Macs to the Max
Is the G3 Still a Practical Choice?
- 2006.08.10
With the Intel Core processors available today, does buying a used G3 still make economic sense?
Sure, it's now even farther back on the processor food chain, but it's still a very popular processor - just look at all the posts about G3 iMacs on the LEM iMac forum.
But how much longer can the G3 stay in the arena before it gets knocked out by newer faster processors?
Technologically speaking, the G3 is still a pretty good performer. It has lots of power, and there are many applications that will run on most G3s, so it's not totally obsolete. (Then again, there's no such thing as obsolete at Low End Mac.)
For the average person who needs to run a few new and not-too-demanding applications, the G3 is a wonderful and economical choice. Whereas the G4 and G5 are becoming "obsolete" nearly as fast as the G3 (now that most of all Macs have moved to Intel).
The Legend Lives
In Apple's line, the oldest processor supported by OS X is the G3. That also means that it's now t the heart of the cheapest Macs that can run OS X. With a G3, you're able to run most of the average user's software.
The G3 isn't the workhorse that it used to be, but it can hold its own in today's computing arena.
Although the G3 is off the screen in today's new computer
market, it holds its own on the used market and will always live at
Low End Mac. 
Recent articles by Matthew Jay
- Save those old Macs, 2006.12.19. When friends, neighbors, schools, and businesses are ready to dump their old Macs, save them from destruction and give them new life.
- Forming the next Macintosh generation, 2006.12.12. We've been hooked by the Mac. Now we have a responsibility to bring the experience to others and create a new generation of Mac users.
- Nintendo and Apple, industry leaders, 2006.09.13. Both Apple and Nintendo remain committed to providing the best platform in their market, and neither company is afraid of innovation.
- More in the Macs to the Max index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: Macintosh Portable, introduced 1989.09.20. The nearly 16 lb. behemoth was innovative but not a smashing success.
- February 13 in LEM history: 01: Layoffs may hurt Mac market - 02: Unix for the Mac - Rage against the Macintosh - 03: Options to move data from PCs to Macs - 04: Low cost RAM for older 'Books - 06: Apple, IBM, and Intel - 07: Picking the right cheap computer, new or used - 08: I needed to find an older Mac
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