Which PowerMac - Big Question ...

[THX1139]

I'd prefer to be on the new technology side of the coin as opposed to the old technology side of the coin.

That's a fun place to be...if you can afford it. It's fairly common knowledge that leading edge mean bleeding edge. But hey, someone has to be the early adopter for the rest of us!

For what you need, the quad is probably overkill - or at least, you will never fully realize its potential. That leaves you with the other models, which will get smoked by the new Conroe systems.

I'd wait for Intel. If you can't wait for the fall, look into a solution to get you by, as I wouldn't want to invest a lot of $$$ in a new PPC PowerMac right now.

The Quad will give the best shelf life and will be a great computer way past the transition to Intel. As for Conroe's smoking PPC...well, new computers are usually faster. However, all of the pro-line computers are fast, so what's the point? Please allow me to give you a metaphor. If the "old" PowerPC's were like, oh let's say "Corvettes" and the new Intel's turn out to be like "Lamborgini's" and you need to drive 100 miles, which car is going to make a difference in your trip? One will get you to your destination a bit sooner...but either one will get you there fast enough. However, the "Corvette" is for sale right now and has a proven track record. Oh, and by the way, the "Lamborgini" needs a special type of fuel that's not available yet.

 

[Danksi]

That's a fun place to be...if you can afford it. It's fairly common knowledge that leading edge mean bleeding edge. But hey, someone has to be the early adopter for the rest of us!



The Quad will give the best shelf life and will be a great computer way past the transition to Intel. As for Conroe's smoking PPC...well, new computers are usually faster. However, all of the pro-line computers are fast, so what's the point? Please allow me to give you a metaphor. If the "old" PowerPC's were like, oh let's say "Corvettes" and the new Intel's turn out to be like "Lamborgini's" and you need to drive 100 miles, which car is going to make a difference in your trip? One will get you to your destination a bit sooner...but either one will get you there fast enough. However, the "Corvette" is for sale right now and has a proven track record. Oh, and by the way, the "Lamborgini" needs a special type of fuel that's not available yet.

Like the Tortoise and the Hare - only the Hare's forgot his running shoes?

 

[~Shard~]

Like the Tortoise and the Hare - only the Hare's forgot his running shoes?

Exactly.

 

[combatcolin]

That's a fun place to be...if you can afford it. It's fairly common knowledge that leading edge mean bleeding edge. But hey, someone has to be the early adopter for the rest of us!



The Quad will give the best shelf life and will be a great computer way past the transition to Intel. As for Conroe's smoking PPC...well, new computers are usually faster. However, all of the pro-line computers are fast, so what's the point? Please allow me to give you a metaphor. If the "old" PowerPC's were like, oh let's say "Corvettes" and the new Intel's turn out to be like "Lamborgini's" and you need to drive 100 miles, which car is going to make a difference in your trip? One will get you to your destination a bit sooner...but either one will get you there fast enough. However, the "Corvette" is for sale right now and has a proven track record. Oh, and by the way, the "Lamborgini" needs a special type of fuel that's not available yet.

The Quad is a waste of money unless you are running very heavy apps.

If you think you need it, the you don't.

If you do need it, its because the work that you will perform on it will pay your Rent/bills/credit card bill for the Quad.

 

[Blong]

Everyone - thanks for the opinions, advice and info.

Now comes the hard part - the decision.

I've ordered the Dell 24" monitor. As luck would have it, the discounted price dropped by another $60AUS the day after I parted with my money. Oh well ...

Looks like i'm leaning towards the Dual Core 2.3GHz and 7800GT video card. With an additional 2gig RAM (2.5 total) I reckon that it should last me a good long time.

Thanks again everyone.

Cool

Rob

 

[combatcolin]

Enjoy the big Dell, it will change your life.

(In a small but pleasent way)

And you can hook your games consoles/2nd computer up as well.

 

[zerolight]

Get a refurb'd Dual 2.7Ghz Power Mac G5. It's a performance bargain, comes in less than a dual core 2.0. They generally come with 1GB of ram, but you can add another 2GB from Crucial for not very much money. It's a very fast machine.

