Old friend's upgrade

A friend of mine called me today from a place three hundred miles away.
I convinced him to buy a Mac many years ago and he bought a PowerMac
6100. I was there to help him. Then he moved to Elko and bought an
original iMac if that's the one with the 'Bondi blue' case around 2000.
I've passed through Elko and set things up for him rarely. He's running
something less than OSX. He wanted to update the OS to 10.4 or buy a
new, as he said $300 PC or $1199 iMac. I can't help him with a PC and
discouraged him from even thinking about attempting to upgrade his OS.
I'm certain he doesn't have firewire, his RAM is inadequate and his hard
disk is inadequate.
I told him that he ought to buy the PC. Many people in Elko, NV have
PCs. I can't help him from here. He informed me that his buddies don't
know a PC from an AC/DC and think Mac is a term of endearment.
I suggested a Mac Mini, but the cost of the necessary peripherals didn't
excite him.
His main gripe is that his webbrowser fails on some sites. He only uses
the computer for the net and other really lightweight apps.
He seems to know about the current iMacs. He lives in a rural area
fifteen miles from town. I think his big gripe is that his best browser
breaks on some websites. I suggested iCab as the only browser that is
current for an OS less than X if he wants to go that route.
So what would anyone suggest? OSX will be different for him, and a PC
will be alien to him. I believe that OSX will be a helluva lot less of a
learning curve, but I don't know PCs at all.
I think he secretly was asking my approval for an iMac. But then I don't
know that either.
His ISP is dial-up. And that reminds me of a funny story he told me.
He couldn't connect and called his ISP. They told him that his computer
had a virus that was affecting their server and they had to disconnect
him. He told them he had a Mac. They said, "Oh, we'll reconnect you."
I know. Get a new ISP. But that's down the road. Neither of us have
broadband, and that'd get the error messages delivered quicker, although
I don't have the problem.

leo

 

Assuming it has a G3 in it, he should be able to upgrade: First go to the
Apple Support site, and check for Firmware updates for the model, and run
it according to instructions, if applicable. Then get more RAM to get at
least 350 MB. Ig buying, buy a 512 MB module. Also, a larger hard drive
might be good, but that can be bought after the upgrade, assuming you
already have at least 6 - 10 GB. (Mac OS X.4 will run on some RAM and
drive small minimum sizes, but not very efficiently.)

 

The point just became moot. He ordered a new iMac today. He was due for
an upgrade anyway.

leo

 

The point just became moot. He ordered a new iMac today. He was due for
an upgrade anyway.[/QUOTE]

Not really: the old Mac can still be upgraded, to get a good second
computer.

 

use some serious money
get a Sony Vaio or an Apple MacBokPro
pay it off over 5 years and replace with the nect generation every 5 years

He should join a Mac USer group too



Hugh W


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