[Develitate@Comcast.net]

I recently bought my first Mac (G3 iBook 800Mhz, 256mb ram, 30GB HD, CD-rom). The original owner of this iBook left a bunch of junk on it and I would like to reinstall my OS (I'm currently running OS 10.3.) and reformat the HD, but the original owner didn’t have the install discs. What version OS is best suited for my iBook and what is the best way to reinstall it?

[ShotgunEd]

1. Buy more RAM.
2. Buy tiger.
3. Send back the DVD to get a CD version (how stupid)
4. Erase and Install.

[Thinine]

Yeah, what he said. I'm running Tiger on my iBook 500, so it should be acceptable on your 800, especially since you can use Quartz Extreme. More RAM (get a 512 stick at least) will make Tiger run much smoother. I run it on 384MB and it seems fine, so get at least that much, but really get as much as you can afford.

[Develitate@Comcast.net]

I was planning on getting more ram, so that will work out. What type/kind of ram does a G3 ibook use? I was going through the system info on my iBook and it said I have 2 128mb sticks. I'm assuming 1 of them isnt removeable which will force me to remove the other 128mb stick and replace it with a 512 for a maximum of 640mb? Also, what is involved with installing an OS. Do I have to insert the disc and reboot like windows or can I do it within OS X? Also, the original owner of this iBook has an admin password for install's/updates. Unfortunately I can't get a hold of him to get the password, what can I do to get around this? Will not having this password prevent me from installing a new OS? Lastly, since I currently have 10.3 can I buy an upgrade to Tiger or will I need the full version? Thanks for the info so far everyone, its been greatly appreciated.