I have an iMac DV400 with a G3 processor and 192 MB RAM and a DVD player and
OS 9.0.3.
The system requirements for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger are 256 MB RAM.

1) Do you think 10.4 would run fine on my system or do I really need more
RAM?
2) Also, do you foresee any problems upgrading to 10.4 from 9.0.3? Will I
have to wipe my entire Hard Drive and do a fresh install or can I safely
upgrade and not lose any functionality of my programs?
3) I guess I should buy a full version of 10.4 as opposed to any kind of
upgrade since OS X upgrades are only for OS X versions right?
4) Last, maybe I would be best going with 10.3 full version since it only
requires 128MB RAM.

In article <us4ke.15469$_f7.10011@trndny01>,
"ANDREW KUEBLER" <NOSPAM.beatallion@NOSPAM.yahoo.com> wrote:

> I have an iMac DV400 with a G3 processor and 192 MB RAM and a DVD player and
> OS 9.0.3.
> The system requirements for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger are 256 MB RAM.
>
> 1) Do you think 10.4 would run fine on my system or do I really need more
> RAM?

It will most likely run, but you may not like the performance. Would
strongly suggest you try to get up to closer to 512MB. A 512MB memory
card should run around $60-$70 <http://dealram.com>

> 2) Also, do you foresee any problems upgrading to 10.4 from 9.0.3? Will I
> have to wipe my entire Hard Drive and do a fresh install or can I safely
> upgrade and not lose any functionality of my programs?

No and Maybe. I think you need Mac OS X 9.1 at the minimum, and 9.2 is
what is currently latest and greatest. I think 9.1 can be upgraded to
9.2 via a software update, but do not quote me. It has been several
years since I switched away from Mac OS 9.*, and my memory is not all
that great.

But Mac OS X can co-exist with Mac OS 9.2. Both can be on the same disk.

And speaking of disk, how much space do you have? You can custom
install Mac OS X to keep the amount of storage you need down.

Also you can get utilities from <http://versiontracker.com/macosx> to
remove language localizations you will not be using. Lots of disk space
can be saved removing the localizations.
Monolingual
LanguageStripper
Jetstream
LanguageStripper

> 3) I guess I should buy a full version of 10.4 as opposed to any kind of
> upgrade since OS X upgrades are only for OS X versions right?

They are all full versions. Apple does not really sell any upgrades any
longer. The Software Updates you download are free.

It is also possible to upgrade to an older version of Mac OS X for less,
but if you choose this route, I would only choose to go to Panther (Mac
OS X 10.3). <http://dealmac.com> listed an offer to get Panther for $30
last week. Do a search for "Panther" at dealmac.com.

If you are going to go for Tiger, then do some searches on Amazon.com
and dealmac.com to see if you can find an offer that is less than the
retail $129. There are several offers out there for less than $100.

> 4) Last, maybe I would be best going with 10.3 full version since it only
> requires 128MB RAM.

As I said, you can get Panther for $30, so it would be a cost savings,
but Panther is just as happy with more memory as Tiger. It will run,
but it will also do a lot of paging to disk. More memory for Panther
(in the 512MB+ range is still highly recommended).

Now if you are going just do email. A little web surfing. Reading news
groups, etc... then 192MB with Panther or Tiger should work. But if you
start to do lots of things at once, editing graphics, etc... then more
memory is highly recommended.

I think the change from 128MB to 256MB is based on 2 things. a) all
current new Macs are shipped with a minimum of 256MB so Apple can raise
the bar on minimum memory. b) Mac OS X did not really like 128MB (it
runs, just doesn't like it all that much), but as long as Apple was
selling systems with 128MB minimum, it would be difficult to specify
256MB minimum on Panther, especially if it was pre-installed.

