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Worthwhile trying to get iMac working?

ajmull · 2018-02-27 18:38:57

I've been given an old iMac. The label says 17", 1.83 Ghz, 512 MB, 160 GB. The HD was removed from it to copy to a newer Apple. The power cable is also misssing. I'm familiar enough with PCs but never had anything to do with any Apples before. Is it worth trying to get it going, just for interest, and roughly what's…

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27-02-2018 7:38pm

#1

ajmull

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I've been given an old iMac. The label says 17", 1.83 Ghz, 512 MB, 160 GB. The HD was removed from it to copy to a newer Apple. The power cable is also misssing. I'm familiar enough with PCs but never had anything to do with any Apples before. Is it worth trying to get it going, just for interest, and roughly what's involved? Any advice, including "throw it out", appreciated.

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#2 28-02-2018 12:24am
coylemj

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It realistically won't run any modern version of OSX with just 512MB RAM, it will be chronically slow. You'd have to buy a new internal HDD and install it and then you'd need installation CDs.

You really don't have something worth resurrecting from the dead. I'd bin it.

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#3 28-02-2018 12:32am
savemejebus

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I wouldn’t bin it, even if you have no use for it you can probably sell it. It would be an ok machine for music and internet, or light office tasks. You will be limited in what versions of OS X can run but you can generally download disk images online. To upgrade ram for it should be cheap enough to buy, try cex or Adverts.ie and a new HDD would be easy enough to get too. Post over on the Mac forum and you may even get folk willing to help with parts etc.

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#4 28-02-2018 1:35pm
ajmull

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Thank you both. I'll post on the Mac thread - didn't realise there was one!

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#5 28-02-2018 5:31pm
coylemj

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For those who want to follow the saga, OP has opened a thread on the Mac forum ........

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057846316

mods might consider locking this thread.

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#6 28-02-2018 7:01pm
niallb

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Or leave the thread open for alternative suggestions.
You might not run a modern OSX on it, but cloudready will install on that mac with a bit more RAM,
and turn it into a usable chromebook style machine fora lot less than trying to get an old version of OSX booting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmOYzFVmJmQ

First thing first though is to get some more memory for it. This is 12 years old, so it takes DDR2-5300.

The spec says the max is 2GB, but from memory I think it will handle one 2GB and one 1GB stick if you put them in in the right order. 1GB sticks are €2 from cex and 2GB sticks are €6...

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#7 28-02-2018 8:02pm
harleyb

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You have a lot of problem with it)

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