Which cat should I go for?

[pinks]

Dear Macrumors community, I am curious to find out what you think.

I am currently running OS 10.1.5 and would love to get Jaguar. However, doing a PhD has left me with little spare cash and I have to make a choice: do I go for Jaguar now, or should I wait for the highly anticipated Panther when its released.

I know the money involved here may seem insignificant to some, but I am currently using an ironing board for a desk and living on a diet of baked beans and pasta. It could be worse, though - I might have become a stockbroker or an M$ user.

Thanks in advance

(btw, only my 2nd post, so greetings to all those I have not met!)

- pinks

 

[edesignuk]

What Mac do u have? The reason I ask is that if it won't support Quartz Extreme then you probably wouldn't see much of a speed increase anyway.
If your hardware does support it, then my question would be, are you happy with the speed of your Mac with 10.1 running? If so, then (seeing as money is tight), yes, I would wait for panther.

 

[howard]

i personally would definitely wait. we know panther is a sure then and is for this summer. you would have jaguar for a few months and then its obsolete. plus if there making such a big deal about it its probably really good. and if your fine with 10.1 now then theres no reason to upgrade immediatly.

 

[pinks]

current system

Originally posted by edesignuk
What Mac do u have? The reason I ask is that if it won't support Quartz Extreme then you probably wouldn't see much of a speed increase anyway.
If your hardware does support it, then my question would be, are you happy with the speed of your Mac with 10.1 running? If so, then (seeing as money is tight), yes, I would wait for panther.

I am currently using a G3 PowerBook 400mhz - the last one before G4; the one with the bronze keyboard.

As for the speed, I am quite pleased with the performance of 10.1.3 although programmes like iMovie3 are a touch on the slow side.

I hope this helps.

- pinks

 

[edesignuk]

Re: current system

Originally posted by pinks
I am currently using a G3 PowerBook 400mhz - the last one before G4; the one with the bronze keyboard.

As for the speed, I am quite pleased with the performance of 10.1.3 although programmes like iMovie3 are a touch on the slow side.

I hope this helps.

- pinks

I don't know much about the specs of the video card in your PB, but I wouldn't think it does support Quartz Extreme, so, if I were you I'd hold out for panther.

 

[cubist]

I agree. Get the 10.1.5 update, it will make the machine quite a bit faster.

 

[King Cobra]

>I am currently using a G3 PowerBook 400mhz - the last one before G4; the one with the bronze keyboard. (pinks)

Those are two different models of Powerbooks. The last G3 to come out was the "Pismo". The model before that was the "Lombard" and had the bronze keyboard.

Either way, I would recommend waiting. If you find speed issues currently a necessity, refresh your Hard Drive. You will get a bigger speed boost if you refresh your Hard Drive than just installing any new operating system over 10.1.x and not refreshing the Hard Drive.

If you do not find speed issues a priority, then you should wait until Panther to come out before refreshing your Hard Drive.

 

[pinks]

Originally posted by King Cobra
Those are two different models of Powerbooks. The last G3 to come out was the "Pismo". The model before that was the "Lombard" and had the bronze keyboard.

Either way, I would recommend waiting. If you find speed issues currently a necessity, refresh your Hard Drive. You will get a bigger speed boost if you refresh your Hard Drive than just installing any new operating system over 10.1.x and not refreshing the Hard Drive.

If you do not find speed issues a priority, then you should wait until Panther to come out before refreshing your Hard Drive.

Apologies for the confusion - definitely has a bronze keyboard, so must be the "Lombard." Also, could you just confirm what youn mean by refreshing the hard drive - I assume that this more than just a diagnostic process like defragmenting!?

Many thanks

- pinks

 

[King Cobra]

By refreshing the Hard Drive, I mean backing up all of your data, erasing your Hard Drive, then installing the operating system. This way, the operating system is at its fastest possible.

From there you can install all of your programs again and bring your data back to your Lombard.

 

[Jimong5]

As a Pismo owner- I must interject. The Pismo most defanetly also has a bronze keyboard. The true way to know if on the back, if it has a SCSI port, then It is a lombard. If it had Dual Firewire, then it is a Pismo. I think 10.2 runs a bit faster in Jag, and takes 80 times longer to start up.. so I would say to hold off, and wait for 10.3

 

[hugemullens]

I agree, 10.1.5 is alright, and no reason to waste 120 bucks now. Unless of coures 10.3 will be a cheaper release with an upgrade option (c'mon apple don't rape me for another $129) , but with no information on that i'd definetly wait.

 

[pinks]

Originally posted by Jimong5
As a Pismo owner- I must interject. The Pismo most defanetly also has a bronze keyboard. The true way to know if on the back, if it has a SCSI port, then It is a lombard. If it had Dual Firewire, then it is a Pismo. I think 10.2 runs a bit faster in Jag, and takes 80 times longer to start up.. so I would say to hold off, and wait for 10.3

Mmm... the plot thickens. No SCSI, 2 firewire and the bronze keyboard - must be a Pismo (anyone know the origin of this name?). Perhaps the Lombard's keyboard is even more bronze that the Pismo's

Either way, I think the consensus opinion seems to be to wait for Panther. Interestingly Jaguar can't be called "Jaguar" in the UK for copyright reasons (although this is, of course, how it is commonly known), but maybe this has already been brougt to Macrumors collective attention!?

Originally posted by hugemullens
I agree, 10.1.5 is alright, and no reason to waste 120 bucks now. Unless of coures 10.3 will be a cheaper release with an upgrade option (c'mon apple don't rape me for another $129) , but with no information on that i'd definetly wait.

Reflecting on this point, however, is a reduced cost upgrade from 10.2 to 10.3 likely? Have Apple followed this approach in the past, for example, or should realism lead us to recognise that Apple need the cash from a full-cost OS upgrade, especially one which has been lauded so publicly and which promises to be a significant improvement over other OSX incarnations?

Once again, thanks for your wise advice and consideration.

- pinks

 

[edesignuk]

Originally posted by pinks

Reflecting on this point, however, is a reduced cost upgrade from 10.2 to 10.3 likely? Have Apple followed this approach in the past...

Well they didn't last time round. If you had paid full price for 10.1 you had to pay full price again for 10.2, and i wouldn't be surprised if we all had to pay out again for 10.3