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Old iMac, but can’t afford a new one
- Thread starter Newmacer2
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‘You may not like it but your best option is to use what you have, your iPad and phone. I do all of my banking from my iPad including 4 different accounts for my business. Using bill pay from Wells Fargo has near eliminated me writing any more checks. If you bank does not offer full on line banking service, time to change banks.
24-inch and 27-inch iMac models introduced in 2009 and 2010
To use any of these iMac models as an external display:- The iMac used as a display must have macOS High Sierra or earlier installed.
- The other Mac that you're connecting it to must have been introduced in 2019 or earlier and have macOS Catalina or earlier installed.
- The cable connecting the two Mac computers must be a Mini DisplayPort
cable.
I have a late 2009 iMac (Core2 Duo, 8Gb RAM), which I thought was basically at the lower end of usable due to what you describe (some sites not working). Thanks to some pointers from these forums I discovered the OCLP (Open Core Legacy Patcher).
Without too much trouble I was able to update macOS to Monterrey. There were a few niggles during install (basically I had to plug in a USB keyboard/mouse, as the bluetooth would not connect until after installation). Safari does not work with some pages (e.g. Amazon), keeps refreshing/crashing. But both Firefox and Chrome work perfectly, including extensions.
So basically it's given that computer a new lease of life, at least an extra year or two. Everything feels fast, just as new. I can't recommend it enough.
The worst thing is that, if it's your main/only computer, it's a leap of faith to upgrade to something that might or might not work. I had a cloud backup of all my important files, and a second USB backup including everything else.
Apple has a dongle for that
USB-C <->Thunderbold 2 and then take a simple Mini DisplayPort cable
I have 2 2008 iMacs that are as performant as when I bought them - they're bulletproof. I'm experiencing the same with my late '15 5K. I'd say that a good deal on a '15 would see a good 6-7 years out of it. I'm running Monterey. Although, if your iMac can run in Target Display Mode, a base-spec M1 mini will be a brilliant investment for your use case.
OP explicitly said he/she can't afford a new computer. Folks here seemed to take that to mean OP *could* afford a used computer. But I think OP meant he/she couldn't afford a "new to me" computer, no matter its vintage. So, yes, in that case most of the advice on this thread -- which boils down to "buy this!" -- isn't helpful, sadly.
Seems like OP wants someone to figure out how to make the current computer perform the necessary tasks. Which a few people have chimed in on, but which seems tough. I agree with those who've said it may just be necessary to use the iPhone and iPad for the time being, no matter how non-ideal.
OP:
What kind of a budget do you have for a replacement?
Knowing "the numbers" would help with a suggestion.
If you need more current OS software, I'd suggest using one of "dosdude1's" patchers:
This has a tool built right in that downloads Mojave (look in the "Tools" menu).
You use that to create a bootable USB flashdrive.
I recommend using "Install Disk Creator" (free) to make it.
Then boot from the flash drive.
Erase the iMac internal drive (MAKE SURE YOU ARE BACKED UP FIRST, shouting is intentional)
Install new OS.
Restore your data from the backup.
This should get you "far enough" so that you can use a more modern browser with which to interact with your online banks, etc.
Sooner or later, however, you must face the reality that you can only "go so far" with an older computer, and that something newer is required.
Hence, why I asked about a budget above.
Aside:
OP seems to have disappeared, I think we scared him off...
What kind of a budget do you have for a replacement?
Knowing "the numbers" would help with a suggestion.
If you need more current OS software, I'd suggest using one of "dosdude1's" patchers:
This has a tool built right in that downloads Mojave (look in the "Tools" menu).
You use that to create a bootable USB flashdrive.
I recommend using "Install Disk Creator" (free) to make it.
Then boot from the flash drive.
Erase the iMac internal drive (MAKE SURE YOU ARE BACKED UP FIRST, shouting is intentional)
Install new OS.
Restore your data from the backup.
This should get you "far enough" so that you can use a more modern browser with which to interact with your online banks, etc.
Sooner or later, however, you must face the reality that you can only "go so far" with an older computer, and that something newer is required.
Hence, why I asked about a budget above.
Aside:
OP seems to have disappeared, I think we scared him off...
You can't use a M1/M2 Mac mini as the source computer for a Target Display Mode iMac, the Apple Silicon Macs are too new - per the info you posted.24-inch and 27-inch iMac models introduced in 2009 and 2010
To use any of these iMac models as an external display:
- The iMac used as a display must have macOS High Sierra or earlier installed.
- The other Mac that you're connecting it to must have been introduced in 2019 or earlier and have macOS Catalina or earlier installed.
- The cable connecting the two Mac computers must be a Mini DisplayPort
cable.
There's this, which might help buy some time... $159 for an Apple-refurbished dual-core i5 from 2014: https://computers.woot.com/offers/a...-desktop-intel-core-i5-2-6z?ref=w_cnt_wp_0_17
Thanks to everyone for your helpful input. You are all so nice to take the time. I think I’ll just pay my bills with my phone and forget being so anal about keeping emails and receipts in my iMac’s brain. Then, I’ll get a cheap PC or laptop when I can afford it. Thanks again folks.
As someone with close to 15 years of hackintoshing under his belt, he’d be far more stable to upgrade to Catalina using dosdude1’s tools. As long as he’s not running a Radeon graphics card.
Well.........you could use your old computer to get (as needed) MS Windows-in-the-cloud service and pay your bills that way.
My 2013 MacBook Pro runs the newest version Linux Mint PERFECTLY. <---cost= 16GB thumb drive IF you don't already have one laying OR a blank dvd to make a LiveCD.
This expenses out the least amount of money!
My 2013 MacBook Pro runs the newest version Linux Mint PERFECTLY. <---cost= 16GB thumb drive IF you don't already have one laying OR a blank dvd to make a LiveCD.
This expenses out the least amount of money!
Hardly. I sincerely appreciate all the suggestions. I haven’t responded until this morning because I didn’t receive any notification emails from this site. Probably something I did or didn’t do right.
LENOVO Think Center M700 Tiny Desktop PC, Intel Quad Core I5-6400T 2.2GHz up to 2.8G, 16GB Memory,512GB SSD, WiFi, BT 4.0,HDMI,USB 3.0,DP Port,Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit English/Spanish/French(Renewed) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VHFS7N5?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_CBCNMNWYFGM2YATG1D85&language=en-US
I bought this for my office to run our remote camera surveillance. It’s a nice machine for only $150!
It’s not super fast but it’s been working great for over two years.
Getting an SSD from OWC if the drive isn’t already upgraded is a great idea. They are about $50 for a kit and are high quality. https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/KITIM09HE120/
I feel for you. I have a 2007 24" iMac that I had to retire for all the same reasons. Hated to do it because it *was* a top-of-the-line model back in its day. Don't rule-out pawn shops and thrift stores, and even used PC stores if there is one in your city/town. These stores have fast-changing inventories and there's a good chance a Mac newer than yours will end-up on their shelves eventually. BTW a 2014 Mac Mini should cost around $150 US and will give you several more years of compatability.
One option is purchasing a refurbished Mac from Declutter. Pretty reasonable prices...
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Just turn it into a Windows machine.
No hacks, no expense, full support.
No hacks, no expense, full support.