Is my IMAC 5.1 obsolete?

Question

I just received an IPAD for my bday...have all my Itunes on the MAC I bought like 3 years ago. To my surprise and dismay I found the IPAD wouldn't synch with my IMAC. Now I find my recent purchase of a Rebel also won't work with the movies. I had to use my sons PC laptop to get my IPAD going...any suggestions...also doesn't support the latest apple OS. really disappointed ...any solutions other than dropping another couple grand on a new MAC?

Answer 1

...have all my Itunes on the MAC I bought like 3 years ago.
What version of iTunes is on your Mac? [iPad requires at least 9.1|http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs>. And the iPad requires OSX 10.5.8
...Now I find my recent purchase of a Rebel also won't work with the movies.
I'm not sure what you mean here. What Rebel? Canon EOS Rebel? What movie?
...also doesn't support the latest apple OS.
While you can't install Snow Leopard on a G4 iMac, [you can install Leopard (OSX 10.5.)|http://support.apple.com/kb/SP517] You'll want to max out the RAM to 1GB, and you'll need the USB2 version of the iMac to be able to use the iPad. (You don't mention specifically which iMac you have.) But if you do have the USB2 version and do upgrade to 10.5.8 and 1GB of RAM, then you could use the iPad with your existing iMac.
However consider that in computing terms, a three year old computer is like a 20 year old car. Most people will trade in their cars by that time. Unfortunately, that is how fast computing technology changes. There's no way to retrofit OnStar to a '77 Pontiac, so if I wanted OnStar, I must get a new car. So it goes with the iPad. There are some minimums requirements to the computer that the iPad attaches to.
Also, if you do actually have a G4 Flat Panel, that computer actually came out in 2002-2003. So although you may have only had it for 3 years, it's 7 year old model. (That's more like a 50 year old car!) The G4 iMacs came out before the iPhone was released!
Obsolete? Yes. There's nothing wrong with using a not-so-new model, but "you want the OnStar option", so it's time to buy a new model. (BTW, I actually do drive a '77 Pontiac, which is considered obsolete by most people. Nothing wrong with that, but like I said, I'm not expecting to get OnStar, airbags or any newer technology to work with this "obsolete" model. )