Is a 2006 iMac a good kid's computer?

I want to buy a computer for my youngest to use for online games and educational websites. Based on my experience with my late 2007 iMac I was thinking that the 2006 would fit the job and the budget well, but wanted to get the advice of the group before making a purchase.
Any advice, for or against is appreciated.
Thanks.
John

Make sure the computer you buy has at least 2gb of ram (more if possible is better) and can run Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard. http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard
Since your going to let children access the internet with it you want a secure and supported OS. Also learn about and use Parental Controls to protect your kids. http://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1170/en_US/Welcome_to_Snow_Leopard. pdf
Hardware wise, other than being long in the tooth and subject to old age failure it should be fine.

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Need early 2006 iMac installation disks, which ones?

I need to know which SPECIFIC installation disks came with or are usable on a 2006 iMac. I wiped the computer before knowing my MacBook OS X Tiger disks wouldn't work on the iMac. So I either need to purchase new disks as the computer I inherited did not come with the disks or can anyone help me figure out how to get the OS back on the computer?

You can get replacement System Install & Restore CD/DVDs from Apple's Customer Support - in the US, (800) 767-2775 - for a nominal S&H fee. You'll need to have the model and/or serial number of your Mac available.
If you're not in the US, you may need to go through the regional Apple Store that serves your location to find the contact number. Here's a list of links to all of those - http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/intlstoreroutingpage.html Another resource: International Support Phone #s.

Why is my Late 2006 iMac arbitrarily excluded from the Macs allowed to run Mavericks?

To install Mavericks, you need one of these Macs:
iMac (Mid-2007 or later)
MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008), (13-inch, Early 2009 or later)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2009 or later),
MacBook Pro (15-inch or 17-inch, Mid/Late 2007 or later)
MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later)
Mac mini (Early 2009 or later)
Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later)
Xserve (Early 2009)
Your Mac also needs:
OS X Mountain Lion, Lion, or Snow Leopard v10.6.8 already installed
2 GB or more of memory
8 GB or more of available space
My Mac:
has a 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
Is currently running OS X Lion
has 3 GB memory
has a 250 GB hard drive (most of which is empty)
was built in Late 2006
Why is my Late 2006 iMac arbitrarily excluded from the list of Macs allowed to run Mavericks?
I called 1-800-MY-APPLE to find out what change was made in 2007 that was not present the year before. No one had an answer for me, they just shuffled me around to different departments while I listened to the same lame songs repeat over and over again.
On hold 1:01:55
Don't need to walk around in circles
Walk around in circles, walk around in circles
Walk around in
Doom da doom da doom
What I'm doing, I'm doing
Doom da doom da doom
What I'm doing, I'm doing
(The phone hold system at Apple should really get an iPod.)
I eventually spoke with CPU Senior Advisor, J.T. Thornton, and I asked him to explain which mandatory feature was added to the 2007 iMacs that wasn’t present in the 2006 models. He pulled up the technical specifications of the 2006 iMac next to the 2007 iMac, and even he was unable to identify what changed in 2007 that would cause the incompatibility. He went on to explain that it was probably an algorithm that caused my Mac to be incompatible.
I asked (somewhat facetiously) if the algorithm was if build year<2007 then FAIL, and then to my surprise, he agreed with me.
Why isn't there a smarter algorithm to determine compatibility? I can clearly see that my system exceeds the minimum system requirements, with the exception being, of course, the year it was built.
Planned obsolescence, anyone?

all-in-one-obsolescence wrote:
My machine works every bit as well as it did when it was new, and my computing needs have not changed enough to justify buying a whole new computer.
Then you do not need to upgrade.
But if you do remember that your needs may not have changed, but technology has. 32 bit machines are vintage now, they will not run moderns operating systems. So unless Mavericks has something that you must have don't upgrade. And if you do, a new Mac will be needed.
$1199 divided by 8 years is a cost of about $3 a week, a pretty good rate for a machine that works as well as it did 8 years ago.

Will my November 2006 iMac 24 be compatible withy November 2006 iMac 24 be compatible with the just announced OS X? the just announced OS

Will my November 2006 iMac 24 be compatible with OS X?

