iMovie 08 onwards on a G4 iBook

Everything Ive read on the web says that a G4 will not run iMovie after HD6. I've found this to be true in that when I install iLife 08, it wont let me install imovie

A teacher has an old G4 ibook we donated her. She wants imovie, I've told her unfortunately it wont run, she hasnt believed me and got her TA to phone Apple, who said it will??!

I'm going to phone them myself, but I just dont want her wasting £80 or whatever on something that just isnt going to run.

So does it work?

ps: I know there are ways round it by using hex editors and the like, that isnt what Im asking, because quite frankly I dont want to start messing about with all that

Hi

First thing would be to check the minimum specs for the application itself:

iLife ?08 system requirements

Antonio Rocco (ACSA)

Nah, as you said and it says in the specs, a G5 or intel processor. Our G4 powerbooks and my own run iLife 06 I think.

You could probably hack it onto the iBook but there are usually reasons why it won't run on those specced machines. I think for iMovie the reasons would be slow/sluggish use.

HD 6 is just as good as 08, better in fact since the 08 version had all of the transitions/titling stuff removed. Only when 09 came out were they all put back in.

I can also imagine that 06 will be better on the iBook's screen, 08's interface seems cramped on my 13" macbook.

Antonio I did look at Apples specs, sorry should have made that clear. Which made it even weirder that Apple would say it would work. They even offered her an upgrade to Snow Leopard! :rolleyes:

I'm going to try the hack afterall, will see how it runs, I've told her not to expect much. Couldnt find a version of HD6 for her to buy, and the free download they apparantly originally offered doesnt seem to exist anymore.

One more thing, as part of the hack, you have to reinstall the whole suite - this isnt going to lose any settings is it? I've backed up the obvious things like the iPhoto library, but should everything else stay the same?

Done it now, incredibly easy and you dont have to install it all at all, not sure what the guy who wrote the guide I used was on about.
Only problem now is she cant update it without patching it. I'll warn her but I can imagine that lasting a week before its brought back to me with her saying 'its not working' :)

If anyone is interested I used this guide: Running iMovie '08 on a G4 Mac | Truth is Still Truth

I may be able to help out with the HD version ;) If you have a license for ilife 08 i think you are entitled to the HD download.