Anyone still use a PowerPC mac as their daily machine?

[MBAir2010]

I’m using the latest Firefox and the last Safari version (11.x) on El Capitan on two of my main production Macs which are both from 2008 (MB5,1 and MP3,1). No problems at all.

oh, good, i dont feel bad switching today to elcap but itunes 12Xive is garbage tho, i need to learn to run foobar on these macs,which i run on the ipad and ipod touch.

 

[trchern]

I hear that a lot as a benefit.

Distraction free because of obsolescence. I mean no disrespect, but this always strikes me as compensating for a lack of self-control.

I have things I work on myself and I use two or three different devices to do it. None of them are obsolete enough to not be a distraction. But when I don't want distractions, because I need to focus, the TV goes off, iTunes goes off, the web browser is shut off and I just focus. I don't need a device that locks me out because it just doesn't have the capability. Getting things done despite distractions is sometimes a point of pride.

Of course, if you're doing something you don't WANT to do, getting distracted is easy. However, if it's something that NEEDS to get done then for me at least, 'distractions' make it easier. iTunes playing in the background, etc. But that's an exception. Mostly I just knuckle down and get it done.

If that's what people need to do, okay. It just seems like people have lost the ability to tune-out distractions so that this sort of thing becomes a 'feature' to them.

Again no offense. I don't know you. My opinions are not targeted at you, just a general observation.

Hey, it's a good point. Never think of this way, I just find this tool works for me.

And I admire your self-control. It's really a good character!

 

[zappaesque]

I don’t use one daily, but for specific purposes. Playing old games and emulators take up most of my PowerPC usage. I’ve only got a couple of PowerPC machines these days though.

 

[kasuja00]

I use my Powermac G5 daily to capture old VHS tape containing my collection of series and anime episodes. It is connected to Eyetv 250 that have a hardware-based encoding. Than I make .H264 video files.
Sometimes i play old games (it has a X800XT)

Yesterday i need sending a FAX and i make it possible with my Powerbook G4 connected to telephone line. I like it very much.

 

[bobesch]

I use my Powermac G5 daily to capture old VHS tape containing my collection of series and anime episodes. It is connected to Eyetv 250 that have a hardware-based encoding. Than I make .H264 video files.
Sometimes i play old games (it has a X800XT)
Yesterday i need sending a FAX and i make it possible with my Powerbook G4 connected to telephone line. I like it very much.

Yeah, sending a fax! You made my day!
At least someone else here beside me appreciating this ancient technology!
My little 12" PowerBook (or any other machine of my fellow PPC-pack) is my joker for mission-critical last-minute procrastinator's fax-messages, after any other more reasonable means failed ...
Hooray!

(And PageSender4.6 is kind of alien-technology for that purpose!)

 

[2984839]

It's no longer a daily driver for me because there are no Javascript capable web browsers working on OpenBSD/macppc, but I do use it every day for development. Running on a different architecture is great to find hidden bugs.

 

[Traace]

I use a G4 MDD and G5 together daily. The G4 has Pro Speaker and is dedicated to audio and surfing, the G5 is used as a word-processor with iWork 09 and gutenprint drivers. Both got security patches like bash compiled from source. Sometimes I just want to relax a bit so I play online games like OpenArena or WOW WOTLK with that G5 too

 

[Hallivand]

Been such a long time since posting, however I’m trying to get my DC 2.0 G5 back into some sort of duty. Just sitting there in my new place - last remnant of the huge amount of PPC macs I used to own. Couldn’t bare to throw it away.

Considering turning into a file server, SSDs have come down significantly so hopefully it can be integrated into my life again

 

[pochopsp]

I use a G4 MDD and G5 together daily. The G4 has Pro Speaker and is dedicated to audio and surfing, the G5 is used as a word-processor with iWork 09 and gutenprint drivers. Both got security patches like bash compiled from source. Sometimes I just want to relax a bit so I play online games like OpenArena or WOW WOTLK with that G5 too

How do you play wow and openarena online on it? Which server do you use? Could you make a gameplay video of Wow running online on the G5? It seems really cool.

