Looks like I'm fianally going to be X Rated

[RgrF]

This is a learning curve I've been avoiding. . . but a massive crash last week convinced me that its time to bite the X bullet.

I have no X experience and/or programs. I do have an old G3 500 w/80 gigs partitioned 60/20\356. The system (9.1) on the 60 side is shot and I'm replacing it with some version or other of X.

This is the tutorial for me to learn X then upgrade to a whole new Mac.

So what flavor of X is the one I need to acquire and install? I currently have an original OSX disk,but I never install version 1.0 of anything anyway.

What disk do I need to buy and why am I not feeling all that excited by the prospect?

[spacescape]

I think you at least want 10.3.9... However, how much memory do you have? You willl want at least 512 MB or 1 gig...

What about leaving your G3 alone and picking up a MacMINI? Think of it this way... You'll get 512MB Ram, Newer Computer, 10.4, iLife 2006 (Might need to send them $10.00 for processing)...

Just a thought.

Bill

[RgrF]

I'm going to buy a new Mac. I'd like to know what the hell I'm doing before that AND I need something to run my classic programs for a bit.

As example, I rely on one classic program that has just become available for X. The X version is an $800 upgrade.

So it not the cost of the hardware, its the lack of experience w/X AND the horror stories I've heard over the years AND the software upgrade cost that have kept me from doing this before.

I'm a little step kind of person. I figure if I can get a bit use to X on an old machine, I can justify the 5 grand or so I estimate the changeover will eventually cost me.

[Ombligo]

Just jump in and swim...

It really isn't all that different and if you keep both around you'll just keep going back to the old familier OS9.

The biggest differences for most folks is the dock in place of the apple menu and creating folders now requires holding down the shift key.

Who knows maybe you'll eventually change to the new Patriots logo too.

[rgG]

The only problem I see with what you are going to do is that when you get your new machine it will be running Tiger and then you will have another learning curve. I don't know if your G3 will run Tiger or not, but I would not want to learn Panther then have to learn Tiger a short time later.

The idea of a mini seems like a good one to me, too. It would allow you to use Tiger on a machine that was made to run it and you would have the new iLife apps to play around with too. You could always sell the mini when you finally decide which new machine you really want. That way you can set your G3 up as a dedicated 9 machine and not overtax it trying to run Tiger and 9. Just my 2¢ worth.

[RgrF]

Ombligo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just jump in and swim...
>
> It really isn't all that different and if you keep
> both around you'll just keep going back to the old
> familier OS9.
>
> The biggest differences for most folks is the dock
> in place of the apple menu and creating folders
> now requires holding down the shift key.
>
> Who knows maybe you'll eventually change to the
> new Patriots logo too.

Hey now. I was at Fenway Park watching that team long before there was a Foxboro. The logo looks like something the team owners ten year old drew and is now hard to find; not to worry, I'll be hoisting the Red Sox logo soon.

[RgrF]

rgG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The only problem I see with what you are going to
> do is that when you get your new machine it will
> be running Tiger and then you will have another
> learning curve. I don't know if your G3 will run
> Tiger or not, but I would not want to learn
> Panther then have to learn Tiger a short time
> later.
>
> The idea of a mini seems like a good one to me,
> too. It would allow you to use Tiger on a machine
> that was made to run it and you would have the new
> iLife apps to play around with too. You could
> always sell the mini when you finally decide which
> new machine you really want. That way you can set
> your G3 up as a dedicated 9 machine and not
> overtax it trying to run Tiger and 9. Just my 2¢
> worth.

So the differences (Panther-Tiger) are that enormous? I'm at a lifestage where there are more important things than having an up to the minute command of computer systems.

I coach my grandsons (10 yr old) basketball team. This interests me far more than anything else.

The rest is just stuff.

[JoeM]

I am also late to OS X as I work in OS9 on the job and for my music work at home.

I found the Mac OS X: The Missing Manual,by Pogue to be a great help when I started using Panther. IMHO, once you know Panther, Tiger isn't that difficult to pick up.

[Jimmypoo]

Roger,

You should seriously keep your eyes open for a Mini.

I just went from a Smurf, which was upgraded to a G4/450 (with other items like an ATA card, etc.) and 1GB of RAM and a DVD-r, to a Mini.

The mini is a rev 1.

It is configured as follows:

1.42GHz
256MB RAM
32MB Radeon 9200
80GB 4200rpm drive
Combo DVD/CDRW
Modem

(no Blue/Wireless)

It was new, in box, for $323 plus tax.

It's a little screamer!

I ran my Smurf and Panther with just 256MB just to be sure Panther worked well before I made this jump. Was it a little slower? Yes. Did it run perfectly - and the virtual memory perform well? Absolutely.

So I bought it.

Right now, as I'm typing this, I've got Safari open and Mail.app.

AND... Folding@Home, the king of processor hogs.


Does it WANT more RAM? Sure. It could definitely use the extra $75 of 1GB RAM. Does it NEED it from the get-go? Hell no. Especially if you aren't trying to fold and do other things simultaneously.

My troubles with system aspects and Colonel Panic (now known as 5-Star General "Old Blood and Guts" Panic) have VANISHED.

It just doesn't get better than this for the money.

The bigger drives in the Blue and White - and the DVD-R, etc., they are all there, but the machine sits dorment for the moment. I've not had a single use for it since I did the 25 DVD back-up of critical data from 4 HDs.

Could you get a G4 tower for a bargain? Probably. Let's say a Sawtooth for ....$125.
You might want a burner in it if it didn't come with one, or a faster one. More RAM. Etc., etc. The list grows.

When you get to the point where it is where you want it, you'll certainly be as close to the price of the Mini I just got to make you question your sanity about getting an old Tower that requires $300 to get a 1.5GHz upgrade into it (granted you could get a dual upgrade, but those are $600) and the question worth asking is.... beyond Tiger, what else is there for such a machine?

Eventually I'm going to get the OWC matching FW/USB2 hub for the Mini.

And inside it will go my 7200/8MB Maxtor (120GB). Perhaps another FW box for the DVD-R I have, but in reality, there are other drives out there I like better, including the Lacie 16x Dual Layer with LightScribe (and Toast 7) that can be had, refurb, for $99!
(OWC has Pioneer OEM recognized Dual Layer SuperDrives to replace the Combo - but they aren't LightScribe).

The Mini was one of the best things Apple could have done. It certainly killed my desire to get a Cube. It's fast, it is capable, it is good for just about everything. You clearly aren't a Video Pro - otherwise you'd already have a G4 tower of some magnitude, if not a G5.

If you find a Mini at a good price, it is such a small purchase that you can't regret it.

Just keep in mind that you need a USB keyboard and mouse, and a standard VGA monitor of some kind (keeping costs low) if you only have a Macintosh/Trinitron monitor.

I know some people have used those converters, but I've never seen one work. And even GoodWill has bargains for $15 on 17" monitors.

j

ps... the older rev 1's like I have come with Panther, iLife '05, and runs smooth as silk

[RgrF]

Good suggestion Joe. I like Pogue. His writing style is great. It's folksy but doesn't interrupt the message. I'm for sure gonna' get that title.

Not only that but the guy actually responds to unsolicited emails. Only once, I swear.