Opinion: To all single proc PM G5 owners...

You'd have a hard time upgrading the new iMac to two hard drives, 8GB of RAM, 6800 Ultra, etc. Plus, set the G5 on the floor and, in the event of an earthquake, lay next to it. The case should protect you as it can support, I think, about 10 tons. Can't do that with an iMac.

I've got mixed emotions, on the one hand I'm ecstatic that they were able to put a G5 into that small of an enclosure. However, on the other hand, I feel now that my G5 is kinda out of date. Doesn't really matter though, I'll be getting a new powerbook within a year, and when my mom saw the new iMac, she immediately went and bought one. I'll come and use it on holidays. BTW, what should I do with this computer when I get the powerbook? How much do you think it'll be worth by spring? Specs: SP 1.8 Ghz G5, 1 74GB Raptor, 1 160GB Stock, and a Gig of Ram. Thanks


Boris

Boris Yeltsin said:

I'll come and use it on holidays.

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If it actually ships by then .

vraxtus, I'd say you should still feel really good about your G5. You've probably had if for about a year already, and think about how much happiness it has brought you in that time. Plus, as jsw said, your G5 is very upgradeable, and who knows what upgrades people will develop for it in the future. If there are ever G5 processor upgrades, they most likely will only be compatible with a PowerMac. Plus, should you ever want a new computer, you already have a great screen for it. Anyone with an iMac has to toss out the whole thing, screen and all. There, that should be enough reasons for you to be happy with your PowerMac .

I think being able to put a 9800 SE into mine makes it much better than the iMac... and I like that I can fold away with it and not feel like I am going to fry all the components because of how tightly packed together they are in the iMac. I really do like the screen though.

Yeah I have mixed emotions too... I have a Single Processor 1.8 like you.

However I must admit, I was much much more upset when Apple started offering a Dual 1.8 for the SAME DANG price as my Single 1.8 only a few months after I had bought it (poo on you for that Apple!). The whole iMac development is less upsetting since as other people pointed out, the FSB isn't as good, and neither is the upgradability (but the price sure is great on those iMacs).

Oh well, I am going to try to hold out for a while longer, I don't even want to consider getting a new PowerMac until they pass 3GHz. And my current G5 has plenty of room for RAM upgrades in the mean time!

Also, the next computer I buy will be a 12" PowerBook, because I badly need the mobility for school and my G5 weighs a few tons too many to be lugging around with me

vraxtus said:

...how does the new iMac G5 make you feel about your PM? Kinda makes me feel like my 1.8 is getting old already... since it is HUGE compared to the iMac. Plus when I did buy it with an Apple display it cost me close to $3,000.

Oh well, that's the price you pay for technology I suppose...

Though one thing that does make me happy is that the FSB is significantly lower than the ones on the original G5s, and it still seems the video card is nonupgradeable... so my hat's off to that!

Come on PM, stay with me a little longer

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At first glance, I was a bit depressed. Here was a 1.6GHz G5 processor, SATA hard drive, up to 2GB of RAM, plus a 17" LCD screen, all for only AUD $2199...and I paid around AUD $3100 for my 1.6GHz G5 barely a year ago...without a screen included! I'm living in a small apartment at the moment, so space is at a premium. I started to calculate how much I could get on eBay for my 1.6GHz PowerMac and 19" CRT, and if it would be enough to swap for a 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz iMac G5.

However, after a bit of analysis, I don't think I could swap over. The 'ol PC overclocker and hacker came back out in me , and I remembered why I wanted the PowerMac in the first place. Upgradable video card. Extra hard drive bay. Optical drive is easily swapped out and upgraded with a commodity drive (DVD burners are getting faster every other week). FireWire 800. More RAM slots. An upgradable video card. Gigabit ethernet. 3 PCI slots (probably going to add an extra USB 2 card and maybe a TV tuner in the near future). Did I mention the video card is upgradable? I really like the FireWire and USB ports on the front of the case also (I have my G5 on the desktop).

I have read rumours on the net that Sonnet is working on G5 CPU upgrade cards, but Mac processor upgrades are traditionally extremely expensive, so by the time I outgrow the 1.6GHz CPU it'll probably be time to buy a new system anyway.

So...while the inclusion of a 17" LCD for such a low price kind of hurts a little in retrospect, I guess I'm not the sort of user who could buy a system with something as low-specced as a 64MB FX 5200 and not have recourse to upgrade it down the track. I like gaming too much for that So...no regrets with the PowerMac.

Well I got one of the first Powermac G5s way back last August. I really didn't need the power, I bought the single processor 1.8GHz model which now has 2GB RAM.

I have never really liked it - I hate towers and feel they are an anachronism. I had a G4 iMac before my Powermac and loved the design. I just wanted G5 power and the Powermac was the only choice.

I replaced the power supply fans with quieter ones and fitted a WD Raptor 1000rpm hard drive. Since then I have sat and looked at that great big tower and thought 'What a waste!'. With the sort of things I do I can't tell much difference in daily use between my 1GHz 12" iBook and that darn great lump of a Powermac.

