Upgrade or buy new?

[crazzyeddie]

Someone I know wants some help getting 'up to date' on their Mac. The system they're currently using is a PM 7300. They do desktop publishing (Photoshop, Illustrater, PageMaker) and want to start using Mac OS X.
Should they:
a) Upgrade to an 800mhz G4, buy more Ram, new hard drive, video card, etc. for around $900 - $1000 or
b) buy a 'new' dual processor 867mhz for around $1600 - $1700.

[MacsRgr8]

Wow, there's a huge difference between the two choices...
The (logical) question: is speed or cost the issue? The PM 7300 has a max bus speed of 50 MHz (could even be 45 MHz), the "not-so-new" DP 867 has 133 MHz. There is a tremendous difference in speed here. By the way, you will need a utlity (XPostFacto) to be able to install OS X on the non-G3 machines.
Is the new iMac an idea? If not, I would definitely go for the dual.... definitely.
Good luck with the choice!

[iconrad]

The PM 7300 is old and in every computers life there is a time when it makes more sense to get new one. Instead of dumping $1000 on the old machine I would definitely get the dual.

[Dont Hurt Me]

Originally posted by crazzyeddie
Someone I know wants some help getting 'up to date' on their Mac. The system they're currently using is a PM 7300. They do desktop publishing (Photoshop, Illustrater, PageMaker) and want to start using Mac OS X.
Should they:
a) Upgrade to an 800mhz G4, buy more Ram, new hard drive, video card, etc. for around $900 - $1000 or
b) buy a 'new' dual processor 867mhz for around $1600 - $1700. New machine period! Now its just a matter of what they want to spend! they could get all those upgrades and the new emac is still going to smoke his upgraded one! So he or she should go looking at one of the new machines. Powermacs are Great choices.

[crazzyeddie]

iMac is out of the question... they just bought a brand new Sony 22" Tritron =)

[iShater]

Originally posted by crazzyeddie
iMac is out of the question... they just bought a brand new Sony 22" Tritron =)

Well, since the ONLY Mac out there that doesn't come with a monitor is a PowerMac, that kinda limits their choice to a PM.

There are a few dual-867 models still out there, the might be able to get one for under $1500 and it will more than smoke their old setup.

sheeesh, this is like me asking to upgrade my pentium 120 machine!!! :D

[Burnt_Toast]

I've got a G4 350 (sawtooth) in which I put an ATA133 card in it and a 120GB harddrive earlier this year. I've been debating a similar issue. Since I'm going to be getting a home recording studio here soon, I've been wracking my brain as to whether I should upgrade or buy a new computer. After reading through many forums, I think it makes the most sense for me (being on a tight budget) to upgrade.

With the extra money I'll be saving by purchasing the 800MHz processor card upgrade ($288), I'll be able to buy Jaguar (or maybe even Panther if it comes out fairly soon).

I need something fairly soon and I don't want to spend at least $1200 EXTRA on a new G4 when the 970s are on the horizon. Since I would never buy a new release anyway, I think $288 is a fairly inexpensive way to bide my time for the next couple of years until the 970s have come down in price.

When I'm up-and-running at 800MHz, I'm hoping I'll be able to use Logic Gold 6, Cubase SX, or Adobe Premier just fine. . .as long as I only have one open at a time.


Does this sound reasonable or am I just kidding myself?


-john

[Abstract]

Why don't you all wait until the 970's are released at MWNY or WWDC, and THEN purchase a DP 867MHz/1 GHz computer for cheap? Hell, even the single proc 1GHz PM will be better than the upgrade, and its a cheap computer. It won't cost you too much extra since it costs $1500. With new 970's being released, it may not cost you more money at all. ;)

[cubist]

The Sawtooth with the 800MHz upgrade for $288 is possibly worthwhile for a year or so. It will make your system a lot faster. But remember, you'll still have the 100MHz bus.

The 7300 upgrade costs too much money to be worth it.

You could imagine a couple of "rules of thumb":

(a) Don't buy an upgrade that costs more than the present market value of the system you're planning to put it in.

(b) Don't buy an upgrade where the price, added to the present market value of the system you're planning to put it in, is more than 75% of the price of an equivalent new system.

With all the rumors about the 970 systems, we may see sudden price drops in the used G4 market next week.

[mactastic]

Wait till the WWDC. All will become clear then.

[QCassidy352]

Originally posted by Abstract
Why don't you all wait until the 970's are released at MWNY or WWDC, and THEN purchase a DP 867MHz/1 GHz computer for cheap? Hell, even the single proc 1GHz PM will be better than the upgrade, and its a cheap computer. It won't cost you too much extra since it costs $1500. With new 970's being released, it may not cost you more money at all. ;)

agree. This post is exactly right.

[Burnt_Toast]

I'd wait until the WWDC and see what happens then. If it's announced that the 970s are coming and there's a drop in the price of the current G4s, then, perhaps I'll go for it. But I really don't see a 1GHz G4 going much below $1200. Actually, I'm hoping that the upgrade cards will further drop in price.

And again, $288 vs. $1200. . .

Yeah, the "100MHz bus speed" is something I might have to deal with until I can afford not to.

But again, we'll see after the WWDC.