Bob Harris

"Bob Harris" <nospam.News.Bob@remove.Smith-Harris.us> wrote in message
news:nospam.News.Bob-EEDC8D.18385522052005@news.verizon.net...
> In article <us4ke.15469$_f7.10011@trndny01>,
> "ANDREW KUEBLER" <NOSPAM.beatallion@NOSPAM.yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> I have an iMac DV400 with a G3 processor and 192 MB RAM and a DVD player
>> and
>> OS 9.0.3.
>> The system requirements for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger are 256 MB RAM.
>>
>> 1) Do you think 10.4 would run fine on my system or do I really need more
>> RAM?
>
> It will most likely run, but you may not like the performance. Would
> strongly suggest you try to get up to closer to 512MB. A 512MB memory
> card should run around $60-$70 <http://dealram.com>
>
>> 2) Also, do you foresee any problems upgrading to 10.4 from 9.0.3? Will I
>> have to wipe my entire Hard Drive and do a fresh install or can I safely
>> upgrade and not lose any functionality of my programs?
>
> No and Maybe. I think you need Mac OS X 9.1 at the minimum, and 9.2 is
> what is currently latest and greatest. I think 9.1 can be upgraded to
> 9.2 via a software update, but do not quote me. It has been several
> years since I switched away from Mac OS 9.*, and my memory is not all
> that great.
>
> But Mac OS X can co-exist with Mac OS 9.2. Both can be on the same disk.
>
> And speaking of disk, how much space do you have? You can custom
> install Mac OS X to keep the amount of storage you need down.
>
> Also you can get utilities from <http://versiontracker.com/macosx> to
> remove language localizations you will not be using. Lots of disk space
> can be saved removing the localizations.
> Monolingual
> LanguageStripper
> Jetstream
> LanguageStripper
>
>> 3) I guess I should buy a full version of 10.4 as opposed to any kind of
>> upgrade since OS X upgrades are only for OS X versions right?
>
> They are all full versions. Apple does not really sell any upgrades any
> longer. The Software Updates you download are free.
>
> It is also possible to upgrade to an older version of Mac OS X for less,
> but if you choose this route, I would only choose to go to Panther (Mac
> OS X 10.3). <http://dealmac.com> listed an offer to get Panther for $30
> last week. Do a search for "Panther" at dealmac.com.
>
> If you are going to go for Tiger, then do some searches on Amazon.com
> and dealmac.com to see if you can find an offer that is less than the
> retail $129. There are several offers out there for less than $100.
>
>> 4) Last, maybe I would be best going with 10.3 full version since it only
>> requires 128MB RAM.
>
> As I said, you can get Panther for $30, so it would be a cost savings,
> but Panther is just as happy with more memory as Tiger. It will run,
> but it will also do a lot of paging to disk. More memory for Panther
> (in the 512MB+ range is still highly recommended).
>
> Now if you are going just do email. A little web surfing. Reading news
> groups, etc... then 192MB with Panther or Tiger should work. But if you
> start to do lots of things at once, editing graphics, etc... then more
> memory is highly recommended.
>
> I think the change from 128MB to 256MB is based on 2 things. a) all
> current new Macs are shipped with a minimum of 256MB so Apple can raise
> the bar on minimum memory. b) Mac OS X did not really like 128MB (it
> runs, just doesn't like it all that much), but as long as Apple was
> selling systems with 128MB minimum, it would be difficult to specify
> 256MB minimum on Panther, especially if it was pre-installed.
>
> Bob Harris
Another thing to realize is that Tiger ships only on DVD and the Indigo will
not read that disk. Apple will offer you CD media for an additional $9.95

All of you have been extremely helpful.
I have a few more questions. Thanks again.

I am only doing surfing and emailing and no heavy graphics editing, so it
sounds like 192 MB should be OK.
1) So if I have 9.0.3, how do I upgrade to 9.1 or 9.2 in order to then
upgrade to 10.3? (I might as well take the cost savings at around $30 b/c it
is an old machine vs. upgrading to 10.4 at $80 to $90).
2) I don't want two OSs running on my machine as long as all the old
programs I have on there will still work. The old programs that worked under
9.x will work on 10.x, right?
3) My iMac 400 DV has a DVD player. Why can it not read a DVD for Tiger 10.4
(even though I don't plan on getting Tiger). Just curious?
4) Where can you buy a cheap USB connector that allows multiple USB
connections b/c the iMac only has 2 USB ports, which are used? Would I be
buying a USB hub to get additional connections?
5) As far as I can see, I only have 2 firewire, 2 USB, and 1 ethernet
interfaces on the outside. Are there any PCI slots inside?
6) Where can I get a cheap copy of MS Word for the Mac?

