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Mac OS 10.1.4 and Apple PowerMac G3

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stangman517

Experienced Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2014
Messages
243
Location
Georgia, USA
Hello!

I'm running Mac OS 10.1.4 on my desktop beige G3. What is the latest Mac OS version I can run on my G3? It has 768MB and runs well with this version; however I have a problem.

Browser: IE v5.1, TCP/IP is configured correctly using DHCP. I can ping the Mac PC from a Win7 PC successfully, and I actually downloaded an old Safari to my G3. This tells me networking works.

Problem: my browser connects to www.apple.com, but the page doesn't complete drawing and it's all chopped up. My first thought is the browser and the Mac OS I'm running is dated or I simply need to update some software; not sure but thinking aloud.

Are updates available for this OS version? I understand IE was discontinued for this Mac OS. What is a good browser/version number I can run or any ideas on how I can fix this issue?

I am a newbie Mac guy, so I'm learning and fixing other issues as I go.

Thanks!
 
Is that this mac? http://lowendmac.com/1997/beige-power-mac-g3-1997/

There are several web sites out there that detail every single model of Mac, and usually include information about the minimum/maximum MacOS (since Apple always yanked that around).

According to that site, with a few tweaks, you might be able to get 10.4 on it.

If you can get 10.4 on it, you might be able to run TenFourFox: http://www.floodgap.com/software/tenfourfox/ but expect it to be painfully slow.

stangman517 said:
Problem: my browser connects to www.apple.com, but the page doesn't complete drawing and it's all chopped up. My first thought is the browser and the Mac OS I'm running is dated or I simply need to update some software; not sure but thinking aloud.
Click to expand...
The real problem is mongrel web developers who don't even realize it is possible that a web browser might be more than five seconds old. Or not have all the features they want enabled. So they think it is OK to use and require HTML 9000 and 100 megabytes of scripts. Don't even think of complaining about it to them or they will start parroting completely unrelated crap about "security" while clutching their blue blankly and sucking their thumb.
 
I've got a beige G3 with 10.4 installed. I can say for certain that it's the last one you can install on a G3. Even then, it was a little involved.

And yes, it's slow.
 
I have a Beige G3 @ 350 MHz and 10.4 is just bearable. Internet browsing is pretty much out of the question unless you use a user agent spoofer to get mobile versions of websites.

My iMac G3 Snow @ 600 MHz runs 10.4 fine and internet is tolerable until you hit a site that's covered in flash, at which point it rolls over and dies.
 
I appreciate everyone's responses. I do enjoy this vintage G3. Realizing that's what this computer is I'm ok with my results. Can't expect it to be an i7 or even a core two CPU. I have installed Mac OS 10.2.8 and that's where I'll stop. Chuck(G) mentioned to put 10.4 on it is involved, so neh I'll stop. I can get to the Internet actually better than the 10.1.4 for some reason(s) - perhaps updates? I'm sure you veteran Mac folks know. SO yes I'm pleased with what I have.

Two more ?s:
1) Can I perhaps get a different browser that will do better than the IE 5.2 with my now 10.2.8?

2) Can anyone recommend a Mac from today's computer world?

After leaving the Fed. Gov for 20 years I DO NOT want to do nothing now except play. ;-)

Thanks again for all the feedback.
 
Installing 10.4 on a beige g3 isn't too involved, you just need to use XPostFacto:

http://eshop.macsales.com/OSXCenter/XPostFacto/Framework.cfm?page=XPostFacto.html

There was also a modified 10.4 install DVD once upon a time that installed to G3s, but I forgot where I found it and sadly don't have it anymore.

As for alternate browsers, there's Classilla, Netscape 7 and Safari 1.0.3 if you can install 10.2.8.

