Hello,
The other day I was here to discuss an upgrade to my wife's G4, but today I'm here for a different reason: I am switching! Yes, I'm a PC.
I've been having some issues with my PC and it probably isn't something that couldn't be fixed for $200 max, but my years of experience tell me that in a month or two something will happen again, and I'm tired of having constant problems.
Anyway, back to the issue:
I need some smart advice on what to get. I'd love to get a Mac Pro but I can't afford it, so I've narrowed it down to
- 24" 2.8GHz iMac with 4BG of Ram (I have some discount with Apple so it'll cost me $2030), OR
- this refurbished 2.7 GHz G5, or similar G5, to which I would add 8GB of this Crucial RAM. The G5 with RAM and Leopard would cost me around $1650.
iMac Pros:
- Intel processor
- Large 24" screen
- Bill Gates hates it
iMac Cons:
- Hard to upgrade
- Glossy screen which sucks as far as color is concerned (I'm a photographer so the color matters a lot! The viewing angle is very small under which the color looks OK on the iMac). This is based on mu experience with the new iMac's)
- No eSATA (Can't use a 5-bay SATA enclosure which I'm thinking of getting)
- Single internal drive. Currently I have 3 internal and 3 external backup drives. Add the eSATA factor to this and my only option is a 5-bay FireWire enclosure.
G5 Pros:
- It's not a PC
- eSATA
- Price
G5 Cons:
- Old processor
- Have to use my old Samsung 1280x1024 monitor as opposed to a 24" 1920x1200. I could buy a different monitor for $350I would save if I got a G5, though??? And for the time being, is this old monitor going to work fine on the G5?
- I can use 3 internal drives.
So the looming questions are....
- The applications that I use on a daily basis and whose performance is of the utmost importance are Lightroom and Photoshop CS3 (extended). It is possible that I will upgrade to CS4 pretty soon. How's CS3, or CS4 tomorrow, going to perform on a G5 as opposed to an iMac?
- Additionaly, I am planning to start using FinalCut Pro. Same question as above.
- How's Leopard performing on the G5, and what about the G5, CS3 and Leopard combo? Are they getting along?
- How's Windows doing on Leopard? I would still need Windows for my Quickbooks free edition.
- Any other things that I am not considering but that could be a factor in this?
- What are the best places that sell refurbished Mac Pro's? (In case I take this path)
Thanks a lot for your help!
The other day I was here to discuss an upgrade to my wife's G4, but today I'm here for a different reason: I am switching! Yes, I'm a PC.
I've been having some issues with my PC and it probably isn't something that couldn't be fixed for $200 max, but my years of experience tell me that in a month or two something will happen again, and I'm tired of having constant problems.
Anyway, back to the issue:
I need some smart advice on what to get. I'd love to get a Mac Pro but I can't afford it, so I've narrowed it down to
- 24" 2.8GHz iMac with 4BG of Ram (I have some discount with Apple so it'll cost me $2030), OR
- this refurbished 2.7 GHz G5, or similar G5, to which I would add 8GB of this Crucial RAM. The G5 with RAM and Leopard would cost me around $1650.
iMac Pros:
- Intel processor
- Large 24" screen
- Bill Gates hates it
iMac Cons:
- Hard to upgrade
- Glossy screen which sucks as far as color is concerned (I'm a photographer so the color matters a lot! The viewing angle is very small under which the color looks OK on the iMac). This is based on mu experience with the new iMac's)
- No eSATA (Can't use a 5-bay SATA enclosure which I'm thinking of getting)
- Single internal drive. Currently I have 3 internal and 3 external backup drives. Add the eSATA factor to this and my only option is a 5-bay FireWire enclosure.
G5 Pros:
- It's not a PC
- eSATA
- Price
G5 Cons:
- Old processor
- Have to use my old Samsung 1280x1024 monitor as opposed to a 24" 1920x1200. I could buy a different monitor for $350I would save if I got a G5, though??? And for the time being, is this old monitor going to work fine on the G5?
- I can use 3 internal drives.
So the looming questions are....
- The applications that I use on a daily basis and whose performance is of the utmost importance are Lightroom and Photoshop CS3 (extended). It is possible that I will upgrade to CS4 pretty soon. How's CS3, or CS4 tomorrow, going to perform on a G5 as opposed to an iMac?
- Additionaly, I am planning to start using FinalCut Pro. Same question as above.
- How's Leopard performing on the G5, and what about the G5, CS3 and Leopard combo? Are they getting along?
- How's Windows doing on Leopard? I would still need Windows for my Quickbooks free edition.
- Any other things that I am not considering but that could be a factor in this?
- What are the best places that sell refurbished Mac Pro's? (In case I take this path)
Thanks a lot for your help!