Low End Mac's Best Deals

Best iMac G4 Prices

2012.01.25

Tweet this! Digg it! Reddit Del.icio.us Short link: http://bit.ly/2lPtR9

Your best bet G4 iMacs are the last generation models (1 GHz 15", 1.25 GHz 17" and 20" models), which have better video, support 2 GB of memory, and are the only G4 iMacs to include USB 2.0 ports. (Whether you're looking at flash drives, scanners, printers, iPods, iPhones, or almost anything except for keyboards and mice, USB 2.0 makes a big difference.)

iMac G4 The iMac G4 is an unusual looking computer that comes in three sizes (with 15" 1024 x 768, 17" 1440 x 900, and 20" 1680 x 1050 screens) and four clock speeds (700 MHz, 800 MHz, 1 GHz, and 1.25 GHz). 1 GHz and faster iMacs are fully supported under Leopard, and the slower iMacs are able to run it, although you'll have to get around the installer to get OS X 10.5 on the slower models. We strongly recommend at least 1 GB of memory for Leopard.

Leopard is officially supported on all 867 MHz and faster G4 Macs with at least 512 MB of RAM and the ability to run the DVD-based installer, so you'll need a Combo drive or SuperDrive. Leopard can be installed on sub-867 MHz G4 Macs using a variety of methods. See our article on Unsupported Leopard Installation for details and success stories.

For more on the place of G4 iMacs today, see The Future of G4 iMacs in the Age of Leopard.

Used Macs usually have a 90 day warranty, and we try to note where that is not the case. Prices may not include mouse & keyboard, and we try to mention that as well. For those on a tight budget, the 17" CRT-based G4 eMac may be a good choice (see our Best eMac Deals for current prices, which range from $50 to $250). For those looking for more power, G5 iMacs start at $350.

Best iMac G4 Prices

iMacs from GainSaver are not included here because they strip out the AirPort Extreme card, replace the Combo drive or SuperDrive with a CD-ROM drive, cut back RAM to 256 MB, install a 20 GB hard drive, and charge extra to test the hardware. Despite that, they may be the best choice in some circumstances.

Recent Memory Prices

Note that all G4 iMacs have two different memory slots - one for SO-DIMM, which is easily installed by the user, and one for SDRAM, which is more challenging to install. For maximum capacity, you need one of each.

Mac OS Prices

Unless otherwise noted, there is no surcharge for credit card purchases, and shipping is often (but not always) included. Vendors are listed in alphabetical order.

G4 iMacs are used unless otherwise noted. Prices may be limited to quantity on hand. Not responsible for typos. Please email any corrections or additional sources with competitive prices to Dan Knight .

Buying through some of these links benefits Low End Mac. Buying at these prices benefits you.

G4 iMac Profiles

DougDeals

DougDeals is located in Leander, TX.

DV Warehouse

Ground shipping can add $35 or more.

GainSaver

GainSaver appears to have an ongoing daily 10% off sale on Apple products, but we list the undiscounted price just in case. Prices include a 30 day warranty; 90 day warranty is $40 additional. Diagnostic testing costs $25, and shipping insurance costs $25.32. Price includes regular desktop version of Mac OS X; server version costs more. Most of these ship with CD-ROM drives - you can upgrade to a Combo drive for $19, SuperDrive for $39 or a double-layer SuperDrive for $79. Add $29 for AirPort or AirPort Extreme. You can custom configure your iMac with larger hard drives, various memory configurations, a choice of optical drives, and more. We strongly recommend that you verify the equipment you want is in stock before placing an order. Caveat emptor.

Mac-Pro

Ground shipping can add $50 or more.

MacResource

Ground shipping can add $30 or more.

Teksale

Ground shipping can add $45 or more.

Wegener Media

Ground shipping can add $40 or more. Prices reflect 10% web discount. 60 day warranty.

The older CRT iMacs - new, used, and refurbished - are listed in our G3 iMac Deals. We also track eMac Deals, which provide the same G4 power as the G4 iMac but with a less costly CRT display, iMac G5 Deals, and Mac mini Deals for those who prefer a compact, modular Mac. LEM

About LEM Support Usage Privacy Contact

Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2012 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc. unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iPad iPhone, iMac, iPod, MacBook, MagSafe, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.
  Advice is presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
  LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
  Email may be published at our discretion unless marked "not for publication"; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
  PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.

Custom Search

Share

Follow Low End Mac on Twitter
Join Low End Mac on Facebook

Low End Mac Reader Specials

Quantcast

TypeStyler 11 is now in the Mac App Store!! -- Special Introductory Price of $59.95!! -- To Buy From The Mac App Store Click Here Now!! Or buy direct from Strider Software.

Quantcast

Quantcast

Quantcast

Poker Mac Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how to download and install a native Mac poker and Mac Casino applications in minutes.

Quantcast

Quantcast

Quantcast

Quantcast

Favorite Sites

MacSurfer
Cult of Mac
Shrine of Apple
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac Museum
DealMac
Deal Brothers
Mac2Sell
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System 6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End Mac FAQ

Affiliates

Amazon.com
The Apple Store
The iTunes Store
PC Connection Express
GainSaver
Parallels Desktop for Mac
eBay

Low End Mac's Amazon.com store

Advertise

All of our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For price quotes and advertising information, please contact at BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number is for advertising only.

Open Link