GREAT NEWS!
I got a replacement CD-ROM drive from another G3 iMac on ebay, installed it and it works like a charm! Got it to play a Beatles CD first and now I am booting OS 9 from a disk. I'll be glad to have Panther off of it and OS 9 on it instead.
As far as the monitor connection, yes, it is a DB-15 connector for older Apple monitors. I don't have any other Apple monitors at the moment or connectors so I can't test anything that way. I believe it would boot with with an external monitor but you'd have to leave the bottom case off... the early iMac's do not have a door for the DB-15 connector.
The "noise" is still occurring, but not as long as it used to. It disappears a few seconds after shutdown now, compared to lasting 10 seconds or more (but then again, I haven't had it on a lot today). I was browsing through the system files and it appears the machine was last used actively in 2006, so it has probably sat in storage for 6 or so years. I don't know if it's possible, but that may have something to do with it making the weird noises when off. The PRAM Battery also still holds accurate date and time, only being a few days off when I arrived it. So I would believe that those "last modified" dates are pretty accurate. I think the machine was last used by a home school or a private school, and I know the guy who sold it to me had a bunch of these. Either way though, the shell is in practically new condition... I couldn't imagine it being used much.
I'll throw the 80gig drive back in later tonight and install OS 9, and report back with the results.
I got a replacement CD-ROM drive from another G3 iMac on ebay, installed it and it works like a charm! Got it to play a Beatles CD first and now I am booting OS 9 from a disk. I'll be glad to have Panther off of it and OS 9 on it instead.
As far as the monitor connection, yes, it is a DB-15 connector for older Apple monitors. I don't have any other Apple monitors at the moment or connectors so I can't test anything that way. I believe it would boot with with an external monitor but you'd have to leave the bottom case off... the early iMac's do not have a door for the DB-15 connector.
The "noise" is still occurring, but not as long as it used to. It disappears a few seconds after shutdown now, compared to lasting 10 seconds or more (but then again, I haven't had it on a lot today). I was browsing through the system files and it appears the machine was last used actively in 2006, so it has probably sat in storage for 6 or so years. I don't know if it's possible, but that may have something to do with it making the weird noises when off. The PRAM Battery also still holds accurate date and time, only being a few days off when I arrived it. So I would believe that those "last modified" dates are pretty accurate. I think the machine was last used by a home school or a private school, and I know the guy who sold it to me had a bunch of these. Either way though, the shell is in practically new condition... I couldn't imagine it being used much.
I'll throw the 80gig drive back in later tonight and install OS 9, and report back with the results.