PowerMac G4 Harddrive (with OS) or Hardware Price

[tlowr4]

As I start all my threads...:

Ok so here's the deal...

I picked up an Apple PowerMac G4 (Model M8493) the other week for $30 off a guy here in Rocky. He was sketchy about me looking at it, and was showing all the sighns that he was getting a bit pissed off when I went to open it up to have a look inside it. So being the apparent Mac fanboy I kinda am, I just said I'd take it (I blame my stupidity on a male blonde moment ). Once I got it home to crack it open it was a differant story.

He'd nicked the RAM. Not a problem, SD RAM is a dime a dozen here, and I only need abound 700MB or so. Here's the kicker though, he'd also pinched the HDD with the Mac OS on it. Now my choices are:

1: Chuck away the hardware and mod the case to build some sort of retarded, uber, clash of fanboy, flamewar rig, with Windows hardware and OS in a PowerMac case (sure to start some arguments) .

2: Try to sell it as is, I may get $50 for the hardware. Either way it's a small profit. Not what I wanted but it would suffice.

3: See if I could pick up a drive with the Mac OS on it (yeah, that'll happen ), chuck it in, and sell it off.

Thoughts? Option 3 would make me a very happy chappy, Option 2 would be liveable, and Option 1 would bring me many years of much enjoyment, showing off my rage-war rig...

 

[Robin]

1: Chuck away the hardware and mod the case to build some sort of retarded, uber, clash of fanboy, flamewar rig, with Windows hardware and OS in a PowerMac case (sure to start some arguments)

Hey don't hate on the 'PC in Apple case' thing. I'm running windows hardware in a Powermac G5 case (the greatest mainstream case ever made hands down) and its only tossers who have no taste or skills which make them look tacky and a fanboy thing. It's certainly not retarded unless you cut up the case.

The G4 is not so much a good case for modding, too small inside and not great airflow due to the prehistoric internal layout. I would either sell the parts on ebay or get the HDD.

I don't see why it would be so hard to get a HDD with Mac OS on it, I bet if you went to a mac repair shop they would probably have tons lying around which you could probably buy quite cheap. What do you want to do with the system anyway?

SD RAM is a dime a dozen here

Gosh, old RAM (DDR1) costs a fortune here.

 

[tlowr4]

Hey don't hate on the 'PC in Apple case' thing. I'm running windows hardware in a Powermac G5 case (the greatest mainstream case ever made hands down) and its only tossers who have no taste or skills which make them look tacky and a fanboy thing. It's certainly not retarded unless you cut up the case.

The G4 is not so much a good case for modding, too small inside and not great airflow due to the prehistoric internal layout. I would either sell the parts on ebay or get the HDD.

I don't see why it would be so hard to get a HDD with Mac OS on it, I bet if you went to a mac repair shop they would probably have tons lying around which you could probably buy quite cheap. What do you want to do with the system anyway?



Gosh, old RAM (DDR1) costs a fortune here.

Haha, I wasn't hating, just saying what most users would say. The irony of running a Windows machine in a Mac case? I was gonna mod the case but after looking around it, being a plasticy type it is, it'd be a real 🤬 to be honest. Diceing up a metal HP case is easier than a molded roundish plasticy thing.

Yeah, we've got a Mac Choice here, I'll see if they've got something laying around. I thought it'd be rare as hens teeth, to not long find a decent drive, let alone the software on it. I've got some drives here which I could re-format and get the software from another *cough* source *cough*. Tickle in my throat there... Either way, I'll check out Mac Choice but they're only a small shop, we'll see.

What would I get for the hardware if I couldn't get hold of a drive, do you think?

And by cheap for the RAM, I mean as in Lindsay has tons of old RAM laying around, and I've got some mates at a comp shop here that get tons of old systems through, hence where I get half my crap...

 

[Robin]

Haha, I wasn't hating, just saying what most users would say. The irony of running a Windows machine in a Mac case?

It's only ironic if your doing it to be ironic

I chose the case purely because its really well made and looks great, just happens to have an Apple on the side. I would have bought it anyway if it had been a retail case.

Yeah, we've got a Mac Choice here, I'll see if they've got something laying around. I thought it'd be rare as hens teeth, to not long find a decent drive, let alone the software on it. I've got some drives here which I could re-format and get the software from another *cough* source *cough*. Tickle in my throat there... Either way, I'll check out Mac Choice but they're only a small shop, we'll see.

What would I get for the hardware if I couldn't get hold of a drive, do you think?

Well you could sell it as a whole machine or as parts, parts might actually get you more money but there's tons out there so its hard to tell. The case on its own might be worth something, I would just see if you can get an old Mac OS HDD first.

And by cheap for the RAM, I mean as in Lindsay has tons of old RAM laying around, and I've got some mates at a comp shop here that get tons of old systems through, hence where I get half my crap...

Lucky you know some guys!

 

[HACKr]

I'd say sell it if you can. The only reason to still be using one of these old machines is because it perhaps some bit of software that can't be replaced, or would be too expensive to get on a different machine. That's really the only reason I keep my MDD G4 around still. Seeing as how your box has no software, well...

 

[sesselpupser]

I'd get it running again, it'd be like restoring an old but somewhat crap car. I have a G4 Cube('s guts) somewhere which still works, a G5, a PowerBook G3 and I maintained a G4 using bits of other G4s for a while but in the end the 700MHz dual processor just became completely useless, so I gave up and stripped it for components. The G5, a 1.5GHz single processor model, one of the first in the UK (i.e. very bloody old), is on its last legs so I'm eyeing it up as a replacement for my PC case, but as I have a Pro sitting next to my PC already it'll be hard to tell which is which!

The OS won't be too hard to come by, I'm sure 10.5 works on PowerPC, I'm sure that's what the G5 is attempting to run. OS 9 is a different story, but probably worth trying to find so you can run Harry The Handsome Executive.

 

[Biobunny]

I'd get it running again, it'd be like restoring an old but somewhat crap car. I have a G4 Cube('s guts) somewhere which still works, a G5, a PowerBook G3 and I maintained a G4 using bits of other G4s for a while but in the end the 700MHz dual processor just became completely useless, so I gave up and stripped it for components. The G5, a 1.5GHz single processor model, one of the first in the UK (i.e. very bloody old), is on its last legs so I'm eyeing it up as a replacement for my PC case, but as I have a Pro sitting next to my PC already it'll be hard to tell which is which!

The OS won't be too hard to come by, I'm sure 10.5 works on PowerPC, I'm sure that's what the G5 is attempting to run. OS 9 is a different story, but probably worth trying to find so you can run Harry The Handsome Executive.

You could always hackintosh the PC parts in the G5 case.