500mhz AGP G4 for $50!

[sambapati87]

Well at least I'm excited.

512mb of RAM, no HD (but I have a 120gb around that I'll throw in).

I do web development on a MBP, and I'll be setting it up as a test box / torrent slave.

After seeing the guy below me's 733mhz Quicksilver for free, it feels much less cool but I'm still diggin it -- I remember being in about 6th grade when these came out and thinking I will NEVER own one of those as much as I'd like to!

 

[MrMacintosh]

I bought a 500MHz Sawtooth for $50 shipped last fall, because it was "broken." However, it was just a bad stick of RAM that caused the startup woes.

I used it to learn OS X server, and used it as a home server for a while. I still don't know Server as well as I want to, so it doesn't serve anything anymore. I do use it to NetBoot Macs without a hard drive though!

The G4s still make very competent web browsers and iLife and Office machines, and run Tiger wonderfully, so enjoy your new conquest!

 

[Cory5412]

I think I was in like 5th or 6th grade too, when these were released, and have similar memories of reading MacWorld at the time, drooling over the fastest Mac ever, which used the "Supercomputer on a chip" as it's processor.

Congrats on the conquest! It's always cool to own a machine you used to see and drool over when you were younger. [] ]'>

 

[QuadSix50]

That is a nice Mac. I've actually got a 400 MHz one at work that I've upgraded to 1 GB of RAM that runs OS X and Ubuntu Hardy quite nicely. For very little nowadays, it's an awesome system.

 

[sambapati87]

Now I'm bummed because the only monitor I have available is a 23" Apple Cinema (DVI, aluminum) that the Rage 128 Pro refuses to drive past the "happy mac" boot screen.

I plan on running it headless, but now I've got to scrounge up a VGA monitor, and of course the only one I could get today or tomorrow is a 70 pound 21" sitting in my parents' garage...

 

[Temetka]

I think I was in like 5th or 6th grade too, when these were released, and have similar memories of reading MacWorld at the time, drooling over the fastest Mac ever, which used the "Supercomputer on a chip" as it's processor.
Congrats on the conquest! It's always cool to own a machine you used to see and drool over when you were younger. [] ]'>

Thinking about how old I was when you were in 5th/6th makes feel old. Thanks for phrasing it that way. Oh and the supercomputer on a chip still impresses me.

 

[QuadSix50]

It's always cool to own a machine you used to see and drool over when you were younger. [] ]'>

So true. While I wasn't that young when I longed for one of the Macintosh clones or the Quadra 650, I did want both so badly. Eventually I did come across a Quadra 650 (which I still own) and a StarMax 4000 (which I plan to reacquire from my father).

I have yet to get that elusive IIgs that I actually longed for as a kid and owner of a IIc (at the time).

 

[Cory5412]

Thinking about how old I was when you were in 5th/6th makes feel old. Thanks for phrasing it that way. Oh and the supercomputer on a chip still impresses me.

Hey, I'm here to help! It's okay, at least with me, because I always feel old when I hear people talk about OS9, and I remember receiving it for christmas when it was new, and I remember knowing all the little tricks about it, and which pieces of software worked the best, and what combination of apps worked best, and what order to launch 'em in. And I've been called Grandpa in the IRC channel as a result of it.

I've also got a few other machines I once drooled over, things like the Pismo, the b/w G3, and heck, I remember days before i got the PowrBook G4, drooling about the newly released eMac G4, thinking it would be a great long-lasting type of computer. [] ]'>

And that was in like 8th or 9th grade. I'd printed out the specs to the eMac at home and brought 'em in. I remember planning on which of my teachers I was going to ask to buy the eMac for me, as soon as I saved up the money. What memories.

As far as supercomputer on a chip goes... the hilarity ensues when you try to run Leopard on some of the older G4s. we've got a digiAudio/466 at the high school, with only 256mb of memory, and we managed to clone one of our G5's installs of Leopard onto it. It boots and runs apps, but it's hilariously slow. Even our iMac G4/800s (15") with 512mb of ram are not too much better.

(regarding the IIc/IIgs comment) It's also funny how when we own something, we tend to want something higher end. My current computer is a Core2 iMac/2.16, and for whatever reason, despite the fact that this machine really is fast enough, I'd love nothing more than to upgrade to a Mac Pro.

 

[LCGuy]

It's always cool to own a machine you used to see and drool over when you were younger. [] ]'>

So true. While I wasn't that young when I longed for one of the Macintosh clones or the Quadra 650, I did want both so badly. Eventually I did come across a Quadra 650 (which I still own) and a StarMax 4000 (which I plan to reacquire from my father).

I have yet to get that elusive IIgs that I actually longed for as a kid and owner of a IIc (at the time).

I *was* that old when the PCI PowerMacs were cutting edge. I remember how much I wanted a Power Mac 8500 or 9500. Then when the 9600 came out, along with the PowerBook 3400...whoa! I still remember the first time I ever saw a 3400 "in da flesh", shortly after they were released. It just looked simply awesome.

As for machines that I once lusted for as a kid, and now own...that would include the LC475, the PB1400, the iMac, the PowerBook 180c, and formerly the PM8100s (when they still worked)

 

[equill]

... because the only monitor I have available is a 23" Apple Cinema (DVI, aluminum) that the Rage 128 Pro refuses to drive past the "happy mac" boot screen ...

True. That card cannot cut it, but one of the Mac Radeon 7000 cards is PCI, has VGA, DVI-I and S-Video out, which would be fine with your DVI display. Keep your eye on the eBay seller tangaishi, from whom I have just bought two such cards.

de

 

[sambapati87]

... because the only monitor I have available is a 23" Apple Cinema (DVI, aluminum) that the Rage 128 Pro refuses to drive past the "happy mac" boot screen ...

True. That card cannot cut it, but one of the Mac Radeon 7000 cards is PCI, has VGA, DVI-I and S-Video out, which would be fine with your DVI display. Keep your eye on the eBay seller tangaishi, from whom I have just bought two such cards.

de

I'm going to be running the sawtooth headless (will be shoehorning Leopard onto it and maintaining it via screen sharing) so I'm not really interested in upgrading the video card atm just to get it set up. I plan on borrowing a 17" DVI LCD for a few days to get it going. Good seller though it looks like in case I ever change my mind.

 

[sambapati87]

Just got it booted and installed 9.1 -- this thing really flies on 9, I'm going to have to keep a 9.2 partition to use a giant box of Classic Mac OS CD-ROMS i just found....

Now to shoehorn Leopard onto it...

 

[Temetka]

Why?

It's a killer OS 9 box. Leave it that way.

NOTE: This only my opinion. I now have a dedicated OS 9 box and it makes things so much easier than trying to use the Classic on Intel or multi-boot with Leopard and Tiger for classic support.

 

[sambapati87]

Why?
It's a killer OS 9 box. Leave it that way.

NOTE: This only my opinion. I now have a dedicated OS 9 box and it makes things so much easier than trying to use the Classic on Intel or multi-boot with Leopard and Tiger for classic support.

I have it running 9 and Leopard -- I'm using it as a headless server so I need it *nix'edified and the built in screen sharing in Leopard works great.

 

[coius]

I believe I was towards the end of high-school when they came out. Not a shabby system, so nice score!

I still think my Lombard with 10.3.9 on the web is quite usable. any application by apple that doesn't work on older systems, can be found with opensource programs. like RSS. it comes in mail in 10.4, but on 10.3? nah... but there's always "thunderbird" or "FireFox" for 10.3 if you need in-browser RSS.

So cool grab!! Enjoy!