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have PM + ACD23", buy iMac + another ACD23" or mac mini + ACD30"?

quidire

quidire

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 11, 2004
349
0
Washington DC (in Kalorama Triangle)
Hi guys,

Well it is what it sounds like; I have a Powermac G5 and a 23" ACD; I want to move the PM downstairs and have a quieter, cooler machine upstairs.

Would you buy:
  1. a 30" monitor (for the PM to use) and a mac mini (that you hooked up to the 23" upstairs) or
  2. a second 23" (the PM downstairs gets two 23" ACDs) and an iMac20"

Either machine would get maxed out on RAM.

Somewhat urgent, plan to buy this week, or at latest after seeing what happens this upcoming Tuesday.
 
Well I see that price doesn't have that big of a factor. If you use your PM for something that the dual displays would be 100% worth it, I would go with option 2. If not, I think option 1 would do just fine...
 
I would go with option 1 for myself. Not knowing what you are going to use it for is a little hard for me to say what is best for you.

You know that maxed out PM RAM is 16 GB right?
 
D34th said:
I think he meant the iMac or Mac Mini would get maxed out RAM...
Click to expand...

Yeah, that IS what I meant; the PM has 2.5 GB RAM, and I may take it up to 4GB... but none of that impacts the question ;)

As for usecase, well the following programs get run on the PM right now:
  1. Omniweb and NetNewsWire
  2. Aperture
  3. Sims 2 (and soon, Civ 4!)
  4. Omnigraffle
  5. the usual stuff (Adium, iTunes, etc etc)

Its primarily used for (other than web/IM) photography related stuff and games. I don't know how those functions would migrate; probably photography would follow the PM, the gaming maybe as well.

I know that the iMac could do more than the mac mini, but the 30" seems more useful (and less hassle) than the 2x23" monitors. (also, the mac mini is easier to recycle as a backend home server down the road...)
 
I'd get the 30" for the PowerMac and still get an iMac and connect the 23" to it.
 
I'd go with the 30" + mini. I'm not a big fan of dual displays, but i know some people love them. The integrated graphics on the mini shouldn't be a problem because you can use the PM for anything heavy.
 
Sorry, I think I misunderstood. You're not trying to hook the mini up to a 30"...
 
brianus said:
Sorry, I think I misunderstood. You're not trying to hook the mini up to a 30"...
Click to expand...

The 30" would go with the PM and the Mini would get a 23"

Personally, I would go that route. I love my mini (though I would sell it if you were interested ;) ), and think the 30" monitors are gorgeous. And like you said, it's easier to recycle the Mini later.
 
Getting an iMac and a 30", and hooking the 23" to the iMac is not an option; $ constraints (I'm buying furniture, a Canon 5d if I can afford it after the dust settles, a 30D otherwise, etc).

Selling the 23" is an interesting idea. I'm not sure I could get enough for it to make it a cost-neutral proposition (iMac+30"-23" ?= mac mini + 30"). If only the mac mini had a better graphics card; I'd never had asked this question if it had a x1600 mobile instead of the intel chip it does have (gah!).

Anyone think there is any reason to wait until Tuesday to order?
 
quidire said:
.......Anyone think there is any reason to wait until Tuesday to order?
Click to expand...


Nope, unless you're thinking about an entry level notebook or something.
 
If you have a PM, you would not really need an exceptionally good computer so i say the mac mini and 30" LCD display
 
The G5 is "obsolete", and a mac mini is low end current production. Obviously they're both more than you need most of the time for internet/word/IM, but it's something to consider if you go with the mac mini

If you go with an iMac, you're getting a usable video card, isight, and I don't know what else.
 
Option 1

Option 1, all the way.

iMac's are not nearly as elegant (IMO) as a mini+23", and the 30" ACD for the powermac is AMAZING.

My boss has a 30" and a 23" connected to his G5 tower - which you could also do in the future.

Getting the iMac is wasting a great screen when the computer dies/is obsolete - and the separate 23" beats the 20" on the iMac too.

From what others have said, just make sure you get the CoreDuo mini, and fill it with RAM.
 
I'd go Mini + 30" ACD. The 30" ACD is simply gigantic, and I'd rather have one monstrous (but beautiful) display than two large (but still beautiful) ones, and you don't need the power of the iMac if you have a good PowerMac G5.
 
I would get the 30" and an iMac and sell the 23" and buy another 30" and have dual 30"s on the PowerMac and the 20" iMac for the other room :)
 
ipacmm said:
I would get the 30" and an iMac and sell the 23" and buy another 30" and have dual 30"s on the PowerMac and the 20" iMac for the other room :)
Click to expand...

That costs a bit more than I'm planning to spend; selling the 23" may allow for one 30" and the imac while being almost cost-neutral. The problem is that I can't imagine the 23" would sell used for the needed $1000.
 
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