Replace iMac 400 DV with G5 IMac or add iBook?

[deckman]

Hello all,

I am new to this forum and have searched for a similar thread, but nothing shows recently. With that caveat, forgive me for covering someone else’s tracks. I currently use an iMac 400DV for email, word processing, web surfing, iPhoto, and iTunes. I would like to explore iDVD, but the G3 is simply too slow and has a puny hard drive. My upgrade plans include setting up a wi-fi network to use iTunes as a digital jukebox through my home stereo. It would be nice to use a laptop while sipping a drink in the backyard, or watching TV, but this is certainly not a necessity. The iMac G3 does not have an AirPort card and is not compatible with AirPort Express, so an upgrade will be required to interface with a network. A G5 laptop would seem to be perfect, but is apparently not on the horizon, so I am left with the current Apple lineup. My choices are most likely a G5 iMac to replace the iMac DV or an Apple laptop. I would appreciate your recommendations.
Thanks,

Deckman

[psmith2.0]

If you've got a 400MHz iMac DV, that would point to the slot-loading models with the little trap door around the backside where the RAM goes...in that same area will go an AirPort card.

AirPort Express will work with the older AirPort cards (before AirPort Extreme, 802.11g) became standard. Don't know if that helps or matters much, but just wanted to clarify that. I have a 400MHz iMac DV with an AirPort card installed and it works beautifully on my home AirPort Express wireless set-up.

As for the topic, I know the iMac G5 is going to pack a lot more of a punch, but I like the idea of "being mobile" so much, that it winds up being a wash. In other words, I'D get either an iBook or 12" PowerBook (with SuperDrive, of course), pack it with RAM and have at it!

I'll take a "slower" portable over a deskbound "speed demon" any day. Just something nice about having your entire life with you, anywhere you go. Wireless free hotspots are becoming more common too, so it's nice to go places (coffees hops, cafes, libraries, bookstores, parks, etc.) and get online in a different environment than your own home. And if you do projects for people (graphic design, video work, illustration, etc.), it's so nice to be able to take your work (in whatever stage it may be) to them and knock out tweaks and changes right there, on the spot.

I love the iMac G5 and the Mac mini, but it would be hard for me to ever go back to a desktop after 18 months as a laptop owner.

I say get the iBook G4.

But that's just me...others might disagree. And they'll pop in shortly to let it be known, I'm sure!

:p

[deckman]

Pscates2.0,
Thanks for the recommendation to go with the iBook. All things being equal, I would like to add mobility to my computing. I believe I will spring for an iBook once the updated version hits the market (next week?). The G3 iMac is really showing its age, however. I purchased a 75-gig FireWire external drive and transferred most of my programs to it, since my internal 10-gig drive has less than a gig of unused headroom. I have 512 MB of RAM installed and frequently have programs crash if I try to open something while I have another program running. For instance, Netscape crashed twice when I attempted to view your home improvement slideshow and only worked after I had closed everything else. iPhoto works, but takes a long time to update when editing—even rotating pictures takes about 30 seconds, which is painfully slow. The G3 still works well enough for email and word processing, so will probably become my wife’s email computer until it becomes too slow for these tasks as well. I checked the charge receipt and found that I purchased the G3 in October 1999—5 1/2 years ago—and am still using it. This does speak volumes to Apple’s longevity. After all, how many folks are still using Wintel machines from 10/99? As far as installing the old AirPort card in the G3, I’ll probably keep it hardwired instead since I have read that an hooking an older AirPort unit to an AirPort Express wi-fi network will degrade the performance of the faster units on the net—let me know if this is wrong—I am simply repeating what someone else has written. Therefore, the current plan is to make the iBook a cyber café unit until the G3 needs replacing. By then, perhaps we will have a G6 iMac.

Cheers,

deckman

[psmith2.0]

I'm not entirely sure on the issue of the older AirPort cards slowing down others on a AirPort Extreme/Express network. There are others here who know much more about that type of thing.

I will say this: Apple no longer sells the older AirPort cards. And, in your case, you're also going to need a separate mounting cradle (I can't remember the exact name Apple used for it...carrier, maybe?) that you put the card into, and then into the iMac. The iMac DV required this two-piece set up.

Here's a pic of that thing...adapter, I guess you'd call it! (http://www.mac-pro.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.114/it.A/id.832/.f) :)

Some Mac places still sell these online...you might want to search around for good prices.

I'm actually doing something similar to what you talk about: my PowerBook is my everyday, "real" computer. My little iMac sits in the kitchen and can play music or a quick place for me to sit and surf while I'm waiting for water to boil or something. Even for a five-year-old machine, it's perfectly fine as a jukebox, e-mail, surfing and writing station! In fact, I'll put Tiger on it without a moment's thought, realizing I won't get every "gee whiz" capability and the accompanying eye candy. That's okay.

I think the iBook would be a fine choice for your needs. You seem to already be aware new ones might be on the horizon, so that's cool. I'd certainly wait a little bit, just to see.

I can't stress enough: whatever you go with, pack it with as much RAM as you can. The iBook currently comes with 256MB RAM built-in, leaving an open slot for you to add either a 512MB or 1GB DIMM (truthfully, I wouldn't put in a mere 256MB...these days, with the iLife 05 stuff and Tiger, 512MB total just doesn't seem like a lot). But these new, upcoming models may all be packing 512MB out of the box, if the rumors hold true. That might be enough to get you going (certainly better than 256MB built-in), but eventually you might want more. If you do, good prices and selection to be found at www.crucial.com and www.otherworldcomputing.com

The latter currently has 1GB iBook G4 RAM for less than $200...some, quite a bit less (different brands, etc.).