There are absolutely no modern Apple machines that I can recommend. Apple has gone crazy with proprietary hardware to make it at some times impossible to repair their machines because parts don't exist outside their ecosystem, forcing you to pay through the nose for incompetent repair. Like their newest laptops have soldered in RAM, SSDs, glued to the case batteries and even the screen is glued in. If anything breaks, you basically are forced to chuck the whole system and buy a new one.
 
slightly off topic, when I had my 9600/300 (talk about slow) and linux installed more often than not I would use links2, which was more or less text based with image support, I cant imagine it would be hard getting that to run on OSX, and it ran like a bat out of hell

when i was in 9.22 Classilla all the way
 
Osgeld said:
slightly off topic, when I had my 9600/300 (talk about slow) and linux installed more often than not I would use links2, which was more or less text based with image support, I cant imagine it would be hard getting that to run on OSX, and it ran like a bat out of hell
Click to expand...
Yep. I use ELinks for any web browsing that doesn't have to be graphical on OSX. There's a build of it here.
 
GiGaBiTe said:
Installing 10.4 on a beige g3 isn't too involved, you just need to use XPostFacto:

As for alternate browsers, there's Classilla, Netscape 7 and Safari 1.0.3 if you can install 10.2.8.

There are absolutely no modern Apple machines that I can recommend. Apple has gone crazy with proprietary hardware to make it at some times impossible to repair their machines because parts don't exist outside their ecosystem, forcing you to pay through the nose for incompetent repair. Like their newest laptops have soldered in RAM, SSDs, glued to the case batteries and even the screen is glued in. If anything breaks, you basically are forced to chuck the whole system and buy a new one.
Click to expand...

I took a quick look into XPostFacto - lot of reading. ;-) eBay has what seems to be a plethora of Mac OS 10.4; some fairly inexpensive noting "Xcode-2." Is this similar to XPostFacto?

I'll check out the alternate browsers.

Wow! That's too bad about modern Apple computers. Cannot believe their laptops have soldered RAM!!!

Thanks for your feedback!!!
 
Hmm, I don't know. Looks like they've added one of those PLEASE USE THIS DOWNLOADER TO DOWNLOAD YOUR DOWNLOADS SO YOU CAN DOWNLOAD P.O.C.s since I was last there, it might be complaining about that.
 
does elinks support images? links2 supports jpg, gif bmp png ... the usual stuff so while its text based it doesnt FEEL text based
 
stangman517 said:
I took a quick look into XPostFacto - lot of reading. ;-) eBay has what seems to be a plethora of Mac OS 10.4; some fairly inexpensive noting "Xcode-2." Is this similar to XPostFacto?
Click to expand...

No. XCode is Apple's cross platform development IDE.

stangman517 said:
Wow! That's too bad about modern Apple computers. Cannot believe their laptops have soldered RAM!!!
Click to expand...

That's only one of many, many problems. Apple's laptops are pretty much designed to fail, the last ones I worked on from 2008-2011 had a fan for the CPU but no ventilation holes, except for a tiny slit in the back. The squirrel blower on the CPU had 1mm of clearance on the sucking side to the bottom of the case. When the laptop was on and idle, the CPU would run at 90C constantly unless you removed the bottom cover, at which point it would drop to a less alarming 65-70C. The CPU would clock throttle under normal use and sometimes go into the more extreme NOP throttling as a last resort.

I've heard that new Macbooks don't have fans at all, or any ventilation slots. Seriously, a 15-60W TDP CPU without any cooling except the case is ridiculous. And people pay $2000 for these things.

Apple is good at manufacturing one thing, zombies that buy their overpriced junk year after year.
 
That's too bad about Apple laptops of today. After 30 years of wanting to finally get into Apple stuff, and can finally afford them, now I find out they're NOT worth the investment. I've always been a DOS/Windows/Linux guy from wayyy back and could never afford Macs. I love my G3 but it can't keep up and no real support, but I really didn't buy it to keep up. It gave me a taste of Apple stuff and wanted to taste the new Apples, but I guess not now! I will NOT become a Apple zombie and buy junk.

I just got Classilla and will install it shortly.
 
Do you by chance have a specific link to links2? I found links, but if you have one where you downloaded what you're using I'd like to check it out - thanks.
 
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