Bluetooth and AirPort Extreme are standard features on the Mid 2005 iMac G5. Join our iMac Group or iMacs & eMacs Forum. Our Mac OS 9 Group is for those using Mac OS 9, either natively or in Classic Mode. Our Tiger Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.4. Our Leopard Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6. An iMac G5 could make a great homework machine. With OS X Tiger, install Camino as your fast go-to browser and TenFourFox (currently at version 38.2) as your workhorse. With OS X Leopard, add Stainless as a good, fast, more up-to-date alternative to Camino, and Aurora (a Leopard-only build of TenFourFox 20) for heavier lifting. The Power Mac G5 is a series of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. From 2003 to 2006 as part of the Power Mac series. When introduced, it was the most powerful computer in Apple's Macintosh lineup, and was marketed by the company as the world's first 64-bit desktop computer. It was also the first desktop computer from Apple to use an anodized aluminum.
So, you’ve decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you may have noticed your Mac’s performance went down right after the last update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual machine, you too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Further down we’ll explain where to get one and what problems you may face down the road.
A list of all Mac OS X versions
We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline.
Cheetah 10.0 | Puma 10.1 | Jaguar 10.2 |
Panther 10.3 | Tiger 10.4 | Leopard 10.5 |
Snow Leopard 10.6 | Lion 10.7 | Mountain Lion 10.8 |
Mavericks 10.9 | Yosemite 10.10 | El Capitan 10.11 |
Sierra 10.12 | High Sierra 10.13 | Mojave 10.14 |
Catalina 10.15 |
STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation
Given your Mac isn’t new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough free space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the OS itself but also space for other applications and your user data. One more argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual memory so your apps have “fuel” to operate on. The chart below tells you how much free space is needed.
Note, that it is recommended that you install OS on a clean drive. Next, you will need enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free up space on your drive:
- Uninstall large unused apps
- Empty Trash Bin and Downloads
- Locate the biggest files on your computer:
Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.
If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.
If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.10 - 10.14 (free version)
STEP 2. Get a copy of Mac OS X download
Normally, it is assumed that updating OS is a one-way road. That’s why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The main challenge is to download the OS installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. If you succeed in downloading the OS installation, your next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your computer.
How to download older Mac OS X versions via the App Store
If you once had purchased an old version of Mac OS X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you’ll find all the installers you can download. However, it doesn’t always work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to check it:
- Click the App Store icon.
- Click Purchases in the top menu.
- Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
- Click Download.
This method allows you to download Mavericks and Yosemite by logging with your Apple ID — only if you previously downloaded them from the Mac App Store.
Without App Store: Download Mac OS version as Apple Developer
If you are signed with an Apple Developer account, you can get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you desperately need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. The membership cost is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that if you visit developer.apple.com/downloads, you can only find 10.3-10.6 OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.7, the App Store has become the only source of updating Apple OS versions.
Purchase an older version of Mac operating system
You can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac OS X directly from Apple. Both will cost you around $20. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only be installed from DVD.
Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8
The email edition comes with a special download code you can use for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Lion or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard so you can install the newer OS on top of it.
How to get macOS El Capitan download
If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it’s possible too. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X 10.6.8. So, here are main steps you should take:
1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.
“I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X”
If you have a newer Mac, there is no physical option to install Mac OS versions older than your current Mac model. For instance, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don’t expect it to run any OS released prior of that time, because older Apple OS versions simply do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.
But as it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a chance to download the installation file if you have an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, set up a virtual machine running Lion. Then you will need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.
After you’ve completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Cancel and copy the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to do it.
STEP 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive
The following method allows you to download Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.
- Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
- Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
- Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
- Select external drive as a source.
- Enter your Apple ID.
Now the OS should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, but at this point, you should completely shut it down. Now that the installation file is “captured” onto your external drive, you can reinstall the OS, this time running the file on your Mac.
- Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
- Connect the external drive.
- Go to external drive > OS X Install Data.
Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Lion OS X. The same steps are valid for Mountain Lion and Mavericks.
How to downgrade a Mac running later macOS versions
If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are not satisfied with the experience. You can do it either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS High Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Mojave
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina
Before you do it, the best advice is to back your Mac up so your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to do it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for free here).
Visit your local Apple Store to download older OS X version
If none of the options to get older OS X worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should have image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. You can also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here you are. We hope this article has helped you to download an old version of Mac OS X. Below are a few more links you may find interesting.
These might also interest you:
The PowerPC platform had a long life on Macs. The first Power Macs arrived on March 14, 1994, 10 years after the first Mac – the Power Mac 6100, 7100, and 8100, running the PowerPC 601 CPU at speeds of 60, 66, and 80 MHz respectively. The PowerPC G5 came to the iMac in August 2004, over a decade after that.
