I still believe in PowerPC, but I find this sad:

Anonymous Freak · Oct 16, 2014

The increasing complexity of websites is making what was once a simple enough protocol for 68000 machines to handle (without pictures) in to something that even entry-level smartphones have difficulty properly rendering "full desktop" websites - and that's without even taking in to account plugins and screen size issues...

My low-end Android tablet has problems with some websites that work fine on desktop Chrome.

Sadly, no amount of new software can help with this. Let's analogize to (mythical) camping trailers (mythical because I know that there are ones that are small; I'm pretending that like with websites, camping trailers have only gotten bigger) - cars have gotten far more powerful, but trailers have gotten much bigger and heavier, too. It used to be that your standard midsize car could tow the biggest standard camping trailer. Nowadays an early '80s midsize car has difficulty towing what is considered a "midsize" camping trailer now. And while there were decent size camping trailers that could be towed by a Volkswagen Beetle back in the day, no current small car can pull *ANY* size modern camping trailer. (Not a perfect analogy, since small trailers still exist - but it gets the point across if you ignore fold-up trailers.)

PowerMac G4 MDD · Oct 16, 2014

CYB3RBYTE said:
I fondly remember my first mac, it was a iBook G3 Graphite 366MHZ model, with the RAM maxed out and an airport card. My father bought it for me as a birthday present in 2011, but it unfortunately died of logic board problems a few weeks later. Still, he helped me to start my collection (and or slash slight addiction ) of what I consider even today some of the coolest computers around!

My first Mac was the brand-spanking-new iMac G5 17-inch in 2004. Of course, the original iMac G5s had major hardware issues, but it was a great experience nonetheless. My brother and I each got one; we experimented a lot with iMovie back in the day and would make many films. Oh, and don't forget Marble Blast Gold and Nanosaur II! Those were good times... sadly mine died in 2010 and I upgraded to my mom's 2005 iSight iMac G5 20". So I used PowerPC from 2004-2012 and then got my dad's base-model 2009 MacBook Pro handed down to me in 2012. I still used my iMac G5 as a secondary computer, and use PowerPC Macs to this day. 2004-2012 was just when I ONLY used PowerPC Macs. I have a Mac collection too, and my growing fondness of PowerPC Macs has kept me from using my Intel Mac as much! I am typing this from my new-to-me PowerMac G5.

840quadra · Oct 16, 2014

I am sure finding some of the applications (that were once free) that I use on my G4 systems would be hard today, however many haven't had reasonable replacements since the introduction of the Appstore, and Intel macs.

I still use quite a few older PowerPC Audio & Video applications on my home assembled (from Apple spare parts and ebay Bits) Quicksilver tower. Yes the applications aren't fast, however I enjoy the long process of ripping DVDs (yep I still buy those), and recording streaming audio from web stations I enjoy listening to.

The G4 does all of this fine while I am busy doing editing in FCPx, or Aperture on my modern Intel systems. For some reason there is something satisfying with having a dual processor G4 running at Max load for hours at a time.

CYB3RBYTE · Oct 29, 2014

While using PPC today may not be considered the most powerful option, you have to admit they are all unique and awesome in their own little ways.

For instance, no PC opens like a G4 where the whole door falls down. And no other computer even today allows for you to position the monitor like the iMac G4 does!

These Macs also set industry standards that we take for granted today! Here are some things that may not have existed if we didn't have these awesome computers:

- Backlit Keyboards (PowerBook G4, 2004)
- 64-Bit PCI Slots (PowerMac G4 MDD, 2002)
- Wireless Airport in laptops (iBook Clamshell, 1999)
- Wireless Airport in Desktops (PowerMac G4 Sawtooth, 2000)
- DVD writable drives in laptops (PowerBook G4 Titanium, 2001)
- Integrated webcams (iMac G5 iSight, 2005)
- USB 2.0 (PowerBook G4, 2003)
- 64-Bit Architecture (PowerMac G5)
- And probably much, much more that I am forgetting!

While PC's may have had some of the technology first, Apple were the first ones to properly use it!

Also, they just look pretty darn cool!

patriciooholegu · Oct 29, 2014

Last week i was able to probe that my iMac g5 2ghz, 20inch, is very usable on Blender 3d (Helping to do small task of animated titles and other things on the side of a windows based pc runing Sony Vegas).

http://www.blender.org/

There is another aproach-point of view- about our persistence on using a 10 ear old machine:
Maybe we are like Mister Burns (From "The simpson") were, in an episode, he goes to a gas station with a very antique, begining of 20s century, old car...and request crude petroleum to the station employ...

gavinstubbs09 · Oct 29, 2014

1998: Style! iMac G3 and up
2001: Titanium in a laptop
2003: PowerBook and Power Mac G5 with aluminum

bunnspecial · Oct 29, 2014

1998: USB in a consumer computer(iMac)(yes, I realize it existed before that, but the iMac really expedited its adoption with USB being really the only way to connect peripherals at least on the first models).