 

[Blong]

Get a refurb'd Dual 2.7Ghz Power Mac G5. It's a performance bargain, comes in less than a dual core 2.0. They generally come with 1GB of ram, but you can add another 2GB from Crucial for not very much money. It's a very fast machine.

Maybe I haven't looked hard enough, but in Australia, refurbed Dual 2.7GHz Powermacs are still more expensive than a new Dual Core 2.3GHz Powermacs.

Also, there don't seem to be that many refurbed Dual processor G5s around.

Anyone from Oz tell me any different?

Thanks.

Rob

 

[w8ing4intelmacs]

The Quad is a waste of money unless you are running very heavy apps.

Couldn't you say that about every PowerMac (even the Intel PowerMac that'll eventually come out), since PowerMacs are made to run heavy apps?

200 shots of RAW images a day edited in Photoshop. Since PS won't be universal until 2007 (an eternity), the Quad is a great buy and will last for years. Have fun!

 

[beatzfreak]

Get a refurb'd Dual 2.7Ghz Power Mac G5. It's a performance bargain, comes in less than a dual core 2.0. They generally come with 1GB of ram, but you can add another 2GB from Crucial for not very much money. It's a very fast machine.

This is simply not true that the 2.7 comes in less than the 2.0.

Macconnection has the 2.0 for $1,994. with $100. rebate. No tax, free shipping.
And iLife 06 for free.

Refurb 2.7 with 512 ram is $2,149 plus tax (about $200 for me).

Also, it's seems the refurbs aren't an option in Oz.

To Blong, my friend works at a huge graphics co. and they just replaced all their computers with 2.3's and are very pleased with the results.

While the quad is an awesome machine, I'm not sure it's worth the investment considering the transition to Intel. We really don't know how long there will be support for PPC. Infact, one of the music apps I like to use recently announced that the next update for Mac will be Intel only.

Anyway, just some thoughts. Have fun with your new Mac.

 

[combatcolin]

Couldn't you say that about every PowerMac (even the Intel PowerMac that'll eventually come out), since PowerMacs are made to run heavy apps?

200 shots of RAW images a day edited in Photoshop. Since PS won't be universal until 2007 (an eternity), the Quad is a great buy and will last for years. Have fun!

NO.

YOU CANNOT

Check the price between an entry level Powermac and a Quad.

A lot of people buy Powermacs because they want something with expandability and a removable graphics card.

If Apple ever offered a machine along the specs of the iMac but without the screen and a removable graphics card sales of the entry level Powermac would be a lot lower.

 

[Blong]

A lot of people buy Powermacs because they want something with expandability and a removable graphics card.

If Apple ever offered a machine along the specs of the iMac but without the screen and a removable graphics card sales of the entry level Powermac would be a lot lower.

That was a huge part of my decision to look at PowerMacs over the iMac. At first look, the iMac looks like great value for money (and it looks real nice too), but then you are limited to 2gig RAM and not as good video cards.

It's the expandability of the PowerMac which has convinced me that's the way to go - i.e, as apps become more RAM hungry, then add a bit more RAM etc. Also, once it's time to get a new one, you already have a monitor ...

Correct me if i'm wrong here.

Rob

 

[combatcolin]

ENTRY LEVEL POWERMAC

GRAPHIC CARD UPGRADE

ANOTHER GIG OF QUALITY RAM

BLUETOOTH OPTION + BT KEYBOARD

EDU DISCOUNT + EGG MONEY CARD

best solution job done!

 

[zerolight]

Maybe I haven't looked hard enough, but in Australia, refurbed Dual 2.7GHz Powermacs are still more expensive than a new Dual Core 2.3GHz Powermacs.

Also, there don't seem to be that many refurbed Dual processor G5s around.

Anyone from Oz tell me any different?

Thanks.

Rob

I assumed that the refurb store was a worldwide store, given that the stock comes from China.

My Dual 2.7 with 1GB of RAM and a Mighty Mouse was £1299. A dual core 2.3 is £1799. And a Quad is £2299. The 2.7 is fractionally slower than the Quad and a fair bit faster than the 2.3.

UK refurb 2.7...

 

[zerolight]

This is simply not true that the 2.7 comes in less than the 2.0.

Macconnection has the 2.0 for $1,994. with $100. rebate. No tax, free shipping.
And iLife 06 for free.