If you can, wait a few weeks to see what shakes out. And get the latest and greatest! AppleInsider says:

Sources last month said iBook updates were near complete, but like the eMacs they'll only see slight improvements in specs. iBooks are expected to gain improved video cards, 512MB of standard RAM and a 1.33GHz processor on the low-end of the product line. iBooks will likely top out at either 1.42GHz or 1.5GHz, sources said, with manufacturing being handled by Asustek.

And macrumors.com says "Don't Buy - Updates Soon" in their Buyer's Guide. (http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/). You can see, when you click the link, that the iBook is certainly past its average update cycle time.

[liam]

Deckman

I am a lawyer and I work for a company based abroad, they prefer me to work from home (lucky me). They gave me a small IT budget and not knowing a lot about Macs I plumped for an 12" iBook. I have to say it's a cracking machine, it does everything I could ever want from a computer. I use it for my work everyday and it also doubles as my personal computer handling all my emails, photo's and music with ease. I added a further 512MB of ram which made it much zippier. I also bought an older model western digital 160GB external hard drive in a sale, which may be slow but has given me masses of storage capacity.It beats the pants off my old P4 toshiba satellite running XP and my girlfriends' celeron d powered vaio (yack). Also it may look like a cute bit of kit but it takes a pounding from me daily and it has even survived being dropped a couple of times. Battery life is excellent and it is really quiet. I love it (but perhaps wish I had got one with a superdrive).

[deckman]

Liam,

Thanks for the confirmation that the iBook is the way to go. The money I save over a PowerBook will allow me to replace the G3 DV all the sooner with an upgraded computer for my wife. She likes the idea of having her own computer, and does not need the fastest toy on the block. I don’t either, but want something that will not need to be replaced soon. Do you have a wireless network? It would seem that the real benefit to a laptop is the portability factor.

Pscates2.0,

My wife read your post regarding the Airport card and is intrigued about the prospect of using the DV in the kitchen as part of the wi-fi network. I’m not sure she’d like dealing with the wires for the mouse, keyboard, and FireWire drive, but while AirPort is available for the DV, I doubt Bluetooth is. Is your printer located in another room? Do you have a wireless mouse/keyboard? If you print remotely from the DV, does it take quite a bit longer for the job to spool?

Cheers,

deckman

[liam]

I do have a wireless network at home. I use a zoom modem and a belkin router. Very easy to use. The firewalls have caused a few minor pains but nothing too bad. The modem and router are in an upstairs bedroom. I find I get a good signal all over my house, I'm downstairs now with a full signal showing. I can also sit on the deck at the end of my garden and still get a good signal and that's a good 80 ft from the house (and through an exterior wall). Got to say the ibook screen is not the best to use outside on a sunny day - but I think that's the case with all laptops.

[psmith2.0]

You can't do anything internally to the iMac DV for Bluetooth, but there are things like this (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/73001/wo/iE5tx9ZbaeGM3ldEJ2A1k8q7V9e/6.0.11.1.0.6.12) (scroll down to the D-Link DBT-120 USB Bluetooth Adapter) which are USB-based items that give you the functionality.

I still use the original orange small keyboard and matching hockey puck mouse that came with my iMac DV, so I can't fully vouch for any Bluetooth usage on that front, but I can't imagine any reason why it wouldn't work.

Would there need to be a FireWire drive connected to it? If not, that eliminates some cables, right away. As for the wires of the keyboard and mouse, you can do what I did and just have a little dedicated table/desk for it (instead of putting it on your counter, where it might be in the way and/or get food spilled/splattered on it.

:)

The little desk I have was $34 or so, from Target. Has a pull-out keyboard shelf, so when I'm not using it, it just slides in neatly and all you see in the kitchen is the little orange jellybean sitting there in the corner.

As for printing, it's usually just a page of text from a website and it seems to go just fine. I've never noticed any lag in spooling.

My printer is just a little cheap Canon i350 that is at the desk where my PowerBook is. The iMac is 20-25 feet away, in the corner of the kitchen. If you look at the links in my signature below, you can see where things are.

[deckman]

Liam,

I thought you probably had a wi-fi network. I find it interesting you choose not to go the Apple route, however. Did you do this for better coverage with the Zoom/Belkin set-up? Is the cost lower? Can you use your set-up to run a stereo (like AirPort Express with iTunes)?

Pscates2.0,

Thanks for the BT information. No doubt this will help keep the cable clutter to a minimum. The Firewire drive will need to remain hooked up, however. I have configured it as the primary data repository since the internal 10 GB drive is just about maxed out. Actually, that is not all bad. We are moving cross-country next month, so I will simply take the FW drive in the car and leave the G3 for the movers to transport. I hope it make it all in one piece—considering the G3’s age, its value is minimal. My wife likes your G3 computer cart and is happy to see you painted your kitchen to match the tangerine color. Good thing she likes blue—mine is blueberry.

Cheers,

[liam]

Deckman

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I went the zoom/belkin route purely because it was stuff I had used with my old toshiba. I have not attempted anything like an itunes setup - it won't work I would imagine. If I was starting from scratch I would buy only apple stuff. I would also mug up on which isp's support apple. I have an aol account and they do not - which is dreadful. I am going to switch isp's soon as aol are just as bad as microsoft in my book.