Until Apple announces supported models/specs, we don't know.
A good place to start would be whether your iMac is supported to run Mavericks, or how well it does so. Not saying it's a guarantee, but it might give you a better idea of tthe likelihood (or not)

Help! 2006 imac need Mountain Lion to run Photoshop elements

Hi, getting very frustrated : (
Have a 2006 Imac Intel; upgraded to snow leopard last year; now wanted to run Photoshop elements. Imac says NO. We needed Mountain Lion- ordered this online, computer says NO. Need more memory. So have bought and installed new memory (2gb + 1gb). Computer still says no, wont download Mountain Lion.
I just want to use elements!!
Any help appreciated, I'm not that computer savvy
Thanks : D
Gareth

The new version PSE will run on OS X 10.7 Lion.
PSE 12 runs on 10.7- 10.9
Here are the system requirements for OS X 10.7 Lion.
To use Lion, make sure your computer has the following:
An Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor
Mac OS X v10.6.6 or later to install via the Mac App Store (v10.6.8 recommended); you can install without Mac OS X v10.6 by using an OS X Lion USB Thumb Drive, available on the Apple Online Store
7 GB of available disk space
2 GB of RAM
To find out info about your system
Click on the Apple symbol in the upper left of the OS X main menu bar. A drop down menu appears. Click About this Mac. A smaller popup window appears. This gives you basic info like what version of OS X your iMac is running, the speed of your iMac's CPU and how much RAM is installed.
Click on the button that says More Info. A larger window appears giving you a complete overview of your iMac's hardware specs.
Highlight all of this info and copy/paste all of this into another reply to this post, editing out your iMac's serial number before actually posting the reply. This will tell us everything about your iMac so we may begin to help with your iMac issues.
If your 2006 iMac can run Lion then you can purchase a Lion install code here.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6106Z/A/os-x-lion
Before installing a major systems upgrade, it would be prudent to have a viable backup of your current system and important data in case something should go wrong with the installation.
Good Luck!

I have a 2006 iMac with an upgraded 640 gb hard drive. I seem to to be out of space, but if i add all the items, I get a different (100 gb!) answer than the Finder. Why?

I have a 2006 iMac with an upgraded hard drive, 640 gb. recently i've noticed that the Finder keeps saying I only hve 12 gb available. it lists 18 items under macintosh HD and if (using Get Info) you add up those 18 items I only come up with just over 500 gb of space. Where the other 140 gb's??

Here are some links as there are too many answers for this general question:
Where did my Disk Space go?
http://macmost.com/what-to-do-when-your-hard-drive-is-full.html
OmniDiskSweeper is a good program to see what's taking up space: http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omnidisksweeper/

TA23843 How much memory upgrade can I get on a late 2006 imac

Looking to purchase GB memory for late 2006 iMac. What do I get and how much will it support? I want to install OS Lion but need 2GB to do that apparently.

Here are the specs and maximum capacity for your Late 2006 iMac:
667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300), supports up to 3GB
I would recommend OWC or Crucial as excellent online vendors in the US.
Hope this helps

Can I use my old 2006 iMac as a second display for my new iMac?

Can I use my rusty old 2006 iMac as a second display for my new 2012 iMac? How do I keep one computer from trying to take over the other one? thank you.

Try ScreenRecycler, the 2006 does not support display input.

How can i update my old 2006 iMac Intel core 2 duo running 10.6.8 to OSX Lion so that I can sync using iCloud with my newer devices? Mountain Lion is not an option for my older model and Lion is no longer available at App store.

How can i update my old 2006 iMac Intel core 2 duo running 10.6.8 to OSX Lion so that I can sync using iCloud with my newer devices? Mountain Lion is not an option for my older model and Lion is no longer available at App store.

Call Apple's online store's telesales agents: 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753) or Customer Service and Sales Support at 1-800-676-2775. For Lion you'll get a redemptions code via e-mail and need to DL from the Mac Apple Store (requires SL 10.6.6+).

Recommendations, please, for external DVD writer for my 2006 iMac. (Internal drive unable to write coherently.)

