Should I Buy a Used G4 or a New Mac mini?

Low End Mac Reader Specials

Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $192 / 2GB kit $109. MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO 2GB $44 1GB $23--Free shipping available.

Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com

LA Computer Company: LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, Apple Displays, MacBooks, iMac's, MacBook Pros, Laptop and iPod accessories and more. Apple A/C Adapters for laptops starting at $25.00 Call 1-800-941-7654 or Click Here.

Other World Computing: Performance SATA Drives up to 1.0TB from $54.99 Replace, Upgrade, Add SATA to Mac Pro, PowerMac G5, iMac G5 & even PowerMac G4(with PCI SATA Card) Specials: 400GB from $99; 500GB 7200RPM from $99; 750GB & 1.0TB In Stock now!

Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.

Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.

Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.

MacPro Memory 667Mhz With Apple Spec Heat Sink 2GB Kit $ 90 / 4GB Kit $140 / 8GB Kit $278 Click to Maximize your Macs...

Dan Knight - 2005.01.17

Over on Somethingawful.com, there's an interesting discussion asking whether buying a used Power Mac G4 and upgrading it makes sense in light of the Mac mini's release last week.

Good question. And if any of you have or are considering buying a Power Mac G4 and upgrading it, it makes sense to compare it to the mini.

The Power Mac

The Power Mac in question is a 450 MHz computer with 1.25 GB of RAM, a 120 GB hard drive, and OS X for $400, along with whatever software is installed on the hard drive. (We won't deal with the legality of that. We just want to look at the hardware.)

To get the G4/450 up to speed, the potential buyer plans on adding a faster G4 processor (see our Guide to Power Mac G4 Upgrades for Power Mac G4 with AGP Graphics) and a better video card. All told, he plans to invest about $800 in buying and upgrading the computer.

The Mac mini

The Mac mini sells for $607 with 256 MB of RAM, an 80 GB hard drive, OS X 10.3, and Apple's keyboard/mouse kit. It runs at 1.25 GHz, which is even faster than the 1.2 GHz upgrade being considered, and it has a 167 MHz system bus (vs. 100 MHz in the older G4). The graphics subsystem probably outperforms anything he's going to find for the AGP 2X bus in the Power Mac.

What he gains is a brand new computer with a warranty, a slightly faster CPU, a faster system bus, and better graphics in a very small, very portable package.

What he loses is 1.25 GB of RAM (the mini tops out at 1 GB, and that adds over $200 with third-party RAM), an internal 120 GB hard drive (Apple offers nothing larger than 80 GB with the mini) that's probably faster than the mini's internal laptop drive, three PCI slots, and extra internal drive bays.

Decisions, Decisions

Probably the biggest factor in this particular case is the software that his brother is leaving on the hard drive - it's worth more than he's asking for the computer. Legal? Probably not, but who's going to know?

With that consideration, I'd pick the Power Mac G4/450 in a heartbeat. It's got the software, RAM that will cost over $200 to match in the mini, and a lot more expansion options: hard drives, CPU upgrades, video cards, and RAM can be boosted to 2 GB if the 1.25 GB installed ever becomes insufficient.

If I were comparing a used G4/450 in a more typical configuration without "leftover" software, it would be a different story. Looking at our best buys from last week's Best Used Power Mac G4 Deals, we find:

350, 256/10/DVD, $349.99
450, 256/20/DVD, Zip 100, $399.99
450 dual, 256/30/DVD, $485
533, 256/40/DVD, $495
533 dual, 256/40/DVD, $639
733, 256/60/CD-RW, $629
867, 512/40/CD-RW, $899.99
1.25 GHz dual, 512/80/Combo, $1,199.99

Cost to boost RAM to 1.25 GHz is about $150. Cost of a 7200 rpm 80-120 GB hard drive is about $80. Cost of a CPU upgrade, $200-300. Cost of a better AGP video card, $120 (Radeon 9000 Pro). Total upgrades: $550-650, assuming the buyer doesn't want to add a Combo drive.

We're looking at a rock bottom price of $900 before shipping, but your needs are probably a bit different. You might not need that much RAM. You might be happy with the standard video card. You might find the computer fast enough.

Those are all things to weigh in configuring your low-end G4 system. Determine how much speed you'll need and the best way to get there - buy a slower Mac and upgrade or just buy a faster computer, for instance. Live with a slower Mac today, and upgrade the CPU when you can afford it.

There are lots of options, but the three numbers you want are the cost of buying a used Power Mac G4 and configuring it for immediate use, the cost of that plus planned upgrades, and the cost of a similarly configured Mac mini.

The $499 Mac mini matches the speed of a Power Mac G4/1.25 at about half the price. You lose expansion slots and fast, high capacity internal hard drives, but $500 pays for a lot of peripherals - or a second Mac mini! The mini is definitely going to impact the prices of used G4 Power Macs, which will also drive G3 prices down.

Here's how I'd configure a Mac mini:

G4/1.25 GHz model, 80 GB hard drive, 256 MB RAM, $549
1 GB of RAM, $225
Wireless mouse and keyboard, probably Logitech, $80

Total cost is just over $850, and performance matches my 1.25 GHz eMac, so I know I'd be happy with it, although it would be nice if Apple offered a faster, higher capacity hard drive.

That's about the same price as the G4/867 listed above, which has half the RAM, half the drive capacity, CD-RW instead of a Combo drive, and about 70% as much computing power as the Mac mini.

