Hi all

I need a laptop and don't need anything fancy, I have an imac with the dual processor which is brilliant, but my PC just scrambled itself again and I want to get a macbook, but money is seriously tight.

So questions, it seems you can get a G3 for less than £100, what are the downsides of something that old, would they for instance have wifi built in ? Can you run PC software on them – ie Office ? Cause I need to use it for work and people get a bit snappish if not (or does it at least do that cool Acrobat transfer of files that my imac does)

Same question for the G4 ?

Are the dual processor ones worth the extra money ?

I use Internet, Pages and Numbers and thats about it. Nothing fancy, no great need for mega speed.

Any help would be mucho gratefully received.

Thanks
Sean

G3 and G4s aren't supported by the latest OS, being a different architecture. You can run 10.5 though, which has only been replaced in the last few months.

A dual-g4 with 2GB of RAM is a more than usable machine, I have one as my backup machine, works great.

Get an early Intel machine. The G3 was cack when I had one years ago, the G4s are better but, as said, no longer supported.

Can't help you on old macs, but I just had delivered this morning the basic macbook pro from the refurb section for £749.

You could prob pic up a intel macbook on ebay for around £400 give or take.

Last but not least in the "tax free" dixons in airports, apparently they are not tax free it is just a discount so you can still ask for a VAT reciept (If your VAT registered) then claim it back giving a very healthy discount, and with plane fares starting at 1p that could be a option.

G3 will be so old it will barely run anything now… It's too old and slow. They will be fine (assuming in good order) with any software that was released whilst it was the current processor range (which is MANY MANY years ago now), but anything newer it will either struggle, or just won't run at all.

G4 will just be fast enough to do most of what you want, but these PowerPC processors are no longer being supported by Apple in terms of software development. The latest OS 10.6 is Intel processor only, and most new software has ceased support for the PowerPC processors too. Basically you'd be buying a technology that is not going to offer you anything going forward.

A Modern Mac with an Intel Processor is capable of doing everything you ask and more. In terms of Microsoft software you want to run, you can either buy the Mac version or run a windows version inside a Windows Virtual Machine (which does require you to buy a copy of Windows too obviously), which means you've effectively got 2 computers in one… Your normal Mac, and a Windows machine too.

Your cheapest option to be honest, is to buy a 2nd hand Intel Processor Machine. They've been around for 4 years now, so there will be plenty out there on the market… Even the most basic of original MacBooks with a CoreDuo Processor will probably be plenty for what you need, and won't have any issues with compatability etc.

in the "tax free" dixons in airports, apparently they are not tax free it is just a discount so you can still ask for a VAT reciept (If your VAT registered) then claim it back giving a very healthy discount

you sure? Sounds remarkable if thats true!

EDIT :: http://www.hotukdeals.com/item/247704/claim-vat-back-on-dixons-tax-free-s

amazing. know where I'm going to buy my new electronics stuff from.

Agree with ^^. I have a six year old MacBook Pro 17", which still runs most stuff I need, but I'm having issues with iPhoto, in that I've had to move both music and photo libraries onto an external drive, but iPhoto can't find the library as my version 2.1 is too old. I need iLife 06 at least, and that's no longer available, so I've got to try Amazon or eBay. Get an intel Mac, you'll avoid many hassles that way. Plus if you install VMWare or Parallels and runyour copy of Windows then you can copy files directly between platforms, and be able to use MemoryMap or Anquet quite easily.

a word of warning, i hear Adobe is planning to discontinue Flash for PPC Macs, you may not like flash but a lot of web content needs it.

Xipe, ive got ilife 06 somewhere, will have a look round, i can lend you the discs……..

I currently run a Powerbook G4, i use it as an internet surfer works a treat, although the battery has long died and the ports on the left side are well and truely knackered but it works for surfing, facebooking, iphone link up for itunes etc..

i'm running an ibook g4 and a macbook pro late '09 and the ibook works well, but the mbp is in a different league altogether i'm afraid. still, i'm using the g4 because it's really very good, esp for numbers etc. keeping it ppc for as long as possible!

macbooks start @ £707 from dixons travel (formerly dixons tax free)
there are some pretty good deals on end of line ex-display imacs too! 😉

LMT, that would be fantastic if you could, or even just copy them in Toast and send me the copies, 'cos that's what I'll do. Currently watching a couple of sales on eBay, but it would save a lot of hastle to just borrow a set. My nearest Apple premium retailer, where I bought my MPB from, had them, but they'd been FCUD'd up, sadly.