Need your opinions about an iMac opportunity I have...

T

themacko

Barking at the moon.
I'll start off mentioning that this is about an old-school iMac, not the new ones. I volunteer at a friend's churc every once in a while and they have a pretty decent library going for the community. They currently have about 35 iMacs that are open to the pubic. These things are taken pretty well care of but have been in use for about 3 years now. Anyhoo, the church is going to upgrade to new(er) iMacs and are selling the old ones. I can get one for like $300 which IMO is pretty damn cool.

I don't know exactly what model this thing is, but it looks like the original iMac. It has 64 mb RAM and OS 8.6, I don't know anything else about it.

Since I won't be able to run OS X on this thing, what could I use it for? I don't need a webserver or mailserver, I have an AirPort so maybe could I use it as like a 'wireless' print server? I think it would be cool to have but I don't really need to drop 300 bones on a machine that will just collect dust and not really get used.

If you guys had one of these iMacs dropped in your lap, what would you do with it?
 
Here is what you could do with it.

<img src=http://store6.yimg.com/I/redlightrunner_1675_977020>
 
Actually, testuser, it will have problems running OSX if it one of the original Bondi iMacs... the ATI card in there has no OSX drivers... It is the one of the machines in the much publicized class action suit against Apple.


themacko.... you could run Linux on it. You could run Darwin... perhaps even an older BeOS (dunno bout that) or OSX with some performance issues (which will most likely be resolved relatively soon)

Do you have kids? If so... get it and install OS9 and get some good educational games. It is more than enough machine for a young kid.
 
Oh god, Admin! You're really mean! :p

Uhm, you could send it to me, and I'll get a SDSL line and set up a web server with it ;)

Oh, and, you could use it as an universal remote control for your TV/VCR/DVD/CD player, if it's the original one, it has an IR port :rolleyes:
If you're not going to use the IR port, you can take out the IRDA circuit and sell it to me, so I can use it :D
 
Okay, now i'm confused. Maybe someone can clear up my confusion. I'm running OS X on my 233 MHz iMac. I THOUGHT it was the original Bondi Blue, in which case, according to this thread, I should have had problems with X. I haven't. Here's my confusion: is there a difference between the original iMac and the rev A imac? If so, what is it, and how can I find out what mine is? I bought it in Sep/Oct 98.
 
Funny, my brother has the 266MHz iMac with 64MB RAM and $hitty ATi video card and aside from some jagged window moves, it runs Mac OS X just fine. It's not as fast as Mac OS 9, but it runs it well enough to be be barely usable for a "consumer's" use.
 
Running Darwin (linux or unix I'm assuming) would be pretty cool, but even running 9.1 would be fine by me. I just don't know what I would really do with it. I don't have any kids (that I know of :p ) and I personally can't think of what I would do with another computer, since I use my iBook now for everything and have no needs.

I was thinking that maybe I could stick it in my kitchen and store food and mixed-drink recipes on it .. as well as a phone book and kitchen stereo. That would only require keeping OS 8.6 on it and no need pouring money into ram upgrades.

heh .. I think I just invented a use for it. Any other ideas?
 
Another Rev B iMac user on OS X.1.2 with rave reviews. I wouldn't invest in os X because you'd then have to get some RAM (I have 256, it was fine at 190 but don't expect to run many apps then) Your iBook is going to kick it's butt anyway so if I were in your position I would try the Darwin thing :) that would be cool if only for the brag rights. I would make it a server/mp3 juke box for your iBook (The 6 gig hard drive hurts me tho)

For 300$ tho, there are many many things you can do that make it more functional than a fishtank so I would jump on it. You'd get your money's worth.
 
Originally posted by Matrix Agent
Make it into a crazy OS machine:

Darwin
Linux
OS 7:D
Next

Bet you could make that iMac cool again.:cool:
Click to expand...

the iMac will not run anything earlier than OS8.5 (i am pretty sure on this)

testuser's last post had the best ideas...
 
Replacing the HD in the iMacs is no problem, as long as you know how to do it, and you have the right instructions. You don't need to take out the motherboard etc, as in some instructions found on the net...
Just ask me, and I'll try to describe how to do it :)
 
That would be pretty cool if you would. What kind of hard drive is in there now? About how much more disk space can I add? Mine's the Rev B iMac and I have found it difficult to find tech specs on the web cause when I search iMac it comes up with the latest and greatest, not necessarily what I have.
 
Unless you really need a computer, save your pennies for something that will really do you good. Do not listen to people saying it will run OS X. I can barely tolerate my 400MHz running OS X with 640 RAM. OS X is simply too demanding at this stage. Maybe that will change, but I doubt it. Apple wants you buying new boxes, not running glass smooth on old boxes.

"Running" OS X and being comfortable with it are two very different things.

I guess its best home might be as a game server or a print server. I use an old 604e machine as a USB printer sharing box so I can keep the physical printer away from my main work desk.

If you don't have a better Mac already and are willing to run older apps in OS 9, you'll have a pretty good experience with it. Photoshop 5.5., Quark 3.1 and AI 7 run great on machines of that caliber.
 
while it's true that you may get a better performance with os 9, buying another computer just to run old applications doesn't make it worth it. The reason I'd say this opertunity is so cool is because you can turn it into an appliance. Some sort of print server or juke box where it's just there, you don't have to worry about speed but it performs some basic functionality.

There are lots of web sites of things people did to thier macs and one that comes to mind is ripping the moniter off so you are left with the processing stuff. This is obviously going to take a lot of time and technical know how but since the processing stuff is so small you could then put it all in the bottom of a ficus tree. Then you have a super cool print server where you plug into the trunk of the plastic tree :) Boy I need to stop comming here when I'm so sleep deprived. I'm starting to sound like Herve
 
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