An iMac G4 is resurrected thanks to the adaptation of an M2 chip inside, something unprecedented and which was able to be achieved thanks to the youtuber Action Retro
Today we bring you one of those retro stories that we ourselves would be very happy to experience. For starters, if you’re a retro Mac user, remember the iMac G4? This Mac It was first launched in 2002 and it is already a more than obsolete product.. Today I might be able to create a pure text document if the system still allows it. Now imagine if we mentioned that this Mac can be perfectly usable in 2024. Would you believe it? Very hard to believe but A YouTube content creator managed to bring a 22-year-old Mac back to life using an M2 chip.
Image transmission via HDMI to a 2002 iMac G4 is possible
If you are reading us and are a user with sufficient hardware knowledge, you will know that it is possible to make an iMac’s screen function as an external display. The YouTuber Action Retro, with enough experience in this field, took apart an iMac G4 so I could use a Mac mini M2 inside. Is amazing how a computer from the turn of the millennium can still work and with some young people inside.
Thanks to the following video posted on their channel, you will see what the whole process looks like. In the first part, it shows the interior change of the iMacin which the 20-inch screen is kept as an external source. This was made possible thanks to a custom plate created by Juicy Crumb Systemswho were also responsible for encouraging Sean to carry out this complex procedure.
Using the original iMac G4 board and connecting cables Shows how to activate the screen and use it as an HDMI input. It connected to a Mac mini M2, a Windows PC, and even a Steam Deck.
Could you really use a refurbished iMac G4 with M2 chip?
The interesting part comes later. Carry out massive cable and welding work, Sean was able to give the iMac a completely new and permanent interior. Some interiors of the old equipment were removed, such as the optical drive and many cables that would no longer be useful. New power supply and wiring were added with the M2 chip component.
The M2 chip remains in place of an optical drive
The experience you get from doing this is completely unparalleled.. The last step to complete the process is install the software provided with the Juicy Crumb Systems card. With this, the brightness can be leveled and the screen will also support firmware for any graphics needs. Even though it’s not an IPS screen, it looks like a new iMac with a fairly striking body (which we remember marked a generation of devices).
Who is (Sean) Action Retro?
The video is 16 minutes long but this procedure takes a lot of time.. This is a complex task that only someone with the knowledge and skills can accomplish. If you visit both the Action Retro website and YouTube channel, you will notice that it is a specialist in refinishing old computersmainly Macintosh.
The iMac G4 is fully usable after several internal modifications
He loves the PowerPC era of Macs in the 90s and much of his work comes from Patreon donations and merchandise sales. Old equipment arrives precisely thanks to anonymous donors. He is ready to cover the shipping costs of the items you are interested in. If you have a PowerPC Mac with its accessories, Macintosh 68k (Macintosh Plus from 1986, Sun and SGI architectures, among curiosities like old Linux articles, you can contact him by email.
Last important observation, both the card capable of ensuring video transmission via HDMI and the implementation of the M2 chip are entirely reversible. Sean says any trained user can perform the procedure and return it to its original state.. After this great achievement, it would be difficult to imagine someone who would want to return the state of immobility to a team that no longer works on the most basic tasks. phoenix.
If you had the necessary items, the iMac G4 and the Mac mini with an M1 or M2 chip, as well as the knowledge… would you perform this procedure?
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