A typical webchat at my work:

Ishcabittle

Member
Note that I changed my name to "Cody DeMatteis", who I found randomly on the net to be the son of the guy who helped do Silver Surfer.

[14:06:52] Cody DeMatteis: Hello Mike, what can I do for you?
[14:07:44] mike alston: yeah i have a g 4 and i got tiger softwear and it wont load on the computer
[14:07:58] Cody DeMatteis: What kind of G4 do you have?
[14:08:20] mike alston: i was wonderingdesktop
[14:08:35] mike alston: sorry desktop
[14:08:41] Cody DeMatteis: You have a G4 tower? Or is it an iMac G4?
[14:09:33] mike alston: what the diffenfece is there
[14:10:00] Cody DeMatteis: One is just the tower, the iMac is the computer and flat-panel monitor in one.
[14:10:12] mike alston: sorry difference
[14:10:21] mike alston: it the tower
[14:10:30] Cody DeMatteis: Does your tower have a DVD drive?
[14:10:38] mike alston: cause ive got a seperted screen
[14:10:44] mike alston: yes
[14:10:45] Cody DeMatteis: What's the MHz of the tower?
[14:11:38] mike alston: i dont know because i can play dvds out the regular drive
[14:12:17] mike alston: i dont realy know any thing about computers
[14:13:28] Cody DeMatteis: If you click on the apple menu and select "About this Mac" you can see the MHz value
[14:14:05] mike alston: ok one moment
[14:15:15] mike alston: 400 mhz
[14:15:24] mike alston: i think
[14:15:47] Cody DeMatteis: Ok, so you should be able to run Tiger... how are you going about loading it onto the computer?
[14:16:21] mike alston: i just installed it and it said it could run on this computer
[14:16:31] mike alston: it said alert
[14:16:53] mike alston: i bout the i books for the g4
[14:17:20] mike alston: sorry couldnt run
[14:18:02] Cody DeMatteis: So you put the disk in the drive, opened the disk, clicked on restart?
[14:18:19] mike alston: yes
[14:18:29] Cody DeMatteis: What happened after restart?
[14:19:50] mike alston: the computer restarted and the program started and it asked me the langues and i selected and the program came up and it said alerted
[14:21:07] Cody DeMatteis: So after you selected language it came to the screen where you decide what volume to install onto, but there was an alert?
[14:21:27] mike alston: yes
[14:22:09] Cody DeMatteis: The alert usually comes when you are installing an earlier version of the OS, or there isn't enough disk space left. Do you know how much disk space you have?
[14:22:58] mike alston: well i just restored the computer after the alert so it should have disk space
[14:23:29] Cody DeMatteis: What do you mean by restored? Did you delete things from the HD?
[14:23:31] mike alston: should i try it again now or
[14:24:15] Cody DeMatteis: First, I would check to see how much free disk space you have
[14:24:24] mike alston: well i put a restore disk in and then i reinstalled the oringanal
[14:24:31] mike alston: softwear
[14:24:44] mike alston: ok one moment please
[14:25:41] mike alston: i have 996 mb
[14:25:57] Cody DeMatteis: That's why Tiger won't install
[14:26:15] Cody DeMatteis: You'll have to remove at least 5 GB of storage before you can install Tiger.
[14:26:19] mike alston: but im only useing 506 or somthing
[14:26:26] mike alston: how
[14:26:46] mike alston: do i remove it
[14:26:47] Cody DeMatteis: Wait, so is your HD's total capacity 996MB and you've used 506MB?
[14:27:11] mike alston: yeah im useing 506
[14:28:02] mike alston: what should i do
[14:28:03] Cody DeMatteis: If that's the case you will need a much larger hard drive in order to install Tiger... did they not explain the requirments at the store?
[14:28:24] Cody DeMatteis: You will have to purchase and install a new HD to get the space you need to install...
[14:28:57] mike alston: were do i get it
[14:29:11] mike alston: cause no they didnt exsplain that
[14:29:27] Cody DeMatteis: Best Buy, Microcenter, Circuit City, CompUSA
[14:29:46] mike alston: what kind of hd do in need
[14:29:47] Cody DeMatteis: Anywhere you can purchase computer equipment will have a hard drive for you.
[14:30:05] Cody DeMatteis: you will need an ATA hard drive, no bigger than 120GB
[14:30:41] mike alston: how much do those cost
[14:30:56] mike alston: if you would happen to know
[14:31:19] mike alston: how do you installe that hard drive
[14:32:03] Cody DeMatteis: They would probably run you around $80-100, and installing is a little too complicated to explain over text.
[14:32:16] Cody DeMatteis: I'll find you a link to the Apple website that may have diagrams.
[14:32:27] mike alston: ok thank
[14:35:11] Cody DeMatteis: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58703
[14:35:55] Cody DeMatteis: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=24342
[14:36:15] mike alston: ok one more question
[14:36:26] mike alston: i have a tower rigth
[14:36:38] Cody DeMatteis: Shoot.
[14:37:26] mike alston: cause a imac is like a lab top
[14:37:48] Cody DeMatteis: No, an iMac is a desktop, it just has the display built in...
[14:38:17] Cody DeMatteis: iMac G4
