Don’t hate me, but I recycled my iMac

One that I bought about 15 years ago that has a G3 processor, that is.

Yeah, took it along with an old CRT TV that I also wanted to unload to a nearby electronics recycling event this past weekend.

Pic:

I used it up until about 2009 when I bought a Mac mini to replace it. Was my first real experience with a Mac. Started to learn my way around it. Ended up using it as my personal web server and did some MIDI stuff with it.

Anybody else here purchase one of these curvy guys back in the day? I wish mine was colored, like they originally were when they came out in the late ’90s, but I think when I ordered mine all those cool colors were discontinued.

Honestly, I thought about the possibility of finding somebody who might want it, but there’s nothing too special about this machine anymore, and I’m sure the version of OS X on there isn’t supported (it’s probably Jaguar or Panther, I think).

Conversation 9 comments

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    30 October, 2017 - 11:02 pm

    <p>I had a 500MHz Indigo blue model, from summer 2001. Loved it and had some of my best experiences ever on a computer while using it, first with Mac OS 9.2.2 a d later with 10.2.</p><p><br></p><p>Those were the days, my friends. We thought they’d never end.</p>

    • Johannes

      31 October, 2017 - 5:36 am

      <blockquote><a href="#211791"><em>In reply to jimchamplin:</em></a></blockquote><p>So true! Is it just me, or wasn't computing/computers more fun "back then"? Loved my first computer, a 166mhz mmx with 8mb of ram. Every upgrade would make the performance double. Games were awesome with titles like Quake, Starcraft and Half Life .</p><p><br></p><p>The internet was exiting and fun and you could almost only get a glimpse of the action through tour 28.8 modem which made even more thrilling. It was also not completely owned by Facebook, Google etc and services could still be found that other companies had made.</p><p><br></p><p>Phones were used to communicate with your friends, not to strap on your face for silly VR-stuff while snapping emojis or what not while missing the real world around you, </p><p><br></p><p>Or, maybe I'm just getting old and grumpy? Still miss the good old days though.</p>

      • jimchamplin

        Premium Member
        31 October, 2017 - 10:18 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#211832"><em>In reply to Johannes:</em></a></blockquote><p>Mmmmmm!! dude.</p><p><br></p><p>I used to play StarCraft back in the late 90s on a Power Mac 6500 (still got it, and it still runs) and on my dad's Powerbook 1400.</p><p><br></p><p>I remember talking to my girlfriend on the phone. Talking! She had to be at home to talk to, otherwise her dad would answer and be a grouch at me ;)</p><p><br></p><p>The truth is that we have it so, so much better now, but things have changed a lot. I lived in two worlds for a long time, with one foot in each camp, Windows and Mac but lately I'm getting away from Apple. </p><p><br></p><p>I'm getting back into PC gaming and Apple hardware just can't cut it with crap integrated graphics.</p>

    • ErichK

      Premium Member
      31 October, 2017 - 11:30 am

      <blockquote><a href="#211791"><em>In reply to jimchamplin:</em></a></blockquote><p>Weren't these the ones that were the first in not including floppy disk drives? If so, how did you feel about that back then and was it an issue?</p>

      • jimchamplin

        Premium Member
        31 October, 2017 - 10:14 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#212030"><em>In reply to ErichK:</em></a></blockquote><p>It's the later slot-load version of it, yes. I cared zero about floppies honestly. As an AV major in college, everything I needed was on ZIP and CDR. I only needed a floppy disk for one of my music classes, so I ran the software on my Power Mac 6500. The app didn't need a lot of power – the lab that we used in the music building still had 68040-based Quadras, so the 250MHz 603ev in the 6500 was more than adequate. The 500MHz G3 in the iMac would've been overkill.</p>

  • John Scott

    31 October, 2017 - 8:49 am

    <p>I remember my wife school district several years ago dumped all their Bondi Blue eMac's to Ebay. My wife tipped me off to buy one mostly for nostalgia. Of course nothing was supported anymore, couldn't upgrade anything and yet these Mac's were built like tanks. Probably the best that worked in them was OS 9. I always was going to mount a Mac Mini in it to modernize it but eventually decided it just was not worth it. Technology is not like old cars, it just does not age gracefully. </p>

  • moruobai

    31 October, 2017 - 4:00 pm

    <p>That's a beautiful computer!</p><p><br></p><p>Little surprised at how the colors on the keyboard held up. Could use some retrobright for sure!</p>

    • ErichK

      Premium Member
      31 October, 2017 - 4:32 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#212235"><em>In reply to moruobai:</em></a></blockquote><p>I agree, it had some style, in an era where the beige PC reigned supreme. :)</p>

  • Brad Sams

    Premium Member
    31 October, 2017 - 4:35 pm

    <p>I havent seen one of these in a long time…what a memory trip; thanks for sharing. </p><p><br></p>

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