G3 G4, intel Macs

Does anyone know if the magnifier featured in OSX requires a spesific video card to run? I ask as I'm looking at buy a mac, but on a tight budget. I may have found a G3 but I need to know if it can run the magnifier option as that is the only way I will be able to use the computer. Any one know the minimum to say run Tiger + magnifier in terms of hardware, I'm look for the bare minimum as money is tight.

Thanks so much!

 

I don't see any reason to buy any G3 or G4 Mac.... any intel is faster... even an old Core Duo or Core Solo Mac Mini would be better

but I think the zoom works on anything...

 

yeeaah... wasn't the G4 released in like 2003? just get a pc if your on a budget, a g4 is probably $300 you could get decent new pc for that much. The computer would be so old it would probably break down or something.

 

I know there old, and I alway have 9PC's within 15 feet of me... I need a mac now... I considering getting a intel macbook on ebay for 300$ with a broken screen... hmm.. I wish these things were cheaper.

 

I think a bit older than that. We had a strawberry iMac G3 and an iMac G4. My mom gave away the G3 a couple of years ago. I used to play Diablo II and Starcraft on there all the time. I hate the G4 and my stepmom still uses it.

 

what a current Mac is... you wont get from an older PPC machine...

i see some mac Mini intels going on ebay for 300-400ish ...

if you ever see any minis in the Apple refurb store.. thats a good way to go.. they havent had any in there for awhile now though.. but tey got a nice Macbook in there for $850

 

all the mini's are like 500$ on ebay I say a mini in the refurb store for 499 a couple weeks ago... I should have jumped on it. I may just grab the macbook air in the apple refurb store for 1050$ (the same price as the base macbook white).

Edit... Or not, the macbook air is now 1300$ in the refurb section.

 

desperate need at ultra low cost is a bad place to be.

also- your budget is all over the place.

desperately seeking a VERY outdated G3/G4 for $300? then a broken macbook...

then seeking a mac mini at $500...

then considering a refurb macbook air at $1050 but not a new macbook pro at 1050?

if your budget is actually $1050, let me recommend a refurbished 13" macbook pro, which can be had for significantly less.

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I am really interested as to why you need such an outdated machine so badly.

 

Have you looked into building your own Mac platform with off the shelf equipment? A lot of work has gone into this and there are a number of pieces of hardware that people have gotten to work with the Max OS.

 

Ok, sorry I live in Canada... so the 500$ was for the mac mini was in Canadian dollars. my USD budget is around 300$ + shipping. = 400$ CAD Easy. I HAVE the money, I just don't really know how much I want to spend. If I spend much over 500$ I'd rather buy a MBA from the refurb site, but I don't have a job so i need to save money for school as well. idealy I'd like a low end Intel mac with a 1.83Ghz and to be fairly cheap. Oh and the MBP is starting at 1400$ here. Basically I want see how low I can go with out causing signficant problems.


Edit: I don't want a G3/G4, but I wanted to know if I had to, could I get away with going that low.

 

You probably could go that low. PowerBook G4s generally go for around $200-400 working. Macs keep their value quite well. I've seen a seller wanting to part with his 17" G4 for $900!

 

even discussing illegal topics like that is specifically against forum rules...

 

I know. most people want about 300$ for there G4's and 600-700 for there Intel mac's which is rediculous for a 4 year old computer at 700$ I might as well buy a new one. that's kinda why I posted that I saw a MBA for 1050... I saw an intel mac on ebay sell for 300$ and I was just a little to slow. so I"m still hoping.

 

dunno.. on ebay right now I did a quick look and saw and older Mac Mini Core Duo machine at a "Buy it now" price of USD$369 ... not super bad

 

do you actually need a mac?

perhaps just pass until you have money to burn.

 

It's actually not illegal, but yeah, I just now saw it was against forum rules.

 

Actually I don't need a Mac, I don't need the 6 computers I have now.. all i need is one. but one computer isn't much fun is it? I want a Mac so that i can play with it. I have Linux, I have Windows. now i want a Mac, but seeing as i likely won't use it as my primary computer I don't really want to spend a fortune on one. I also kinda want to get rid of Windows except of games... but i need to try it first. and playing with one in the apple store isn't an option.

 

actually its very much illegal... you may need to look up the definition of the word, as I've had people tell me that same thing before, and they weren't using the word correctly.


Unless you think when Windows comes up with the error "This program has performed an illegal operation and will shut down" means someone is going to jail...

 

Yeah, I think the same way too. If you're gonna be a computer enthusiast, it's only right that you be able to know your way around all platforms, even if you don't like them that much. That's why I'm keeping a PB G4 12" in the back of my mind for consideration. I'd take it over a netbook anyday. Plus I have a soft spot for POWER architecture.

Yeah, illegal as in against Apple's TOU. Whether or not there will be legal ramafications, on the other hand, is yet to be tested. I'd rather not be the first to find out, personally.

 

well, you don't want to do "everything but games" on a g4, let alone a g3. i can tell you that much.

you should probably shoot for something with *at least* an nvidia integrated gpu and an intel processor.

if that is out of your budget, then the bare minimum would be an intel processor. if you can't get there, it really isn't worth any of your time.

the powerpc was great, and so was the athlon 64, but its all really old tech at this point.

 

EXACTLY why I want a mac. ans for the illegal, you sumed it up perfectly

 

lol, i just grabbed arvean's unibody Mac for 800$.