[AttackDonut]

or two...

Greetings,

I'm going to be getting a used/old mac (g4 17" iMac, 800Mhz 768 MB RAM, OS 10.4.something, other specs unknown) for a few reasons:

(1) I like the style
(2) I have space requirements and this fits the bill
(3) It's not my main machine, I am aware of the limitations on the age

So with that in mind, I'm going to be doing a few things with it: Watching movies/DVDs. On my...ahhh "other machine" I use VLC for everything, is there a version that supports the older iMacs, or would you recommend a different program?

Secondly, I am an amateur photographer and this iMac will be used in a different location than my main system. I anticipate that from time to time I may drop some work to the iMac for some light editing (I'm a strong believer in posting work straight out of the camera, with minimial, to zero, post processing) and uploading.

I use Adobe's PhotoShop CS2 and was wondering if I can get a copy (legally!) that will work on the iMac, (Adobe's site is somewhat difficult to find out information for older versions of its software) or do I need to track down a different version?

Finally, CPU upgrade, is this even possible/advisable on the system?
Thanks for putting up with a newbie.

Cheers!
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[Waragainstsleep]

There certainly is a version of VLC that runs on G4 iMacs:

VideoLAN - Official VLC media player for Mac OS X


Try this for CS2:

Adobe Photoshop CS2 for Photographers: A professional image editor's guide to the creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC: Amazon.co.uk: Martin Evening: Books

[P]

Originally Posted by AttackDonut 

Finally, CPU upgrade, is this even possible/advisable on the system?
Thanks for putting up with a newbie.

Hi, and welcome to our forums. A CPU upgrade is possible, yes, but not advisable. That computer is old enough that the upgrades themselves are EOL, so you'd have to find one used, and likely expensive by now if you could even find it. Even upgraded, it would be a very slow computer by modern standards. I suggest you skip it - if you need more power, by a modern mini.

[AttackDonut]

Thank you for the links, as I figured as much on the CPU upgrade. I will simply enjoy the iMac for what it is, and what it can do well for the age it is.

Cheers!
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[olePigeon]

Since it is a G4 iMac, you could also load Classic onto it and explore some vintage Mac games and software.

[SierraDragon]

Adobe will crossgrade from PC to Mac for ~$20 but perhaps not as far back as CS2 (CS 5.5 is current). Call them and ask, 800-833-6687 or 408-536-6000.

If Adobe will not do it look to eBay for a used version but beware the pirates. Or come back here, maybe one of us can hook you up with an old version. Back then I owned and ran multiple copies of PS but a few years ago stopped paying Adobe's high upgrade costs for all but one Master Collection copy, which with such high upgrade charges will never again be upgraded.

Your existing RAM is marginal for CS2 even though Adobe used to say it was fine. That box could only add 512 MB max in one user-upgradable slot with 256 or 512 in the fixed factory slot, so even though RAM is cheap for that box odds are it is already maxxed out.

...OS 10.4.something...

Do upgrade to whatever the max 10.4.x is available from Apple. It will be free.

Unless you already know OS 9 or are an afficionado of antique OSs I would not bother with installing the Classic environment.

HTH

-Allen

[Waragainstsleep]

Actually there was no fixed RAM in the G4, it will go up to 1GB total. The later models were a bit more useful with 2GB max and USB 2.0.

[P]

Not fixed RAM per se, but the second slot is not generally user accessible (which is what I think Sierra meant). After access, you to reapply the heat-conducting grease.

[SierraDragon]

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep 

Actually there was no fixed RAM in the G4...

May be fixed is the wrong terminology but I thought only one slot in that box was easily user upgradable.

[angelmb]

May be fixed is the wrong terminology but I thought only one slot in that box was easily user upgradable.

That's correct. The 700 and 800 MHz models have one factory installed memory module in a 168-pin DIMM slot and one 144-pin user accessible SO-DIMM slot (the easy to access bottom slot).

[Waragainstsleep]

The thermal grease is less crucial than you might expect.

[Athens]

Upgrade the hard drive to a 7200 RPM, this will greatly improve the iMac responsiveness. Largest size you can find for it too. The one area it will not perform is any high def video. Adobe Flash is terrible on it. High Def youtube and any downloaded mkv high def files totally useless. Otherwise its a good machine. Chances are the LCD will be fadded because they didn't use LED back then. I still use my 15" 800mhz iMac in the kitchen as a recipe computer lol.

Welcome to MacNN.

[AttackDonut]

Thank you for the information. The LCD panel is perfect, no dead pixels and without a scratch. It seems very bright compared to others I have seen of that age. But it may just be my tired eyes.

I am using it to play videos currently, DVDs play fine, VLC flicks (.avi, unsure of the actual codec used) stutter step *on occasion* (and I chalk that up to streaming from a USB 1.1 Hard Drive connection) btu I do notice the CPU meter thingy at 70+ percent.

Any ideas what the base ram installed was (in the hard-to-get-to slot)? If it's only 256, then the other stick is 512 and I won't bother looking for more RAM, if it's reversed, then it'll be worth it for me to find more RAM.

Found a legal copy of InDesign on CL for 30$, may grab that just to have, still looking for CS2. So far the biggest wait time for anything is the USB ports. Haven't done any real PS on it yet, but it seems responsive enough.

I'm already looking forward to getting a newer Mac down the road

[P]

Base RAM (in the hard-to-get slot) was 256MB.

[gooser]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

Since it is a G4 iMac, you could also load Classic onto it and explore some vintage Mac games and software.

some of the early models will boot up natively in os9.