Comments on: So, you just bought a second hand Macintosh http://osxhelp.com/so-you-just-bought-a-second-hand-macintosh/ Insanely Simple Tutorials for the First Time Macintosh User Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:11:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Scott Haneda http://osxhelp.com/so-you-just-bought-a-second-hand-macintosh/#comment-3662 Scott Haneda Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:15:07 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/so-you-just-bought-a-second-hand-macintosh/#comment-3662 @Clinton, if it really is in fact firmware that is making your machine not boot, then simply remove the new memory, update the firmware, and put back in the new memory. I have never in all my time had a firmware update cause me issues with memory. I have seen a system updates not run, and if you force them, before updating firmware, you can render the machine near non repairable. This was limited to the older bubbly imacs though. If you really get a hard lock and the black screen on OS X, Crucial has sent you a bad ram chip, just call them up, they will replace it with no trouble at all. It has been my experience, there is a 10% failure rate with ALL hardware. For example, I ordered 10 macs for a client, one was bad out of the box, if I order 20 hard drives, I know 2 will be bad. It is sort of just how it goes, and I would imagine, the same is true of ram as well. @Clinton, if it really is in fact firmware that is making your machine not boot, then simply remove the new memory, update the firmware, and put back in the new memory.

I have never in all my time had a firmware update cause me issues with memory. I have seen a system updates not run, and if you force them, before updating firmware, you can render the machine near non repairable. This was limited to the older bubbly imacs though.

If you really get a hard lock and the black screen on OS X, Crucial has sent you a bad ram chip, just call them up, they will replace it with no trouble at all.

It has been my experience, there is a 10% failure rate with ALL hardware. For example, I ordered 10 macs for a client, one was bad out of the box, if I order 20 hard drives, I know 2 will be bad. It is sort of just how it goes, and I would imagine, the same is true of ram as well.

]]> By: Clinton http://osxhelp.com/so-you-just-bought-a-second-hand-macintosh/#comment-3661 Clinton Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:11:20 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/so-you-just-bought-a-second-hand-macintosh/#comment-3661 These are fantastic post for everybody, not only users new to Macs. I have been a Mac user for years and still find useful information. Nice job. I am curious about the memory however. I bumped up a Power PC with Crucial memory, only to end up with the blue screen of death. Apparently, firm ware updates weren't compatible. Any suggestions? Thanks again for your web site. Clinton These are fantastic post for everybody, not only users new to Macs. I have been a Mac user for years and still find useful information. Nice job. I am curious about the memory however. I bumped up a Power PC with Crucial memory, only to end up with the blue screen of death. Apparently, firm ware updates weren’t compatible. Any suggestions?
Thanks again for your web site.

Clinton

]]> By: Scott Haneda http://osxhelp.com/so-you-just-bought-a-second-hand-macintosh/#comment-3654 Scott Haneda Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:21:14 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/so-you-just-bought-a-second-hand-macintosh/#comment-3654 @Judie, thats the idea, just keep at it, never be afraid to ask a question, someone here will eventually get back to you :-) @Judie, thats the idea, just keep at it, never be afraid to ask a question, someone here will eventually get back to you :-)

]]> By: Judie http://osxhelp.com/so-you-just-bought-a-second-hand-macintosh/#comment-3351 Judie Sat, 22 Mar 2008 21:39:25 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/so-you-just-bought-a-second-hand-macintosh/#comment-3351 Luckily, when I first started using a Mac back in 2000 I had a Mac guru, just like Scott *G*, who helped me with everything. I had never really understood much about fixing pcs or reinstalling but he INSISTED that I could learn a mac. Well, after a few years of bugging him everytime something went wrong, I could FINALLY figure out how to install my system. Mind you, I wasn't fiddling with it all the time as it was my work computer, so it was only when I had a problem that I'd try. I will say that I loved the feeling of confidence when I knew I could control my own computer. (It was the G3 blue/white with the matching monitor). Since 2004 I have bought a mac mini for my husband, and the last 2 styles of iMac for me new and I LOVE my macs! I feel confident that I could install anything. I still forget the odd basic thing now and then and still hound my guru, but not anywhere near as much. It's a great feeling. Always interesting, as usual, Scott. Judie Luckily, when I first started using a Mac back in 2000 I had a Mac guru, just like Scott *G*, who helped me with everything. I had never really understood much about fixing pcs or reinstalling but he INSISTED that I could learn a mac. Well, after a few years of bugging him everytime something went wrong, I could FINALLY figure out how to install my system. Mind you, I wasn’t fiddling with it all the time as it was my work computer, so it was only when I had a problem that I’d try. I will say that I loved the feeling of confidence when I knew I could control my own computer. (It was the G3 blue/white with the matching monitor). Since 2004 I have bought a mac mini for my husband, and the last 2 styles of iMac for me new and I LOVE my macs! I feel confident that I could install anything. I still forget the odd basic thing now and then and still hound my guru, but not anywhere near as much. It’s a great feeling.

