Low End Mac's Best Deals

Best Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Prices

2012.07.16

Short link: http://bit.ly/E0wPh

LEM's Mac OS 9 Group is for those using Mac OS 9, either natively or in Classic Mode.
LEM's Tiger Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.4.

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger was the longest-lived version of OS X to date with 30 months on the market. It was released on April 29, 2005 and replaced by OS X 10.5 Leopard on October 26, 2007. Tiger officially requires a G3 or later Mac with FireWire, 256 MB of RAM, and 3 GB of available hard drive space. The consumer version of Tiger is PowerPC only, but the Server version is a universal binary that will run on PPC and Intel Macs. Tiger usually ships on DVD, and users could order a CD-ROM version or do a media exchange with Apple for $20 when Tiger was current. See Installing OS X 10.4 Tiger on DVD-Challenged Macs Using FireWire Target Disk Mode for tips on installing Tiger on Macs without DVD-compatible drives.

The 5-user family pack is generally the most economical way to buy any version of OS X for two to five Macs.

Tiger runs on all slot-loading iMacs (even the FireWire-free 350 MHz model), G4 PowerBooks, G4 Power Macs, G3 iBooks, and the Pismo PowerBook G3. We recommend at least 512 MB of RAM for good performance, and Tiger can be slower than Panther (10.3) on some older G3 systems.

A version of OS X 10.4.4 was released with the first Intel-based Macs in January 2006. Through the remainder of Tiger's life, there were separate PowerPC and Intel versions of OS X 10.4. It was only with Leopard (OS X 10.5) that Apple delivered a universal installer and operating system for both hardware platforms.

Tiger supports Classic Mode only on PowerPC Macs - but not on Intel-based Macs. Classic Mode lets you run Mac OS 9.2.2 within OS X so you can access legacy software. You must have a copy of Mac OS 9.2.2 to use Classic Mode. For prices on Mac OS 9.2.2, see our Best Classic Mac OS Prices.

Upgrade bundles (OS X 10.3 + the 10.4 upgrade) require a Mac that can run Mac OS X 10.3.

Low End Mac does not sell software. Please use the links below to order from the vendor of your choice.

Best Mac OS X 10.4 Prices

HOT OS X 10.4.3 DVD, full version, $140 shipped, Operator Headgap
OS X 10.4 CD, full version, $190, FastMac
VERY HOT OS X 10.4.3 DVD, family pack, $160 shipped, TrustPrice
VERY HOT OS X 10.4 Server DVD, unlimited users, $50 shipped, Amazon.com

Be sure to factor in shipping costs and possible sales tax.

Unless otherwise noted, there is no surcharge for credit card purchases and shipping is not included. Vendors are listed in alphabetical order. Be sure to visit their sites for full details.

Prices may be limited to quantity on hand. Not responsible for typos. Please email any corrections or additional sources with competitive prices toDan Knight

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

Amazon.com

Buy.com

OS X 10.4 Server, unlimited users, $699.99 shipped

FastMac

OS X 10.4 upgrade, requires 10.3, $79.95
OS X 10.4 DVD, eMac, $69.95
OS X 10.4 DVD, Late 2005 Mac mini G4, $49.95
OS X 10.4 DVD, $179.95
OS X 10.4 CD, eMac, $79.95
OS X 10.4 CD, $189.95
OS X 10.4 Server, 10 users, $309.95
other machine-specific versions listed

Operator Headgap

Prices include shipping. Operator Headgap collects sales tax on orders shipped within Tennessee. When ordering, please let them know you heard about them on Low End Mac when entering your shipping information. Thanks!

OS X 10.4.3 DVD, $139.77 shipped

SoftwareCW

OS X 10.4 Server, unlimited clients, $699.99 shipped

TrustPrice

OS X 10.4.6 DVD, 5-user family pack, $159.90 shipped

PCMonde

OS X 10.4.3 DVD, used, $149.99
OS X 10.4.3 DVD, new, $249.99
OS X 10.4.3 DVD, 5-user family pack, used, $299.99
OS X 10.4.3 DVD, 5-user family pack, new, $399.99
OS X 10.4 Server, 10 users, used, $199.99
OS X 10.4 Server, 10 users, new, $299.99

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