Old, But Still Very Usable For Many Tasks
Written: Aug 18 '08
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Pros: Computer and software are both DIRT CHEAP. Still usable for many tasks.
Cons: Not suitable for use on the Internet.
The Bottom Line: This computer will do a great job with many basic tasks--writing, data processing, graphics, and more. And it costs next to nothing.
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| jc2400's Full Review: Apple Power Macintosh 7200 (M4082LL) Mac Desktop |
"He's reviewing a twelve year old computer! Is he crazy?"
No, not entirely. This computer is too old for many jobs in today's world. But it's still capable of doing a lot.
Indeed, the 7200 is more than adequate for most basic tasks--writing, spreadsheets, graphics, etc. The 7200, for most people, will do the same exact things with these basic tasks that a brand new computer will.
Indeed, I actually like using older computers. The software gets the job done. And it's often simpler and does a better job of staying out of my way when I work.
Older software can still be very compatible with the modern world. For example, take Microsoft Word. Support for Microsoft Word documents has become essential for most of us. There are various ways of supporting Microsoft Word. But the easiest is having a copy of Microsoft Office. Microsoft Office 98 can run on the 7200. It can open ".doc" files from newer versions of Word. Documents created with Microsoft Office 98 should easily open on newer versions of Word--even the newest. The major difference is that Microsoft Office 98 is cheap. $35 at Amazon.
The only real limitation with the 7200 is Internet, which can be best summed up this way: Don't bother. Yes, you can connect it and use it. My first Internet experience was at a library that used some sort of Power Macintosh. Problem is--the Internet world has changed a lot since the mid nineties. The 7200 with the Internet will be slow (and the less obsolete the browser, the slower it will be) and it will have poor page rendering. So save it for an hour of "let's see if it works!" fun or absolute emergencies.
For the right person, the 7200 is a great buy.
Buying Advice
-A 7200 should be cheap. I got mine for about $10 at Goodwill.
-A 7200 will have a name like 7200/120. The second part, after the slash, is the processor speed, which ranged from 90 mHz to 120 mHz. This seems slow, but for the software of the era, it's more than adequate.
-The 7200 can run a range of operating systems. Newer=More features, more compatibility with the modern world. Newer also means slower. System 7.6 is faster on my 7200. But OS 8.5 supports more software.
-The 7200 can support USB, if you add a PCI USB card.
-Memory makes a difference. I've heard that the 7200 was picky--it apparently did NOT like EDO memory.
-The 7200 can take an accelerator, which will speed the computer up. But it's not the best computer to accelerate--if that's a goal, looking to a different model is advisable.
-There's a lot of information about the 7200 at http://www.lowendmac.com. The 7200 page is http://lowendmac.com/ppc/power-macintosh-7200.html.
-http://main.system7today.com/ has a lot of useful info for Macintosh computers of the 7200's era.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 10
Operating System: Macintosh
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Epinions.com ID:
jc2400
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Reviews written: 14
Trusted by: 0 members
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