The 2004 iMac G5
The G5 iMac introduced a new form factor to the all-in-one Mac. Where early Macs had been cute little boxes with 9″ screens, the first iMacs were curvaceous enclosures with 15″ displays, and the G4 iMacs had hemispheric bases with 15″ to 20″ screens that seemed to float above them, the iMac G5 put all the electronics directly behind the display. Not counting the stand, it was about 2.5″ thick.
The Mid 2004 iMac G5 came in 17″ and 20″ versions, using the same IBM PowerPC 970fx (G5) CPU that had already been used in the first generation Power Mac G5s (June 2003) as well as the second (April 2004). The iMac G5 has a single CPU – 1.6 and 1.8 GHz on the 17″ model and 1.8 GHz on the 20-incher.
Unlike top-end Power Macs that have a memory bus running at half of CPU speed, the G5 iMacs ran their memory bus at one-third of CPU speed, making them a bit less efficient. Here’s how benchmark results compare the August 2005 iMacs with the June 2004 Power Macs using the same speed CPUs:
- 17″ 1.6 GHz iMac, 842
- 1.6 GHz Power Mac, 918
- 17″ 1.8 GHz iMac, 985
- 20″ 1.8 GHz iMac, 985
- 1.8 GHz Power Mac, 1047
In each case, the Power Mac G5 has a performance edge over the iMac G5 – 9% at 1.6 GHz and 6% at 1.8 GHz.
By way of comparison to previous iMacs, the 1.25 GHz 17″ iMac G4 scores 631, while the 20″ model comes in at 616. The entry-level 17″ 1.6 GHz iMac G5 has about one-third more power than the G4 it replaced, while the 20″ 1.8 GHz G5 sees a 60% gain in processing power.
Several factors contribute to this improvement. The iMac G5 clock speed is 28-44% faster to begin with. The memory bus runs at 533 or 600 MHz vs. 167 MHz – over three times as fast. The G4 has a 64 KB Level 1 cache and a 256 KB Level 2 cache as part of the CPU plus a 2 MB Level 3 cache. The G5 has a Level 1 cache with 64 KB for instructions and 32 KB for data as well as a 512 KB Level 2 cache on the CPU. There is no need for a Level 3 cache with its faster memory bus.
The 1.5 GB/s SATA drive bus in the iMac is 50% faster than Ultra ATA/100 in the G4, although the drives installed at the factory are unlikely to saturate that bus. All 17″ and 20″ G4 iMacs support up to 2 GB of system memory, as do the first two generations of iMac G5.
Curiously, all G5 iMac use Ultra ATA/133 for their optical drive – faster than the Ultra ATA/100 used for optical drives in the Power Mac G5!
For expansion, the Power Mac G5 has three USB 2.0 ports and two FireWire 400 ports, as well as analog audio-in and audio-out.
As for resolution, all 17″ G5 iMacs sport a 1440 x 900 pixel display, while the 20″ versions use a 1680 x 1050 screen. First generation G5 iMacs use Nvidia GeForce graphics and shipped with OS X 10.3.5 Panther. Bluetooth and AirPort Extreme were optional.
The Mid 2005 iMac G5
Apple moved the iMac G5 speed forward by 200 MHz in May 2005, putting 1.8 GHz and 2.0 GHz CPUs in the 17″ model and 2.0 GHz in the 20″. The new models replaced Nvidia graphics with Radeon 9600 and 128 MB of dedicated video memory.
New to the iMac was the Ambient Light Sensor, which adjusts screen brightness to its surroundings. 802.11g AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0 were now standard features, as was Gigabit Ethernet.
These were the first iMacs to ship with OS X 10.4 Tiger.
The Late 2005 iMac G5 Gets iSight
Apple shook the Macintosh world by announcing in June 2005 that it would switch from PowerPC chips to Intel x86 CPUs “within a year”. Those of use using Macs were stunned. Apple had long touted the advantages of its PowerPC RISC CPUs against Intel’s x86 architecture. Now it was poised to follow the PC world.
Apple didn’t quit introducing new PowerPC models right away. We assumed the Intel transition wouldn’t take place until May or June 2006. It came months before that in January 2006, but that didn’t keep Apple from introducing one last generation of G5 iMacs in October 2005.
This time there were only two models – a 1.9 GHz 17″ iMac G5 and a 2.1 GHz 20″ iMac G5. New features included a built-in iSight webcam (a Mac first) and 512 MB of system memory on the logic board, allowing for a maximum of 2.5 GB. Graphics were upgraded to Radeon 9600 Pro.