PowerMac G4 MDD · Oct 29, 2014

HereBeMonsters said:
I think people have to realise that computers are useful for more than just connecting to the internet.
I used computers for 13 years before I got online - and not even always for games!

Well I know that; the first computer I used was capable of connecting to the internet but wasn't connected at all.

PowerMac G4 MDD · Oct 29, 2014

CYB3RBYTE said:
While using PPC today may not be considered the most powerful option, you have to admit they are all unique and awesome in their own little ways.

For instance, no PC opens like a G4 where the whole door falls down. And no other computer even today allows for you to position the monitor like the iMac G4 does!

These Macs also set industry standards that we take for granted today! Here are some things that may not have existed if we didn't have these awesome computers:

- Backlit Keyboards (PowerBook G4, 2004)
- 64-Bit PCI Slots (PowerMac G4 MDD, 2002)
- Wireless Airport in laptops (iBook Clamshell, 1999)
- Wireless Airport in Desktops (PowerMac G4 Sawtooth, 2000)
- DVD writable drives in laptops (PowerBook G4 Titanium, 2001)
- Integrated webcams (iMac G5 iSight, 2005)
- USB 2.0 (PowerBook G4, 2003)
- 64-Bit Architecture (PowerMac G5)
- And probably much, much more that I am forgetting!

While PC's may have had some of the technology first, Apple were the first ones to properly use it!

Also, they just look pretty darn cool!

Darn right! I really hate how die-hard Windows fans claim that Apple's products are the same things again and again. (note that that logic probably wasn't used before Apple became super mainstream in 2007, with the release of the iPhone). Funny thing though, Windows PCs NEVER change. In fact, they have been built the same way for about 20 years... if you open up a new Windows PC today, it's simply a metal chassis with a pretty-face bezel on the front.

Not to mention the fact that many of these companies will release a product with some serial-number of a name, and then release some newer model that looks exactly the same and has one character changed within that extremely long model number/name. Exaggerated example: HP Pavilion s1003049sk@asdf#!3.14159. *One year later*---> HP Pavilion s2003049sk@asdf#!3.14159. What else? Well, since Windows fans love the variety of countless kinds of Windows computers being released under a new serial number name every few months, they think Apple products lack variety... then once Apple releases a smaller iPad or larger iPhone, they act as if they are simply editing the sizes of their old products and re-releasing them. Hypocrites, there is your variety that you moaned about! xD And although Apple has gathered a huge following since they practically became a phone company, every Windows fanboy out there calls us "sheep". Ironically, Windows fans are the sheep... why? Well, they follow Apple product haters and regurgitate false information they hear. Most Windows fans know NOTHING about Macs, yet assume every one sucks for no reason. That's what I call a sheep and a fanboy---not knowing anything about the product you hate, and simply hating it because you use Windows and listen to what others say. It's pathetic for a Windows fanboy that I know more about the products they like than they do, themselves! I once told a Windows fanboy that my brother had a Mac with an 8-core Xeon, 4 hard drive bays, and expansion for dual GPUs. (his 2008 Mac Pro).... and the guy, thinking that all Macs are all-in-ones, replied: "I seriously doubt there is a Mac with an 8-core Xeon and 4 hard drive bays. xD So yes, Windows fans don't know jack cr@p about Macs and just jump onto the Mac-hating bandwagon. And don't even get my started with the fanboy who told me that "Linux came along and helped Apple with MacOSX". *sigh* Anyway, it's very true; Apple computers still offer something great and unique every time. That is definitely true to the PowerPC days.

J232022 · Nov 4, 2014

Power Pc macs are still relevant today even in 2014 , its not that the hardware is no longer good enough , it is that the software is out of date and very few programs are around anymore . Power PC macs are becoming less and less useful as time goes on . I think apple should have supported them longer than they did .

PowerMac G4 MDD · Nov 4, 2014

J232022 said:
Power Pc macs are still relevant today even in 2014 , its not that the hardware is no longer good enough , it is that the software is out of date and very few programs are around anymore . Power PC macs are becoming less and less useful as time goes on . I think apple should have supported them longer than they did .

