Brand new Mac user - buying a used G4 17" -  Good investment?

Hello all. I am buying myself a long-desired Christmas gift this year. The computer/IT business that works with our agency has a used G4 Powerbook for sale. Since I know the person who has used it, and the price is incredibly good, I have decided to take the plunge. I honestly do not even know how Macs work, but I have heard so many good things about them as far as their reliability and ease of operation that when the chance came up I knew I had to take it.
I have never had good luck with PC's - even when I have spent a lot of money on a supposedly really good one, and maintain it well, I have issues. I'm tired of spending precious time working on a computer just so I can use the computer to do work. I am far too much of left brained creative type (or is that right brain, I always get them mixed up) to have to be a computer geek at the same time. Everything I've read says English majors like me really need Macs because they "just work" and make ever so much more sense.
So I don't have any specific questions yet, because I don't have it, but I wanted to say hi and introduce myself and I will probably have a gazillion questions once I actually get it and turn it on. I hope you'll indulge me! In the meantime, I'd love to hear that I made a good decision and a worthwhile investment and that this beastie will last many years if I take good care of it. (On the other hand if they're "nothing but trouble" please tell me quickly before I hand them any money!)
Thank you and I look forward to getting to know you. Have a lovely weekend!
Karen
aka Cunningly Disguised

If you want to buy a used Powerbook with no warranty, you have to be a lucky one. I am sorry to cast some shadow on your project, but I must tell you what happened to me if you are on a buget and every penny counts.
I was on the market for a Macbook Pro 17. But after reading too many stories of people disappointed with their MBP's because of endless failures, I finally decided for a "near new" Powerbook G4 1,5GHz. I had also read countless stories of Powerbook G4 1,67GHz owners whos LCD screen failed just after the one year warranty was over. Those poor customers are now with a dead investment after just one year because Apple has decided not to aknowledge that there is a problem with a batch of LCD screens. Take a tour on the Powerbook display forum if you want to know more at http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1020
The 1,5 model was not reported to have too many of those problems, so I took my chance despite the still small voice that I should have listened. After three weeks of gentle use, one vertical line appeared. This PB is just 3 years old, like new and has cost me an arm and a leg. Now a new LCD should cost between USD 800 if I replace it myself (tricky job) and USD 1000 if I send it trust it to some company. When I will have it fixed, it will have cost me USD 2300 and the LCD might again fail after the one year warranty for the new part is over.
So to your question, I would answer: avoid the 1.67 GHz Powerbook if there is no long term warranty on the sale. And if you buy another model, make sure you can have a very quick return on your investment! Sadly Apple products are no longer the reputable and reliable products they used to be. Too much chinese mass production involved.
Sorry not to have better feedback.

Similar Messages

  • Brand new Mac user help please! How do you connect a 17" monitor to the MacBook? I have the monitor plugged into the Mac, but the F8 that I am used to with PC does not work. Please help. Thanks.

    Brand new Mac user help please! How do you connect a 17" monitor to the MacBook? I have the monitor plugged into the Mac, but the F8 that I am used to with PC does not work. Please help. I am getting lots of spelling errors as the MacBook laptop screen is too small. Thank you so much! .

    Contentmom6 wrote:
    Brand new Mac user help please! How do you connect a 17" monitor to the MacBook? I have the monitor plugged into the Mac, but the F8 that I am used to with PC does not work.
    Normally, you just connect the monitor to the MacBook using a VGA adaptor that you can buy from an Apple Store.  Now try System Preferences > Displays > Detect Displays.  You should now be able to select a display mode for the monitor.  If it still doesn't work, then I'd check that everything is properly connected.  I've had problems with colours disappearing due to a faulty connection in the VGA adaptor.
    Bob

  • Bluetooth Digital Cameras - Brand new mac user

    I am a brand new mac user and I want to buy a new digital camera, and I believe you can buy them w/bluetooth now. That way they sync with your computer instead of hard plugging them in. I know this is a totally dumb question. But I have only had my mac for two weeks. Do I have bluetooth on my system and how do I shop for a camera that would be compatible. Any help from all you apple users would be greatly appreciated.