Refurb 2.7 with 512 ram is $2,149 plus tax (about $200 for me).

Also, it's seems the refurbs aren't an option in Oz.

To Blong, my friend works at a huge graphics co. and they just replaced all their computers with 2.3's and are very pleased with the results.

While the quad is an awesome machine, I'm not sure it's worth the investment considering the transition to Intel. We really don't know how long there will be support for PPC. Infact, one of the music apps I like to use recently announced that the next update for Mac will be Intel only.

Anyway, just some thoughts. Have fun with your new Mac.

I'm in the UK. Even if it was a little more than a 2.0 in price and similar to a 2.3, it's a lot faster than both. That said, as I said a moment ago, in the UK at least, a refurb'd 2.7 is cheaper than the current crop of PowerMacs. I love mine.

 

[turtlebud]

That was a huge part of my decision to look at PowerMacs over the iMac. At first look, the iMac looks like great value for money (and it looks real nice too), but then you are limited to 2gig RAM and not as good video cards.

It's the expandability of the PowerMac which has convinced me that's the way to go - i.e, as apps become more RAM hungry, then add a bit more RAM etc. Also, once it's time to get a new one, you already have a monitor ...

Correct me if i'm wrong here.

Rob

Rob, you & I seem to be thinking on exactly the same lines - this is why my past two desktops have been powermacs - expandibility. When Apple introduced their last g5 iMacs, I thought, "Wow, that's a great value." You have your built in isight, better screen, front row + remote, all for the same price as the previous imac. But the main drawback is that everything you expand (except the RAM - which you're pretty limited on as well) will have to be external. I like to have that flexibility of being able to add a second hard drive or more RAM now and later as my needs change - and yeah, I'm planning on getting the 7800GT as well.

 

[THX1139]

Like the Tortoise and the Hare - only the Hare's forgot his running shoes?

Uh, yea sure...if you think changing the analogy around to animals helps you understand the concept. But Tortoise and Hare are NOT the same as "Corvette" and "Lamborgini" so the analogy falls apart. But I did note your sarcasm. ha ha.

 

[THX1139]

The Quad is a waste of money unless you are running very heavy apps.

If you think you need it, the you don't.

If you do need it, its because the work that you will perform on it will pay your Rent/bills/credit card bill for the Quad.

Duh? Buying ANY PowerMac is a waste of money unless you can justify needing the power. I was assuming the poster needed the power. The reason I recommend the Quad for pro application - over any other PowerMac- is that you get the longest shelf like while transitioning to Intel over the next couple of years. A Quad is going to outlast a dual and is not that much more $$ considering what you get compared to the other machines. An Intel machine is going to sit around depreciating while waiting for Adobe. But why am I explaining this to you? I'm probably wasting my time try to help you get a clue.

 

[combatcolin]

Duh? Buying ANY PowerMac is a waste of money unless you can justify needing the power. I was assuming the poster needed the power. The reason I recommend the Quad for pro application - over any other PowerMac- is that you get the longest shelf like while transitioning to Intel over the next couple of years. A Quad is going to outlast a dual and is not that much more $$ considering what you get compared to the other machines. An Intel machine is going to sit around depreciating while waiting for Adobe. But why am I explaining this to you? I'm probably wasting my time try to help you get a clue.

SO WHY DO YOU ASSUME I AM AIMING AT YOU?

The point i am trying to make is best made by the kind of posts that ask:

"Should i buy a Mac Mini or a Quad?"

Understand now?

Peace out and try to understand.

 

[Squareball]

I just got the quad.

Here are my reasons.

Right NOW, Photoshop does not run native on Intel macs. When it does, I have little faith it'll be stable (see the grabbing a slider issue in CS2 on PPC). Adobe has been churning out some really unstable stuff lately IMO.

Right now my powerbook isn't doing me much good when working with these large files in photoshop.

The macbook pro is out because the intel issue.

So it was a question of 'what desktop' for me. I already have a 24" dell LCD so I didn't want to get the G5 iMac.

So it came down to powermac. Dual or Quad. I decided that for a little extra money I can have a machine that has twice the processing capability and will last pretty long.

