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Powerbook G4 What OS? where get CDs?

  • 18-12-2008 11:30am
    #1
    kikel
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 2,584 ✭✭✭


    Alright, forgive me i know feck all about Macs. Got a mates powerbook G4. On startup i get the folder with the flasing question mark ?. From what i find on the net. Either the Os is corrupt or the hard drive is caput.

    One problem, my mate doesn't have the CDs that came with the laptop. Where can i get the CDs and what CDs am i looking for? From Wiki the powerbook could run os 9 or osx. How do i know which i'm looking for? Will any CDs work. Do i need a pin code to install?

    Please help, totally clueless?


Comments

  • #2
    J-blk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    You'd need to purchase a copy of Mac OS X and the only one currently available in retail, is 10.5.x, Leopard. The minimum requirements indicate it would work on a G4:

    - Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor
    - 512MB of memory
    - DVD drive for installation
    - 9GB of available disk space

    But I don't have first hand experience with an older Mac like that. An older version of OS X, like Tiger, might be a better fit but can be hard to find these days.

    Here's a link to Leopard on Apple's store, though you can buy it in most stores that sell Apple gear as well:

    http://store.apple.com/ie/product/MB576Z/A?fnode=MTY1NDAzOA&mco=MTU5NzExNw


  • #3
    zeris
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 401 ✭✭zeris


    I have installed Leopard on my Powerbook G4 12" 1GHz with 1.25GB of RAM. Works fine but it isn't my primary machine anymore.


  • #4
    Ham'nd'egger
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,025 ✭✭✭Ham'nd'egger


    kikel wrote: »
    Alright, forgive me i know feck all about Macs. Got a mates powerbook G4. On startup i get the folder with the flasing question mark ?. From what i find on the net. Either the Os is corrupt or the hard drive is caput.

    One problem, my mate doesn't have the CDs that came with the laptop. Where can i get the CDs and what CDs am i looking for? From Wiki the powerbook could run os 9 or osx. How do i know which i'm looking for? Will any CDs work. Do i need a pin code to install?

    Please help, totally clueless?

    Welcome to the world of Macs; you will feel refreshed in no time :D

    As J said, the only OS to purchase from Apple is 10.5, which can be installed safely in most G4 Powerbooks with little issues aside from speed.

    I can lend you a copy of Tiger to see if it will install for you as it is a little less advanced again and may run better for you. If the machine is the right type of Powerbook, I may have an Install Disc to hand for you to try but it will be an older OS again; 10.2.

    Either way, let us know what you want to do. There is ways to see if the machine is kaputt or not.


  • #5
    kikel
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 2,584 ✭✭✭kikel


    Hamndegger wrote: »

    I can lend you a copy of Tiger to see if it will install for you as it is a little less advanced again and may run better for you. If the machine is the right type of Powerbook, I may have an Install Disc to hand for you to try but it will be an older OS again; 10.2.

    If you could that would be great. Where you based


  • #6
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,691 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    i'm running osX 10.4.11 on my 1ghz powerbook g4, it feels quicker than my, dual core vista ultimate dell....anyone know how to make a full back up on it...kinda getting essential...


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  • #7
    J-blk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    i'm running osX 10.4.11 on my 1ghz powerbook g4, it feels quicker than my, dual core vista ultimate dell....anyone know how to make a full back up on it...kinda getting essential...

    SuperDuper! can make a full (bootable even) backup of your HDD:

    http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html


  • #8
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,691 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    J-blk wrote: »
    SuperDuper! can make a full (bootable even) backup of your HDD:

    http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html

    Cheers, Do I need to buy the full version to be able to do that?

    tks


  • #9
    J-blk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    Nope. The free version will do full HDD bootable backups - the pay version mostly adds scheduling, scripting, etc.

    I did miss that you have a G4 though, so note that you can't boot from a USB drive:

    "Note also that USB drives do not allow booting Power PC based Macintoshes under any version of Mac OS X: this is not a SuperDuper! limitation, but one of the OS. If you would like to boot from a backup stored on an external drive, and have a Power PC based Mac, please purchase a Mac compatible FireWire drive. Intel Mac users can boot from either USB or FireWire drives."


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