So, you just bought a second hand Macintosh
Written by: Scott Haneda on Friday March 21st 2008, 12:10 am
Filed under: Hardware, OS X 10.4, OS X 10.5
With every post, I am getting emails or comments from users who are experiencing some small technical problems. I am learning there is one common thread amongst these users.
They have all bought a used Macintosh. Whether it was from eBay, a friend, or a donation, one way or another, they have a less than brand new machine.
Nothing wrong with this at all, everyone needs to eventually get a Mac. I would like to take this time to explain what you need to do to your newly acquired computer, to make sure it is trouble free.
Check specifications
Figure out what machine you actually have. Sure, you know it is an iMac, but there are many. Depending on what version it is, depends on how forward you can take the operating system, and how much memory you can put in it.
You can look up your computer in the Apple Spec Database.
Get current
According to Apple, in order to run OS X 10.5 Leopard, you need at least:
- Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor
- 512MB of memory
- DVD drive for installation
- 9GB of available disk space
As long as you meet those requirements, you are good to go and should buy a copy of OS X 10.5 Leopard.
Your computer very well may have came with a copy already; just look at the DVD it came with, if it says 10.5 or Leopard on it, you are fine, and need not buy anything.
Make sure you have enough memory
While Apple likes to tell you that 512MB of memory is enough, I would say, bare minimum is 1GB. You can certainly buy the RAM and try to install it yourself, however, since this site is targeted to beginners, I would suggest taking it to a local Mac shop. I would strongly suggest not using the Apple Store, as their RAM prices are generally double or more going rate.
Wipe it clean
This is the most important part, and it has nothing to do with Windex or 409. Even if the previous owner claims that they did a new fresh install of the operating system, I would still be inclined to do it again yourself.
Not only will you learn how to install the operating system if you ever need to, you will now know for 100% sure that there is nothing malicious on the computer.
The process is simple, put the installer DVD in, and follow the on screen instructions to perform a full clean installation.
Make absolute certain that any data you personally have put on your computer is backed up in some way. You can use a DVD, a USB thumb drive, or any other portable media.
Once the new installation is done, just copy your personal data back; you now have a truly new computer, at least as far as the software is concerned.
Be good
Sometimes, you will find that the person you bought your computer from left all their data on it. I have found banking information, pictures, and other sensitive data.
Give the seller a call; ask them if they are aware of the mistake, and if they have a backup. If they have a backup, just ignore their data; it will be wiped clean when you do a new operating system install.
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.
Comment by Morgan 03.21.08 @ 11:38 amLuckily, 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
Comment by Judie 03.22.08 @ 1:39 pm@Judie, thats the idea, just keep at it, never be afraid to ask a question, someone here will eventually get back to you 
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
Comment by Clinton 03.26.08 @ 5:11 am@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.
Comment by Scott Haneda 03.26.08 @ 5:15 am
RSS Feed