Recommendations, please, for an external DVD writer for my 2006 iMac whose internal drive is writing unreadable discs.
Model Name:          iMac
Model Identifier:          iMac5,1
Processor Name:          Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:          2.16 GHz
Number Of Processors:          1
Total Number Of Cores:          2
L2 Cache:          4 MB
Memory:          4 GB
Bus Speed:          667 MHz

Thanks, A Brody. Don't know what the PRAM battery is. Here are more details of the fault ... Although I've had the iMac for 5 years this may be the first time I've tried copying a video recording onto the DVD drive (I've made lots of CD copies without a problem). The folder and files all seem to be reproduced in identical order on the disc but my domestic DVD player cannot make sense of the recording, unlike the original source DVD from which the files originated. The drive has always been noisy but I've never assumed it shouldn't be! Does this fit your PRAM battery theory? If so, please explain more. Thanks.

Can my Late 2006 Imac install windows 8.1?

So, i guess the title says it all, can my late 2006 iMac install windows 8.1 with bootcamp.
I'm a total mac noob, so i'm sorry if i sound like an idiot for asking this, it's just that i've found since i'm limited to Lion 1.7.5, i can't really do much, and since upgrading to Yosemite doesn't seem possible at all, maybe windows 8.1 is worth a try
So, could someone help me out and let me know if it's even possible to do this?
Thank you in advance
- Angus

You can test with Virtualization engines like VMware Fusion. Parallels or VirtualBox. These do not have native access to hardware, so may be slow and laggy.
You can also look for used/refurbished Macs or Windows PCs to see if they can help. If mobility is not a requirement, consider a desktop system as an option.

2006 iMac running 10.4 OS. I copied files to ext. drive. Put in 10.6 disc and did a clean install (format) of 10.6. Copied data from ext. drive back to Mac. I didn't get all the files. CAN I REVERT BACK TO THE 10.4 OS SO I CAN COPY MY DATA PROPERLY?

2006 iMac running 10.4 OS. I copied files to ext. drive. Put in 10.6 disc and did a clean install (format) of 10.6. Copied data from ext. drive back to Mac. I didn't get all the files. CAN I REVERT BACK TO THE 10.4 OS SO I CAN COPY MY DATA PROPERLY?

How did you copy files to the external drive, and what files did you copy? Did you drag and drop in the Finder? Use a clone utility? What files did not successfully copy?
If you reformatted the drive as part of your install, then you won't be able to recover any files from the drive. Reverting back to (reinstalling) 10.4 will not help you.
Do you have a complete-drive backup of your old system?
Matt

My 2006 iMac running Snow Leopard won't boot even after erasing and re-installing Snow Leopard (via my MacBookPro), either from the HD or DVD drive. Can't get it to run Hardware Test. Disk Utility says disk OK - files are there. What can I do?

My 2006 iMac running Snow Leopard won't boot even after erasing and re-installing Snow Leopard. I erased and re-installed by putting the iMac in Target Disk mode and usin my MacBookPro as the host. But after numerous attempts I still can't get it to boot either from the HD or DVD drive. I just get the white screen after the wheel stops spinning. I can't get it to run Hardware Test - just get the white screen. If I use Disk Utility via my MBP it says the disk appears OK. All the Snow Leopad files appear to have been installed. What can I do?

Hi-NRG Bwoy wrote:
I erased and re-installed by putting the iMac in Target Disk mode and using my MacBookPro as the host.
Reet the SMC and the PRAM
 Cheat sheet to help diagnose and fix your Mac
Perhaps you installed the wrong version OS X onto the iMac, you can't use the disk from another Mac.
clean the disk.
If it's not working then use this method to create a bootable 10.6 USB from the iMac machine specific 10.6 disk or the 10.6.3 retail disk on your other Mac, use it to boot the iMac with.
http://www.maciverse.com/install-os-x-snow-leopard-from-usb-flash-drive.html
How to erase and install Snow Leopard 10.6

Why can't Mountain be installed on a 2006 iMac? I meet every system requirement.

