It really is a crime that Apple has let this go on for such a long time.

Mr. Smith12 · #1 June 5th, 2005, 11:29 AM

My slot loading DVD iMac 400Mhz G3 running OS 8.6 is dead, and Apple's Mac OS X killed it.

It really is a crime that Apple has let this go on for such a long time. Someone wrote a few years ago that over 6 million iMac's like this were sold. I guess Apple wanted to sell 6 million new computers to old iMac owners.

As of June 1, 2005 it's clear to me that Apple has known for a long time, maybe years, that it's Mac OS X product WILL damage a perfectly good iMac if OS 9.1 and the latest firmware upgrade have not been installed YET, they make NO mention of this in the Mac OS X system requirements. In fact Apple tells the iMac owner on the retail Mac OS X box, and on the Apple web site, that an iMac G3 CAN be upgrade to Mac OS X. The Mac OS X customer has a reasonable expectation that upgrading an iMac that meets or exceeds the Mac OS X system requirements that are stated on the retail box will NOT end up with a damaged iMac that no longer works. I want Apple to repair, at their cost, all iMacs that have been damaged by the Mac OS X installer.

An example of an iMac that would be damaged by the Mac OS X installer is a slot loading, 400 MHz G3 iMac DV sold at the end of 1999 with Mac OS 8.6 installed at the factory. An iMac like this that is in perfect condition and running Mac OS 8.6 will be damaged if the owner tries to install Mac OS X.

I would have NEVER thought Apple would do this kind of thing, but now I know. I did everything listed on the web pages shown, but nothing worked.

http://www.capecodgraphics.com/imac_firmware.htm
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.p...21023065837185

I called Apple support and explained the problem. They didn't really care and told me they would sell me OX 9 for $99.

contoursvt · #2 June 5th, 2005, 01:10 PM

When you say damage, do you mean hardware damage? I didnt think this was really possible unless there was a serious design flaw in the hardware...

**Giaguara** · #3 June 5th, 2005, 01:44 PM

Hardware damage is not possible the way you describe.
Could you describe further how is this damage in practise? DVD drive quit reading? Hard drive fused?
How much RAM did / do you have in that iMac?
8.6 as the factory installation is quite some time ago... so it may run there, but not be the fastest.

Lt Major Burns · #4 June 5th, 2005, 02:15 PM

i have heard of cases that if OSX was installed on a computer without the right firmware (as described) it would blow the firmware, killing the computer. it would fry. apparently, theres no way of fixing them, no one knows how. it's a dead box. painful

cfleck · #5 June 5th, 2005, 03:22 PM

I had an old g3 at one point with os 9 on it. When I put X on, the monitor freaked out, went black and I was sure it was a gonner. Then I checked around a bit, and found that I needed to update the firmware.

I put the X install cd/dvd (don't remember) back in after hooking up a different monitor and updated the firmware. The firmware update is on the cd and it tells you to install it if you read the documentation that comes with it. At least it did back then.

Anyway, after updating the firmware and maybe a reinstall (don't remember) the monitor worked again like new and I never had another problem with it.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that you're probably experiencing what I did. Not an easy fix, but if you can get your hands on a second monitor and know your way around the hardware a bit, you can get it working again. I was able to anyway.

g/re/p · #6 June 5th, 2005, 03:54 PM

Taken directly from the READ BEFORE YOU INSTALL pdf
on the Panther Install Disk # 1:

Updating your computer’s firmware.
You may need to update your computers firmware.
If so, you must do it before you can install Mac OS X.
If you start the Installer and see a message that you
need to update your computers firmware, quit the Installer and restart your computer using your current startup disk.
To find firmware updates for your computer, open the
Apple Software Updates website:

www.apple.com/support/downloads/

Mr. Smith12 · #7 June 5th, 2005, 08:57 PM

It turns out that Apple has known for a long time that the Mac OS X installer will damage the old iMacs that don't have OS 9.1 and the firmware upgrade. However, Apple wants to sell new Macs and what better way to sell new Macs than to break the old ones. In all the years OS X has been out Apple could have added the following to the Mac OS X system requirements, but they didn't!

"Mac OS 9.1 and latest firmware upgrade."

If you want to understand this problem go to the links shown below. I followed all the steps shown on those pages and in the end the iMac would not boot.

http://www.capecodgraphics.com/imac_firmware.htm
http://www.macosxhints.com/article....021023065837185

Just last week I had people who sell Macs, while reading the Mac OS X system requirements off the retail box, tell me that the Mac OS X upgrade to a 400 MHz G3 iMac DV running Mac OS 8.6 would not be a problem.

texanpenguin · #8 June 6th, 2005, 04:03 AM

Is it really that hard to install the firmware before you start?

Nothing about the computer breaks by not installing it (just no more display).

Plug another display into the VGA port, install the firmware update, then update to OS X and there's no problem.

Stop being so melodramatic. You ought to be glad that Apple happily supports old technology instead of taking the Windows route and insisting on higher and higher specs.