Idiots Guide to Apple G3/G4/G5???

Lawbag_2

Can anyone give me a link or advice to navigate my way through the myriad of Apple computers available?

What the various G# means, and how processor speeds compare with PC speeds. etc...

Any pitfalls, or machines to avoid or ones to hunt down?

Im looking at getting locally on Ebay.

colin79666

Well it all depends on what the machine is to be used for.
Generally I'd say avoid G3 - it's really old - like 1999 and will struggle to run Mac OS X
G4 is OK - especially the faster ones.
G5 was the top end before Apple switched to Intel.

If this is a new machine that you intend to keep for a few years I'd avoid all the old Power Processors and get a newer Intel powered Mac - this will help ensure compatibility for a longer time to come.

Lawbag_2

Im mainly looking for a laptop to chug about for writing on and surfing the internet.

But Im also interested in a one of the IMACS for my daughter to surf on safely.

Moneymaker

Hmm, big subject! I use an iBook with a 12" screen when I go away on business. It has a 600MHz G3 CPU, which is basically slow (running OS10.3.9 Panther). But the slowness is most noticeable when launching applications. It works fine for emails and web browsing, which is all I need. The small size and portability is the main factor.

In the office I have several towers which use G4 processors (running OS10.4.8 Tiger). As a general guide, a G4/400MHz is somewhat faster than my iBook G3/600MHz. But I wouldn't buy anything slower than a G4/1.25GHz if you plan to use it a lot.

The G5 models are a lot faster than the G4s but my impression is that they need a lot of cooling.

The latest Intel models run relatively cooler, are even faster, and have the (dubious) advantage of being able to run Windows XP. In fact with "Parallels" software you can run OSX and XP simultaneously!

(One disadvantage of the Intel models is they won't run "Classic" software designed for OS9 and earlier. That won't bother most switchers and, if you don't understand what it means, forget it.)

I like the G4 tower because it's very upgradable. I converted a G4/400MHz to a G4/1.4GHz by changing the CPU. But it cost a whopping £400 so I don't recommend it unless you can get the G4/400 for free.

But you can also fit up to three internal Hard Drives, which is handy, and three (I think) PCI cards for USB2 or whatever. You can also fit extra memory (minimum 1GB recommended) and a wireless "airport" card (original type, not "express").

If space is a problem, go for the Mac Mini. I bought one from eBay last week. Look for the highest specification. A "Superdrive" means it can burn DVDs and CDs. A "Combo Drive" can burn CDs but only reads DVDs. Look for a large HD capacity, plenty of memory (1GB), wireless if you need it. All these things are a pain to upgrade so buy the specification you need. And budget for an external Firewire drive for backups and extra storage.

The Mac mini needs a monitor adapter so buy one with that (some are offered without). You can use a PC keyboard and USB mouse and SVGA monitor.

The modern Mac laptops are very nice but they hold their prices and you need to budget for a new battery (around £80).

Macs are generally very reliable, totally free from malware of any sort and easy to use (when you get used to them). Plenty of software, plenty of help from user groups and forums.

Moneymaker

My comments regarding Mac Mini also apply to the iMac (except for the monitor adaptor of course).

thefirs

A humourous antidote to Macophilia LOL