In need of some serious help!!

Hello!

My computer was fried and so I procured an old iMac G3, PowerPC G3 10.0.4 Build 4Q12 ... if that means anything to any one?

Anyway: trying to download some software: i.e. firefox, msn, skype... That kind of thing and get things like javascript and what not. I got firefox.dmg files but I can't do anything with them... If I double click on them it opens up a heck of a lot of text in IE 5.1 (my current browser)....

What do I do?? How do I install things?? My computer is pretty useless as it is...

Any help/tips would be appreciated.

That is a very old comp, and probably not to far from getting fried itself. The system that is on it is also very old and can't support a lot of the software you are trying to install.

The first thing you need to do is update your system software. I think that 10.5 (leopard) may run, but you probably should use 10.4.

Then you will need to find older versions of the software you want. Most modern mac software is designed to be used with an Intel processor so they won't run on a PowerPC processor, much less a G3.

My suggestion to you is to try and find an old Intel machine and not spend your time on this one. It is kinda like trying to back delicious cookies with old milk.