iMac G4 Help!

[Daisy Duke]

I have an iMac G4 1GHz, 1.25Gb RAM, running OS 10.3. Haven't used it much over the past few years as I was just using it for storage for my music, six months ago it was still working fine, internet etc.

I was trying to set it up to use again, just for the internet, watching YouTube etc but it no longer works. I use my Windows laptop all the time and know very little about Apple computers. Safari kept crashing when I tried YouTube saying the browser was no longer compatable but the Software updater said there weren't any updates. I tried to download chrome, firefox and opera but it wouldn't let me.

I bought new memory and put it in in case that would have helped but it didn't. So I did a bit of searching and found that it's because the OS is outdated. I can't update the software because of the processor speed. So now I have a huge paperweight.

Is there anything else I can do before it goes on the scrap heap?

 

[tuftywhite]

It should be able to run Tiger. OS X 10.4

It is true that a lot of stuff is out of date but it should still work with certain stuff.

Before you throw it, you could try putting it on ebay as they are slightly collectable. You may get something for it.

 

[Decster]

mac forums will help.

I still get use out of my 10 year old powerbook runing OS10.

safari is slow but usable.

 

[Daisy Duke]

It should be able to run Tiger. OS X 10.4

It is true that a lot of stuff is out of date but it should still work with certain stuff.

Before you throw it, you could try putting it on ebay as they are slightly collectable. You may get something for it.

How do I get Tiger 10.4? Like I said Windows is no problem for me I can fix most things but I'm totally lost with the iMac, I really don't understand the difference bewteen Tiger, Leopard etc, I had to google everything just to have a clue about what the problem was. When I run the OS updater is checks and says there isn't one. Is there another way to install it?

mac forums will help.

I still get use out of my 10 year old powerbook runing OS10.

safari is slow but usable.

The computer is surprisingly fast, even up until it stopped working last year Safari was fast too. If it was a piece of rubbish I'd have scrapped it long ago but it runs like a new basic spec computer would which is good enough for using the internet and listening to music etc.

 

[tuftywhite]

You could try a Mac Forum or ebay to see if someone near to you has the disks for Tiger. It shouldn't cost more than a tenner or twenty quid.

 

[Daisy Duke]

You could try a Mac Forum or ebay to see if someone near to you has the disks for Tiger. It shouldn't cost more than a tenner or twenty quid.

Thanks, I'll try that, it didn't even occur to me it came on a disk, thought it was like everything else apple and had to be downloaded. I know everything about windows computers but I'm really stupid when it comes to Apple

 

[Daisy Duke]

Found a set of Tiger disks on eBay, auction is up tomorrow, bid on it and then read the small print, it says it's model specific, is that right or should it work?

 

[cookie]

Found a set of Tiger disks on eBay, auction is up tomorrow, bid on it and then read the small print, it says it's model specific, is that right or should it work?

you used to get install disks with apple computers that were indeed model specific. they don't work in anything other than the designated machine.

you need a proper retail, full install disk.

if it's any help, all the specific disks i've seen are plain grey. the retail disks are printed with facsimiles of the standard wallpaper for that release. i've never seen a tiger or earlier disk though.

if it were me, i'd just download a Tiger disk image from somewhere unofficial

 

[Daisy Duke]

I'm really not on the ball this weather, why didn't I think of that... That's a job for this afternoon

 

[Backmarker]

Daisy - sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no solution. Basically most websites need the latest versions of 'Flash', but the browser manufacturers have not bothered to provide updated versions for their 'older' browsers.

The G4 uses a 'PowerPC' processor. The later (very much later) Mac's use 'Intel' processors. All the major browsers (Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Opera) etc have not bothered to update the versions of their browsers that ran on 'PowerPC' processors. My G4/G5's running Leopard (the OS after Tiger, and the latest OS that can run on PowerPC processors) still cannot upgrade as the issue is browsers compatibility with the Processor not the OS.

Even the BBC have decided my Macs are so old they do not need to make CBEEBIES compatible with 'obsolete' equipment. My pre-school kids need newer kit than I do apparently

If you still want to upgrade to Tiger you will need to buy a disc off ebay (at huge cost) as Apple only sell/support 2 versions back (currently Snow Leopard).

 

[Daisy Duke]

Thanks for the advice, I had actually bought Tiger disks but they were machine specific and wouldn't work (I didn't know). Downloaded a Tiger update from Apple but again it wouldn't work. A friend is very kindly sending me the correct Apple disk for Tiger so that's my last hope.

I actually saw them selling on eBay as retro furniture pieces with the screen replaced with a mirror, didn't make me feel too optimistic.