 

[cococheaf]

Using a G4 MDD 1GHz for transferring data via scsi to a old miditemp stage player

 

[1042686]

Been such a long time since posting, however I’m trying to get my DC 2.0 G5 back into some sort of duty. Just sitting there in my new place - last remnant of the huge amount of PPC macs I used to own. Couldn’t bare to throw it away.

Considering turning into a file server, SSDs have come down significantly so hopefully it can be integrated into my life again

If nothing else, my vote is for a stylish energy sucking, headless file server. My dc 2.0ghz drives my recording home studio.

 

[vddrnnr]

Hi all,

A new update on my endeavors.
I still can't say I'm using my powerbook as a totally functional daily driver ( 1.67Ghz G4 with 2GB RAM ),
but I am using it daily for almost everything.
But the only real thing I don't have right now is a fully functional browser, I'm using several options
and only resorting to using Firefox if nothing else works.

My specs are:

- Hardware

Powerbook 15" 1.67Ghz with 2GB RAM and 80 GB HDD ( not SSD yet )

- Software

Adelie Linux Beta 1
Slim Login Manager ( also gives me a lockscreen )
Lxqt with openbox as a window manager
Compton for compositing ( shadows and transparency )
Sound is ALSA not pulseaudio
QasTools for ALSA configuration
xosd for the basis of my conky alternative script
mktrayicon for custom systray Icons ( Wireless, etc - in progress )
Eterm as a fully functional lightweight terminal
Featherpad ( QT Text Editor )
Claws email client ( with HTML mail and notification plugins )
rdesktop for "remote desktop" with the seamless from cendio for a "seamless" windows integration ( I'm writing
this from Firefox through rdp )
rdg-linux for rdp gui to open ad-hoc connections
tigerVNC for vnc connections
Pidgin IM
Netsurf 3.8 browser
Qupzilla 1.8.9 browser
Cairo-Dock with plugins ( osx like dock )
VLC for video ( 720p HDDs use almost all the CPU unfortunately OpenGL output not working )
Audacious audio player
LibreOffice for Text Documents, Spreadsheets and presentations
Powernowd for CPU stepping
Fan speed setup at boot usually they are always running but almost inaudible except
when temps rise above 45º.

Trying to build Arctic-Fox Browser right now.
Some eye candy below.

Best regards,
voidRunner

 

[eyoungren]

Considering turning into a file server, SSDs have come down significantly so hopefully it can be integrated into my life again

Understand that this comment is coming from a guy who is currently running both a Quad and a 2.3DC at full power 24/7 with no sleep allowed.

But, G5's draw a lot of power. If you intend to use one as a file server that is accessible all the time, that's something you may want to keep in mind.

I use a G3 for my file server. It's also on 24/7, but it draws a lot less power.

 

[timidpimpin]

Understand that this comment is coming from a guy who is currently running both a Quad and a 2.3DC at full power 24/7 with no sleep allowed.

But, G5's draw a lot of power. If you intend to use one as a file server that is accessible all the time, that's something you may want to keep in mind.

I use a G3 for my file server. It's also on 24/7, but it draws a lot less power.

Exactly right. If someone doesn't already have a G3 or early G4 tower, then a Mac Mini would be a good choice. A PowerPC model can be had for as little as $20, and it will only consume 85 watts max. If you need a lot of internal expandable storage then get a G3 or early G4, but you will need a SATA expansion PCI card to use modern drives.. Starting with the Quicksilver they consume well over 300 watts. So go with any G3 tower or the Gigabit ethernet G4 tower if you don't want a mini. Those towers can be found for $20 or $30 quite often.

 

[mmphosis]

Exactly right. If someone doesn't already have a G3 or early G4 tower, then a Mac Mini would be a good choice. A PowerPC model can be had for as little as $20, and it will only consume 85 watts max. If you need a lot of internal expandable storage then get a G3 or early G4, but you will need a SATA expansion PCI card to use modern drives.. Starting with the Quicksilver they consume well over 300 watts. So go with any G3 tower or the Gigabit ethernet G4 tower if you don't want a mini. Those towers can be found for $20 or $30 quite often.