    Hello jj:
    Welcome to Apple discussions.
    I believe all Macs that are being delivered now have a built-in Bluetooth module (it used to be extra).
    To be sure, go to the little blue apple and select about this mac from the drop down menu. Click on more info. The Bluetooth module will be listed if it is present (under hardware).
    I have been digital for several years, but none of my cameras are BT capable. I am a big Kodak fan, but do not know if they have a BT camera (or if anyone does). I do not work for Kodak, but their "dock" technology makes it really easy to transfer pictures from a camera to a Mac. A big bonus. iPhoto is tightly integrated.
    Barry

  • Brand new Mac user with a brand new Mac problem!

    Hi Everyone --
    I am a brand new Mac user... I've only had my MacBook Pro 13" for three days. My Mac has been continuously freezing while I use it. When it freezes I only have safari running so I know its not from application "overload". Once frozen, I cannot move the mouse, "esc" or use any commands. Essentially my only option is to force it to shut down by holding the power buttong down. Please let me know if anyone has any idea how to fix this! With school coming up I cannot afford for my computer to be freezing every 20 minutes!
    Thanks in advance.
    -Rachel

    Well... I'd still take it back - let them know that you received it as a gift three days ago. They may still replace it for you or they may take it in for repair. Just be nice and explain that you don't expect a new MBP to function as it is (or malfunction) and let them, at least, run diagnostics on it. As it's so new, there may be something simple that they can fix as you wait. Did your boyfriend already register the machine with Apple or did you? They may take the registration date into account...
    But I'd take it to the Apple Store, regardless...
    Clinton

  • I'm a brand new Mac user. I want to send photos from Iphoto to my local store for printing, like I can do in Picasa. I can't find that option in Iphoto.

    I'm a brand new Mac user. I want to send photos from Iphoto to my local store for printing, like I can do in Picasa. I can't find that option in Iphoto. I do not want to order them through Itunes.

    I have not idea how you do it with Picasa but with iPhoto you either export the photos to a desktop folder and upload from there or burns that folder to CD - or from the upload window use the media browser in the lower left hand corner of the upload windows - media ==> photos ==> iPhoto
    For pictures see -  https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3547767?tstart=0
    LN

  • I am a brand new mac user...trying to figure out how to switch from the Mac Pro screen to my external monitor.  Appreciate any help.

    am a brand new mac user...trying to figure out how to switch from the Mac Pro screen to my external monitor.  Appreciate any help.  thanks

    In Finder... goto Help... In the Search Window type in Displays...
    Lots of Useful Information there...
    You may find these Links Useful too:
    http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/
    http://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro/
    Cheers,

  • I am a very brand new Mac user. So anyway, when I point to the apple and click on "About This Mac", it says the operating system is, "OS X Version 10.8.2. The question, is this "Mountain Lion", or is that additional software I need to download?

    I am a very brand new Mac user. So anyway, when I point to the apple and click on "About This Mac", it says the operating system is, "OS X Version 10.8.2. The question, is this "Mountain Lion", or is that additional software I need to download?

    Jon Kevin wrote:
    I am a very brand new Mac user. So anyway, when I point to the apple and click on "About This Mac", it says the operating system is, "OS X Version 10.8.2. The question, is this "Mountain Lion", or is that additional software I need to download?
    Yes 10.8.2 is the latest version of Mountain Lion. 10.7 was Lion and 10.6 was Snow Leopard.
    Cheers
    Pete

  • HT4413 Migration Assistant for a brand new mac that has been used already?

    My dad bought a Mini but has been using it for a few months but didn't transfer anything from his old Mac. All his address book entries and files are still on his original Mac. Can Migration Assistant still be of help to transfer over the data without erasing what he's accumlated on his new Mac? Is it going to write over his email for instance?
    Thanks!