I realize that; I wish I could remove this thread, as people think I believe that PowerPC Macs have no place in today's world. My main desktop is a PowerPC Mac. I do understand what software is doing to these computers... I just came to recognize the fact that it's even more-rapidly coming to a point where the PowerMac G5 is the only PPC Mac feasible to USE. Now, that can be taken in many different ways...... obviously you could even use an original Macintosh as a secondary computer, given the circumstances, but it's definite that there has been a greater shift in obsoleteness for older PPC Macs, recently. I know it's obvious that they will be completely "obsolete" later on, but many of my PowerPC Macs are showing it now. The G3 is out of the question as a heavy-use secondary computer. I spent several months ONLY using a 500Mhz/512MB RAM iMac G3, in 2011, but now it would be much more difficult to do. This realization may sound obvious, but it's coming at a faster rate than most realize. Don't think I am a PowerPC pessimist though; I myself own 12 iMac G3s alone.

J232022 · Nov 4, 2014

PowerMac G4 MDD said:
I realize that; I wish I could remove this thread, as people think I believe that PowerPC Macs have no place in today's world. My main desktop is a PowerPC Mac. I do understand what software is doing to these computers... I just came to recognize the fact that it's even more-rapidly coming to a point where the PowerMac G5 is the only PPC Mac feasible to USE. Now, that can be taken in many different ways...... obviously you could even use an original Macintosh as a secondary computer, given the circumstances, but it's definite that there has been a greater shift in obsoleteness for older PPC Macs, recently. I know it's obvious that they will be completely "obsolete" later on, but many of my PowerPC Macs are showing it now. The G3 is out of the question as a heavy-use secondary computer. I spent several months ONLY using a 500Mhz/512MB RAM iMac G3, in 2011, but now it would be much more difficult to do. This realization may sound obvious, but it's coming at a faster rate than most realize. Don't think I am a PowerPC pessimist though; I myself own 12 iMac G3s alone.

That is a lot of Imac g3s lol , I would agree that the later power pcs models are really the only usable systems today for most things . The g3's are usable for sure but only for very basic tasks , even light email on g3's is very slow . Imac g3s are great for the software that was made when it was around . I like Power Pc macs they are fun to use but just not as a primary machine in 2014 . A Power Mac G5 is still very usable in 2014 but at some point its time to move to a newer machine lol .

NaiGuy · Nov 4, 2014

Personally what I love about Power PCs is that they are so good. While I don't use any of mine as my primary machine. I could use my dual 1GHz G4 as my main machine and I can definitely use my G5. I think the only machines I have no real use for as my iMac G3s and my cube (because it is stock). Just looking at the OP and hearing about them using a G3 in 2011 just shows how powerful these machines are.

If anything I wish I had a wireless card for my G5 quad right now. I miss using it. I will probably have to take a look at what options are available for me for wireless sense I can't get wired Ethernet where I am currently.

J232022 · Nov 4, 2014

NaiGuy said:
Personally what I love about Power PCs is that they are so good. While I don't use any of mine as my primary machine. I could use my dual 1GHz G4 as my main machine and I can definitely use my G5. I think the only machines I have no real use for as my iMac G3s and my cube (because it is stock). Just looking at the OP and hearing about them using a G3 in 2011 just shows how powerful these machines are.

If anything I wish I had a wireless card for my G5 quad right now. I miss using it. I will probably have to take a look at what options are available for me for wireless sense I can't get wired Ethernet where I am currently.

They are built to last , apple makes quality computers . It is sad though that apple is not letting people upgrade there machines as easily themselves anymore .

PowerMac G4 MDD · Nov 4, 2014

J232022 said:
That is a lot of Imac g3s lol , I would agree that the later power pcs models are really the only usable systems today for most things . The g3's are usable for sure but only for very basic tasks , even light email on g3's is very slow . Imac g3s are great for the software that was made when it was around . I like Power Pc macs they are fun to use but just not as a primary machine in 2014 . A Power Mac G5 is still very usable in 2014 but at some point its time to move to a newer machine lol .

Yeah, I have actually considered a Hackintosh build... This is NOT my norm, as I still appreciate Apple's nice hardware design and don't enjoy owning a black box, but I want a good desktop and only want to put the money down for the components. I do have a 2009 MacBook Pro, which I will still appreciate, as its hardware design is great. (I just hate using a laptop as a desktop, which is why my PowerMac G5 has been my main machine). It's sad what is happening to them though. I have been using PowerPC since 2004, and will definitely continue to do so, but I wish I could have something like an iMac G3 as a daily driver.

Some people go to huge extents and build a Hackintosh inside of an iMac G3 shell xD Crazy...

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J232022 said:
They are built to last , apple makes quality computers . It is sad though that apple is not letting people upgrade there machines as easily themselves anymore .

