Python with Mac Mini or Power Mac G5

Okay, so just want to seek some advice regarding running Python (with numpy, scipy and stuff) on either a Mac Mini or Power Mac G5. The Mac Mini was the mid-2009 release, and the Power Mac G5 I believe is the lower end of the last generation of it's kind.

I'm thinking to switch to using the Power Mac G5 as my main programming machine for the next couple reasons. 1) The mac mini is becoming sluggish (because of all the stuff that's running on it, sometime it takes 2-5 second just to open up terminal). However, I'd like to continue to use the mac mini as my main machine (for non-programing purpose) because it has all the new stuff such as: iMessage and iCloud etc. 2) I have the Power Mac G5 just sitting around not doing much, and sometime it feels it runs a lot faster then the mac mini for some reason.

So I'd like to seek the following suggestions. Is there a major difference between running python on either machine? If not, what is your best setup for running Python (with the newest version of numpy and scipy) on a the PPC? I hope it's not a silly question for wanting to use a older machine to run python than the relative newer mac mini. But since the machine is just sitting there, I figured I might as well convert it to a dedicated machine for programming. I'd very much like some input thanks.

MisterKeeks said:

Usually I would advise against using dated hardware to develop on. I don't have any experience developing, but I have used Python, SciPy, NumPy for another project. I have found that Macports is starting to degrade for PowerPC Macs/Older OSes. Personally, with little experience, I would just use the Mini as your programming machine. In fact, you could probably use the G5 as a sub for your Mini, I use mine as a daily computer.

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Thanks. I certainly won't mind doing what you have suggested. However, there are things such as iMessage, iCloud (with calendar and contact) that doesn't work well with the older OS X. I know I can probably sync all to Google to get around most of it. But iMessage would still be an issue. Also, I'll admit that I was being lazy to ask about Python setup on PPC instead of searching on Google. But, since I already spent almost a week finding the best solution of Python on the mac mini, I suppose I was just a bit burned out to looking for another solution.

gavinstubbs09 said:

I'd be one to use the G5. Years ago I worked on a few programs called MobiText, MobiFiles, and MobiXML for Windows. I could have used my 6 core custom built at the time but I chose to use a Dimension 3000 with a Pentium 4HT so that I could get a feel of what the Windows XP users would experience, and therefore I gave the OK for these programs to run on Win2k/XP.

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Thanks for sharing the experience. If I can get it working I'll try to run it on the G5.