I use two G4 Mac Minis. One for file serving (with a big USB drive attached) and for performing backups. It doesn't need to be on 24/7, I set the "daily" schedule for the power on and shutdown times. The second Mac Mini has Xcode installed, and I use it to do builds (it has more RAM and CPU speed than the file server Mac Mini), I power it up as needed, sometimes everyday.

 

[felipeerojasm]

i'm using a 2005 PowerBook G4 15" 1.67Ghz 2Gb RAM 160 Gb HD Mac OS X 10.5.8 for everything now. Sometimes I use a windows PC for accesing some things, but never as a daily use computer. Also I have a Hackintosh with 10.6.8 that I use for keeping data, use Google Docs and Whatsapp web (I sometimes enter to both sites using my powerbook).

Some weeks ago i was doing an investigation, and surfing through a lot of websites like the USA Congress Library, New York Library, Vatican Library, JSTORE and Google Books was incredible pleasant. Even there was a funny thing: when I was at my university library, there was a girl watching the same book as me, in google books, and she couldn't access to many pages of it. But in my powerbook I can access to almost everything (and both using the same university gmail accounts). That was very strange, but it saved her research. So my mac have also done some good actions

I can really do a lot of things on this machine, and as I'm not doing hard work, it functions very smooth. Even I could access to high quality manuscripts of the Vatican Library smoothly.

The other things I do:
- Emails with mac mail.
- iTunes for music.
- Leopard Webkit for most of the internet, but sometimes i use TenFourFox on some sites that need some modern things.
- Pages 09.
- Keynote 09.
- Some audio recording and effects using Logic Express.
- Aperture for photo editing.
- Garageband when I need a tuner (specially when i'm practicing bassoon)
- And of course! Finale 2012 for music writing. I really thanks those guys for keeping Finale supported until 2012 version with the Garritan Instruments Library!
- Adobe InDesign and Photoshop CS3 for little things.
- TenFiveTube and PowerPC Media Center when i'm on youtube.

Im preparing some future projects, so i will use Final Cut (maybe Pro), Soundtrack and Logic a lot more in this mac.


I've been using it as my daily machine for a long time, and I will continue doing it.
I hope it last forever!

 

[swamprock]

<snip>
- And of course! Finale 2012 for music writing. I really thanks those guys for keeping Finale supported until 2012 version with the Garritan Instruments Library!<snip>

Unfortunately, they want my better half to pay $150 to upgrade to a version that'll run under Mojave. She's stuck on High Sierra until she finishes the next semester of University. Bollocks.

In other news, I'm looking forward to getting my 12" Powerbook and iBook G4 back out of storage to start using them again in the next two weeks once my house is finally repaired (for real, hopefully, this time).

 

[felipeerojasm]

Unfortunately, they want my better half to pay $150 to upgrade to a version that'll run under Mojave. She's stuck on High Sierra until she finishes the next semester of University. Bollocks.

Sorry for my english, isn't my first language. Anyway, let me understand it: older versions will not run under Mojave?

 

[Haemoglobin]

On and off I continue to use an
-12" iBook G4 1.44ghz = For blogging, very portable
-15" Powerbook 1.5Ghz = For Photoshop, design work, it's old but still looks like $2000+ of laptop

I've never been on the cutting edge of Apple computing, my first system was a PowerPc 8200 in 2004, which I picked up cheap and later upgraded with an 8500 board and a PowerMax G3. For a long time that was my main system while I lived with my then partner. I later bought myself a new, yet old B/W G3 PCI before finally getting my favourite Apple machine a G3 Powerbook "Pismo". I was using that daily until a few years ago when i started having issues with the fact it couldn't do WPA2 security. Which is where the iBook came in, fitted it with an SSD and it flies, in some ways faster than my G4 Powerbook.

