Really good old computer. Runs dependably.
Written: Dec 28 '05
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Pros: Dependable rock steady computer. Runs and runs!
Cons: Slow by today's standards. Needs upgrades on HD and RAM, maybe OS too.
The Bottom Line: Great little old computer. Doesn't hang, no viruses can get in this. No Tech support needed.
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| writer28's Full Review: Apple iMac Lime (M7444LL/A) Mac Desktop |
I bought my Lime iMac in 2003. It is a 400 MHz with a DVD player. It was four years old at time. I upgraded the 20GB hard drive to 80GB and upgraded the RAM to its maximum of 1 GB. This upgrade was important in order to do multi-tasking.
I was switching from Windows to Mac and didn't want to invest a ton of money in a new system for fear I wouldn't like Apple or the way the computer works. The above investment in hardware was about $177. I bought the hard drive which had a rebate on and the two 512 RAM sticks cost me $137 including shipping. I felt this was a decent investment to get the most out of this computer.
In a word, Apple computers are simple. No clicking the mouse three or four times to get to where you have to go. Downloading files is a simple one click.
Connection to the Internet is automatic, the iMac searches for an IP and connects for you within seconds. No hassles.
I quickly fell in love with the simplicity of Apple and the fact that there 's no hassle to get the computer to do what you want to do. Since there are (at present) no viruses written for the Mac OS, I don't have an anti-virus program on my iMac. This is not only saves me money, but also the lack of stress over viruses is great. I didn't realize until I bought this old iMac just how much I stressed about viruses. Also, I've had only three hang ups, or instances of freezing programs in three years of ownership. Who can say that about their Windows PC?
This iMac, which was made in 1999, was the first computer on the market that had Firewire, USB, and a DVD player. Also first computer on the market to have wireless card capability. Wireless card not included.
If you're looking for a old computer for your kids to do homework on or surf the web, one that won't hang often and can't get a virus from their friends' emails, get this. It's slow by today's standards, but a new Apple computer will run you some major $$$. You can buy an iMac on Ebay for under $200. It would also be great for an elderly parent that can't understand Windows. This computer will upload those photos of the grandkids and let them email the photos easily and quickly with a little bit of instruction.
If you're handy with computer hardware, upgrading the hard drive and RAM is easy to do. Instructions can be found online at macworld (dot) com, 'upgrading an G3 iMac' or do a Goole search). The whole upgrade job took me about 45 minutes.
I also recommend that the OS be upgraded from OS 9 to OS X. OS 9 is really old and Apple is not supporting it anymore. You will have to buy the full program, not an upgrade OS disk. Tiger OS X (10.4) runs great on my iMac. It will cost you about $130 for that. You could also buy the older OS X programs, such at Jaguar (10.2) or Panther (10.3) and they will be ok for your children or your parents.
****Follow software upgrading instructions on www.apple.com which are IMPORANT. If upgrading instructions from OS 9 to OS X are not followed, especially in terms of FIRMWARE updates, computer will have major problems running.
No tech support needed for this computer. It is easy to learn and operate.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 350
Operating System: Macintosh
Processor speed: 301-400
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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Epinions.com ID:
writer28
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Location: Detroit Suburb, MI
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 0 members
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