Always interesting, as usual, Scott.

Judie

]]> By: Morgan http://osxhelp.com/so-you-just-bought-a-second-hand-macintosh/#comment-3203 Morgan Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:38:49 +0000 http://osxhelp.com/so-you-just-bought-a-second-hand-macintosh/#comment-3203 I'm glad to see a post like this on here. Though I consider myself fairly knowledgeable when it come to technology in general, I'm a bit new to the Mac scene and buying used is a great way for someone like me to break into the scene. I got a used eMac a few months ago, and it didn't come with any OS discs at all, though it had Tiger (10.4) installed by the reseller. I had considered buying Leopard for it, since I already planned on upgrading the RAM and hard disk, but in the end I went with reinstalling Tiger using a disc set I got from fastmac.com. It came as a bundle with the DVD burner I ordered for it. I know my system could run Leopard but Tiger was what I had back in 2005 when I first tried a Mac and I've always liked it. Just a note of caution to anyone buying a Mac more than two years old: Be prepared to replace any moving parts such as optical drives, hard drives and fans. That's not just a Mac thing; it's commonplace for any computer hardware with moving parts to be of questionable reliability when bought second-hand. My own eMac, for example, had a dying hard drive and Combo drive, which was fine with me since I bought the system with full intentions to upgrade everything I could. Always keep in mind that you often have no idea what kind of environment the machine was operated in before you got it. You generally do best when buying from a friend or co-worker who can give you an honest history report. I bought mine refurbished from a reseller and as I said, had a couple of failing parts. Don't let this scare you away from buying a used Mac though; it almost always ends up paying for itself in the long run. When I get a new iMac this summer I'll be keeping the eMac; it's too good a machine to give up, even if it just ends up being a file server or something like that. I’m glad to see a post like this on here. Though I consider myself fairly knowledgeable when it come to technology in general, I’m a bit new to the Mac scene and buying used is a great way for someone like me to break into the scene. I got a used eMac a few months ago, and it didn’t come with any OS discs at all, though it had Tiger (10.4) installed by the reseller. I had considered buying Leopard for it, since I already planned on upgrading the RAM and hard disk, but in the end I went with reinstalling Tiger using a disc set I got from fastmac.com. It came as a bundle with the DVD burner I ordered for it. I know my system could run Leopard but Tiger was what I had back in 2005 when I first tried a Mac and I’ve always liked it.

Just a note of caution to anyone buying a Mac more than two years old: Be prepared to replace any moving parts such as optical drives, hard drives and fans. That’s not just a Mac thing; it’s commonplace for any computer hardware with moving parts to be of questionable reliability when bought second-hand. My own eMac, for example, had a dying hard drive and Combo drive, which was fine with me since I bought the system with full intentions to upgrade everything I could. Always keep in mind that you often have no idea what kind of environment the machine was operated in before you got it. You generally do best when buying from a friend or co-worker who can give you an honest history report. I bought mine refurbished from a reseller and as I said, had a couple of failing parts.

Don’t let this scare you away from buying a used Mac though; it almost always ends up paying for itself in the long run. When I get a new iMac this summer I’ll be keeping the eMac; it’s too good a machine to give up, even if it just ends up being a file server or something like that.

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