I know this is a forum about Canadian lifestyle & culture, but you lot are the biggest bunch of Mac users I know!! So give it a rest already ...

Anyway ... I want to build a Mac that I can run OSX on so that I can get Mac certified ... no commercial or career reason - my kids' school uses Macs and I want at least one at home for them to play with.

Two questions:
Do Mac motherboards have conventional connectors - can I use a regular PC type case or do I need a special Mac case?
If they do, any idea what the minimum spec system I need to run OSX.

I'm looking on ebay at the moment and trying to work out what my shopping list looks like ...

Q1. Don't know about the connectors/case as I have no experience messing inside a PC. The Mac G3 and G4 vary quite a lot in internal build as 'the workings' were designed to fit into a variety of case shapes so I think it might be a bit messy putting one together from 'bits and pieces'.
Q2. If you are just going to potter with the odd look at the web then a G3 or G4 with a 400 or 500Mhz CPU, 512Mb of RAM and a 40Mb drive will do. If you want it to work well with OSX and use it seriously I would suggest you need a G4 with at least a 1Ghz clock, 768Mb RAM and 1Gig drive.

You're describing the fundamental problem with Macs ... I can build you a PC system from any old scrap bits & pieces purchased from a second hand hardware shop ... you just can't do the same with a Mac!!

I appreciate you want to tinker around inside for career purposes but as a Mac user of some 16yrs I don't understand or care what's in there, I'm just happy it works how it should, every single time. This is the whole point for the average non-techie Mac user

It's the same for the average non-techie PC user don't y'know

I've been looking deeply into Mac hardware (excuse the pun) ... the technology isn't that different when you get down to the board level ... they use the exact same technology as PC's ... but you Mac guys don't want to hear that do you??? ROFL ...

It's all just Mr Jobs trying to preserve the mystique of his brand

You can build a Mac from bits, but you have to be very careful about which bits you get and it's often not worth the effort. Apple likes to change the motherboard form factor and connector pinouts all the time.

That said, you may want to take a look at this
if you're a glutton for punishment. Otherwise, try to find a used machine..

-Paul

Unbelieveable.....McGrouch...the man who swore up, down and sideways that he would never, ever touch or think about using a Mac has changed his tune....knew eventually we would even persuade you to come over to the winning side.

You got that right eh......

Nah, you're pulling my leg Any PC friend I have is always muttering about <insert complicated things I don't understand here> that they need to get their machine running again and/or properly. They also have a deep understanding of viruses and adware/spyware whereas I am a complete novice in those areas.

Hope you get the bits you need and make lovely a machine!

Biiiiink

Yea you are quite correct but with the ‘modern stuff’ I don’t see it as a problem – just look for the spec you want and buy it cheap on eBay.

Mac’s were always expensive – you get what you pay for – and the bits inside were always a damn site more expensive and what you could get from a second hand shop was always dead beyond redemption so why bother.

In 'the good old days' of the Quadra Mac's, ie before the dawning of OSX and the Power Mac series, you could make one from bits and pieces and a bit of soldering. I worked on Mac’s way back BHD (before hard drives - and when programmers had to get it right and run in 8K of memory) and P.C’s were a joke so the odd Mac motherboard etc left lying around was always put to good use heh heh.

Ooops didn’t mean to sound like a BOF then but a bit of nostalgia and “I’m just sittin’ here reminiscing� crept in there.

I stopped at a PC recycling place on the way home - he said he gets Mac's in regularly - the only one he had knocking around today was a 100MHz PowerMac - $50 seemed a bit expensive to me.

I'll check around garage sales when it warms up a bit - there's usually some stuff available.

Find me that quote

I still think they're overpriced for what you get ...

[QUOTE=Glaswegian]Find me that quote

They're are just SO many to choose from..........

[QUOTE=willmore] Oh yeah????

Well go find one if there's that damn many!!!!

Just taking tips from Iain :scared:

Arf arf arf arf ... can you tell it's Friday yet??

Personally, I think you need to be brought down a peg or two. You're getting a little to big for your britches and enjoying yourself far to much these days.......