Anyone want an iMac G3?

"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
02/26/2018 at 17:56 • Filed to: Computers, computerlopnik

So...I bought this G3 4 years ago from eBay. The seller sucked at packing the box and as a result, the G3 arrived damaged. The inner bezel (notorious for being brittle) cracked. Thinking I’d just replace the broken part and all would be well, I ended up getting a 50% refund on it. At the time and for at least 2 years later, I just couldn’t find the part. I ended up replacing it with an older tray loader G3 in mint condition.

I’ve finally found the part this year, but the prices for them are insane at a minimum of $60. Since I already have a mint one of these and am amassing a huge collection of desktops, I have no reason to keep a second 40 pound iMac around.

I’ll let any Oppo have it for the cost of shipping if they want it. Otherwise after the CL and eBay ads expire it’s going to Free Geek or GoodWill.

DISCUSSION (22)

benjrblant > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 18:01

Those are so rad! iMac G4 is to date my all-time favorite desktop design. IMO, this was Apple’s best time period for industrial design, apart from that puck mouse.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 18:02

Having flashbacks to fifth grade

HammerheadFistpunch > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 18:03

Flashbacks to college. I hated these stupid little premelted things then and my feelings haven’t warmed over the years. Im not exaggerating when I say that I would literally use it as a boat anchor. So best not send it my way

Mercedes Streeter > HammerheadFistpunch
02/26/2018 at 18:05

The only thing I don’t like about them is how heavy they are compared to how fragile they are. Every time I lift it by the handle I feel like it’s just going to break apart.

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 18:07

It’s temoting, it really is. I need to repair my iMac first.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 18:09

Even though I gave away a ton of computers before I moved, I still have more than I can possibly use. I still have my old G4 with the dual 1.8GHz upgrade and a B&W G3 with every upgrade I could think of short of a major (800 MHz/1GHz) CPU swap. I haven’t used either of those machines in 5 years. There’s still a 17" PowerBook G4 in the box that hasn’t been touched either. I did find a home for the 20" iMac G4, which is good because I really didn’t have a use for it.

Not a full iMac G3, but I do have some serious upgrade parts for the Rev. A and B iMac G3 (Bondi Blue models). There’s a 466 MHz CPU upgrade, although it’s not the one from Sonnet with the Firewire port, and a 3Dfx daughterboard that fits in the mezzanine slot. This combo was great for playing Falcon 4 as I recall.

It’s so funny how I used to carry that iMac around everywhere, whether it was a trip to visit my folks (with a 100 ft. Ethernet cable snaked around the house) or out to Vegas to visit a friend. I even had a padded, wheeled case that it would fit into for transport, and could be strapped on the back of my motorcycle. Then notebooks became cheaper, tablets emerged (I still have my 1G iPad and iPod), and phones got so good you almost don’t need a computer for content consumption. OK, it has been 20 years, but still...

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 18:10

You did not just post a Bondi Blue G3.

You did not just.

Great, now I’m having flashbacks to elementary and middle school. These things were everywhere. Most were Bondi Blue, but the teachers got some tangerine color.

Also, damn those hockey puck mice!

Mercedes Streeter > winterlegacy, here 'till the end
02/26/2018 at 18:14

I did! In fact, I have two of them! The other’s a slightly older tray loader. :) I decided that 80 pounds of iMac is just too much for me though.

Textured Soy Protein > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 18:15

Future next gen S2000 owner > HammerheadFistpunch
02/26/2018 at 18:16

Not even a very good anchor, needs a sharp point to dig into the sand. It would be a good.........something?

Mercedes Streeter > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
02/26/2018 at 18:17

Oh my!!! It seems like you’re quite the expert in old iMacs! Oh, maybe I’ll have to post the pics of my tray loading G3. The OG owner saved all the docs and even gave me an external drive (floppy, I think?) with it.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 18:17

I would probably make every iMac enthusiast mad at me by doing this, but-

I’d totally replace the front panel with a more modern 4:3 screen, and replace the rest of the guts with a mini ITX system, somehow. Hackintosh grade too, so I could run the latest version of mac OS.

Mercedes Streeter > winterlegacy, here 'till the end
02/26/2018 at 18:24

I’d consider myself an iMac enthusiast (though, G5 and newer) and even I can’t hate that idea. In fact, it’s actually a fairly common project!

MINIGTI > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 18:52

Already got one, a later 600 MHz graphite model. It sits next to my Cube and my two tombstones (Classic and Plus).

I’ve got a little writing to do and since I can never get anything done at home I’m thinking about hauling my Plus over to the local coffee shop just for fun.

Wacko > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 19:38

In the early 2000s I would fix those often, I think every one I would open at least one clip would break( most of them pre cracked)

Wacko > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 19:41

That and the aquarium iMac

Kinja'd!!!

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 20:15

Tempted to make an MSi board fit into this thing with a decent screen.

Tempted to.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 22:03

Well, I did use the first 128K Mac in college, so I’m as old as dirt.

I have a special floppy drive that also does the special 240 MB discs, not just the 120 MB ones. Yeah, kinda useless nowadays. I can’t remember the last time I needed it, but I just found a copy of Microsoft Space Simulator (as well as a copy of FS4 for the Mac), so I may need to break it out. But I don’t know if I brought any ADB joysticks with me...

Dogsatemypants > Mercedes Streeter
02/26/2018 at 23:23

Do you want a scsi 400mb tape drive with various os9x goodies on mag media?

jkm7680 > Mercedes Streeter
02/27/2018 at 01:04

Holy shit it has been a while since I’ve used one of those things.

Mercedes Streeter > Dogsatemypants
02/27/2018 at 01:26

Compelling, however I’ll have to decline. I’m trying to get rid of some of my old tech, not add on more parts! :D

Dogsatemypants > Mercedes Streeter
02/27/2018 at 04:54

Totally get it. But it does have the marathon trilogy and a bunch of mods. Plus some ambrosia soft games...