iMac OS inquiry

[FCarol]

:vxd:
Hi, I have an iMac 406, Power PC G3, 266 Mhz.

It was given to me as is...the OS is giving me lots of trouble, I do not have the software to redo the machine, what I need to know is ....

What is the higher version of OS that I can use on this machine. It is running OS 8.5 now, I either will purchase the same or one higher but I dont know what I can run on that particular machine.

Thanks you very much :mbx: .

[Child of Cupertino]

Hey :)

Looks like you got yourself one of these:

http://www.lowendmac.com/imacs/imac-c.shtml

You can run anything from Mac OS 8.5 on up Mac OS X "Panther" (version 10.3.x). The last version of the "classic" Mac OS is version 9.2 before the big changes and heftier hardware demands of Mac OS X.

It's a pity that you don't have the restore CD for that Mac. In it would not only be a compatible OS, but also the decent software bundle that comes with all iMacs -- mainly Appleworks for some usable "Office" functions. Even with the disk, however, you might want to consider going up to Mac OS X. Thing is, you'd want to max your RAM if you did (384MB). OTOH, after a basic installation of OS X, you'd not have a ton of room left on that (presumably) stock 6GB drive -- and there's no Firewire port on that vintage of iMac for a fast external drive... and yet, the pre-Mac OS X operating system is a dead-end; no longer supported.

In any case, if you're looking for system disks or software, you could get older OS installers cheaper and a software title or two from one or more of these dealers:

http://www.heywoody.com/dealers/

[FCarol]

thanks...and I also have this...not sure what it is...
SuperDisk (Imation)
The back says: SuperDisk USB Drive for Macintosh.
I will look up the software.
Thanks again.

[Child of Cupertino]

That, I believe, is a USB floppy drive:
http://www.thereviewzone.com/imationsuperdisk.html

it can also use a 120MB capacity "Superdisk" as well -- if you can still find those old things!

Here is the driver for it:
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/3011
Although, if you choose to use Mac OS X, the driver may already be there.

The specs as listed at that lowendmac.com URL I gave you said that it is supported up to Panther; the PREVIOUS major release of Mac OS X, version 10.3.x. Mac OS X is now up to 10.4.x (called "Tiger"), so you could probably pick up Panther for cheap. You would definitely want to max the RAM, however, and perhaps may require an external USB drive.

A system of that vintage running Mac OS X would be a bit slow, but usable for web surfing, email, Office and iTunes. Actually, it would make a funky living room juke box, with your library on a USB drive and some funky visualizers! In fact, if you put it on a network with other Macs or PCs running iTunes, ALL the networked computers can share iTunes libraries (via streaming) and you wouldn't even have to try and cram the music library on the iMac's teeny drive or use a USB drive at all. This iTunes capability is ONLY supported in Mac OS X (mac OS 9 and older is quite DEAD).

You could not use the iMac for DV editing (no Firewire port, anyway) but perhaps iPhoto digital photo management if you're patient. To that end, if the imac is in your living room, and you do keep all your digital photos on it, it makes a fantastic dynamic photo album via its screensaver, rather than all your digital photos "gathering dust" on your hard drive in some den, somewhere...

[FCarol]

its the 3rd computer in home...it will be for surfing and playing games....I would not bother with it but my husband wants to have one...
Mine is P4, kids have a P2...and he wants one...
*smiles*
We have to make them alllllll happy.
And I really do help you for all that great information.

[Child of Cupertino]

Games? On that??

Hope we're talkin' Minesweeper, although it would probably run better than a PII.

Honestly, that's no gaming rig.

[FCarol]

card games and stuff like Minesweeper.
But probably just for his personal stuff and all that.
*smiles*

[Tim]

yea running OS X on that is dicey. That model is not recommended to be upgraded apparently, those machines are known to die when opened and toyed with I heard because of heat issues the insides 'bake itself' and bad things happen when things are move over time.
My suggestion is, if you want to run that machine in particular as a simple machine like that, locate a copy of OS 9.2 and lay that down, and use whatever software you can scare up for it, actually it might be rather cheap since most people are up at OS X now. :)

[Child of Cupertino]

I guess I'll agree with my friend, there. But I don't think Java is still maintained up to date on OS 9. Can you confirm this, oh web designing guru, you?