[NTLK] [OT] Mac OS question

[James Fraser]

Hello,



>As for "enough horse power": enough for what?  

This.  Without knowing what you're planning to use it for, exactly, it's 
difficult to advise you if it would be worth your while or not.

Even more basic, are you looking to install OS X on a AIO/Molar?  IIRC, that's 
the particular machine you fitted into an IBM case, yes?  If this is correct, I 
would strongly advise that you only attempt this if you are first willing to 
stock up on tranquilizers.  


Seriously, the fastest AIO runs at 266Mhz and has a 66MHz bus speed.  Unless you 
have a strong masochistic streak, it will very likely not be worth it.  If the 
RAM and HD in the machine are stock, (are they?) it will very *definitely* not 
be worth it.  With B&W machines available at near-giveaway prices nowadays, you 
would, IMHO, be far better off picking up a late-model B&W rather than trying to 
coax a 266MHz AIO into running X.

Is it possible to install OS X on your machine?  Yes, it is.   In fact, it's 
even possible to install 10.3  on a 25MHz Centris...athough it does not 
necessarily run after the install:

http://forums.mactalk.com.au/18/1496-mac-os-x-panther-25mhz-centris-650-a.html

...and the estimated boot time is ~7 days. @_@

>From where I'm standing, the only scenario under which installing X *might* make 
some sort of  sense is if you wanted to install, say, 10.2, and mouse around for 
a bit just to see what the OS is like.  The AIO will officially support up to 
10.2.8 (and even beyond that with the help of XpostFacto).

Why do I I belabor the point?  Simple: because I run X on a machine with enough 
RAM installed to match the AIO's RAM ceiling, while possessing nearly twice the 
CPU speed, and nearly twice the bus speed of the AIO.  Yet, despite these 
advantages, please believe me when I tell you that it's *still* a fairly 
unpleasant experience.  While I'm convinced you could do it, I am equally 
convinced that you would be a different person at the end of it all.  


Of course, it's only fair to admit that my "unpleasant" could be your 
"tolerable." I just don't know.  All I can tell you is that, from my own 
perspective, the AIO is an awkward 12-year-old child that is not worth putting 
much time and money into in 2010.  I say this as someone who knows and loves 
vintage hardware, (I'm here, aren't I?) but who also understands that there's a 
Point of Diminishing Returns for everything.

Unfortunately, I think that's exactly what you are looking at here.

That said, if you are absolutely committed to going through with this no matter 
what, LEM Swap:

http://lowendmac.com/lists/swap.html

..is a good source for stuff like vintage RAM and HDs (which, as I say, you will 
certainly need if your machine is still stock configuration).  Likewise, in case 
you haven't already seen it, here is the AIO's profile page:

http://lowendmac.com/ppc/power-mac-g3-all-in-one.html

...that has links to XPostFacto 'n stuff as well as better and further 
particulars on the the hardware limitations of the AIO (and there are many).  
It's well worth a read... 


[lapses into voice of the ever-present tape recorder from the old "Mission 
Impossible" TV series] 


".....should you decide to accept this mission."  :^)



All Best,

James Fraser