Power Mac G5 | buying advice needed for an Adobe user...

[chabunka]

I'm looking into buying a PowerMac G5 [2.3 Dual or 2.5 Quad] but I'm not sure if something new is gonna come out soon?

Here's my situation...I currently have a PowerBook G4 which isn't quick/powerful enough to handle my workload anymore. I usually run 3 Adobe Suite programs simultaneously [Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign], along with iTunes, Safari [w/multiple pages open], iCal, instant messenger, and sometimes Macromedia Flash & Dreamweaver [open, simultaneously].

I want a quick, smooth workflow, with little or no wait time between applying filters, switching screens, etc.

First question is, should I get a dual or quad? Rather, is a dual sufficient to do this, since I don't use "multimedia" programs like AfterEffects or video editing stuff.

Second question is, are the PowerMac G5s going intel as well in the near future? If so, should I wait to get one of those? But I heard Adobe's programs don't run as fast on the intel based machines. I heard Adobe's working on programming their software to run on the intel based machines without that "translating software" that apple's using at the moment which slows down Adobe's programs. So at the moment from what I understand, it's better to work on the G5 "power pc" machines.

I just don't want buy a $3000+ G5 [power pc] machine if they going to come out with a G5 [intel] machine in the next 3 months and have Adobe revise their software to work [better] on the intel machines as well.

Does that make sense? Thanks for reading. Any suggestions, all are welcome.

 

[mduser63]

If you need a new machine for Adobe and Macromedia apps now, you're much better off with a fast PowerPC machine. The current Intel Macs will perform worse than your PowerBook G4 with Adobe's current applications. Intel Power Macs will probably be out with in 3-6 months, but it will probably be around a year before Universal (ie. Intel native) versions of Adobe's CS apps are available.

Whether you get a Quad or a Dual is up to you. A dual core machine will probably be fast enough for you, but of course if you can afford it, the Quad will last longer before becoming too slow to run new programs.

In short, unless you can wait up to a year or so for Adobe's apps to go Universal, a Power Mac G5 is your best bet. The G5 is a VERY capable chip, and I don't expect it to go obsolete for several years.

 

[Eidorian]

I'd go with a Quad for that massive workload you plan on doing. There aren't really any Intel chips that can compete with the Quad G5 and Adobe doesn't seem to be releasing a Unversal Binary anytime soon.

 

[chabunka]

Thanks!

If you need a new machine for Adobe and Macromedia apps now, you're much better off with a fast PowerPC machine. The current Intel Macs will perform worse than your PowerBook G4 with Adobe's current applications. Intel Power Macs will probably be out with in 3-6 months, but it will probably be around a year before Universal (ie. Intel native) versions of Adobe's CS apps are available.

Whether you get a Quad or a Dual is up to you. A dual core machine will probably be fast enough for you, but of course if you can afford it, the Quad will last longer before becoming too slow to run new programs.

In short, unless you can wait up to a year or so for Adobe's apps to go Universal, a Power Mac G5 is your best bet. The G5 is a VERY capable chip, and I don't expect it to go obsolete for several years.

 

[chabunka]

Thanks!

I'd go with a Quad for that massive workload you plan on doing. There aren't really any Intel chips that can compete with the Quad G5 and Adobe doesn't seem to be releasing a Unversal Binary anytime soon.

 

[Eidorian]

Yeah, if you want to save some money go with a refurbished Quad G5.

 

[dmw007]

If I were buying a new Power Mac G5, I would definitely go with the Quad- if for nothing else except the bragging rights of owning a machine with four PowerPC G5 cores. As others have suggested, going for a used Power Mac G5 Quad would be a good idea.