    Migration Assistant is not the tool you need to use at this point. Instead you should manually copy the data you want from the old computer to the new computer. If both computers have Firewire ports then use Target Disk Mode - Transferring files between two computers using FireWire. Boot the old computer into TDM and the new computer normally. You should then find a disk icon for the old computer's drive on the Desktop of the new computer.
    Before you do any of the described file copying below be sure you have quit Mail and Address Book if they are now open except where directed.
    For Mail you open Mail and select Import from the File menu. Check the top option to import from Apple Mail. Navigate on the old computer to its /Users/username/Library/Mail/ folder and then locate a folder named "Mailboxes." Select the folder and click on the Open button. Select the mailboxes you want to import and click on the Import/OK button. This will import the old mail to a new set of mailboxes in Mail under a mailbox named Imported. You can then move the old mail to wherever you want in Mail.
    For contacts locate the /Users/username/Library/Applications Support/AddressBook/ folder. Copy the entire folder to the new computer to the same location on the new computer.
    Last, navigate to the /Users/username/Library/Preferences/ folder and copy these preference files: com.apple.mail.plist and all beginning with com.apple.AddressBook. Copy them to the same location on the new computer.

  • Brand new Mac user, needs help getting Mac onto Wireless Print Server

    Ladies & Gents,
    After much struggle with PCs in the last two weeks I finally broke down and bought a MacBook. I'm very happy with it, but I am having issues getting hooked into my office's wireless printing network.
    The printer is an HP Color Laserjet 3600n and we're set up with a D-Link DPR 1260 router. I've tried just about everything I know, and even our much-more-qualified-than-I resident Mac user is unsure how to make this work.
    I will continue to search the forum, but I would appreciate any help. I should be off and on throughout most of the day. Thanks!
    -Beaujac

    Two links
    http://www.dlink.com/products/default.aspx?pid=DPR-1260&tab=3
    http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20071210174933679
    FWIW
    /Instant_1

  • I'm a new Mac user, could someone advise me a good programme to keep my computer clean.

    As a new user Mac user I'am looking for a recommended programme to keep my computer clean.

    THE wrote:
    ... I'am looking for a recommended programme to keep my computer clean.
    Thios is Not necessary as OS X tends to look after itself...
    Mac OS X: About background maintenance tasks
    Also... See here for keeping your Mac Happy...
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1147
    http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/maintainingmacosx.html

  • How do you get to the ichat menu?  I am a brand new mac user

    So I accidently put the wrong user name when I was setting up ichat and I want to go back and change it with an AIM account, but I can't seem to figure out how to get into the menu of iChat.  Just got the computer last night

    Hi,
    This first  (From Defcom)
    Click on iChat in the dock at the bottom of your desktop first.
    This will either bring iChat to the Front or launch iChat is it is not open.
    Then you should be able to do irvine91's stuff
    Open iChat > In the Menu bar along the top of the screen click on iChat and then Preferences > Select the accounts tab and then you can use the plus and minus icons to add and remove new accounts.
    Removing the incorrect one and adding a new Account with the correct info is probably easier than trying to edit the existing one that is set up at the moment.
    IF the Existing one has Buddies added set up the new one then Select all the Buddies in the Current Buddy List and drag them to the new Buddy list.
    Then you can delete the first one you set up (that is incorrect).
    Presumably if you put in incorrect details it is not even able to Log-in and have not been able to add Buddies.
    10:29 PM      Wednesday; July 13, 2011
    Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.7),
    "Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

