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Thread: [PPC] Beware of ppc Macs with unknown heritage!

  1. #1
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    [PPC] Beware of ppc Macs with unknown heritage!

    Getting Linux on an early G3 iMac can be tough enough as it is. It can be even tougher if you don't know the history of the machine - especially if you can't verify that it is working in the first place.

    The two most common pitfalls that I've seen over the years are related to ram and hard drives which were "upgraded" by their former owners. What they may not tell you is that these upgrades never worked in the first place, and is usually what prompted the fire-sale or giveaway status.

    "Yep - it's got 256mb of ram and a 60gb hard drive."

    Problem is, in many cases the ram is NOT mac-compatible, and the hard drive that just got thrown in will spin upon powerup, but you don't know if it was cabled or jumpered properly etc.

    If you suspect that the additional ram is the problem, remove what doesn't look original and try again. Of course, you may be back to just a 32mb machine. Not worth it unless you stick to the cli.

    In the case of the hard drive, you'll want to do some research and make sure that the drive is jumpered properly, and wasn't outright defective to begin with.

    I guess the point is that if you are even going to decide that a G3 iMac is even worth the effort these days, make sure it works first, or buy from a reputable source. Or perhaps just pin down the seller to what was *really* going on.
    20" G5 iMac - AMD64 HP desktop
    http://www.ppclinux.info/

  2. #2
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    Re: [PPC] Beware of ppc Macs with unknown heritage!

    Good tips stream303, long time no see.

    Buying a new-used pc that's bum sucks. When i got my powermac i too thought about whether someone just slapped in replacement memory/hd to sell it at a higher price. I got lucky with mine from ebay but been stiffed before. Guess it's a fairly common practice to swap components to elevate price. Dam.

    Anyways, alot of people don't hear these things before buying, so good tips.

  3. #3
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    Re: [PPC] Beware of ppc Macs with unknown heritage!

    Ah there you are! Nice to see you too.

    In most of the cases I ran into, it wasn't really anything deceitful, just a sincere attempt that a former owner tries without really knowing the apple hardware specs.

    Still, caveat emptor.
    20" G5 iMac - AMD64 HP desktop
    http://www.ppclinux.info/

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