Like I said, this is really going to impact the value of used Power Macs. Now you can get the power, forfeit the internal expansion, save a bundle, and have a brand new computer. The used Power Mac G3 and G4 market will have to adjust.

Yes, some people need those slots and drive bays, but most Mac buyers never add a PCI card or second hard drive. For them, the Mac mini is a dream come true - everything they want at an unheard of price.

Not sure if you should upgrade your old Mac or replace it? Check the Mac Daniel index to see if we've already addressed your problem.

Recent Mac Daniel columns

Bringing G3 iMacs and other G3 Macs into the Tiger Age, Dan Knight, 12.07. Tips on hard drives, memory, WiFi, and getting Mac OS X 10.4 installed on G3 iMacs and other older G3 Macs.
Multiple users on the same Mac at work, Dan Knight, 11.15. How to set up a Mac so multiple users can log in and use it - and use the same pool of work files.
1 working eMac from 2 broken ones, Dan Knight, 11.14. A pair of matching eMacs, each with a different failure, results in one working eMac and lots of leftovers.
More in the Mac Daniel index.

Recent Content on Low End Mac

Apple's eMate still a great tool in the classroom, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 05.09. How one teacher equipped his classroom with eMates with his own money - and plans to keep using them as long as possible.
$199 iPhone coming?, iPod not a Walkman, crosswalk danger, iPods taking over cars, and more, iNews Review, 05.09. Also the iPhone is a second-rate phone, iPhone 2.0 may introduce handwriting recognition, Kensington battery pack and chargers, new iPhone apps, and more.
Best Power Mac G4 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.09. Used Cube, $479; 400 MHz PCI, $70; 450 AGP, $105; 733 DA, $150; 867 QS, $200; 1 GHz, $250; 450 dual, $295; 1 GHz dual, $400; 1.42, $600; more.
Best 15" MacBook Pro deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.09. Used 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $1,100; 2.16, $1,295; refurb, 2.2 Core2, $1,449; 2.4 Penryn, $1,699; 2.5, $2,149; new 2.2, $1,525 after rebate; 2.4, $1,685 a/r; more.
MacBook sales explode, MacBook Air reviews, several new hard drives, and more, The 'Book Review, 05.09. Also silver-zinc batteries may outlast lithium-ion, Bell Aliant bundling MacBook with Internet access, notebook drives benchmarked, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
Best iPod touch deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.09. Refurb 8 GB '08, $249; 16 GB '07, $329; '08, $349; new 8 GB '07. $269; '08, $280; 16 GB '07, $330; '08, $369; 32 GB, $475.
Apple tops in tech support, Penryn iMacs and Psystar Open Computer reviewed, and more, Mac News Review, 05.09. Also the iMac philosophy, OpenOffice 3.0 going Mac, MozyHome backup comes to Macs, weather in the Dock, and more.
More G4 upgrade advice, secure disk wipes, 500 MHz iMacs with Tiger in action, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 05.09. The importance of securely clearing your hard drive before you pass on your Mac, Pismo and closed lid mode, G3 iMacs in the classroom, and more thoughts on upgrading G4 Power Macs.
140 million copies of Vista sold (yawn), Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 05.09. It sounds like a lot, but over 85% of Windows users are staying away from Vista. 20% of Mac users have embraced Leopard in one-third the time.
Mac of the Day: Macintosh LC, Oct. 1990 - only 3" tall, the LC was the least expensive color Mac in 1990.
List of the Day: Jaguar List is for anyone using Mac OS X 10.2.x.
May 11 in LEM history: 99: Fixing, preventing drive crashes - 00: Macintosh sound: The great and the pedestrian - Gaming on '030s - 01: Macs keep going and going - Mini optical mouse for laptops - 05: Used Power Mac G4 value - Benchmarking Tiger vs. Panther - OS X freeware I wouldn't want to be without - 06: Why I will probably buy another Mac - The Low End Mac value equation - 07: LED backlight coming to MacBooks - Future of the Mac mini
Why one Mac user chose BlackBerry over iPhone, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 05.08. The advantages of OS X, Safari, Mail, and iSync don't outweigh the familiarity of BlackBerry, its excellent software, easily replaceable batteries, and a camera-free option.
500 MHz iMac with Panther great for Internet, watching video, and more, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 05.08. At $65 with upgraded RAM and a bigger hard drive, it was too good to pass up, and it works very nicely with Mac OS X 10.3.
Boomerang: The Blue and White Power Mac G3 that kept coming back, Charles Webb, The Webb Chronicles, 05.08. Over its nine-year lifespan, this Power Mac had at least five owners before it finally gave up the ghost.
Best Intel iMac deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.08. Used 17" 1.83 GHz, $699; 20" 2.16 Core2, $885; refurb 20" 2.16, $949; 2.4, $1,099; 24" 2.16, $1,199; 2.4, $1,399; 2.8, $1,599; Penryn from $1,049 after rebate.
Best 17" PowerBook G4 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.08. Used 17" 1 GHz, $790; 1.33 GHz, $850; 1.5 GHz, $859; 1.67 GHz, $889.
Best Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.08. Mac OS X 10.5.1 single user, $99; 5 users, $139; 10.5 Server, 10 users, $450; unlimited, $899.
More links in our archive.

About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts

Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2008 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice 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.
Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.
Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." 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.
Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, PowerBook, MacBook, 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.