7) I have been avoiding this, but maybe with all this upgrading things will
be as expensive as a low cost Dell. Maybe I should just buy a $400 Dell and
be done with it.





"LaManchaDQ" <LaManchaDQ********.com> wrote in message
news:IfidnQafuMZXvgzfRVn-pg@comcast.com...
>
> "Bob Harris" <nospam.News.Bob@remove.Smith-Harris.us> wrote in message
> news:nospam.News.Bob-EEDC8D.18385522052005@news.verizon.net...
>> In article <us4ke.15469$_f7.10011@trndny01>,
>> "ANDREW KUEBLER" <NOSPAM.beatallion@NOSPAM.yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I have an iMac DV400 with a G3 processor and 192 MB RAM and a DVD player
>>> and
>>> OS 9.0.3.
>>> The system requirements for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger are 256 MB RAM.
>>>
>>> 1) Do you think 10.4 would run fine on my system or do I really need
>>> more
>>> RAM?
>>
>> It will most likely run, but you may not like the performance. Would
>> strongly suggest you try to get up to closer to 512MB. A 512MB memory
>> card should run around $60-$70 <http://dealram.com>
>>
>>> 2) Also, do you foresee any problems upgrading to 10.4 from 9.0.3? Will
>>> I
>>> have to wipe my entire Hard Drive and do a fresh install or can I safely
>>> upgrade and not lose any functionality of my programs?
>>
>> No and Maybe. I think you need Mac OS X 9.1 at the minimum, and 9.2 is
>> what is currently latest and greatest. I think 9.1 can be upgraded to
>> 9.2 via a software update, but do not quote me. It has been several
>> years since I switched away from Mac OS 9.*, and my memory is not all
>> that great.
>>
>> But Mac OS X can co-exist with Mac OS 9.2. Both can be on the same disk.
>>
>> And speaking of disk, how much space do you have? You can custom
>> install Mac OS X to keep the amount of storage you need down.
>>
>> Also you can get utilities from <http://versiontracker.com/macosx> to
>> remove language localizations you will not be using. Lots of disk space
>> can be saved removing the localizations.
>> Monolingual
>> LanguageStripper
>> Jetstream
>> LanguageStripper
>>
>>> 3) I guess I should buy a full version of 10.4 as opposed to any kind of
>>> upgrade since OS X upgrades are only for OS X versions right?
>>
>> They are all full versions. Apple does not really sell any upgrades any
>> longer. The Software Updates you download are free.
>>
>> It is also possible to upgrade to an older version of Mac OS X for less,
>> but if you choose this route, I would only choose to go to Panther (Mac
>> OS X 10.3). <http://dealmac.com> listed an offer to get Panther for $30
>> last week. Do a search for "Panther" at dealmac.com.
>>
>> If you are going to go for Tiger, then do some searches on Amazon.com
>> and dealmac.com to see if you can find an offer that is less than the
>> retail $129. There are several offers out there for less than $100.
>>
>>> 4) Last, maybe I would be best going with 10.3 full version since it
>>> only
>>> requires 128MB RAM.
>>
>> As I said, you can get Panther for $30, so it would be a cost savings,
>> but Panther is just as happy with more memory as Tiger. It will run,
>> but it will also do a lot of paging to disk. More memory for Panther
>> (in the 512MB+ range is still highly recommended).
>>
>> Now if you are going just do email. A little web surfing. Reading news
>> groups, etc... then 192MB with Panther or Tiger should work. But if you
>> start to do lots of things at once, editing graphics, etc... then more
>> memory is highly recommended.
>>
>> I think the change from 128MB to 256MB is based on 2 things. a) all
>> current new Macs are shipped with a minimum of 256MB so Apple can raise
>> the bar on minimum memory. b) Mac OS X did not really like 128MB (it
>> runs, just doesn't like it all that much), but as long as Apple was
>> selling systems with 128MB minimum, it would be difficult to specify
>> 256MB minimum on Panther, especially if it was pre-installed.
>>
>> Bob Harris
> Another thing to realize is that Tiger ships only on DVD and the Indigo
> will not read that disk. Apple will offer you CD media for an additional
> $9.95
>

But I keep the Mac b/c my parents use it exclusively and I think I have a
lot less headaches with it. Less Virus problems, less maintenance, etc.


"ANDREW KUEBLER" <NOSPAM.beatallion@NOSPAM.yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:ipoke.16414$_f7.15803@trndny01...
> All of you have been extremely helpful.
> I have a few more questions. Thanks again.
>
> I am only doing surfing and emailing and no heavy graphics editing, so it
> sounds like 192 MB should be OK.
> 1) So if I have 9.0.3, how do I upgrade to 9.1 or 9.2 in order to then
> upgrade to 10.3? (I might as well take the cost savings at around $30 b/c
> it is an old machine vs. upgrading to 10.4 at $80 to $90).
> 2) I don't want two OSs running on my machine as long as all the old
> programs I have on there will still work. The old programs that worked
> under 9.x will work on 10.x, right?
> 3) My iMac 400 DV has a DVD player. Why can it not read a DVD for Tiger
> 10.4 (even though I don't plan on getting Tiger). Just curious?
> 4) Where can you buy a cheap USB connector that allows multiple USB
> connections b/c the iMac only has 2 USB ports, which are used? Would I be
> buying a USB hub to get additional connections?
> 5) As far as I can see, I only have 2 firewire, 2 USB, and 1 ethernet
> interfaces on the outside. Are there any PCI slots inside?
> 6) Where can I get a cheap copy of MS Word for the Mac?
>
> 7) I have been avoiding this, but maybe with all this upgrading things
> will be as expensive as a low cost Dell. Maybe I should just buy a $400
> Dell and be done with it.
>
>
>
>
>
> "LaManchaDQ" <LaManchaDQ********.com> wrote in message
> news:IfidnQafuMZXvgzfRVn-pg@comcast.com...
>>
>> "Bob Harris" <nospam.News.Bob@remove.Smith-Harris.us> wrote in message
>> news:nospam.News.Bob-EEDC8D.18385522052005@news.verizon.net...
>>> In article <us4ke.15469$_f7.10011@trndny01>,
>>> "ANDREW KUEBLER" <NOSPAM.beatallion@NOSPAM.yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have an iMac DV400 with a G3 processor and 192 MB RAM and a DVD
>>>> player and
>>>> OS 9.0.3.
>>>> The system requirements for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger are 256 MB RAM.
>>>>
>>>> 1) Do you think 10.4 would run fine on my system or do I really need
>>>> more
>>>> RAM?
>>>
>>> It will most likely run, but you may not like the performance. Would
>>> strongly suggest you try to get up to closer to 512MB. A 512MB memory
>>> card should run around $60-$70 <http://dealram.com>
>>>
>>>> 2) Also, do you foresee any problems upgrading to 10.4 from 9.0.3? Will
>>>> I
>>>> have to wipe my entire Hard Drive and do a fresh install or can I
>>>> safely
>>>> upgrade and not lose any functionality of my programs?
>>>
>>> No and Maybe. I think you need Mac OS X 9.1 at the minimum, and 9.2 is
>>> what is currently latest and greatest. I think 9.1 can be upgraded to
>>> 9.2 via a software update, but do not quote me. It has been several
>>> years since I switched away from Mac OS 9.*, and my memory is not all
>>> that great.
>>>
>>> But Mac OS X can co-exist with Mac OS 9.2. Both can be on the same
>>> disk.
>>>
>>> And speaking of disk, how much space do you have? You can custom
>>> install Mac OS X to keep the amount of storage you need down.
>>>
>>> Also you can get utilities from <http://versiontracker.com/macosx> to
>>> remove language localizations you will not be using. Lots of disk space
>>> can be saved removing the localizations.
>>> Monolingual
>>> LanguageStripper
>>> Jetstream
>>> LanguageStripper
>>>
>>>> 3) I guess I should buy a full version of 10.4 as opposed to any kind
>>>> of
>>>> upgrade since OS X upgrades are only for OS X versions right?
>>>
>>> They are all full versions. Apple does not really sell any upgrades any
>>> longer. The Software Updates you download are free.
>>>
>>> It is also possible to upgrade to an older version of Mac OS X for less,
>>> but if you choose this route, I would only choose to go to Panther (Mac
>>> OS X 10.3). <http://dealmac.com> listed an offer to get Panther for $30
>>> last week. Do a search for "Panther" at dealmac.com.
>>>
>>> If you are going to go for Tiger, then do some searches on Amazon.com
>>> and dealmac.com to see if you can find an offer that is less than the
>>> retail $129. There are several offers out there for less than $100.
>>>
>>>> 4) Last, maybe I would be best going with 10.3 full version since it
>>>> only
>>>> requires 128MB RAM.
>>>
>>> As I said, you can get Panther for $30, so it would be a cost savings,
>>> but Panther is just as happy with more memory as Tiger. It will run,
>>> but it will also do a lot of paging to disk. More memory for Panther
>>> (in the 512MB+ range is still highly recommended).
>>>
>>> Now if you are going just do email. A little web surfing. Reading news
>>> groups, etc... then 192MB with Panther or Tiger should work. But if you
>>> start to do lots of things at once, editing graphics, etc... then more
>>> memory is highly recommended.
>>>
>>> I think the change from 128MB to 256MB is based on 2 things. a) all
>>> current new Macs are shipped with a minimum of 256MB so Apple can raise
>>> the bar on minimum memory. b) Mac OS X did not really like 128MB (it
>>> runs, just doesn't like it all that much), but as long as Apple was
>>> selling systems with 128MB minimum, it would be difficult to specify
>>> 256MB minimum on Panther, especially if it was pre-installed.
>>>
>>> Bob Harris
>> Another thing to realize is that Tiger ships only on DVD and the Indigo
>> will not read that disk. Apple will offer you CD media for an additional
>> $9.95
>>
>
>

"ANDREW KUEBLER" <NOSPAM.beatallion@NOSPAM.yahoo.com> writes:
>
> I have an iMac DV400 with a G3 processor and 192 MB RAM and a DVD
> player and OS 9.0.3. The system requirements for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
> are 256 MB RAM.
>
> 1) Do you think 10.4 would run fine on my system or do I really need
> more RAM?

The installer probably won't let you install with less than the
published minimum.

Assuming you can hack your way past the installer, I still wouldn't
recommend it. I think you will be disappointed with the performance
and some of the more memory-hungry features may cause so much swapping
as to render the machine useless.

According to Crucial, your iMac has two memory slots. Each one can
accept up to 512M. The memory is PC-133 SDRAM. I recommend you buy a
512M DIMM and replace one of yours (you should have a 128M and a 64M
module - replace the 64M one). Crucial's price for 512M is $108 - a
bit high, but not too unreasonable.

(Unfortunately, due to the fact that PC-133 SDRAM isn't used much
anymore, they don't make it in very large quantities, making it more
expensive than DDR, despite its slower speed.)

> 2) Also, do you foresee any problems upgrading to 10.4 from 9.0.3?
> Will I have to wipe my entire Hard Drive and do a fresh install or can
> I safely upgrade and not lose any functionality of my programs?

You can install it with no problem, but you will not be able to run the
"classic" environment. So any apps that are not Carbon based won't run
from the OS X environment.

If you upgrade to 9.22, this problem will go away. I think a purchase
of OS X inclueds a means to order 9.22 for a small charge. I know 10.3
did.

> 3) I guess I should buy a full version of 10.4 as opposed to any kind
> of upgrade since OS X upgrades are only for OS X versions right?

Apple only sells one package. There is no upgrade edition, only upgrade
pricing, which you don't qualify for. (It only applies to people who
bought new Macs after the 10.4 announcement, but before Apple started
pre-loading it.)

> 4) Last, maybe I would be best going with 10.3 full version since it
> only requires 128MB RAM.

You could do this, but I wouldn't. It is unlikely that there will be
many updates to 10.3 in the future. Aside from a few critical security
patches, there probably won't be any.

And even 10.3 will probably perform too slowly to be comfortable with
192M of RAM. If we were having this conversation a year ago, I'd still
be recommending that you add 512M to your system.

-- David

"ANDREW KUEBLER" <NOSPAM.beatallion@NOSPAM.yahoo.com> writes:
>
> I am only doing surfing and emailing and no heavy graphics editing, so
> it sounds like 192 MB should be OK.

I still disagree. Web surfing uses more memory than you may realize.
Especially with people embedding Shockwave programs and other stuff in
sites.

Furthermore, you will probably find many of the bundled programs (like
iTunes) fun and useful. And you will probably start wanting to run
several programs at once, when you realize that OS X can do this
without falling to pieces.

All this stuff requires RAM.

> 1) So if I have 9.0.3, how do I upgrade to 9.1 or 9.2 in order to then
> upgrade to 10.3? (I might as well take the cost savings at around $30
> b/c it is an old machine vs. upgrading to 10.4 at $80 to $90).

You don't need to upgrade OS 9 to run OS X. But you do need to if you
want to run your old OS 9 apps from within the OS X environment.

> 2) I don't want two OSs running on my machine as long as all the old
> programs I have on there will still work. The old programs that worked
> under 9.x will work on 10.x, right?

Once your OS 9 is upgraded, it will. You should be able to get a 9.22
install CD from Apple for a small charge after you buy OS X.

> 3) My iMac 400 DV has a DVD player. Why can it not read a DVD for
> Tiger 10.4 (even though I don't plan on getting Tiger). Just curious?

It should have no problem booting the 10.4 install DVD. I think the
person who said otherwise didn't realize you have DV model.

> 4) Where can you buy a cheap USB connector that allows multiple USB
> connections b/c the iMac only has 2 USB ports, which are used? Would I
> be buying a USB hub to get additional connections?

A powered hub will work fine. Don't use a non-powered hub, because
many devices don't work properly when attached to them.

I use a Belkin 7-port powered hub on my Mac. I have my printer, camera,
memory card reader and UPS plugged into it. (They keyboard/mouse plug
directly into the Mac via its other USB port.)

> 5) As far as I can see, I only have 2 firewire, 2 USB, and 1 ethernet
> interfaces on the outside. Are there any PCI slots inside?

No. An iMac's expansion is entirely external.

The only thing you can do inside is upgrade the RAM (easy to do),
replace the hard drive (doable, but a pain in the neck) and replace the
optical drive (don't bother.) Everything else attaches via USB,
FireWire and Ethernet.

> 6) Where can I get a cheap copy of MS Word for the Mac?

If you're a student or a teacher, the best thing to do is go to your
local Apple Store and buy the Student/Teacher edition of MS Office 2004.
This assumes you upgrade to OS X, since the current release of MS Office
requires it.

I've been very satisfied with Office on my Mac.

Prior versions Office have been discontinued, but may still be available
if you do some web searching.

Other word processors are also available, and I'm sure others here will
recommend some of them to you.

For light-duty word processing, AppleWorks is a reasonably powerful
software suite. It doesn't have all of the features of MS Office, but
it has most of the most important features. It includes import/export
filters for MS Office docs that work reasonably well, as long as you
don't have embedded objects in your documents.

> 7) I have been avoiding this, but maybe with all this upgrading things
> will be as expensive as a low cost Dell. Maybe I should just buy a
> $400 Dell and be done with it.

If you want to put up with all of the problems Windows users have to
deal with every day.

Once you load up that Dell with enough anti-virus software and
anti-spyware software, you may find that it's too slow to be useful. A
machine fast enough to be useful with all these mandatory utilities
running will cost a lot more than $400.

If you really want to replace the computer, consider a Mac mini. They
start at $500 and come preloaded with OS X, iLife and many other useful
programs. You'll use the keyboard and mouse from your iMac. You'll
need a monitor, but you can use just about any monitor sold these days.
If you don't already have one, a 15" monitor (about the same size as
your iMac display) won't cost very much at all.

-- David

In article <ipoke.16414$_f7.15803@trndny01>,
"ANDREW KUEBLER" <NOSPAM.beatallion@NOSPAM.yahoo.com> wrote:

> All of you have been extremely helpful.
> I have a few more questions. Thanks again.
>
> I am only doing surfing and emailing and no heavy graphics editing, so it
> sounds like 192 MB should be OK.

Yes, but keep the option of adding memory in the future.

> 1) So if I have 9.0.3, how do I upgrade to 9.1 or 9.2 in order to then
> upgrade to 10.3? (I might as well take the cost savings at around $30 b/c it
> is an old machine vs. upgrading to 10.4 at $80 to $90).

eBay.
MegaMacs.com
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/osx-c...ware-and-more/
And other general Google searches

> 2) I don't want two OSs running on my machine as long as all the old
> programs I have on there will still work. The old programs that worked under
> 9.x will work on 10.x, right?

Mac OS Classic is just your installed Mac OS 9.2.2 running inside of Mac
OS X. So while you are really running Mac OS X, it will run a copy of
Mac OS 9.2.2 when you run any of your Mac OS applications.

Of course if any of your Mac OS applications are coded to the Carbon API
set, then they will run native under Mac OS X.

And I should mention that apps that need to run in Classic will want
more memory. Since you are running Mac OS X, a copy of Mac OS 9.2.2,
and your Mac OS application. But it will work with your 192MB, but as
has been suggested, adding more memory may make your experience better.
But you can do that at anytime and do not need to do this day 1. Day 5
is soon enough :-)

> 3) My iMac 400 DV has a DVD player. Why can it not read a DVD for Tiger 10.4
> (even though I don't plan on getting Tiger). Just curious?

You can. The other post assumed you only had a CD. Unless of course
the iMac DV doesn't know how to boot from the DVD. I have zero
experience with your iMac, so I am not making any statement of fact one
way or the other.

> 4) Where can you buy a cheap USB connector that allows multiple USB
> connections b/c the iMac only has 2 USB ports, which are used? Would I be
> buying a USB hub to get additional connections?

Yes.
<http://dealmac.com>
Also some keyboards have additional USB ports.

> 5) As far as I can see, I only have 2 firewire, 2 USB, and 1 ethernet
> interfaces on the outside. Are there any PCI slots inside?

No. What you see is what you get.

> 6) Where can I get a cheap copy of MS Word for the Mac?

Try the same sources as suggested for Mac OS 9

> 7) I have been avoiding this, but maybe with all this upgrading things will
> be as expensive as a low cost Dell. Maybe I should just buy a $400 Dell and
> be done with it.

That is entirely your decision, and inappropriate for discussion in this
news group. Just remember your Mac fondly when you deal with your virii.

