'Shindig'
Got a question about technology? Ask it here. Discussion of hardware, software, TiVos, multi-region DVDs, Windows, Macs, LINUX, hand-helds, iPods, anything tech related. Better than any helpdesk!
Beej, I can't tell you really if it's worth it, but 10.3.x really is a corker of a platform, 10.1 was a bit new and not as efficient.
Even on my nephew's five year old G4/400 there was a marked increase in speed and workability between the two.
Also, the absence of useful software installed and lacking an up-to-date OS could explain your friend's decision to go to Windows.
How much RAM does the eMac have? That can make a difference, too.
Looks like I should probably establish my computer as the "home" computer first. Sigh.
I hate waiting.
So is there any reason I shouldn't install the iPod on my work computer before my home computer?
Go right ahead. While you can only sync an iPod with one copy of iTunes at a time, you can change it as often as you like,
Really? Not that I don't trust you, Rob, but I can go ahead and install it here, get my music off this computer, then go home and install iTunes there, establish it as my home computer, and have the music from my work computer still remain on my iPod?
But the music from work computer will not transfer to home computer, right? (Crash course in iPod FAQs this morning.)
Dan,
The eMac is a 700MHz G4 with
256K on chip level 2 cache
128MB SDRAM
40Gig Ultra ATA hard disk drive
My friend thought he'd gotten the dvd drive too, until he got it home and nope! just the cd-rw. Not to be greedy (okay, this is totally greedy) but I wishwishwish he'd gotten the dvd!
Your comment about useful software installed hit the mark. My friend did not want to buy Office for OSX (neither do I for that matter...since my 2001 version works just fine), or any of the other software he uses regularly.
So. I'll take that as a ringing endorsement for Panther, eh?
I looked at the new features for Tiger (sheesh) but saw nothing that would blow my skirt up. Hopefully, they'll continue supporting Panther for a while!
Dana, I think if you do what you say, when you sync your iPod to your home computer all the stuff from work will be erased.
Beej, I'd increase the RAM in that computer if I could. If you run multiple applications at once, more RAM will really speed things up.
eta: But if you can't afford it, you can live with what you've got....
But if you use iTunes to put the iPod in manual mode, you can drag music from any number of computers to your iPod. The drawback is that you lose the convenience of automatic syncing.
Oh, cool. I didn't know that. I thought the "sync to only one computer" thing was part of Apple's DRM.
I would recommend getting more RAM, which is yet another reason your friend had trouble.
Your machine uses PC100 or PC133 3.3 volt non-interleaved DIMMS. They are fairly cheap, 256MB [link] for instance, cost around $33-$40.
You will be happy you did.
ETA: Late on posting, looks like I got in a little late. I was looking up the machine and chatting in IM with Andi. heh.