Although are you saying that even if I upgrade the OS to Tiger 10.5 that the likes of YouTube still won't work?

 

[Backmarker]

Daisy. This is hugely complicated. And very simple. So I am only going to address the simple bit. And I am going to simplify it to a ridiculous level. I honestly believe that this is the level that you need to know.

Any Apple Mac with a PowerPC processor (regardless of OS) will not be able to run a browser with the current version of Flash.

Personally, I am hanging on to my old G4/G5's because Flash is obsolete (or will be very very soon), and so they will suddenly be usable again.

If you really really need to access websites that use Flash, you could always buy a 'Raspberry Pi'.

My kids use the G4 & G5 to code, program, and watch DVD's. When the youngest really feels the need to watch CBEEBIES or the eldest really really needs to fight his cousin in Ireland on some game site then they use the Pi. Cost £26 (inc keyboard, mouse, cables etc). It will also easily cope with watching YouTube if you have a HDMI enabled TV.

PS - if you do buy a Pi I will be more than happy to provide you with support.

 

[Daisy Duke]

Daisy. This is hugely complicated. And very simple. So I am only going to address the simple bit. And I am going to simplify it to a ridiculous level. I honestly believe that this is the level that you need to know.

Any Apple Mac with a PowerPC processor (regardless of OS) will not be able to run a browser with the current version of Flash.

Personally, I am hanging on to my old G4/G5's because Flash is obsolete (or will be very very soon), and so they will suddenly be usable again.

If you really really need to access websites that use Flash, you could always buy a 'Raspberry Pi'.

My kids use the G4 & G5 to code, program, and watch DVD's. When the youngest really feels the need to watch CBEEBIES or the eldest really really needs to fight his cousin in Ireland on some game site then they use the Pi. Cost £26 (inc keyboard, mouse, cables etc). It will also easily cope with watching YouTube if you have a HDMI enabled TV.

PS - if you do buy a Pi I will be more than happy to provide you with support.

Thanks, that was what I needed to know. I have a few laptops and a couple of iPhones so have no shortage of things to use, the reason I wanted the iMac working was for the other half to use. A proper keyboard and mouse are much more user friendly for big man hands, along with the big screen and speakers it's the perfect job.

Flash etc does seem to be the problem, even this site it will load the site but not the homepage, it will load Facebook but not the content, YouTube just crashes straight away.

I wish Apple and Adobe would get over themselves with their stupid feud but it's unlikely. Therefore I know it will spell the end of flash eventually as I can't even load flash sites on my phone which if its a retail site would just loose them money.

I still want to fix the iMac, if I can at least upgrade it a bit then great, it was working perfectly within the past 12 months for all websites so will just bide my time and fix it up as much as possible.

Thanks for the advice, knowing about the processor and flash will stop me pulling my hair out

 

[cookie]

Facebook site runs fine on my ipad. iPads do not run flash either, so I'm wondering how lack of flash can be the issue with your g4.

 

[Daisy Duke]

Facebook site runs fine on my ipad. iPads do not run flash either, so I'm wondering how lack of flash can be the issue with your g4.

Good point!

 

[Backmarker]

Facebook site runs fine on my ipad. iPads do not run flash either, so I'm wondering how lack of flash can be the issue with your g4.

Facebook ? I thought the stated problem was with YouTube. If the problem is with Facebook then please ignore everything I have posted.

 

[Daisy Duke]

The problem is both. It opens the fb page but won't load the newsfeed content. YouTube just crashes safari but before it doesn't I can see it flashing up saying the browser is outdated

 

[Backmarker]

Daisy, sorry - everything I said is correct. Facebook newsfeed also relies on Flash, which you cannot get the latest version of for reasons I explained earlier.

When you visit certain sites they 'look' to see if you can run 'Flash', and if the answer is 'Yes', then it tries to run 'Flash'. If it then realises it is an out of date version, it tells you to upgrade. But there is no upgraded version for the browsers that you can run on any OS you can put on a G4. Hence the site is insisting you upgrade, and you can't upgrade. iPad's are completely different as they run completely different OS (iOS), and can access Facebook or YouTube from within specifically designed 'Apps' (Applictions, which would be called 'programs' on a Windows PC) that are designed to get around the absence of Flash. The same is true of all browsers that run on iOS, and when you hit sites that use 'Flash' the sites realise that you do not have Flash (and cannot have it) and so they run in 'non-flash' mode. But because you already have a browser that the site knows can run 'Flash' it tries to run in 'Flash' mode, and when it can't, it tells you to upgrade, which you can't.

As I said, it is quite complex, I was just trying to keep it simple for you so you would understand why those sites weren't working (and can't currently be made to work) on your G4.