Yeah, imagine the possibilities if Snow Leopard had been released for PowerPC. Someone posted somewhere several months ago that he was going to go through the painful process of trying to create a Snow Leopard PPC installation. I am sure he is struggling, and no word from him since.

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NaiGuy said:
Personally what I love about Power PCs is that they are so good. While I don't use any of mine as my primary machine. I could use my dual 1GHz G4 as my main machine and I can definitely use my G5. I think the only machines I have no real use for as my iMac G3s and my cube (because it is stock). Just looking at the OP and hearing about them using a G3 in 2011 just shows how powerful these machines are.

If anything I wish I had a wireless card for my G5 quad right now. I miss using it. I will probably have to take a look at what options are available for me for wireless sense I can't get wired Ethernet where I am currently.

You could try a USB wifi 'dongle'. I know it won't be as good as an Airport card, but at least you will have functioning wireless internet. Sadly those cheap, Chinese USB wifi 'dongles' use their own wireless application, rather than using Airport utilities. I had one on my iMac G4, and I had to manually connect every time I woke the computer up.

weckart · Nov 4, 2014

NaiGuy said:
If anything I wish I had a wireless card for my G5 quad right now. I miss using it. I will probably have to take a look at what options are available for me for wireless sense I can't get wired Ethernet where I am currently.

.

Do what I did and others have done. Get a mini-PCIe to PCIe adapter and grab a Leopard era mini-PCIe Airport card. That will get you 802.11n WiFi under Leopard for not very much at all. If you can locate the right Broadcom card you can also get it working under Tiger, too.

Alternatively, you can get one of these for not very much, too. That and many other similar devices will power off a usb port, give you WiFi through your ethernet port and are OS independent.

NaiGuy · Nov 5, 2014

weckart said:
.

Do what I did and others have done. Get a mini-PCIe to PCIe adapter and grab a Leopard era mini-PCIe Airport card. That will get you 802.11n WiFi under Leopard for not very much at all. If you can locate the right Broadcom card you can also get it working under Tiger, too.

Alternatively, you can get one of these for not very much, too. That and many other similar devices will power off a usb port, give you WiFi through your ethernet port and are OS independent.

Hmmm. I never considered that. I'll look into it. Thanks for the advice.

CYB3RBYTE · Nov 5, 2014

NaiGuy said:
Personally what I love about Power PCs is that they are so good. While I don't use any of mine as my primary machine. I could use my dual 1GHz G4 as my main machine and I can definitely use my G5. I think the only machines I have no real use for as my iMac G3s and my cube (because it is stock). Just looking at the OP and hearing about them using a G3 in 2011 just shows how powerful these machines are.

If anything I wish I had a wireless card for my G5 quad right now. I miss using it. I will probably have to take a look at what options are available for me for wireless sense I can't get wired Ethernet where I am currently.

Send me a PM, I may be able to get you up and running with a PCI Wireless-N Card that works in Macs...

weckart · Nov 5, 2014

CYB3RBYTE said:
Send me a PM, I may be able to get you up and running with a PCI Wireless-N Card that works in Macs...

He has a Quad. PCI is useless as the Quad only has PCIe slots.

bunnspecial · Nov 5, 2014

Here's my recent adventure with doing the same in my late '05 Dual Core G5(any WiFi card that works in that computer should work in a Quad, due to the logic board similarities)

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1779572/

CYB3RBYTE · Nov 6, 2014

weckart said:
He has a Quad. PCI is useless as the Quad only has PCIe slots.

It should work as I believe it is a PCI/PCI-E Card. I pulled it from a 2007 Dell Inspiron desktop, and that had PCI-E...

weckart · Nov 6, 2014

CYB3RBYTE said:
It should work as I believe it is a PCI/PCI-E Card. I pulled it from a 2007 Dell Inspiron desktop, and that had PCI-E...

PCI and PCIe are different. Good luck trying to get a PCI card into a PCIe x1 slot for instance. A lot of PC motherboards had both PCIe and PCI slots. My Dell Inspiron D530 hackintosh did. I used a PCI card for the WiFi in that. Won't work in the Powermac, which only has PCIe slots.

CYB3RBYTE · Nov 7, 2014

weckart said:
PCI and PCIe are different. Good luck trying to get a PCI card into a PCIe x1 slot for instance. A lot of PC motherboards had both PCIe and PCI slots. My Dell Inspiron D530 hackintosh did. I used a PCI card for the WiFi in that. Won't work in the Powermac, which only has PCIe slots.

Huh, well then guess I can't help you out NaiGuy. Although I'm sure there has to be some broadcom based PCIe WIFI cards on Ebay and such.

I still believe in PowerPC, but I find this sad:

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