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Mac Write · Jul 17, 2003, 01:04 AM

I was puttering around The Internet Archive after starting to watch MWSF 1999 keynote and seeing my beloved Beige G3 for one last time in a keynote from Apple.

Who still uses a Beige G3 as a primary computer or a secondary/server. When do you plan to upgrade to a new Mac?

What are your feelings about being left behind with Panther and faster Mac's?

-Q- · Jul 17, 2003, 06:49 AM

I ordered the G5 as soon as it was announced. It was what I was waiting for really. The beige has been a great machine and the speed gains on the G4 were never great enough for me to want to abandon it. And then after watching moto flail around like they had never designed a processor before, I decided I would just skip the G4 altogether and await the 'next generation' of chip. Glad I did. I hope to have my G5 next month ("crosses fingers").

But I'll still keep my beige around for use as my backup and MP3 server. It's still a great machine and with the upgrade card it runs OS X pretty well. So I figure I'll keep it around until it dies.

And as for being "left behind", it doesn't bother me at all. The beige is a 6 year old design and is out of date. Again, while still a great and viable machine, it's old. And support needed to be dropped for it sometime. And it's not like the announcement of Panter has automatically made your machine unusable. Just that it can't run the latest and greatest OS. Not a tragedy from my perspective.

Looking forward to my dual G5!

Xaositect · Jul 17, 2003, 02:09 PM

I'll not get rid of my Beige G3 anytime soon (in fact, i just purchased another - I now have 4).

It is the last Logic Board with built-in SCSI, so there are some data recovery techniques that can only be performed on it. Of course, it is useless for recovering larger than 120GB drives, but it is good for all up to that size!

OS 10.2 CD can get around all but one of the issues that can be controlled by using key presses that use the SCSI manager to modify boot process, but it can't then be used to fix certain OS 7/8/9 issues.

My current main use machine is my Cube, modified as documented in several other threads. I am waiting to see the next case, I want two internal 5.25" drives, as with the MDD case.

CIA · Jul 17, 2003, 02:47 PM

I let mine go last fall, but it was maxed out with 768 memory, 10/100 ethernet card, second PCI video card, 500Mhz G3 upgrade, Firewire/USB combo card, Zip, PCI controller, 2 new drives.... It ran like a champ, 24/7 from fall '98 till fall '02. My new dual 800 will probably last half that time with the G5 already out.

rubydog · Jul 17, 2003, 05:26 PM

I've tended to buy a 3 year old machine every 3 years. I'll probably be looking to replace my beige 266 this fall. Dunno what I'll get. Maybe an early g4. Maybe a cube. Yum....

Steve

firefly · Jul 18, 2003, 02:21 PM

My beige G3 (G4 533) is certainly way past its prime now. However, it's still reliable and fast enough for my Photoshop, Dreamweaver and internet tasks, but I'm seriously bored of OS9 (OSX runs sluggish, and Photoshop 7 runs like *#$@ on it which makes it pretty useless). For now I'm keeping myself occupied with a 700MHz Athlon I scavenged together for around �25 total.

Despite my PC distraction, OSX has really grown on me and I hope to treat myself to a faster mac next year - 1.3GHz+ - perhaps even build one from parts?

-Q- · Jul 18, 2003, 03:12 PM

Originally posted by firefly:
Despite my PC distraction, OSX has really grown on me and I hope to treat myself to a faster mac next year - 1.3GHz+ - perhaps even build one from parts?

I'd say you definitely should treat yourself to a new mac, but you won't be able to build one out of parts. Apple hates that idea and doesn't allow any sort of 'parts channel' to exist. You want a Mac you either buy new from Apple or an authorized dealer or you buy from eBay or a used store.

firefly · Jul 18, 2003, 03:48 PM

I sometimes see G4 motherboards on eBay; perhaps along with a Gigadesigns upgrade, modded ATX PSU and case this is feasible? A lot of work and trouble, but I like these little challenges.

Dr. Wahnsinn · Jul 18, 2003, 09:21 PM

I'm another one still the platinum G3. I bought mine in August, 1998 through the Apple Store for Education online. The base price was about $1,300.

It has been upgraded with a Sonnet 500MHz G3, ATI Rage128, Sonnet Allegro firewire, Keyspan USB, Hitachi Deskstar 60GB, as well as an Apple/GV 56K modem.

I would like to purchase a G5 Mac next year after a speed bump is introduced and the soon to be current models are discontinued. I'll get my G5 speed at reduced cost just by waiting for a few months.

davidflas · Jul 18, 2003, 10:30 PM

My primary Mac is a 15" 1Ghz PB, but I also have a Beige G3/266DT that I use to burn cdrs since I put a 48x cdrw drive in there. I also put an ATI Radeon 7000 in there and 10.2 perfomance is ok for my uses.

derekn · Jul 19, 2003, 03:04 AM

I still have my Beige G3 (upgraded to a G4/533, RAM is maxed out and have a FW/USB PCI card and a RAdeon PCI in there, hard drives been upgraded too). It was somewhat mothballed just after Jag came out, I got a dual 867 and my Dad took the Beige. Jag would install on the Beige fine and would run for a bit but then would just lock up for no reason.

So that was sort of a notice that things were sort of at the end of the line. It ran everything from the public beta to 10.1.5 faithfully so it did it's job as far as I'm concerned.

It's not being thrown out or anything (too good for that

), so it's now in retirement. It was my first Apple system after I got a clone so it'll always be around, if someone tries to throw it out, I'll kill 'em!! LOL

Did yet another system swap a couple of weeks ago. My Dad took the dual 867 and I got a 1.2 Ghz SP machine (the new OS 9 and X boot machine).

firefly · Jul 21, 2003, 06:37 AM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by derekn:
Jag would install on the Beige fine and would run for a bit but then would just lock up for no reason.
[QUOTE]

This was also happening with my beige (G4/533) - had better luck with the cache set to write-through mode.

MilkmanDan · Jul 21, 2003, 10:02 PM

So my 867 G4 Quicksilver is very nice. I've had it for a year now. But what computer gets constant use from all the people I live with? The beige G3.

It started life as a 266 Beige G3 Tower. It eventually went out, and was marked for the trash, but I asked and it become mine. It soon got a few needed upgrades. 512 RAM, USB card, firewire card, one 60 GIG HD, two 80 GIG drives, and a 120 GIG. (We took the CD drive out).

So it ran as a very nice Anime and... stuff... server for my buddies (and every Mac on campus). Running 10.2 along with Sharepoints and SMB Config it turns into a nice server.

So seeing how its summer, I'm adding a faster ethernet card, a ATA card with a 200 GIG HD to replace the 60, and replacing the firewire and USB cards with a single USB/ firewire card.

Anyhow. Next week i'm picking up another free beige G3 to turn into a webserver.

Long story short, Beige G3s can be very useful, and often require little to no upgrading. So if your friend, business, or school is throwing them out, grab them. (Heck sell them even).

Long live beige. If you hate beige, find a 9 year old girl and give her some paints.

So you could say I upgraded from a Cardboard Box Server, to a Beige G3 server.