Buying first Mac questions!

gamegurugameguru
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Ok I have been a PC user for years and will continue to use PCs but I also want to dabble a bit in Macs. I have been checking out iMacs on ebay and have bid on a few (the older G3 ones up to 600MHz) but then I came across this deal and was wondering how upgradeable this system will be and if it is a good 1st Mac.



http://www.macofalltrades.com/produc...WU54A5PQGEF1C7



It includes the monitor too so I thought it sounded like a good deal. Anyone know about this company also? Any help would be great!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    newnew Posts: 3,244member
    It's a good machine.



    BUT. You have to be aware that a PC this age would be thrown out immediately.



    So first you have to decide what you are gonna use it for. It will run OSX 10.3 fine (which I strongly recommend, but will cost extra). It will be ok for word-processing, browsing and other text-based operations.
  • Reply 2 of 7
    gensorgensor Posts: 48member
    Where is the best place to sell my iMac. It only 4 months old but I want the new iMac model?
  • Reply 3 of 7
    mcqmcq Posts: 1,543member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by gensor

    Where is the best place to sell my iMac. It only 4 months old but I want the new iMac model?



    If it's a CRT iMac why not sell to the guy in this thread? Otherwise, Ebay, or forums (AI, MacNN, ArsTechnica, etc.)...



    Edit: I've heard of Mac of All Trades, no clue how good they are. G3/400 may be ok for dabbling, but not much more.
  • Reply 4 of 7
    kcmackcmac Posts: 1,051member
    We have a G3 iMac DVSE 400 that has made many iMovies and taught my son and I how to use photoshop and a few other graphics apps. It has done the job fine for us and is still a good working machine.



    If you get this machine today and compare it with your current PC you may think it a little slow. As long as you are dabbling and learning OS X that is the way to approach it. This machine will not give you the best Apple experience that can be achieved by getting a new machine.



    I think your experience will be a good one in the right light and maybe it will have you looking at the latest machines such as the new iMac very soon.
  • Reply 5 of 7
    gamegurugameguru Posts: 2member
    Ok I am thinking I might want to get something more powerful to start with but don't want to spend more than $500 on the machine inself as I want to upgrade everything in it myself to learn the system. What PowerMac should I buy now that would take at least a 1.2GHz upgrade, a 9800 Pro and at least 1GB of RAM down the line?





    P.S. Please just recommend a minimum PowerMac rig as I don't want the iMac or eMacs since you can't upgrade the video.
  • Reply 6 of 7
    toweltowel Posts: 1,479member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by GameGuru

    Ok I am thinking I might want to get something more powerful to start with but don't want to spend more than $500 on the machine inself as I want to upgrade everything in it myself to learn the system. What PowerMac should I buy now that would take at least a 1.2GHz upgrade, a 9800 Pro and at least 1GB of RAM down the line?





    P.S. Please just recommend a minimum PowerMac rig as I don't want the iMac or eMacs since you can't upgrade the video.



    I really wouldn't bother. A 1GHz+ processor upgrade will cost you upwards of $300, and you'll still be saddled with a horribly slow bus, since there's no way to upgrade the motherboard on any PowerMac. It doesn't make any sense to try to "roll your own" Mac. It also won't help you a bit in "learning the system". All you need to learn you'll learn in OSX. The whole idea is that the hardware just works, so you don't even know it's there. Really, to redundantly repeat myself, it makes absolutely no sense to spend $500 on an ancient PowerMac and then plan on spending another $800 on upgrades when for less money you can get a shiny new iMacG5 with a built-in screen that will blow the doors off of your wheezing tower.



    Lots of folks seem to worry about the video card, and I used to be one of them. The truth is, if you're really into gaming, you're not going to do it on the Mac anyway. Save up your money for an eMac, iBook, or iMac (even a refurb), and keep your Windows rig or X-box for gaming. The Mac is the computer for the rest of your life.
  • Reply 7 of 7
    kenaustuskenaustus Posts: 924member
    With each being $299 you are at $600 and close to something a lot better, and far cheaper in the long run.



    Even a base 12" iBook would be far better in terms of performance and, after you use it for a while, you can sell it for close to what you paid and upgrade. IF you are at a school or are in school, or a family member is, you can still get the Cram & Jam deal, adding an iPod and getting a $200 rebate. You can probably sell the iPod if you don't want one for $200 - just try it for a week first . . .



    Hell, look at the base G5 iMac for $200 more than the iBook. 80 GB SATA HD, G5 processor, fast FSB and a rather nice 17" display thrown in.



    On both you can also get a $99 printer with a $99 rebate, paying only sales tax. Sell it on ebay and cut the computer price even more.



    If you can play the education discount angle a new iBook that will blow the socks off of the old Mac for about the same net price. One important note: the Cram & Jam $200 rebate promotion ends on September 25th.



    The key is to play with as modern as Mac as you can and then decide where you want to go. I think both the iBook and G5 iMac will be good investments - sell them when you want to upgrade (for a high price) and have more fun now.
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