Upgrading from 10 year old powerbook

I have a ten year old powerbook & need a new machine. Is the basic new IMac going to seem like light years ahead of what I've been using or should I bump up the spec & hope that in another ten years I will consider it money well spent or wish that I'd saved the extra £700 and just bought each new basic model as they improve, say every 3 to 4 years?

You should bear in mind that upgrading hardware at this point will also require a major software upgrade. For example, the last version that runs on OS 10.7 or 10.8 is Photoshop CS3. None of your 10 year old software will even run. That is because power pc apps just do not run on Lion or Mountain Lion.
So, you are looking at a substantial investment, for both hardware and software. (For what it's worth, I recently went through this process with a family member.)
In pure dollars and cents (pounds and pennies?) terms, I think it makes sense to stick with the old for as long as you can, and make the switch only when you have to....

Similar Messages

  • Decided to upgrade from an old PowerBook G4, mostly for eyesight issues. Bought a new Mac Mini and hooked it up to an Apple A1267 Cinema Monitor. I cannot even figure out how to turn them on. Help please.

    I am exhausted just getting to the point of being allowed to ask my question.  I recently decided to upgrade from an old PowerBook G4 that we have used for years, and am using now.  I bought a new Mac Mini and a reconditioned Apple A1267 Monitor that was working beautifully when hooked to a slightly newer PowerBook in the store.  Both the Mini and the monitor are plugged in, and attached to each other but I feel light a dolt.  I cannot even figure out how to turn them on or even get a power light to come on. Can someone help me?

    How is the Mini coonected to the momitor?
    Does the power button n the mini not work?

  • Flash upgrade; 5 year old mac 5; is there a way without being jacked?

    I spent all the money I had on Apple products just 5 years ago spending sixteen thousand dollars on my MAC 5 with all the bells and whistles you can think of. Now, all over the internet there is a growing experience of receiving more and more error messages stating that my system is no-longer compatible. The latest being a visit to my Facebook page where I uploaded a video and shortly thereafter I received a message that says I must upgrade Flash Player. Of course, you already know that anything new won't play on a Apple MAC 5 OS 10.4. 
    Oh, it was so exiting back then. Got my new computer and it wasn't just any ol' computer it was an Apple computer! 
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    "Flash upgrade; 4 year old mac 5; is there a way" to upgrade without having to buy a whole new Apple computer?...as opposed to relying on my Windows XP more and more?
    If it is your intentions to ridcule me because I'm poor now, please save it, I feel bad enough as it is. Believe me, if I had the money, I'd probably keep buying more and more just like you...
    ...(or maybe not).  Will Apple appreciate my second $16K purchase as much as it did the first one? Will it reward me the same as the first?
    It's all I have left, I can't play my own video on my own Facebook.
    (This will probably get deleted)

    Thanks John.
    I have a Mac OS X vers 10.4.11 with 4 x 2.5 GHz PowerPC G5; Memory 4.5 GB DDR2 SDRAM
    I do not have Intels.
    When you go to a person to ask for investment capital, they want to know everything you need to create a successful business. Couches, chairs, office rental, electricity, gas,  cell phones, land line, fey boards, fax machines, microphone mixers, sound samplers, speakers, CRT monitors, printers, audio boards, microphones, cameras, advertising, transportation, including computers.
    When you go out of business, the investor sells what ever he can get his hands on,  couches, chairs, tape decks, monitors, keyboards, including computers, ell phones, land line, fey boards fax machines, microphone mixers, sound samplers, speakers, CRT monitors, printers, audio boards, microphones, cameras,  including computers.
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    I looked at my Apple invoice and it reads $16k, however, I was reluctant to consider other items on the invoice. I should not include all  items  but for the most part , with all the bells and whistles including soft ware, (adobe etc) it came to $16k ( in which I gladly paid. I was happy)
    I'm real happy that you are still able to occasionally use your Powerbook as you are probably happy that I can occasionally still use my 16 track reel to reel.
    I am not trying to run Adobe Flash I am trying to run what ever the internet dictates to me to run.
    Ranting? Unprofessional? I am one of the most professional people you can meet. Turning 60 next year, I have many years invested in production in radio and television, rubbing elbows with many famous and well known people in the entertainment industry. Many of whom share in my dilemma. When a company has an opportunity to observe growing issues first hand from its client base about their product or service, is always a good thing.
    Opportunities for that company are created! A good company, when opportunity knocks, takes advantage of the opportunity, others complain about the noise.

  • I have just upgraded from the old G5 to a new one, however I can't log and capture on the newest FCPs off my Sony Z1.. please help, deadline coming soon

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  • Five year old Powerbook, time to let go?

