ID'ing iMac G4?

[BGoins12]

So... I will be getting an iMac G4 within the next few days. It's an 800MHz model.

Problem is, I am not sure if it's an OS 9 capable model. I was told by someone that if it has the "iMac" font like this (Which the one I am getting does), that it's OS 9 capable - http://www.vectronicsappleworld.com/profiles/profilepics/imac/vimacfp8002.jpg

And if it has this font, it's not.




Is this true? I just want to make sure that it's OS 9 capable, because there was 2 800MHz models, one being incompatible.

 

[Arthegall]

According to lowendmac.com, the OS 9 compatible 800Mhz iMac G4 (Jul 2002) had a 17" screen.

The second 800Mhz model (Feb 2003) was the low-end model and had a 15" screen. The high-end 17" model was bumped to 1Ghz. Neither could boot in OS 9.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

My 15" USB 2.0 1GHz iMac G4 has the Apple Garamond font on the LCD panel (i.e., your first example), and it cannot boot OS 9. So that is not a reliable determiner. Arthegall is correct; only the earliest 2002 Luxos can boot OS 9.

 

[spiceyokooko]

According to everymac.com, the specification site I use, there were three imac G4 800Mhz's and two of them could boot int OS 9.0 whilst the third could not -

iMac G4/800 (Flat Panel) 800 MHz PowerPC 7445 (G4)

Order No: M8535LL/A*

Model No: M6498 (EMC 1873)

Model ID: PowerMac4,2

This model is capable of booting in MacOS 9 and using MacOS 9 applications within the MacOS X "Classic" environment.

iMac G4/800 17-Inch (Flat Panel) 800 MHz PowerPC 7445 (G4)

Order No: M8812LL/A

Model No: M6498 (EMC 1936)

Model ID: PowerMac4,5

This model is capable of booting in MacOS 9 and using MacOS 9 applications within the MacOS X "Classic" environment.

iMac G4/800 - X Only (Flat Panel) 800 MHz PowerPC 7445 (G4)

Order No: M9105LL/A,

Model No: M6498 (EMC N/A)

Model ID: PowerMac4,2

This model is capable of using MacOS 9 applications within the MacOS X "Classic" environment. It cannot boot into MacOS 9.

 

[phreakout]

Ah, the LSR (Lump Stick Rectangle). One of my favorite model series iMacs. Always wanted one, preferably the last models before discontinuing. I was thinking of modding one or two so that they worked without the Luxo arm and LCD; basically just the base. I could then use an external video dongle and feed to a different display. Now if only Apple had built the Mac Mini like that...

73s de Phreakout. :rambo:

PS: I'm just dreaming.

 

[trag]

The iLamp which can boot into OS9 comes with a GeForce4 MX video chip and an 80 GB hard drive stock--of course the hard drive might have been switched after manufacture . The iLamp which will not boot into OSX is actually a little downgraded and only comes with the GeForce 2MX and a 60 GB hard drive.

Both are 800 MHz G4 with 17" screens, although there is a 15" version of the former.

 

[BGoins12]

I guess I'll find out when it arrives. All I know from the picture is that it has the Apple Garamond "iMac", and that it's either a 700 or 800MHz model.

 

[trag]

I bought one of those for my son several years ago for a holiday present, and I wanted the boots-OS9 version. It was a bit of work to make sure I got the correct version at a decent price. I gave up on quite a few sellers who either couldn't or wouldn't bother to check the distinguishing characteristics of their offerings.

As it turned out, I ended up getting it from a very nice lady, at a reasonable price and she still had the original box and all the accessories in good condition -- except that $%^%&^% mouse. I don't remember what that model of mouse is called -- it's the wired clear one with a white (or black) interior. The cable wears out where it enters the mouse. There are many web pages devoted to it and possible repair. However, to effect a repair, one must cut or break either plastic or glued joints. There's no elegant way to open the thing.

And they *all* seem to develop this problem. On the original Mac Mouse Apple knew about cable strain relief. Somewhere along the way they forgot.