These were the only G5 iMacs with an infrared sensor for use with Apple’s Remote Control, which was included with the computer and designed to control Apple’s new Front Row media center software. The Late 2005 iMac is also thinner than the earlier models.
Operating System
All G5 iMacs can run OS X 10.4 Tiger and 10.5 Leopard, the last version of OS X to support PowerPC Macs.
Tiger runs decently with 512 MB of memory, while Leopard really wants 1 GB. Tiger supports Classic Mode, which allows you to use software that runs under Mac OS 9. Leopard has no support for Classic Mode.
In general, Tiger will run faster than Leopard on PowerPC Macs, but with Leopard you will have access to some newer software that isn’t compatible with Tiger. Unless you need to run something that requires one OS or the other, you should find both run very well on G5 Macs.
My preference is to configured G5 Macs with both, using a smaller partition (perhaps 1/4 of the hard drive) for Tiger and the rest for Leopard. Since there are some more modern browsers for Leopard that are not compatible with Tiger, I usually run Leopard – but should I need it, Tiger is available to me with a restart.
Expansion Options
Hard Drives and SSD
All G5 iMacs support one internal SATA hard drive.
Bear in mind that you cannot use hard drives larger than 2 TB with any PowerPC Mac. This is a limitation of the Apple Partition Map (APM), which is required on any drive that will boot a PowerPC Mac. This applies equally to internal drives, SCSI drives, USB drives, FireWire drives, eSATA drives, and even shared Mac volumes on your network.
For all-out speed, you can use a Solid State Drive (SSD), and its performance will only be limited by the speed of the iMac’s 1.5 GB/s SATA bus. OWC is currently selling it Mercury Electro SATA Rev. 2 SSDs for the following prices:
- 60 GB, $42.99
- 120 GB, $64.99
- 240 GB, $112.99
- 480 GB, $187.99
- 960 GB, $344.99
I wouldn’t recommend the 480 GB or larger drive in a G5 iMac unless you had a very specific reason for it. These machines almost always sell for under $100 on the used market.
![Mac Os X For Imac G5 Mac Os X For Imac G5](/uploads/1/2/6/4/126406269/130219224.jpg)
If you need a lot of capacity, look at 7200 rpm hard drives, which start at about $60 for 1 TB. A 2 TB drive should cost under $100, and that’s the highest capacity a PowerPC Mac can handle.
Memory
We used to say you can never have too much memory, and with memory this reasonably priced, I suggest you just go ahead and do the 2 GB upgrade.
Here are current prices from OWC:
Mid 2004 and Mid 2005 iMacs
- 1 GB: $17.49
- 2 GB: $25.79
Late 2005 iSight iMacs
- 1 GB: $11.99
- 2 GB: $20.79
And What Will You Do with It?
An iMac G5 could make a great homework machine. With OS X Tiger, install Camino as your fast go-to browser and TenFourFox (currently at version 38.2) as your workhorse. With OS X Leopard, add Stainless as a good, fast, more up-to-date alternative to Camino, and Aurora (a Leopard-only build of TenFourFox 20) for heavier lifting.
Mac Os X For Imac G5 Pro
For word processing and spreadsheets, I’m still a huge fan of AppleWorks. You should be able to pick up a copy of version 6.x for $20 or less on eBay. A good free writing tool is the Bean word processor, which I use for quick writing tasks.
If you’re using Google Docs and Google Sheets at work or school, you’ll be happy to know that you can access your files and work on them from a G4 or G5 iMac and TenFourFox or Aurora.
If you’re a Microsoft Office fan, Office: 2008 is the last version compatible with PowerPC Macs. It runs just fine on these iMacs, although it is a bit bloated – an issue with almost every edition of Office ever released. Used copies are very cheap on eBay, especially the Student &Teacher edition, and you’ll pay about $75 for a fresh copy. Nice if you need 100% Microsoft compatibility, but I’ve survived without it for years.
A decent replacement is LibreOffice, which is no longer being developed for PowerPC, OS X Tiger, or OS X Leopard. LibreOffice 4.0.6.2 is the last version to support Tiger on PowerPC, and version 4.3 is the last for Leopard on PowerPC, but I’ve been unable to find a link anywhere. LibreOffice makes it difficult to find anything except for the latest version on its website. (The current version of LibreOffice requires OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion or later.)
LibreOffice is a decent free alternative to Microsoft Office, although it is slow to load even on a fast Mac. See Speed Up LibreOffice on Your Mac for tips on getting a bit more performance from this powerful freeware.
Mac Os X For Imac G5 Specs
Older versions of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements will run nicely, and there is also iTunes included with OS X – an older, less cluttered, more intuitive, nicer to work with reminder of how wonderful iTunes used to be.
Low End Mac will be putting a couple of these up for sale in the near future.
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