OK Mac fans, here's your chance
Just Binos
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Mackay, Australia
Age: 71
Posts: 1,397
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Progress report.
Day one of possession of old iMac (G3 500mhz) complete with crappy mouse. By the living Harry it generates some heat!
I admit to being impressed when I plugged my T5 network cable from my second Windows computer into the Mac and it was immediately connected to the internet. Said old iMac also comes complete with Office for Mac, which has proven relatively seamless in reading all MS Word files except very early ones. A little more work on the mechanics of copying files could prove fruitful.
Coming up will be an examination of the transferability of Excel files.
Still struggling with Finder, but for one day's play I'm impressed. Dear Lord, forgive me, for I think I am being tempted to the dark side.
Day one of possession of old iMac (G3 500mhz) complete with crappy mouse. By the living Harry it generates some heat!
I admit to being impressed when I plugged my T5 network cable from my second Windows computer into the Mac and it was immediately connected to the internet. Said old iMac also comes complete with Office for Mac, which has proven relatively seamless in reading all MS Word files except very early ones. A little more work on the mechanics of copying files could prove fruitful.
Coming up will be an examination of the transferability of Excel files. Still struggling with Finder, but for one day's play I'm impressed. Dear Lord, forgive me, for I think I am being tempted to the dark side.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
I was put off Macs when trying to keep a shed load going at HQ11Gp at Bentley Priory. The rest of the RAF had standardised on PCs and I had a load of monochrome Mac classics and laser printers I had to cannibalise to try and keep a network going.
The relief when I finally got to dump them and replace them with desktop PCs was wonderful.....
The relief when I finally got to dump them and replace them with desktop PCs was wonderful.....
Last edited by ORAC; 24th Oct 2005 at 14:54.
Just Binos
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Mackay, Australia
Age: 71
Posts: 1,397
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ahh, I can well imagine, ORAC. Exactly the same feeling as if Mac's had taken over the world and you were left try8ing to cannibalise a system of PC's! Mind you, we've come a long way from monochrome mac's I think.
God help me, I'm sounding like a Mac apologist already and I've still got three PC's in my house.
God help me, I'm sounding like a Mac apologist already and I've still got three PC's in my house.
Ramasseur des pommes
Bino's: Sounds like there isn't a copy of iWork on the Mac you have. A time-limited demonstration version of it is bundles with all new Macs, but the G3 you have is a little long-in-the-tooth now, so predates the package. It's only £49 to buy, though. You say you're struggling with the Finder: do you know if it is running OSX or System 9?
Just Binos
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Mackay, Australia
Age: 71
Posts: 1,397
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's OSX. The struggle is just one of unfamiliarity after years of Windows Explorer. There is a concept, a big picture there that I just haven't grasped yet because the brain is reluctant to let go of old habits. I'm sure it will come. 
Ramasseur des pommes
Binos: I understand competely. Trust me, it's a lot less painful coming to the Mac after years of Windows than vice versa! If you've any questions, just PM me.
AppleMacster
AppleMacster
PPRuNe Handmaiden
Bino's welcome to the dark side. 
I've just been wrestling with the lil iBook and my ADSL connection at home. Checkers had been giggling at me growling at the so called fool proof Mac.
It turns out it was a crappy phone line extension thingy on the phone filter. Nothing to do with the lil iBook at all.
Happy.
I've just been wrestling with the lil iBook and my ADSL connection at home. Checkers had been giggling at me growling at the so called fool proof Mac.
It turns out it was a crappy phone line extension thingy on the phone filter. Nothing to do with the lil iBook at all.
Happy.
Just Binos
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Mackay, Australia
Age: 71
Posts: 1,397
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The evaluation continues, and I remain impressed by lots of little niceties. Enough to know that when I buy another poota it will be a Mac but not as yet enough to go storming wildly off to the Mac shop with credit card flapping.
One thought occurred to me today. The old G3 (five years old) I've borrowed has two things stopping it from working perfectly as a home computer. Chiefly, the screen is stuffed, less importantly the CD player won't eject. It occurs to me to wonder what happens to the G5 iMac I buy tomorrow if in four or five years the screen gives it away in similar fashion? Going out and picking up a replacement monitor doesn't seem likely.
Even someone of my limited knowledge has managed to replace a hard drive, install an extra hard drive, replace RAM and install a new CD burner in the trusty old Wintel. I don't particularly WANT to be taking computers apart, and I'm relying heavily on online advice when I do, but I can do it.
