Will update from os 8.6 to 10.4 keep aplications?

[Neil H.]

I just bought a used IMac (Power PC G3, 333MHz). I then bought a Wacom Graphire 4 tablet, but it requires Mac OS 10.2.8 or greater.... So I would like to update from the 8.6 of this machine to OS 10.4. Here are my questions:
1. Can I update without losing the applications (I don't want to lose the Illustraitor program)?
2. Is this PC strong enough to handle OS 10.4?

I am new at Mac and only at the very beginnnings of understanding them.

[RacerX]

Originally Posted by Neil H.

1. Can I update without losing the applications (I don't want to lose the Illustraitor program)?

You can update without losing the application... but you won't be able to use the application in Mac OS X (at least not without Classic which requires having Mac OS 9.2.x).

2. Is this PC strong enough to handle OS 10.4?

10.4? Yes (but it is not supported on that system, 10.2 or 10.3 would be better). Graphics applications within 10.4? Probably not.

While the tablet issue is going to be a hard one to get around, if you are just getting started in graphic design and are on a budget you may want to stay with Mac OS 8.6 on that system for a while. Here is why... applications for that system are very inexpensive now.

To give you an idea... I have a PowerBook 3400c running Mac OS 8.6. I use this system as a training system (both for myself and I have loaned it out to people for that purpose). On this system I have:

Adobe Acrobat 5.0.5
Adobe Dimensions 1.0
Adobe GoLive 5.0
Adobe Illustrator 8.0
Adobe LiveMotion 1.0
Adobe PageMaker 6.5 (also Aldus PageMaker 5.0a)
Adobe PageMill 3.0
Adobe Photoshop 5.5
Adobe ImageReady 2.0
Adobe Premiere 5.1
Adobe Type Manager Deluxe 4.6
Corel Graphics 8 LE (free download from the link, includes CorelDRAW and CorelPHOTO-PAINT)
Corel WordPerfect 3.5e (free download from the link, and from here)
AppleWorks 6.2.8
iTunes 1.0
Quicktime Pro 5.0.2
ClarisDRAW 1.0
FileMaker Pro 5.0
Microsoft Office 98 (also Microsoft Word 5.1a)
Fractal Design Painter 5.0
Fractal Design Bryce 3D
QuarkXPress 3.32
QuarkXPress 4.11
Strata VideoShop 4.0
Strata Vision 3D 4.0
Macromedia Flash 5.0
SoundEdit Pro 16 2.0.7
Sound Studio 2.0.7
Now Up-to-Date & Contact 3.6.5
Mathematica 2.2.2
Theorist 2.01

and I own all that software... but I didn't buy all of it (or even most of it) new. But most the primary features of those titles are still the primary features of todays versions. Plus your system is more than twice as fast as my PowerBook 3400c.

And the software that I actually use to make money (that is, it pays for itself) is the software I have newer versions of for Mac OS X. But I still have access to software I need to know without paying for the latest and greatest versions of them.

Basically, it may be a good idea to stay at Mac OS 8.6 for now.

[MisterMe]

Originally Posted by Neil H.

... So I would like to update from the 8.6 of this machine to OS 10.4. Here are my questions:
1. Can I update without losing the applications (I don't want to lose the Illustraitor program)?
2. Is this PC strong enough to handle OS 10.4?

....

You can run most of your MacOS 8 applications under MacOS X. However, I strongly recommend that you update MacOS 8.6 to MacOS 9.2.2. If you do, then you will be able to boot MacOS 9 or to run MacOS 9 applications under Classic.

[Mikuro]

You would need to upgrade to OS 9 first for two reasons:

1. You cannot run "Classic" (OS 9 and below) apps in OS X without having OS 9 installed, as RacerX mentioned.
2. You will need to install Firmware updates before installing OS X, and I think those firmware updates require OS 9.

Keep in mind that running OS 8-9 apps within OS X is...er, not great. They do not integrate right into OS X; they run in the "Classic" environment. Basically, 'classic' Mac OS apps are second-class citizens in the world of OS X, in a big way. It's also possible your tablet wouldn't work in classic apps even with OS X installed. So, if you upgrade to OS X, plan on getting OS X software to do most, if not all, of your work.

As for whether the system is powerful enough, I'd need more info to say for sure. Processor-wise, it could chug along. It would be slow, but usable.

More important than the processor is the RAM and disk. I think your iMac only has a 6GB HD, which is barely even enough for a basic OS X installation, let alone apps and files. Also, if the system only has OS 8 on it right now, I'd bet that it doesn't have nearly enough RAM for OS X. It might have as little as 32MB, and OS X requires 128MB as the bare minimum (and 256 is the practical minimum, IMO).


So, I have to agree with RacerX — 8.6 might be your best bet on the system.