  • HELP!~  new mac user with MAJOR external hard drive/iTunes problems

    Hi everyone,
    I hope you can help me out. I just got my new Powerbook Pro 2.0. It is really nice, but I am having a **** of a time with iTunes. I had an old Sony Viao and my friend turned me on to mac. So here I am, new computer and new 80G iPod. I have 120G of music on my external hard drive that played music right from the HD on my Vaio with no problems (until I upgraded to iT7.0, then the music ran choppy, but thats another issue). No, thinking that the Mac and iTunes will work perfectly together, I plugged in my External HD, turned on all the equipment, the mac finds the HD and I can see the music. Good. So, I change the location on the preferences to find the music on the ExHD and nothing. Then, I read all the forums and all and try EVERYTHING, moving the .xml file to the dektop, restarting iTunes, changing the location again, NOTHING works. I am about as frustrated as I can be. With over 26,000 songs that I cannot listen to.... I am about to regret this discision to get the mac. Any ideas? I also tried copy the files in the iTunes folder on the mac to the folder on the ExHD, but i don't know how on mac (there is no copy and paste command when you right click the mouse). I know my frustration is because I am new and dont know all the tricks yet.
    I wish I could just call my buddy, but I am in Afghansitan fighting the taliban and he is in Hawaii. Any help is GREATLY appreciated.
    Thanks
    MBP 2.0   Mac OS X (10.4.8)   Brand New Mac user.......

    Select your ext HD and do a key board command - CMD+I (Get Info - File Menu). Under the Ownership & Permissions tab - do you have read and write access? If not give yourself that access. You may be prompted for your admin password.
    If your ext HD is the same one you used with the Vaio then I am thinking your ext HD is formated as a FAT32 and not a NTFS. Mac can read NTFS but not write to a NTFS format disk. If it is FAT32 then Mac can read and write. If it is a HFS+ format (Mac format) then there is no issue of read and write unless the disk is locked.
    To copy files from one HD to anorther on a Mac - all you need to do is select and drag to the new location.
    Check the Help Menu's of iTunes and the Finder. There is wealth of info built into your Mac OSX.
    MJ

  • HTML in EBAY for NEW MAC USER!  Please Help!

    Hi, I am a brand new MAC user. Just bought a MACBOOK last week. Here is my HTML prob. I sell on ebay. I called apple support and they were not able to help me. When I list my item on eBay, HTML comes up in the description area. On my older PC it was regular readable english and NOT html gobble de gook. Anyone know how to switch over from the HTML junk so I can see the regular english and write about my product? thanks so much. Sorry, I am not a computer guru. I only know how to read email and sell on ebay

    Welcome to Apple Discussions!
    Sounds like they are using non-standard HTML. Try using a different web browser*:
    http://www.macmaps.com/browser.html
    Also verify it isn't your e-mail program that is open when you are viewing the file. Anything via e-mail which can't be converted by an e-mail program will display as just plain HTML. Look to the right of the Apple logo on your top left corner to see which program is active.
    - * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

  • New Mac user with iSight Problem

    I have a MacBook Pro 17". I can't seem to get the built in iSight camera to work in iChat. I've tried the camera using Photobooth and iMovieHD and both of those allowed me to use the camera but when I try to use the camera in iChat...even just to see the video preview screen it tells me that my computer does not support video conferencing. Any thoughts? I'm a brand new Mac user so I'm not familiar with any of this software or hardware. Thanks.

    Welcome to Discussions, clhockey
    (1) Verify that your system meet all the requirements listed in this article for what you want to do:
      http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306687
    (2) Check your broadband speed (up and down) using this site: http://www.speedtest.net/.
    Other than your browser, do not have any app that use the internet running while you test.
    (3) Check (and adjust if necessary) to see that your System Preferences > QuickTime > Streaming > Streaming Speed is set to 1MB or higher.
    (4) Quit ALL applications. Then launch iChat only and see if it works for you.
    EZ Jim
    PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.10) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5)  External iSight

  • New Mac User - Shared Documents Question

    I feel dumb for even asking this, but I'm a brand new Mac user. My wife and I use the same MacBook Pro, with separate accounts. If we're working on something that we want shared between the accounts, where do we save it? Is there a shared folder?

    /Users/Shared/. Since you're new to Macs, see these:
    Switching from Windows to Mac OS X,
    Basic Tutorials on using a Mac,
    Mac 101: Mac Essentials,
    Anatomy of a Mac,
    MacFixIt Tutorials,
    MacTips, and
    Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Leopard Edition.
    Additionally, *Texas Mac Man* recommends:
    Quick Assist.
    Welcome to the Switch To A Mac Guides,
    Take Control E-books, and
    A guide for switching to a Mac.

Maybe you are looking for