iMac G4 = low specs?

[miller123]

Hi there, I currently have a pc and am quite sick of the amount of problems it has and how much maintainance is required to keep it running.
I am thinking of getting a mac but cannot afford a new one so therefore must go for second hand. I like the look of the iMac G4 although the specs seem relatively low considering it isnt that old. I am mainly conserned about the processor speed which ranges from about 800mhz to 1.25ghz. The pc i have now has a 1.5ghz processor which runs the pc fine but is in no way fast compared to a lot of pcs out there. I dont mind the processor speed being low as long as the mac runs at a good speed. So basically thats my question. Will the OSX (probally tiger) run at a good speed with just a 800mhz processor?
The same question applies to the low ram in these machines which ranges from about 256-512mb. This is again considered relatively low for pcs.
I will mainly be using the mac for internet and music but may start video editing in the future.

Thanks for your help,
Jack

P.S: If anyone could suggest another model that would better suit my needs please do. I have about £400 (a second hand iMac G4 costs about £350)

[Buzz]

For Tiger I'd really suggest at least a 1ghz processor and 512MB of RAM minimum. Obviously a G5 and faster processor would always be better. RAM is fairly cheap , you should always be able to get a machine, then put more RAM in it later, but you can't upgrade processors easily.

You might also think and Refurbished Machines directly from Apple (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/6354003/wo/r24gRwoChYk12CEIIyF1bmclxjg/1.0.0.21.1.0.8.7.1.0.1.1) You can often save hundreds of dollars by going refurbished and they all come with an Apple warranty. I only buy refurbished from Apple, have for decades and they are always solid machines.

[miller123]

Thanks very much for your help. I had a look at the refurbs but they're still out of my price range - i will however reccomend it to a friend who is also gonna buy a mac. Could you please tell me whether you think this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=020&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=300079458213&rd=1&rd=1
is a good deal? the ram would need to be upgraded. £330 = $650.

Thanks again,
Jack

[Buzz]

£330 translates to around $450 USD right?

Doesn't look like a bad machine at all. And the price seems in a good range. I'm just overly cautious about buying electronics from Ebay. No telling if it's actually going to boot up when you get it. iF it does, I'd say it's a great buy.

[miller123]

OK thanks for your help:happy:. I'm gonna have a long hard think about what to do.

Jack