Why Does My Mac Software Crash?

Question

I'm a new Mac user (I converted to Mac after 15 years of torment on a Windows PC just two weeks ago). It's the 20" Intel iMac with 512MB Ram. I've installed just 3 third-party applications on here (Microsoft Messenger, Google Earth and Skype). I've also installed some widgets from the Apple.com website. I also updated the Mac when I first got it, so it's all up to date. Just for reference, I usually always have Messenger open when I connect to the internet.
The only problem is, a few applications have crashed a few times. It first happended on Safari whilst browsing the web. It also happened on Pages (the bought version) and then again on iDVD and iMovie HD. The applications just shut down, and brought up a box asking me if I wanted to either reload the app or send a message to Apple about this.
A few people have said it might be due to the fact that Messenger is the only app I am running that is still using the PowerPC code. Messenger has been open every time these other apps were running - I am 99.9% sure of it.
I just wanted some advice from more experienced Mac users. The reason I upgraded to Mac was to get away from petty things like software crashes...
Many thanks.
Intel iMac (20")   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  
Intel iMac (20")   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

Answer 1

Well, one other thing I have noticed, and being a new
Mac user I am not sure if this is normal, but when I
first load an application up (say Safari), the Dock
animations are not as smooth, they are a little bit
jumpy. This also happens if there is more than a few
apps running - though I just put this down to a busy
CPU or the fact that I only have the standard 512MB
Ram.
I think we might be getting to the root of the problem here; if you're using a PowerPC app under Rosetta, it will suck up an awful lot of RAM. From what I have read, an iMac with 512MB is like a different computer compared to an iMac with 1GB+. You should really consider purchasing some more RAM; I don't know why Apple even bother shipping Macs with less than a GB as standard.
If you want an instant messaging app that is a Universal Binary (i.e. compatible with Intel processors), check out the excellent (and free) Adium. It can connect to MSN, Yahoo, Google Talk, Jabber, ICQ, and more.
Also, something else I wanted to ask if I may. When I
downloaded the system updates via the Apple logo on
the menu bar, something a little strange happened
when it got round to installing the firmware update.
The system had to restart, but as the Apple logo
appeared on-screen, the fans inside kicked into the
highest of high gears - it made a really loud noise,
as if spinning five times faster than usual. Now,
everytime I power the machine up, the fans give a
little 'growl' as it boots (but this only lasts for a
fraction of a second, and its only maybe twice as
loud as the fans would normally be). I just thought
I'd ask if this was normal behavior. Again, being a
new Mac user I am finding I have to re-learn a few
things, hehe.
Yes, this is all normal behaviour (at least I hope it is, because my iMac does it too! lol).
What do you mean by create another account? I have
yet to fully explore my Mac's more exotic features.
By the way, this doesnt happen every day. It has now
been a few days since it last happened.
If you're having a problem with your Mac, it can sometimes be beneficial to go to System Preferences > Accounts, and create a new user account. If the problem exists on the new account too, then it is a system-wide problem; if it doesn't occur, then it is likely something in the original account (such as a corrupted preference file) is causing the problem, and it rules out a hardware fault.
It's just a process of elimination that can help narrow down the list of possibilities, but I think Rosetta is the cause of your problems. Try out Adium and see if that makes things any better.