could be still used for some time.
The best would be an Core 2 Duo (click here).
Click to expand...
hi again

Its Photoshop CS2 runs fine on anything Before OSX 10.7.5

Gary
 
Partron22

Partron22

macrumors 68030
Apr 13, 2011
2,655
807
Yes
Libre Office, iTunes, MacDraft.
I would not go online, but you can build a pretty decent productivity suite around a 2005 mini.
Reasonably agile, plus you get that whole boot into OS9 compatability mode, where you get MacDraw, MacPaint, Spaceward-Ho, Macwrite etc etc.
 
Garyed055

Garyed055

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
148
46
Canton Georgia
Partron22 said:
Libre Office, iTunes, MacDraft.
I would not go online, but you can build a pretty decent productivity suite around a 2005 mini.
Reasonably agile, plus you get that whole boot into OS9 compatability mode, where you get MacDraw, MacPaint, Spaceward-Ho, Macwrite etc etc.
Click to expand...
Thats pretty much what I had in mind

Gary
 
Garyed055

Garyed055

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
148
46
Canton Georgia
One other note. I would like nothing better then to pickup computers or computer parts or accessories at Goodwill but here in north Georgia the Goodwills dont carry any Computer stuff

Gary
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom