geodon005
join:2005-02-20
Mount Prospect, IL
 ·WOW Internet and C..
| [OS X] Best browser for old blueberry tray-loading iMac?
My 85-year-old mother is finally convinced that the internet is something she can use. I have an old blueberry G3 slot-loading iMac that I haven't used in ages (with only 128 megs of RAM) that I re-installed Mac OS X 10.2.8 on (without all the cruft) - LowEndMac.com suggested that this was the best OS for this particular iMac model - and I am wondering what browser to use. Safari 1.0 was installed with 10.2.8, but even sites like Yahoo say it is too old to use with their site. Any suggestions (version number would be helpful along with browser name, thanks)? (I did connect to the internet with this iMac at my house with no problems) |
|
HiVolt
Premium
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON
clubs:
 ·TekSavvy Solutions..
·Bell Sympatico
| I don't really know what to suggest. Surfing on that machine will suck no matter what browser you use. It will be slow.
If your mom doesn't mind waiting, FireFox 2.0 should run on 10.2.8, as it just barely makes the minimum specs. 128MB ram is bad, you should find some ram for it, it takes regular PC-100/133 sticks.
»www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/sy···irements
--
GOLF LEAFS GOLF! |
|
X Man
Sober
Premium
join:2005-09-05
USA | reply to geodon005
I'd run OS 9.2 on it, and install iCab 3.0.5 (01.01.2008).
Regards,
Mike |
|
rexbinary
Mod King
Premium
join:2005-01-26
Plano, TX
 ·Verizon FIOS
·Verizon Online DSL
| Agree, or a lightweight Linux distro. |
|
andychrist
join:2005-02-12
New York, NY
| reply to geodon005
If that model is slot loading, as you state in the body of your post, you can actually run Tiger on that iMac with the latest Safari browser, and it can accept a gig of RAM (in two sticks of 512MB).
If the title of your post is correct, and it is a tray-loading iMac, Panther is as high as it will go and it can accept two 256MB sticks, and support Safari 2, which still works fine for me.
In either case, it is worth upgrading the RAM for your very own mother, ahem. |
|
X Man
Sober
Premium
join:2005-09-05
USA | Yeah, but OS X is going to be brutally slow regardless of how much RAM he can stuff into that thing. OS 9 will scream on it and run great with 128 MB of RAM.
Regards,
Mike |
|
geodon005
join:2005-02-20
Mount Prospect, IL | reply to andychrist
I agree; my mother is indeed worth the extra RAM 
It is a tray-loading iMac. Is the memory the "low profile" stick or the full-sized? |
|
andychrist
join:2005-02-12
New York, NY
edit:
May 12th, @02:40PM
| The tray-loading iMac takes low-profile RAM in the lower slot, and either profile in the upper, though I believe only the low-profile chips are available now, through OWC.
But I do agree that OS X will be dog slow on the tray-loader no matter how much RAM. So it might well be worth installing 9.2 and checking out iCab, just to see if it is recognized by her bank, say, should she wish to to handle her finances online. |
|
HiVolt
Premium
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON
clubs: | Yikes, tray loaders were only 233 or 266mhz, right?
--
GOLF LEAFS GOLF! |
|
andychrist
join:2005-02-12
New York, NY
edit:
May 12th, @03:19PM
| The Revision D was 333MHz.
I'm still using the first, 233 Bondi iMac, but it's been upgraded with a PL 500MHz G4.
Another great limitation of those old machines, they only hold 6MB VRAM. |
|
HiVolt
Premium
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON
clubs:
·TekSavvy Solutions..
·Bell Sympatico
| said by andychrist  :I'm still using the first, 233 Bondi iMac, but it's been upgraded with a PL 500MHz G4. Really? I've seen so many of those originals with dead/dying CRT's its amazing yours lasted almost 10 years.
--
GOLF LEAFS GOLF! |
|
andychrist
join:2005-02-12
New York, NY
| Well most of the time I used it only at night, with all the lights off in the room and the brightness and contrast all the way down, plus I calibrated the display profile pretty dull. Figured it would last longer that way.
Now that it is nearly ten years old I really don't care how much longer the monitor holds up so I run it during the day at full contrast. But only rarely do I need to turn up the brightness from the lowest setting.
Thinking the matter over, I'd really recommend to the OP, if you are serious about setting up your mom with a computer, get her at least an eMac. The screen is a good size larger for legibility's sake, and they can run Tiger with ease; the later models can even handle Leopard. Better bang for the buck then then trying to upgrade an old G3. |
|
hyperjoe
Premium
join:2000-11-03
Gates Mills, OH | reply to geodon005
get her a faster computer. She does not have the time to be waiting. Kidding aside, she will not enjoy an old machine.
--
I am proud to be Americana. In today's society, I would be considered folklore -Hyperjoe |
|
jrs8084
Premium
join:2002-03-02
Statesville, NC
·AT&T Southeast
| said by hyperjoe :get her a faster computer. She does not have the time to be waiting. Kidding aside, she will not enjoy an old machine. I have been watching this thread, and I have to agree. You and I who have more computer experience might recognize/tolerate the inabilities of an older machine. But, it isn't just about being slow, it is about things that simply won't work. Mom may or not understand this.
I have seen this played out more times than I care to recall: Good intentioned person gives somebody an old computer to get their feet wet. All the newbie sees are things that don't work right. (mainly because the machine is too old to handle it). They often don't understand why things don't work-they just hear 'no, no, no". The experience goes South, and the user then wants nothing more to do with computers.
Trust me, they might initially say they only want email. Next thing you know they are confused why they can't view the YouTube videos that Ethel told them to look at.
--
512Ke, LC, Classic, Qudra 605, Centris 610 AV,Performa 6112, PM 6500, Cube, iMac G4 17", iMac 24", PB 5300, PB 3400, PB G4, and a few PCs |
|
