First time poster, long time listener here. 
I currently use an iBook 500. It is my main (and only) computer. The dorms I recently moved from were on a big Airport network, so I had a card in my book and was always connected.
Now i've got my own place and I'm missing the mobility. Here's my dilemma:
Should I get an Airport basestation for like $300, or should I get a used iMac and turn it into a software basestation? I can get a decent iMac at about 333mhz for like $400. Then I'd obviously need another Airport card .. but with this I would also be gaining more harddrive space through the network.
The other part of this equation is, would I be able to access my USB (Lexmark) printer through my iBook, if it's connect to the iMac/basestation?
I don't know if software would be a problem, my iBook only has OSX on it. I've heard that iMacs of lesser speeds can run OSX but not well. Which wouldn't really matter because it would be basically acting as a basestation, printing station and extra hardrive.
Sorry that was kinda long, does this seem pheasable? Thanks for any thoughts, fellas!
One last thing I forgot to add:
Would a basestation give a better signal range than an iMac/software basestation?

I currently use an iBook 500. It is my main (and only) computer. The dorms I recently moved from were on a big Airport network, so I had a card in my book and was always connected.
Now i've got my own place and I'm missing the mobility. Here's my dilemma:
Should I get an Airport basestation for like $300, or should I get a used iMac and turn it into a software basestation? I can get a decent iMac at about 333mhz for like $400. Then I'd obviously need another Airport card .. but with this I would also be gaining more harddrive space through the network.
The other part of this equation is, would I be able to access my USB (Lexmark) printer through my iBook, if it's connect to the iMac/basestation?
I don't know if software would be a problem, my iBook only has OSX on it. I've heard that iMacs of lesser speeds can run OSX but not well. Which wouldn't really matter because it would be basically acting as a basestation, printing station and extra hardrive.
Sorry that was kinda long, does this seem pheasable? Thanks for any thoughts, fellas!
One last thing I forgot to add:
Would a basestation give a better signal range than an iMac/software basestation?