I'd like to throw my cap in the ring on the whole distraction vs will power subject. I remember reading an interview with one of the former creators of Facebook (dont recall his name). He left Facebook, doesn't use it and wouldn't want his kids using it and subsequently has regrets over contributing to its creation. He compared the free games, emoji's and like buttons to something akin to the fix gamblers get using slot machines. Giving users a short lasting feeling of gratifications in exchange for their attention and personal data. This supposedly free electronic candy is how most social media sites, specifically Facebook keep us clicking and wasting time. Personally I think it's addiction forming, not to mention the effects it's had on how we as society interact with one another. It scares actually to think of what life was like pre-2004.

I've read about millennials buying old phones and laptops just so they can switch off and have a social media cold turkey as it were. In some cases, I think it can be very hard to switch off when modern devices are by their very nature intended to keep you jacked in to digital society.


*Steps down from his orange box and shuts the hell up*

 

[MacBH928]

It's a thing done whenever the user who coordinates it wishes to try again. There's no set schedule for it.

I never engage in it though as there is no point. My main driver has been a PowerPC Mac since 2001 and that fact hasn't changed in 17 years. Why engage in a challenge when you live it?

May I ask why?
By this point it probably is filled with security holes, modern accessories probably do not work on it, maybe it has network connectivity issues, and almost no modern software works on it. The electronics must be dying soon, nothing keeps working forever. Ports, motherboards, GPUs, batteries...etc

 

[eyoungren]

…security holes,…

You are assuming I am doing things with my Mac that requires me to have the latest in security. You are also assuming that hackers out there are writing code to hijack twelve year old (or more) PowerPC Macs that have insignificant value.

…modern accessories probably do not work on it,…

Glad you qualified that, because probably is the key word here. I have a 55" 4K TV attached to my Quad G5 (see picture).

My G5 works with everything I've needed it to. Perhaps I just don't have a need for modern accessories then?

…maybe it has network connectivity issues,…

LOL!

I've got Gigabit Ethernet at home. ASUS RT-AC3200 with triband antennas and a Netgear Gigabit 24-port switch. Both ethernet ports on my G5s and my G3 server are connected to the network. The G3 server has two Gigabit NIC cards (and a SATA PCI card with an eSATA RAID by the way).

I have a 5G Wireless network here at home and my Airport cards on the G5 connect to WPA2 without issue.

and almost no modern software works on it.

Tell me the difference between a PDF made from InDesign CS4 and InDesign CC18 please.
There is no CURRENT version of modern software but my G5 is capable of doing modern things.

The electronics must be dying soon, nothing keeps working forever. Ports, motherboards, GPUs, batteries...etc

Oh sure.

But perhaps you can explain the continued flawless functioning of a 1999 PowerMac G3 (19 years old), a 2003 PowerBook G4 (15 years old) and three G5s (2005-2006, 13 and 12 years old)?

Eventually they will die. Guess what they get replaced with? Either the same unit or older Intel Macs.

Why do I need to be on the bleeding edge if all this stuff still works?

 

[Haemoglobin]

I can only speak for myself, but one of the primary reasons I keep my old Mac's is because I have gear that hooks up to them. Just because it's old, doesn't mean it isn't still fit for purpose.

Judging by the activity on this subsection of the forum, I'd say mine isn't a secular view.

 

[AL1630]

Why do I need to be on the bleeding edge if all this stuff still works?

I have no need to spend multiple thousands on new hardware when a 2009 MacBook that cost me $75 does the job just fine. Same goes for my Mac Pro. Really, I think many good features have been lost in the quest for small and light. Instead of packing a Mac Pro full of hardware and closing it up, you have to have a mess of wires on your desk next to the 'trashcan'. Now, this obviously doesn't apply if you have to do high intensity work that requires cutting edge performance, but I think most people could get along just fine with older Macs with a price tag in the low hundreds, not the thousands.

 

[Dronecatcher]

I think most people could get along just fine with older Macs with a price tag in the low hundreds, not the thousands.

Agreed. And my main machines seem to be getting cheaper. My first Quad a few years ago set me back £200, the next one was less than £100 and my current main machine, a Mac Pro cost £50. Why spend more if you don't have to?

 

[Haemoglobin]

I do keep toying with buying the Intel version of my Alu G4 Powerbook, it was just when they made the swap to intel chips so apparently they look identical on the surface. It would only be out of curiosity though, as all my software is for PPC.