    I'm Hangin'On to a five year old Powerbook G4 17in. Two years ago the computer crashed and I was able to get it back to normal with an 'Erase and Install' from the disc. Last week it happened again. I had more trouble getting it back, but was able to repeat the 'Erase and Install' and now the computer works 80% of the time. When symptoms resurface, the performance slows greatly, the "spinning ball of death" taunts me for minutes, and occasionally the screen goes blank and I have to force a Shut Down. When I restart it, I get a message that the "OS unexpectedly quit".
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    Hangin'On:
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  • Hi I am just now downloading Creative Clouds :-) as an upgrade from an old Creative Suite 5.5. Before that I hade a Creative suite 3 etc. Is it necessary that I keep all these old programs etc on my computer to make Creative Clouds work or is it better th

    Hi I am just now downloading Creative Clouds :-) as an upgrade from an old Creative Suite 5.5. Before that I hade a Creative suite 3 etc. Is it necessary that I keep all these old programs etc on my computer to make Creative Clouds work or is it better that I uninstall them? Kind regards, AnnaReet

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  • How do I transfer my contacts from my old Powerbook G4 to my new Macbook Pro?

    how do I transfer my contacts from my old Powerbook G4 to my new one Macbook Pro?
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  • I have lost nearly all my photos and events.  I received a message effectively saying that I need to upgrade from an old base.  I think I may have tried to open an event that was stored in iPhoto Buddy a few days ago.

    I have lost nearly all my photos and events.  I received a message effectively saying that I need to upgrade from an old base.  I think I may have tried to open an event that was stored in iPhoto Buddy a few days ago.  iPhoto Buddy is not supported in Lion.  How can I retrieve my phjotos?

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    Regards
    TD

  • I'm trying to migrate data from an old Powerbook G4 to a Macbook running 10.8 - new laptop can't find the target disk

    Can anyone help me get a new(er) Macbook that's running Mountain Lion migrate data from an old PowerBook G4 running 10.4.x?
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    Anyone?

    Additionally, When I have the two laptops connected via Firewire, I do see the disk from which I'm trying to migrate data and can copy files, etc.
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  • Upgrading four year old computer and Final Cut!

    I am about to upgrade my four year old Mac G5 (2X2G)to a new Mac Pro(2.8G). It arrives Monday!I bought the upgrade to FCS2 to replace my FCP 4.5. I'm confused about what I have to do. Do I need to load the old version of Final Cut 4.5 onto my new Mac and then install the FCS upgrade on top of it? Does this mean I have to de-install it from my old G5?
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    Any files can be copied to your new computer from your old HD but OS + apps should be installed from disks and make sure software you're installing on new computer is optimized for Intel Macs to avoid conflicts.

  • Need to move Mailboxes from an old Powerbook to a new desktop iMac G5.

    I already asked on some discussion group but somehow lost it and have to re enter my question.
    I have an old Powerbook G4 that I had to use for a few months but now have my new iMac G5 desktop Intel Core and need to copy all the Mail in mailboxes onto a flash drive so I can then have it as an archive backup but also be able to copy it to the new computer.  Thanks for any advice given.

    Your reply is appreciated.
    iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2014) Processor 1.4 GHz Intel Core i5  Memory 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 is what I have. 
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         Model Identifier:                  iMac 14,4
         Processor Name:                Intel Core i5
         Processor Speed:               1.4 GHz
         Number of Processors:        1
         Total Number of Cores         2
         L2 Cache (per Core):            256 KB
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         Memory:                                8 MB
         Boot ROM Version:               1M144.0179.BO6
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  • Can I move a superdrive from my old Powerbook G4 to Macbook Pro 2008?

    Having a Powerbook Pro early 2008 (A1260) with a broken superdrive I am wondering if I could take the working superdrive from my good old Powerbook Alu G4 (A1106) to put it in the Powerbook? Does it fit?
    Thanks for any help!

    Sad to hear that Time to look arround on ebay for a cheap one then. Don't want to spend much money on this old machine.
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  • If I upgrade from my old iPhone to a newer one, what info will I lose?

    This is a different situation than usual.  My daughter needs to upgrade from her iPhone 4 to an iPhone 5s.  She is afraid she will lose the text messages and voice mails from her boyfriend, who died in June.  Her 4 is essentially falling apart, so it's time to switch.  Is there a way she can save the text messages and voice mails from her old phone to her new one?  She's never used iCloud, since she syncs her phone on her MacBook Pro via iTunes. ot a
    I am not a techie, so please use plain English.
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    In her situation you can also get programs that will extract content from an iPhone backup in iTunes. This would be a good way to archive the texts. And you can also copy them from the phone itself using 3rd party software such as TouchCopy.
    I am sorry for her loss; it is especially tragic when young.

  • Moving pics from my old PowerBook to my new iPad

    Hi
    Just got the new iPad and want to simply and safely move pictures from my g4 PowerBook running leopard and iPhoto 09 ( 8.1.2 ) to it
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    Many thanks
    Tony

    tonybassplayer wrote:
    Could I not just put them on a USB stick and connect that ?
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    Plug the USB flash drive into your computer & create a new folder titled DCIM. Then put your movie/photo files into the folder. The files must have a filename with exactly 8 characters long (no spaces) plus the file extension (i.e., my-movie.mov; DSCN0164.jpg).
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     Cheers, Tom

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