As soon as I heard about the new G5 iMac I reaslised that this is the machine I would have bought last year. I have ordered the 20" model and will be using 1GB of my Powermac RAM in it, leaving 1GB in the Powermac and selling it along with my 17" Apple Display.

I really do believe that big towers have no future.

scgf said:

I really do believe that big towers have no future.

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I definitely think there will be less of the traditional tower form factor sold in the future. Most people are never going to need, or want, to install multiple hard drives, upgrade their graphics card, mess around replacing the optical drive, or ever add a PCI card (or even know what one is). In the PC world, small form factor systems like the Shuttle 'shoebox' size systems are getting a lot of attention, and obviously a lot of people are in love with the new iMac G5. Space efficiency and style are becoming more important to many than traditional computer features like expandability.

However, there will always be professional and enthusiast users who will demand the ability to configure, expand, and replace various components of their system as they see fit, and for the time being, the only practical way for this to happen is with a traditional tower (or similar) design. And with internals as beautiful as the G5 PowerMac, who wouldn't want to pull the side off from time to time and play around in there?

scgf said:

...I really do believe that big towers have no future.

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They'll be around for a long time yet – there's only so much you can cram into a small box.

When you want more than one processor or one hard drive or specialised cards for video/audio etc. you have to look at a tower.

Some forum members here have demanding requirements for their Macs.
I can't imagine too many pro video editors being happy with an iMac – G5 or otherwise.

scgf said:

Well I got one of the first Powermac G5s way back last August. I really didn't need the power, I bought the single processor 1.8GHz model which now has 2GB RAM.

I have never really liked it - I hate towers and feel they are an anachronism. I had a G4 iMac before my Powermac and loved the design. I just wanted G5 power and the Powermac was the only choice.

I replaced the power supply fans with quieter ones and fitted a WD Raptor 1000rpm hard drive. Since then I have sat and looked at that great big tower and thought 'What a waste!'. With the sort of things I do I can't tell much difference in daily use between my 1GHz 12" iBook and that darn great lump of a Powermac.

As soon as I heard about the new G5 iMac I reaslised that this is the machine I would have bought last year. I have ordered the 20" model and will be using 1GB of my Powermac RAM in it, leaving 1GB in the Powermac and selling it along with my 17" Apple Display.

I really do believe that big towers have no future.

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I''m a bit confused by your post, you say in the first paragraph that you bought the G5 but didn't need the power. Then in the second paragraph you say you wanted the G5 for the power...

the big G5 enclosure

I'm not really convinced that they had to make the G5 so big in the first place, even with the supplied reason of quiet cooling.

The G3/G4 cabinet was easy to mount horizontally in a rack. With the G5, you can't do that unless you saw off the handles. Even to get an efficient vertical rack mounting, Va Tech had to buy special oversized racks.

One other thing that happened between those cabinet designs, is that Apple started selling their expensive Xserve machines. And I believe that's the real reason the G5 has the dimensions it has.

oingoboingo said:

At first glance, I was a bit depressed....

...However, after a bit of analysis, I don't think I could swap over. The 'ol PC overclocker and hacker came back out in me , and I remembered why I wanted the PowerMac in the first place. Upgradable video card. Extra hard drive bay. Optical drive is easily swapped out and upgraded with a commodity drive (DVD burners are getting faster every other week). FireWire 800. More RAM slots. An upgradable video card. Gigabit ethernet. 3 PCI slots (probably going to add an extra USB 2 card and maybe a TV tuner in the near future). Did I mention the video card is upgradable? I really like the FireWire and USB ports on the front of the case also (I have my G5 on the desktop)...

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I was also depressed until I read your post, now I feel a lot better I have a 1.6 as well, which I only bought about 1 & 1/2 months ago. I really wanted a G5, but didn't have the cash to shell out for a dual 1.8 or 2.0, so ended up getting this sucker instead.

I agree though, not so much about specs but about design. The new iMac is fantastic and I immediately thought about buying one too, but the wife would kill me

Thirteenva said:

I''m a bit confused by your post, you say in the first paragraph that you bought the G5 but didn't need the power. Then in the second paragraph you say you wanted the G5 for the power...

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LOL, yes it does look confusing. What I really meant was that I did want a G5 CPU, being the successor to the G4 which I already had. What I didn't need was the power and upgradability of the G5 Powermac. I would have been happy with the smaller form factor of the iMac product line, the consequent lack of upgradability, slower system bus etc. etc..

People in this group and others are making it clear that the iMac line is a consumer product line and the Powermac is more of a professional product line. I made a jump into that professional line and really don't need to be there. I have no interest in adding PCI-X cards to my Powermac, or replacing the video card. I have enjoyed using the Mac less since I got the Powermac than I did before when I had the G4 iMac. I don't like the tower, I don't like the higher noise level and I really don't like the lack of integration. The whole setup seems to be bitty - a box there, a monitor here, a hub over there . . . integration is the key.

Hope this makes a little more sense!