Oh, but I digress. She sent the mouse, so the exception wasn't her having it, the exception was the mouse being in good condition. It was fine for about a year, and then it developed the above problem. For a long time I thought the USB bus was screwy, or maybe the system was overheating, because it seemed like I the mouse would just stop working and I often had to reboot the whole system to get it working again.

Fortunately, I didn't tear into the system, and eventually figured out that the problem was all in the mouse. I gave my son a mouse from a Matias bundle as a temporary fix, while I sourced a replacement clear mouse, but he liked the Matias mouse so much I never got it back from him.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Well, since I finally got it working myself, I can put the font bit to rest for you. I have a 17", 800 MHz iMac G4 with Myriad typeface on the screen bezel. It boots OS 9.

The big determinant is screen size. The 800 MHz 17" screen can run OS 9, but good luck getting it working. It needs its own custom install disc (or, severe hacking of the NetBoot for OS 9 download image.) The 'early' / high-end-of-its-generation 800 MHz 15" model can as well, with slightly less hacking needed. The 'late' / low-end-of-its-generation 800 MHz 15" model can not.

The timing is odd, since the iMac G4 originally launched with only a 15" screen, at 700 and 800 MHz. Later came the 17" iMac, with no corresponding bump in 15" specs. Then a few months after that came an across-the-board spec bump, which is when OS 9 boot was removed.

I would assume that the typeface change was made at the 17" release. So for a 15" iMac, the typeface *MAY* be indicative. (I don't know if they would have changed it mid-run solely due to the 17" release with new typeface.

The other difference is that the OS 9-bootable models came with/can run OS X 10.1, whereas the non-OS 9-bootable models require 10.2. (Although, like with OS 9, the 17" model requires a special 10.1 - mine will not run an installed-as-10.1-then-upgraded-to-10.1.5, and I'm still hunting down the original restore discs so I can run 10.1 on it.)

 

[trag]

The "special" OS 9.2.2 for the 800 MHz iMac G4 is very similar (identical?) with the needs for the MDD. In fact, when I was trying to assemble the needed system components for an MDD to run OS 9 gracefully, I found many of the files I needed on my son's G4 iLamp -- mainly the sound components and the ROM file.

 

[BGoins12]

Got it today! It IS in fact the OS 9 compatible model. It's an 800MHz 15", GeForce 2MX, SuperDrive, etc.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Sadly, I can confirm that it is *NOT* identical - the MDD 9.2.2 does not work on the 800 MHz 17" iMac G4.

 

[BGoins12]

That sucks! I'm glad I don't have to search for the special CD. It just got done installing 9.2.1.

 

[BGoins12]

Ok, for some reason, it's not letting me install OS 9. It will boot the CD, but after the "Starting Up" box, it hangs at just a desktop with a blank menu bar and no mouse pointer. I think it may be my original CD, so I am going to image the disc and try again.

 

[BGoins12]

Ok... well this sucks! Apparently the iMac G4 is just like the MDD... it needs a special CD to install OS 9. I found out that it will NOT install anything below 9.2.2, since that is what came with the computer. Now I know why it hangs up with the 9.2.1 CD.

 

[Arthegall]

This thread is shaping up to go quite well with the thread about making my MDD OS9 bootable. I think both of them are good lessons for anyone searching for a long-term OS 9 box.

In retrospect, I would encourage anyone looking for a long-term OS 9 machine to get a box that doesn't require a special version of OS 9 to work.

 

[trag]

In retrospect, I would encourage anyone looking for a long-term OS 9 machine to get a box that doesn't require a special version of OS 9 to work.

But the obsessive compulsive performance seeking part of us wants the best/fastest/latest machine which can boot into OS 9.x...

 

[Arthegall]

True. That's why I went with the MDD.

But a max-spec machine that doesn't go to sleep properly nor open its optical drive unless you manually pry open the shiny drive door and manually push the button with a ball-point pen nor set screen resolution properly nor run applications in a way that lets you use them isn't really the highest-performance option, is it?

 

[ClassicHasClass]

My MDD exhibits none of those problems, but admittedly, it uses the machine-specific 9.2.2, since I bought it new and it had the install discs. Which, btw, I ought to image pretty soon.