My father would like to go ahead and upgrade to Mountain Lion. I have upgraded the RAM on his his machine and it meets every system requirement other than it was manufactered in 2006. I don't see any reason why it can't run the OS.

Dear Captain,
MichelPM wrote:
Your father's iMac can run OS X 10.7 Lion, though.
Whoa! He may NOT be able to run Lion 10.7. Only the last of the 2006 iMacs can run Lion due to processor limitations. Lion requires a minimum Core 2 Duo processor. Only the iMAcs that Apple names "Late 2006" have that processor. Here's how to find out:
1) From your Apple menu, do "About this Mac".
2) Look at the "Processor information" in the resulting window.
3) The processor Information must read "Core 2 Duo," not "Core Duo" to run Lion.
If you wish further verification, click on "More Info" in the "About" window. That launches System Profiler; its opening screen looks like this (example taken from a notebook but the info is in the same places):
To run Lion, the Model Identifier must have the code 'iMac5,1" or higher number to run Lion.
While there, see how much RAM is installed. Even if the processor is Lion-capable, a lot of older iMacs have very little RAM by today's standards. 2GB RAM is the bare minimum for Lion. The Late 2006 iMac can use up to 3GB RAM, still dicey.

Why is my 2006 iMac so slow now with Snow Leopard 10.6.8?

Hello,
I bought and installed Snow Leopard on my 2006 iMac so that i could use my new Lacie Minimus Drives for backup using Time Machine.
Since my install though the computer is slow and everything seems to take a long time to do. For instance, when i select one of the shortcuts in my bookmark bar i put the mouse icon over it and it takes 5 seconds for it to go dark grey so i can select it.
It's like it has a time delay on everything now. Everything is sooooo slow.
Also before i updated the OS there was this sound coming off the computer like it was doing something in the background, a sort of rustling/crinkling noise from the drive i think. When it makes this sound the computer will slow down and display that little spinning disc icon until the sound went away and then it would speed up again. This was another reason i wanted to wipe my drive and update my software. That sound is almost constant now.
I wanted to wipe my entire hard drive and install the Snow Leopard on a fresh new system. I usually do this once a year to get rid of any unwanted junk on my computer but i never realised that the Snow Leopard disc doesn't give you the option of 'Erase and Install'.
So, do i need to install Tiger with the 'Erase and Install' option, creating a fresh system, then install Snow Leopard and update it?
Also would installing new RAM improve my mac's performance? (MichelPM, thanks for your suggestion)
There's one on ebay made by Sandisk for sale at £30. It's 2GB and seems like the best option. It's listed below.
I have 1GB on board now so that would make it 3GB.
Would doing this get rid of these unwanted and very annoying sounds and time delays?
If i have to hear that rustling or see that little coloured disc for much longer i am going to lose it.
Thanks for you time.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2GB-Ram-Memory-Apple-iMac-2-16GHz-Intel-Core-2-Duo-iMa c-2-4GHz-Intel-Core-2-Duo?item=260992423037&cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkpa rms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D899659199115 7919118#ht_4483wt_1165

Hello,
Thanks for the help everyone.
First, i have all my data/files backed up on my older Lacie drives. New ones are still in their boxes.
Second, the noise with the disc. It's not a clicking sound. It's more like the drive is struggling to do something.
It's not continuous, It happens when opening up itunes or iphoto or another app. Or when i try to open up a page on Safari, the page will start to load, the noise will start and either the noise stops and the page loads or the page stalls and the sound continues and then i just hit reload or quit Safari depending on how annoyed i am at the time! It did do this before i updated to SL but it seems to be more and more now!
If i have Safari, iPhoto and Mail open all at once, it's like a battle over what get's done with the sound creaking away and the spinning icon all over the place.
How do i check my drive using Disk Utility? Do i 'verify' it? I have done it before but it was a long time ago.
I never did a clean install. I just put in SL and let it update, then i updated the software to 10.6.8.
I will do that when i get the new RAM however just to start afresh.
I have bought a 2GB Crucial RAM memory (Thanks RadiationMac) but do i need to buy another one now?
Also how would spotlight make noise?
Thank you. These forums are invaluable.

Is a 2006 iMac a good kid's computer?

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