Bob Harris

> "LaManchaDQ" <LaManchaDQ********.com> wrote in message
> news:IfidnQafuMZXvgzfRVn-pg@comcast.com...
> >
> > "Bob Harris" <nospam.News.Bob@remove.Smith-Harris.us> wrote in message
> > news:nospam.News.Bob-EEDC8D.18385522052005@news.verizon.net...
> >> In article <us4ke.15469$_f7.10011@trndny01>,
> >> "ANDREW KUEBLER" <NOSPAM.beatallion@NOSPAM.yahoo.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>> I have an iMac DV400 with a G3 processor and 192 MB RAM and a DVD player
> >>> and
> >>> OS 9.0.3.
> >>> The system requirements for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger are 256 MB RAM.
> >>>
> >>> 1) Do you think 10.4 would run fine on my system or do I really need
> >>> more
> >>> RAM?
> >>
> >> It will most likely run, but you may not like the performance. Would
> >> strongly suggest you try to get up to closer to 512MB. A 512MB memory
> >> card should run around $60-$70 <http://dealram.com>
> >>
> >>> 2) Also, do you foresee any problems upgrading to 10.4 from 9.0.3? Will
> >>> I
> >>> have to wipe my entire Hard Drive and do a fresh install or can I safely
> >>> upgrade and not lose any functionality of my programs?
> >>
> >> No and Maybe. I think you need Mac OS X 9.1 at the minimum, and 9.2 is
> >> what is currently latest and greatest. I think 9.1 can be upgraded to
> >> 9.2 via a software update, but do not quote me. It has been several
> >> years since I switched away from Mac OS 9.*, and my memory is not all
> >> that great.
> >>
> >> But Mac OS X can co-exist with Mac OS 9.2. Both can be on the same disk.
> >>
> >> And speaking of disk, how much space do you have? You can custom
> >> install Mac OS X to keep the amount of storage you need down.
> >>
> >> Also you can get utilities from <http://versiontracker.com/macosx> to
> >> remove language localizations you will not be using. Lots of disk space
> >> can be saved removing the localizations.
> >> Monolingual
> >> LanguageStripper
> >> Jetstream
> >> LanguageStripper
> >>
> >>> 3) I guess I should buy a full version of 10.4 as opposed to any kind of
> >>> upgrade since OS X upgrades are only for OS X versions right?
> >>
> >> They are all full versions. Apple does not really sell any upgrades any
> >> longer. The Software Updates you download are free.
> >>
> >> It is also possible to upgrade to an older version of Mac OS X for less,
> >> but if you choose this route, I would only choose to go to Panther (Mac
> >> OS X 10.3). <http://dealmac.com> listed an offer to get Panther for $30
> >> last week. Do a search for "Panther" at dealmac.com.
> >>
> >> If you are going to go for Tiger, then do some searches on Amazon.com
> >> and dealmac.com to see if you can find an offer that is less than the
> >> retail $129. There are several offers out there for less than $100.
> >>
> >>> 4) Last, maybe I would be best going with 10.3 full version since it
> >>> only
> >>> requires 128MB RAM.
> >>
> >> As I said, you can get Panther for $30, so it would be a cost savings,
> >> but Panther is just as happy with more memory as Tiger. It will run,
> >> but it will also do a lot of paging to disk. More memory for Panther
> >> (in the 512MB+ range is still highly recommended).
> >>
> >> Now if you are going just do email. A little web surfing. Reading news
> >> groups, etc... then 192MB with Panther or Tiger should work. But if you
> >> start to do lots of things at once, editing graphics, etc... then more
> >> memory is highly recommended.
> >>
> >> I think the change from 128MB to 256MB is based on 2 things. a) all
> >> current new Macs are shipped with a minimum of 256MB so Apple can raise
> >> the bar on minimum memory. b) Mac OS X did not really like 128MB (it
> >> runs, just doesn't like it all that much), but as long as Apple was
> >> selling systems with 128MB minimum, it would be difficult to specify
> >> 256MB minimum on Panther, especially if it was pre-installed.
> >>
> >> Bob Harris
> > Another thing to realize is that Tiger ships only on DVD and the Indigo
> > will not read that disk. Apple will offer you CD media for an additional
> > $9.95
> >

ANDREW KUEBLER wrote:
> All of you have been extremely helpful.
> I have a few more questions. Thanks again.
>
> I am only doing surfing and emailing and no heavy graphics editing, so it
> sounds like 192 MB should be OK.
> 1) So if I have 9.0.3, how do I upgrade to 9.1 or 9.2 in order to then
> upgrade to 10.3? (I might as well take the cost savings at around $30 b/c it
> is an old machine vs. upgrading to 10.4 at $80 to $90).
> 2) I don't want two OSs running on my machine as long as all the old
> programs I have on there will still work. The old programs that worked under
> 9.x will work on 10.x, right?

No, they won't. That's the whole point. OSX is not an upgrade it's a
completely new OS. If you update to version 9.2, and then ALSO instal
OS10.3 (keeping BOTH), then you can run all your old programs in what
OSX calls Classic Mode, (which is OS9 running inside OSX). Only update
9.2 works properly for Classic Mode.

I don't know if 10.4 even has Classic.
GW