is this a good computer to buy? (mac/apple)?

Question

i was looking into buying a apple laptop because i like how they look and perform but i dont know much about macs. can you tell me if this is a good deal/buy. here are the specs...

Apple 15" PowerBook G4 1.5GHz WiFi/Bluetooth

Apple PowerBook G4 15" Aluminum
PPC G4 1.5 GHZ
80GB Hard Drive
512 MB RAM
Combo Drive (CD-RW + DVD)
Wireless Apple Airport Extreme WiFi Card Installed
Bluetooth EDR+2.0 installed
Operating System Mac OS X Tiger 10.4
65 W Power Adapter
i know that memory and hard drive are low but i was going to plan on upgrading it... and does anyone know the max i can put in as for had drive and memory think memory might either be 2g or 4 g and will this be a fast computer or what i dont want nothing slow you have to wait for

The original box and packaging materials are included. However, the manuals and installation CDs are not included. The computer will come with OS X 10.4 installed. The laptop is in great condition overall, but the battery does not hold a charge. The laptop must be plugged in to run. The only other sign of damage is a small dent near the power adapter plug at the corner of the laptop

Also is the Operating System Mac OS X Tiger 10.4 good or old and bad?

and i do alot of computer work maybe 8+ hours a day and its not just surfing emailing pictures editing large files video capture sony vegas other big programs like that.

Answer 1

Why would you buy a used laptop that doesn't hold a charge? I suppose that you could replace the battery?? If you don't need portability then you could probably find a better deal on a desktop machine.



Mac OSX has had three major revisions since 10.4. The latest is Lion 10.7.1. In addition, the processor is PowerPC. Macs have used Intel chips for years now.



You mention that you want to run Sony Vegas. That requires Windows to run. Windows can only be installed on Intel Macs.



The link is to EveryMac.com, a great resource for info on--you guessed it--every Mac ever made.

Answer 2

I wouldn't pay a whole lot for that laptop. Apple has abandoned the PowerPC platform and did not support it past OS X 10.5, aka Leopard. They just recently came out with 10.7, so you're already a few revisions behind. You can still get by with 10.4 or 10.5 on most things, but that will change in the next couple of years.



You should also know that software developers are starting to abandon the platform. Mozilla Firefox has already stopped development on PPC versions with the 3.6.x versions.



I might pay $100-120 for that laptop, but no more than that. It's a decent enough performer right now, but it's already obsolete.

Answer 3

This is my 4th MacBook 15 inch with my first one purchased in 2001 that came with the PowerPC processor. My last MacBook Pro was the late 2008 with the Core 2 Duo and it was a great laptop. My Core 2 MBP was still running great and I didn't have any major reason to upgrade but wanted to take advantage of the quad core that comes with the 2011 model. No doubt MacBooks are pricey compared to Windows laptops but in my opinion they are well worth it. Not only are they great laptops that don't show their age like Windows laptops but they also hold their value well. I generally hold onto my MBPs for 2-3 years and I have consistently sold them for very good money with my Core 2 Duo selling for $850 on ebay. That higher resale value makes any upgrade less painful considering the higher prices on the MBP.

Answer 4

Not a chance in hell. That's an OLD laptop, as in a good 7 years or so old. It cannot run the latest version of OS X. It cannot handle HD video. It cannot run most modern software. It tops out at 2GB of RAM.



I mean, really, the crappy specs on that thing were indication enough that it's junk? If you want a Mac, try going for something that isn't borderline obsolete.

Answer 5

if you do a lot of computer work i would not get this one. the hard drive and ram are ridiculous. im seeing best buy ads for 3 gig ram and 200 gig hard drive for around 300 or less. you can get much better computers. . one advantage of macs is less viruses. there are viruses in the mac world just a lot less. if you want specifics i would go to sites like anandtech for reviews. the thing is that you can upgrade but even with a 2 or three gig ram you will eventually upgrade that too. so many times do you want to upgrade memory?

Answer 6

DO NOT BUY.



Sony Vegas is Windows only. The Mac in your description is NOT capable of running Windows. Even if it could run Vegas the system specs are so low as to make it useless.

Answer 7

yes

Answer 8

yes.