So does my iMac become an expensive throwaway?
One thought occurred to me today. The old G3 (five years old) I've borrowed has two things stopping it from working perfectly as a home computer. Chiefly, the screen is stuffed, less importantly the CD player won't eject. It occurs to me to wonder what happens to the G5 iMac I buy tomorrow if in four or five years the screen gives it away in similar fashion? Going out and picking up a replacement monitor doesn't seem likely.
Even someone of my limited knowledge has managed to replace a hard drive, install an extra hard drive, replace RAM and install a new CD burner in the trusty old Wintel. I don't particularly WANT to be taking computers apart, and I'm relying heavily on online advice when I do, but I can do it.
So does my iMac become an expensive throwaway?
Bringer of Wx
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: London
Posts: 236
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Binos
Mac or PC, you're in the same boat, given a like-for-like warrany. You're almost always going to be stuffed if you get an all-in-one and the monitor goes after warranty expiry, unfortunately. On the brighter side, I'm on my 3rd all-in-one and it's never happened to me (touch wood!).
As for user-replaceble stuff, no problem. I installed a new DVDR/W drive in my G4 'lamp' iMac, prior to donating it to my other half when i got the new one (shiny G5 2GHz 20"). Incidentally, she's turned into most evangelical Macista in just two months and hardly touches her Tosh laptop anymore! Nothing to do with me, you understand...
I also put an extra 1Gb RAM in both units. I'm no hardware techie believe me, but all ops were straightforward using standard parts (be careful to check for driver avaiability though, if replacing an optical drive).
Mac or PC, you're in the same boat, given a like-for-like warrany. You're almost always going to be stuffed if you get an all-in-one and the monitor goes after warranty expiry, unfortunately. On the brighter side, I'm on my 3rd all-in-one and it's never happened to me (touch wood!).
As for user-replaceble stuff, no problem. I installed a new DVDR/W drive in my G4 'lamp' iMac, prior to donating it to my other half when i got the new one (shiny G5 2GHz 20"). Incidentally, she's turned into most evangelical Macista in just two months and hardly touches her Tosh laptop anymore! Nothing to do with me, you understand...
I also put an extra 1Gb RAM in both units. I'm no hardware techie believe me, but all ops were straightforward using standard parts (be careful to check for driver avaiability though, if replacing an optical drive).
Just Binos
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Mackay, Australia
Age: 71
Posts: 1,397
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
WxJx,
While I admire your evangelical spin (!) it appears the answer to my last question is yes.
Not sure how you could equate the PC/Mac situations; replace a $2000 computer or hop down to Office Works and pick up a brand new monitor for $300? Not sure where the like-for-like warranty comes into it?
Nevertheless, that's (I hope) a situation that won't arise for a long time. I think I'd be a pretty cheesed off Mac convert if it did.
While I admire your evangelical spin (!) it appears the answer to my last question is yes.
Not sure how you could equate the PC/Mac situations; replace a $2000 computer or hop down to Office Works and pick up a brand new monitor for $300? Not sure where the like-for-like warranty comes into it?Nevertheless, that's (I hope) a situation that won't arise for a long time. I think I'd be a pretty cheesed off Mac convert if it did.
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Binoculars,
Once site to maybe have a look at is: -
http://www.emulators.com/
Looks like this will let you have a play with MacOS 8.1 for the cost of a 1.1Mb download....
( I haven't researched this extensively though...)
Regards,
Shuttlebus
Once site to maybe have a look at is: -
http://www.emulators.com/
Looks like this will let you have a play with MacOS 8.1 for the cost of a 1.1Mb download....
( I haven't researched this extensively though...)
Regards,
Shuttlebus
Bringer of Wx
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: London
Posts: 236
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Binos
I was referring to a 'apples-for-apples' (no pun intended) comparison with an all-in-one PC, i.e. how much less stuffed would you be if the screen went on that?
Not sure how you could equate the PC/Mac situations
Ramasseur des pommes
Binos: Between us, my father and I have owned over a dozen Macs over 18 years. We have never had a repair issue with any of them. Whist me may have been lucky, the build quality has always been excellent. The iMac G5 is extremely well designed and constructed and should last you a long time. the RAM is easily replaced, although the Hard Drive is a little tricky, but you shouldn't experience too much trouble, should you need to do it. Apple have the instructions on their website.
