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gfxgeek · Nov 9, 2001, 08:51 PM

I have a chance to possibly pick up a 500mhz pismo with 128mb RAM for around $300. How does X.1 perform on these machines?

el_humpo · Nov 9, 2001, 08:55 PM

I have a Pismo 500 MHz, and OS X 10.1 runs quite well on it. Of course, I don't expect BLAZING speed, but it is my main machine, and I don't find myself waiting for the OS very often.

My machine does have 512 MB of RAM though, which makes a difference. $300 for a Pismo is a pretty good deal - you should pick up some RAM while you're at it, SO-DIMMS are pretty cheap these days.

Colonel Panic · Nov 9, 2001, 08:56 PM

It certainly handles it well enough to be worth $300...

EmAn · Nov 9, 2001, 09:04 PM

Definately get it. I'd rather have the Pismo over my iceBook for OS X. Especially for $300. What a deal!!

Dan Szwarc · Nov 9, 2001, 09:48 PM

I'll give you $400 for that $300 Pismo!

ARENA · Nov 9, 2001, 10:07 PM

$300!!!!

What a deal!
Go for it man! You can buy a GB of ram for the Pismo for about $150 and you'll have a killer PowerBook.
My Pismo with 1GB works like a champ in Mac OS X and the extra 2 extra inches of screen plus the better upgradabelility and the Composite video out, makes it a much better portable than the 500Mhz (or even the 600) iBook.

gfxgeek · Nov 9, 2001, 10:33 PM

Thanks everyone for the replies. I will definately pick it up then. Hopefully the seller won't back out. Can't wait to get my hands on it.

milhous · Nov 10, 2001, 03:25 AM

A Pismo 500 for $300 is definately a great deal, but I don't know how someone could in good conscience be willing to sell it for that low of a price. The low price maybe an indication that there are some technical issues so I would proceed with caution on this one.

Running X.1 isn't that bad, but I have concluded this week, that the performance of OS X.1 with 512MB RAM running several applications (office, iTunes2, Mail, IE, etc) at once is unacceptable and counter-productive. I am sick and tired of having to select a menu 2-3 times so i can get a menu dropdown or wait 1 second for the window to restore from the dock via scale effect.

I have pretty much given up all hope on any further speed improvements of X on G3-class processors and have ultimately decided to revert back to the classic operating system 9.1. I will keep X on the computer for DVD viewing, eye candy attention and other minor tasks.

I think processor upgrades are the only hope Pismo users have right now in that someday, X will run fairly well in a multi-tasking environment.

That's about all for now.[/LIST]

dn15 · Nov 10, 2001, 05:29 AM

I think $300 is an excellent deal for that computer assuming there isn't some major problem with it. If I saw one in good working order for $300 I'd grab it in a second.

tinrib · Nov 10, 2001, 05:38 AM

yeah - with any luck there's nothing wrong with it, it's just stolen or something

$300 - somebody needs their smack!

tonyibook · Nov 10, 2001, 06:40 AM

I have a 400MHz Pismo PowerBook which I have upgraded with 384MB of RAM and a 20G Fujitsu hard drive. I have no problems with the speed of my machine. I find I am much more productive under OS 10.1 as it multi-tasks in a much more efficent way than OS 9. I normally run with about ten applications open at once, including a number of Classic applications.

Sometimes I find I have to wait a few seconds for things to work, but it is no worse than my PC at work which is a PIII-733 runing Windows NT. I wish I could use the Pismo at work instead, it is far more reliable.

I am still amazed at how well things are working. I have a USB scanner, Epson 740 printer, firewire CD-RW, Airport modem and digital camera, and just have no problems using any of them. Plug and play works perfectly and the Pismo allways sleeps and wakes up instantly. I have never had a kernel crash and application crashes are incredibly rare.

SDW2001 · Nov 10, 2001, 09:57 AM

I am running 10.1 on a Pismo 500mhz with 384 RAM.

It runs pretty well...though it does slow down some times.....but the multitasking is far and away the little slow down...as well as the stability!!!!!!!

Get that BITCH!

gfxgeek · Nov 10, 2001, 12:13 PM

Well I haven't found anything wrong with it when I played with it on Friday. The top rubber part is a little scuffed here and there but otherwise okay. It was given to the person as part of their severence from a failed dot com. And they hate macs and haven't even used it but once. So i'm more than happy to take it off their hands

scottiB · Nov 10, 2001, 12:16 PM

Buy! Buy! Buy!

dr. zoidberg · Nov 10, 2001, 01:53 PM

pretend to be sceptical first... AND THEN THE HELL GRAB THAT PUPPY!!!!!

and pump it up with some ram, as other have already mentioned.

JC Denton · Nov 10, 2001, 03:23 PM

Originally posted by gfxgeek:
<STRONG>It was given to the person as part of their severence from a failed dot com. And they hate macs and haven't even used it but once. So i'm more than happy to take it off their hands

</STRONG>

Hmm, I wonder why they failed. Maybe they shouldn't have hired employees willing to sell recent PowerBooks for $300.

Of course, that's just the bitter grad student in me talking who sat on the sidelines while signing bonuses flew all around me.

And yes, buy it. Now.

jguidroz · Nov 11, 2001, 02:10 PM

I have absolutely no problems running multiple apps at the same time on my pismo 500 with 256 mbs of ram. Of course my B&W G3 300 runs perfectly fine with multiple apps running, just not as fast at my pismo.

[APi]TheMan · Nov 11, 2001, 02:16 PM

Originally posted by dr. zoidberg:
<STRONG>pretend to be sceptical first... AND THEN THE HELL GRAB THAT PUPPY!!!!!

and pump it up with some ram, as other have already mentioned.</STRONG>

Yeah, heheh, act as if you are displeased at first... make him think you're goingto do him a favor for taking that piece of junk off his hands... then, use the element of surprise and grab that little pismo and run for your money!!