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I could get an iMac G3, first version, complete with Keyboard and Mouse for 25€. (+ ~20€ for carsharing to get it)

I'm pondering now, if I should get it or not - I don't see many use-cases, since it's not one of the later versions with DVD or a more capable processor. Also it cannot run Aros (needs G4). Therefore I guess I wouldn't use it much in the end.
On the other hand it's such a sexy machine, and 25€ is a steal.
What do you think?

You could... make a demo for it? :)

That one is great for basically any classic Mac OS 9 software, games etc. There are some demos that run on it too but not many.

I remember debugging on OS9 was quite horrible.
Only recommended if you are a fan of self-flagellation.

I got it, and in fact, I'm currently writing this very post with it (using Clasilla webbrowser) - also downloaded Macrostrange from Haujobb for it and it uns quite well.

That machine is obviously the future of computer design. I wonder if one could rip out the innards and hook up a faster, less power hungry Raspberry Pi to the screen somehow?

on a related note, i recently bought an ibook g3 (from around the same timeframe as that imac). messed around with os 9 for a bit, got extremely annoyed at it, installed mac os 10.3 on it, and now it's sitting in the corner unused </coolstory>

people have indeed replaced the innards in imacs with newer computers, although i think most have also replaced the screen with an lcd, which brings its own set of challenges. i did that recently with a mac classic, replacing the innards with a mac mini and an lcd. recommended stuff, it's fun

i've seen a few posts online about people who tried to reverse-engineer the imac crt but it's quite difficult. the image is regular RGB, so a VGA signal should work, but you also need the computer to talk I2C protocols to tell the screen to turn on and control things like geometry etc, since those are all done by the OS. seems that emacs (later flat-panel CRTs with G4s) are the easiest one of them to hack, tray-loading G3 being second and slot-loading G3 the hardest.

I still have my PowerBook G4 (1 Ghz), but it's useless to me. I tried to install various PowerPC Linux on it, but too slow and don't work with its wifi. :(

AntDude: Have you tried NetBSD/macppc?

Did someone say Emacs?

I know someone who has installed NetBSD/macppc on a G3, works good enough apparently?

Scene stuff for (old) macs:
https://macintoshgarden.org/apps/demoscene-demos-macintosh
https://macintoshgarden.org/apps/amug-dvd-collection