Looking to buy a used iMac G4

[ShadyMac]

I'm looking to buy a used iMac for my daugther. She's 11 years old and she'll be basically using the computer for iTunes, internet, and school work. My question is 256 RAM good enough or should the ram be at least 512. I'm going to try and find one with Airport and Bluetooth. I checked eBay and Powermax, does anyone know of any other sites I can check?

 

[belvdr]

I would go for at least 512MB of RAM simply for a snappier interface.

 

[madmaxmedia]

Add a 256 or 512 RAM stick, depending on your budget and what is available. Both should be pretty cheap.

If your daughter has a recent iPod, be aware that it may be USB only (no Firewire). Older iMacs have USB 1 which will give you really slow transfer speeds.

I think the USB 2 started with the 1.25GHz iMac. Those still fetch pretty good prices on EBay.

 

[~Shard~]

Will you be running Tiger on it, or Panther? I think 512 MB RAM is a good idea regardless, but especially if you're running Tiger. Just remember when you buy RAM for it, that it takes SO-DIMMS, not normal DIMMS, which are a little more expensive. Any reputable RAM dealer will be able to sell you exactly what you need though.

 

[asphalt-proof]

I have a FP 1.25 with 768 meg of ram and Panther that I have been considering selling. NOt sure what a fair price is yet though. Let me know.

 

[aquajet]

What size screen are you looking for? The 17" and 20" models tend to go for quite a bit more than the 15".

Either way, try to look for a 1Ghz 15" or a 1.25Ghz 17". Those were the last revision models, with USB 2.0.

 

[asphalt-proof]

I have poster a feeler for my 17" iMac https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/164924/

 

[shadowmoses]

Bare in mind if you get an older one without airport they will need an original airport card which can be very costly these days, they sell on ebay for about double what an airport extreme goes for now,

Shadow