The computer you bought about three years ago is starting to to
feel sluggish. The beige G3 is starting
to get old. The 233 or 266 MHz processor is not capable of handling
the programs you are running. Your newer version of the Mac OS runs
slowly.
What to do - buy a new computer, hold on and wait, or buy an
upgrade?
My beige G3 has a 233 MHz PowerPC 750 (G3) with a 512K cache,
128 MB of memory (upgraded from 32 MB), a stock 4 GB Quantum
Fireball hard drive, and Mac OS X public beta - a subject for
a future article - upgraded from OS 8.0.
I have noticed, particularly under OS 9 and X, that this G3
no longer feels as fast as it once did. When it was new, it was the
most advanced Macintosh, the business Macintosh. While people were
still buying 6500s and 8600s, the G3 was at the top. Even when it
was a year old, it was still at the cutting edge of technology.
Since the 233 MHz G3 processor was "up to twice as fast" as Intel
Pentium processors with the same MHz rating, it had no problem
running Virtual PC and Windows 95. And that was with 32 MB of
RAM.
Now the computer is showing its age. The 233 MHz processor isn't
fast enough to play some of the newer games. I don't mean just the
high end games - even some of the more "classic" games like SimCity
3000 don't run well. Running Virtual PC with Windows 98 SE feels
like you are using a Pentium 60 with Win98 (this is with Mac OS 8.6
and 128 MB of RAM).
The ATI accelerated video with 2 MB of VRAM doesn't support all
of the resolutions and colours that my 17" NEC monitor can handle.
It was fine with the 14" monitor we used to use.
The "personality" card is broken; there is no way to get stereo
sound. The keyboard has been used so much that the letters are
starting to wear away. The top of the computer is slightly yellowed
and scratched.
The question I ask myself is, "How can a computer get slow?"
They start "getting slow" because of new operating systems, new
programs with more features, and steep memory requirements. Use a
Mac II with 4 MB of RAM, System 6,
and ClarisWorks 1, and it will feel faster than anything you have
used before. Use a Mac II with System 7.5.5, 8 MB of RAM, and
AppleWorks 5, and it will feel slower than anything you've used
before.
System 6 is faster than 7 or 8. Remember, the lower the version
of software, the more features you don't have and the faster it is.
Even if the new version of AppleWorks says, "newer and faster than
ever," it won't be. It will give you more features, but they just
require more memory and processor speed. That statement should
translate into, "newer and requires a faster computer than
ever."
It's all a matter of software, features, and memory. Use your G3
with 32 MB of RAM, OS 8.0, and ClarisWorks 4, and you won't feel
any slowdown. Upgrade it to OS 9 and AppleWorks 6, and you will
notice a huge slowdown. When the G3 was new, Mac OS 8.0 and
ClarisWorks 4 were both current versions, and 32 MB was a decent
amount of memory. Now you need at least 128 MB to run modern
applications, and you probably want OS 8.6 or 9 (warning: OS 9
tends to contribute to short pauses where the machine stops
everything and waits to catch up with itself before it
continues)
You do have to ask yourself some questions before you
buy/install new software. Make up five yes/no questions. Examples
are do I really need the auction manager in Internet Explorer 5 and
do I really need the Macintosh Manager/Multiple Users feature in
Mac OS 9?
If you answer "no" to three or more of the questions, you can
ask yourself one more question: "Why do I want to upgrade this
software?" Usually the answer will be, "I want to have that new
version before anyone else."
If you go with only current software on your G3, your Mac will
feel slow and antiquated. If you go with the versions of software
that have features you need, you will find that your Mac doesn't
feel much slower than it did three years ago.
It's your choice. I decided to go with current to see how far I
could push my computer. If you want a computer to be productive on,
I suggest you go the other direction and use the apps that have the
features you want.
The G3 desktop is getting older now, and the prices are falling
like the leaves outside this time of year (at least in
Connecticut). When the iMac 233 Rev.
B was introduced, used G3 prices were over $1,000. Now I look
again, and I can get a decent 233 MHz G3 desktop for about $600.
That's with enough RAM. It almost makes that 7500 you were thinking of buying no longer an
option. Remember also that these G3s support OS X (very
slowly) and have a faster bus speed than the 7500. They also have a
24X CD-ROM, a 4 or 6 GB hard disk, and an accelerated ATI
video card (which you may want to replace with a PCI card).
To do modern things in the modern world, you must have a modern
computer. The beige G3 is a modern computer. It is older, but it is
still based on the same processor as the iBook (the iBook has a G3e
or 750cx, which is just slightly
different), iMac, and the PowerBook.
The beige G3 is a very capable Mac, but don't overload it unless
you know ow it will handle the load. If you need something cutting
edge, the G3 is not quite it, but it can get you by for another
year, maybe two, being able to run the current business software.
Games? Start looking toward a G4
ASAP.
Looking at the upgrades for the G3 series Macs, I must say that
I wouldn't upgrade it. I don't feel that it is cost effective
enough. If you need something faster, buy a new computer. If you
want to spend hundreds of dollars on upgrades for this machine, go
with at least a 400 MHz G3 upgrade (see Low End Mac's Guide to G3 ZIF Upgrades and Guide to G4 ZIF Upgrades), but you will have
to spend at least $300 - and you may lose OS X
compatibility.
If you haven't bought a G3 desktop yet, unless you need the ADB,
SCSI, floppy drive, and beige case, you can get a much better deal
on a G3 Yosemite (the blue tower) at
450 MHz for about $1000, maybe less. That is a computer that is
about a year old, versus three for the beige G3. It starts out
nearly twice as fast as the beige G3 and has a faster system
bus.
In short, the beige G3 is a nice machine, just don't push it too
far. It's great for Internet, email, word processing, spreadsheets,
presentations, web design, graphics, etc. It's a great deal for
those people who want a modern computer, want a separate monitor
(when the iMac's 15" display isn't big enough), but can't spend a
lot of money.
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