Have old Power Mac G4, need advice on upgrading the operating system

Question

Hello. Glad I found this forum. Wish it was prominently advertized on the Apple home page. Anyway, I have an old Power Mac G4 running OS X 10.0.4. Well, actually, I've always run it in OS 9.2. In fact recently I started playing with it again and switched it to OS X 10.0.4 and it seems to be unstable. The display dissappears after a while running. The machine is not off, just no display. Hitting the smaller reboot button brings it back up, only to have it repeat the failure. But that's not really my question. I want to use this machine as a Skype phone and for iMovie in OS 9.2. Skype is only available for OS X 10.3.9 and later OS's. So, if it's not a major hassle and expense, I want to upgrade to OS X 10.3.9 or later. That's where I need some advice. Having never attempted such a project, I'd like as much feedback as I can get about what to expect going in. Here are some questions:
1. Will I still be able to run OS 9.2 (either concurrently or by switching the startup disk when needed) if I upgrade to OS X 10.3.9 or later?
2. Will this instability with OS X 10.0.4 dissappear if I uprgade?
3. Where can I find the appropriate upgrade software?
4. Can I jump from OS X 10.0.4 to a version as late as OS X 10.3.9 without any intermediate steps, and without creating all kinds of little inconsistencies that I will have to chase down to make it work right in day to day use.
If I get answers to all that, I'll be blown away by the spirit of helpfulness on this forum! But anything you can offer will be greatly appreciated. I don't really want to do anything fancy with the machine, just Skype, hopefully iMovie and maybe stream some TV programs if all goes well. Thanks for reading through all this and for anything you can offer.
Power Mac G4
Hard drive: 38.34 GB
Built-in Memory: 384 MB
OS 9.2 & OS X 10.0.4

Answer 1

appleysmappley:
Cornelius, clearly you know your Macs!
Thank you. I have great mentors, one of whom is Kappy.
My next question about OS 9 is, if I have to wipe the hard drive, will the Panther retail box I buy include OS 9 or will I need to somehow add it from the original software pack I have after installing Panther?
You have options.
1. You can choose to install Panther using the Archive and Install option, which will leave OS 9 untouched. However, since you currently have OS X 10.0.4 on your drive, I think a complete reformat, erase and reinstall is advisable.
2. You can copy your OS 9 Systems Folder, OS 9 Applications Folder and any data you have have to a USB jump drive, or CD or an external Hard Disk Drive and restore it after Panther or Tiger is installed.
3. You can install OS 9 from scratch. We will give you step by step directions for doing it.
I'm assuming I can't use the disks that came with my laptop to updgrade my Power Mac G4, right?
It may or may not work. However, the Apple Software License Agreement stipulates that unless you have a multiple user license, the OS can only be installed on one computer at a time.
I'm concerned about OS 9 is because I want to be able to run the OS 9 iMovie that I have on the Power Mac G4 now.
If you reinstall OS 9, that should be included. OS X also has iMovie, although I am not sure if it is included in the Retail Version. You can also purchase iLife which will include iMovie and other apps.
What are the potential pitfalls of buying a copy on eBay? What do I need to know to "know what I'm looking for"? What questions should I ask?
The pitfalls are many. There is fraud on eBay (elsewhere, too, I guess), so you want to be sure you get a reputable seller. You want to be sure that you are getting the Full Retail Version, not computer specific gray disks or upgrade installers. You should ask the seller, in addition, whether you can return the merchandise for a refund if it does not work on your computer. Most reputable sellers want to satisfy their buyers and their business depends on their reputation.
Kappy said I would need more RAM (I have 384 MB). Where would you recommend buying that?
Your computer will support a total of 1.5 GB of PC-133 3.3v, unbuffered, 8-byte, non-parity 168-pin SDRAM in 3 slots. You currently have a 128 MB and 256 MB modules in two slots. You can remove one or both and add two or three 512 MB modules. Check out the list of vendors and prices at ramseeker
Good luck.
cornelius