White iMac Questions

[RDM3]

There is a white iMac at our local auction this coming Friday and I do not know much about them, so I turn to the experts...

Can anyone give me an idea of what it may have in it, hard drive, processor, wifi, etc?

Value?

Can it handle OSX snow Leopard and Lion when it comes out? What would have even been on it back in the day?

There is a photo online and I attached it, I know it does not show much but its a photo, I will go see it Friday morning and get the model number and plug it in to see if it fires up.

If I can get it cheap and it works I will snag it as a backup as I use my white macbook and macbook pro the most.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

This is a PPC iMac (no iSight), thus it has a G5 CPU, which is not an Intel CPU, thus the maximum OS version you can run on it is Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, as Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard requires an Intel CPU.
Check here for more specs:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/index-imac.html

 

[MTI]

Originally it was equiped with a G5 processor which will not run Snow Leopard. At the end of the G5 iMac cycle, they came with a built in iSight web cam. In 2006, the first 1.83 ghz Intel based iMacs were sold, also with a built in iSight web cam and the ability to run Snow Leopard.

Hard to tell from the photo if there's an iSight, but I agree that if there isn't one, then it's a G5 . . . which have the distinction of being plagued with bad capacitors on the motherboard and power supply.

 

[RDM3]

This is a PPC iMac (no iSight), thus it has a G5 CPU, which is not an Intel CPU, thus the maximum OS version you can run on it is Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, as Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard requires an Intel CPU.
Check here for more specs:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/index-imac.html

Thanks, may I ask how you can tell? I am hoping it has Intel inside it, but even a PowerPC I would buy, if it was cheap, people at auctions go nuts over things and pay way too much sometimes.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Thanks, may I ask how you can tell? I am hoping it has Intel inside it, but even a PowerPC I would buy, if it was cheap, people at auctions go nuts over things and pay way too much sometimes.

There is no black spot at the top, which would indicate an iSight camera, but as even the late G5 iMacs had iSight, it is safe to conclude, that that iMac is a PPC iMac.

 

[RDM3]

There is no black spot at the top, which would indicate an iSight camera, but as even the late G5 iMacs had iSight, it is safe to conclude, that that iMac is a PPC iMac.

Thanks, it still may be a good pick up at the right price, what is it worth? $100?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Thanks, it still may be a good pick up at the right price, what is it worth? $100?

I don't know, but Mac2Sell, Gazelle or eBay (Việt Nam, Türkiye, Česká republika, Hanguk) might be good price checkers.

 

[RDM3]

I don't know, but Mac2Sell, Gazelle or eBay (Việt Nam, Türkiye, Česká republika, Hanguk) might be good price checkers.

Thanks, I will have to get the specs on Friday.

 

[RDM3]

I got over to the auction to check out the iMac, it is the PPC G5 model, it does fire up, so thats good, it has the keyboard and mouse, and is in good condition, it will need the OS to be restored as it still has the old owners info in it, I have the OSX Leopard discs, so I assume I can do a fresh install.

I also came across a Mac Mini, the 80gb, 1.83ghz, MB138LL/A model, I do not know if it works, it just had the wireless Apple keyboard, no power cord, I am going to try and get that one too, for the right price.

 

[RDM3]

For anyone interested......

The iMac went for $240 before 10% buyers premium and 6% sales tax, I did not bid.

I did get the Mac Mini, paid $174.90 out the door, with the power cord and the wireless keyboard, the auctioneer labeled it an "Apple Hard Drive", most people did not have a clue that it was a computer, I have to get a monitor cable to morrow at Best Buy, but it does fire up, lets hope it works well.