Just look how long the Dual 2.5 Ghzs have been the 'top' of the line.

Now what I really look for isn't 'is this the fastest one' but, is it FAST for what I need?

The quad is the fastest machine I've owned. It blows me away how quick it is. I have 2.5 gigs of ram and it just screams. Apps open instantly.. (photoshop is pretty quick to open as well) and even doing everything i do, I barely ever use its full potential.

I figure this machine will last me around 12 to 18 months and that I'm perfectly happy with. It could last me longer (3 years?) but I tend to get new hardware all the time and really am waiting for the next Intel powerbooks and Adobe to be universal and stable before I jump back to using a notebook as my fulltime machine.

 

[THX1139]

SO WHY DO YOU ASSUME I AM AIMING AT YOU?

The point i am trying to make is best made by the kind of posts that ask:

"Should i buy a Mac Mini or a Quad?"

Understand now?

Peace out and try to understand.

In my opinion, you are spreading mis-information and bad advice. This is a public forum and I'm not going to sit back and let it go by when my experience tells me otherwise. For the record, the poster asked the following question:

"My question is whether I should get a 2.0GHz Dual Core and bump up the hard drive to 250MB, add 2GB RAM (not from Apple) and add Geforce 7800 256MB video card ...
.... or go straight to the 2.5 Quad and only bump up the RAM by 1GB and then add a better video card much later (if at all - it will already have the 6600 256MB card) ....
... or go middle ground and go for the 2.3GHz Dual core with a similar setup to the first one."

Of which you replied, like you do in one of your many anti-Powermac threads, that the Quad is a waste of money OR "wait for Intel". The question of "should I get a mac-mini or Quad?" wasn't even part of the discussion. Go back and read the original post.

In fairness, you did post one recommendation for him to get and entry level Powermac, but I'm not sure how or why you came-up with that recommendation.

Anyway, I'll just ignore your posts from now on since we don't agree on much. I just pity the person who takes your bad advice. I wonder what experience you have with Macs that qualifies you to be handing out advice? Is it because you own an iPod and you bought your sister an eMac?

 

[combatcolin]

OK, 1st i think you should cut down on the caffine eh?

My point is that the Quad is not the ideal Mac for everyone, it costs £2300 and unless you are expecting to make money with that £2300 you are better served with the entry level machine which is £900 cheaper.

I bought my 1st gen iMac the week it was released (and bought an extra 4MB VRAM module and got 64MB RAM free), and prevous to that had a 6500/250, so i've been a Mac fan for almost 10 years.

A lack of funds and buying 2 homes in 3 years has delayed my re-entry into the Apple fold, but together with my Mum i bought an emac for my sister and her young sons.

This is a forum, and people are encouraged to express theres views, opinons and experience.

And let me say this again, the Quad is a incredibly powerful computer - but it is not for everyone, if you want to disagree with me expresing this opinon then that is fine, but please do not insult me.

Thank you.

 

[Blong]

Made the plunge ...

Okey dokey

Finally bit the bullet and did it.

Ordered a 2.3GHz Dual Core PowerMac, 7800 GT video card, stock hard drive (250mb), and an additional 2gig RAM (2.5 gig total).

Bought from a re-seller, who offered to match the price of RAM I found from another third party. Happy with that.

The Dell 24" will be here soon.

Cool.

Rob

 

[trogdor!]

im personaly waiting for the new intel powermacs.

 

[eXan]

Okey dokey

Finally bit the bullet and did it.

Ordered a 2.3GHz Dual Core PowerMac, 7800 GT video card, stock hard drive (250mb), and an additional 2gig RAM (2.5 gig total).

Bought from a re-seller, who offered to match the price of RAM I found from another third party. Happy with that.

The Dell 24" will be here soon.

Cool.

Rob

You have made the right choice about buying dualcore 2.3. I only have doubts about the usefulnes of 7800. As I remember you will be doing Photoshop work (2d), so the "latest and greatest" graphics card wont help you AT ALL. You could have invested money wasted on GeForce into getting more RAM. You said that you take 200 RAW photos/day, so 4 GB + RAM is minimum for Photoshop & Aperture, especially if you want to run those at the same time.

But anyway, what is done cannot be undone. Enjoy your PowerMac!