[14:38:19] Cody DeMatteis: http://www.sami.com.tn/imagesproduits\iMac G4.jpg
[14:38:59] mike alston: im sorry then that must be what i have
[14:39:00] Cody DeMatteis: Powermac
[14:39:02] Cody DeMatteis: http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006FMXG.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
[14:40:04] mike alston: i must be like the worst computer person in the world
[14:40:31] Cody DeMatteis: No, don't think that, there've been worse
[14:40:37] mike alston: i got an imac g4
[14:41:18] mike alston: i got it from a friend so didnt really know any thing a macs sorry
[14:41:35] Cody DeMatteis: Ok, then you may have enough space for Tiger, you would just have to delete enough information off of the HD.
[14:42:25] mike alston: but would like change the reason why tiger wont work or it probley be the same answer
[14:42:40] mike alston: ok what do i have to deleted
[14:43:00] mike alston: everything
[14:43:03] Cody DeMatteis: With the amount of space you have left on the HD, the answer would be the same. It's up to you as to what to delete, you have to decide what you need and what you don't.
[14:43:10] mike alston: or is there a certain thing
[14:43:14] Cody DeMatteis: You shouldn't delete anything in the root level of the HD
[14:43:38] Cody DeMatteis: nor should you delete any of the following folders: Application, System, User, Library
[14:44:04] mike alston: ok do you think it would be worth it to just get that hd
[14:44:10] Cody DeMatteis: If there is a lot of digital video, you could get rid of some of that, if there was a great deal of digital music, etc.
[14:44:40] Cody DeMatteis: Well, now that I know that you have an iMac and not a Powermac, you would need to get an external HD, something like this:
[14:45:10] mike alston: i didnt load antthing but the mac softwear
[14:45:11] Cody DeMatteis: http://www.cheap-laptop-and-used-laptop-review.com/FireWire-hard-drive.jpg
[14:46:07] mike alston: my computer is a big squre box and then a sperted monitor
[14:46:24] Cody DeMatteis: What?
[14:47:37] mike alston: one moment
[14:48:18] mike alston: its not a lab top its a desk top
[14:48:35] Cody DeMatteis: Right, we've got that part.
[14:49:01] mike alston: ok good so how many types of desktops are there
[14:49:05] Cody DeMatteis: If it's a big square box, it's probably a PowerMac, but one thing to note is that an external HD would work with either
[14:49:34] mike alston: ok so i need an external HD
[14:49:47] Cody DeMatteis: As far as different types of Apple desktops, there are just two, the iMac and the Powermac. Each type has many different subclasses, however.
[14:49:57] Cody DeMatteis: An external HD would do the trick.
[14:50:15] mike alston: OK WERE DO I PICK THAT UP
[14:50:29] mike alston: sorry about the caps
[14:51:11] Cody DeMatteis: Like I said, Best Buy, Circuit City, any place where electronics are sold.
[14:51:28] mike alston: and how much GbZ would i need with that
[14:51:42] Cody DeMatteis: I'm sorry, what is GbZ?
[14:51:47] mike alston: 120 gbz would still work
[14:51:54] Cody DeMatteis: GB?
[14:52:01] mike alston: yaeh
[14:52:03] Cody DeMatteis: You could go as low as 60GB
[14:52:16] Cody DeMatteis: but anything from 60GB on up would be fine.
[14:52:27] mike alston: what would you recomend
[14:52:46] mike alston: ok then it would load rigth up
[14:53:07] Cody DeMatteis: I don't have a preference, get the best bang for your buck.
[14:53:21] mike alston: cody thak you you've been so kind
[14:53:22] Cody DeMatteis: You would just have to then tell Tiger to install to the external HD.
[14:53:30] Cody DeMatteis: It's been a pleasure!
[14:53:39] mike alston: thank you
[14:53:46] Cody DeMatteis: You are most welcome.
[14:54:40] mike alston has left the session.
[14:54:40] Additional comments will be added to the log, but will not be seen by the customer.

Seriously, just give up on the computer. Seriously.
 

CaptainWacky

I want to smell dark matter
...it wasn't plugged in!
 

Mirah

I love you
Im sorry Ish, I was going to respond, then I didn't know what to say, except to lol.
How ya doin?
 

Mirah

I love you
y'know my IT techs at work are really cool, they know how to tell you things, and not make you feel dumb, and they do a good job, its nice.
But the other techs-the ones that fix the machines-they always ask you stuff you don't know, I mean if they wanted me to fix it-train me on how to-or just come down and fix it. OH well. I always ask them questions anyway so that I may better understand what they want when I call them with a problem.
I am just rambling Ish.
 

Ishcabittle

Member
Well, the thing is this guy started a chat without knowing what type of computer he is running. I understand that Macs are different to people that have never used them before... but if he got it from a friend, why not ask the friend what kind of computer it is when you get it? Why not WRITE IT DOWN?

Whatever. I'm home, I'm high, I'm over it.
 

CaptainWacky

I want to smell dark matter
Space balls.
 
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