1.33 ghz Powerbook G4 to a 2.83 ghz 8-core Intel Xeon: Largest leap ever?

[rareflares]

For months now I've been waiting and waiting for the new Mac Pros to come but I just couldn't take it anymore given my goal to start my own design business this year. I just could never pull the trigger on the current Mac Pros since they're still priced with 1-year ago prices.... but today, lo and behold, a refurbished Mac Pro 2.8 ghz 8-core (stock model) appears in the Apple online store for the low price of $2399...finally in my price range.

I was so excited that I ordered it without even realizing I don't even have a monitor yet. Can anyone point me to some good ones?

I know it's a good deal for an Apple product but I was curious to know if it was a good deal in general, given the specs?

Either way it's a done deal and I'm going to install another 4GB RAM right away.

Given the leap I'm making from my current computer, I pretty much have no idea what to expect. I fear for the moment when my new Mac Pro arrives and I realize that I literally can do anything that I want and not be hindered by obsolete technology. When will I have time to sip my coffee when all applications launch in one-bounce?

Considering my trusty Powerbook G4 has lasted me 5 full years with zero issues, I think this computer might in fact last until I'm dead.

 

[dophineh]

For months now I've been waiting and waiting for the new Mac Pros to come but I just couldn't take it anymore given my goal to start my own design business this year. I just could never pull the trigger on the current Mac Pros since they're still priced with 1-year ago prices.... but today, lo and behold, a refurbished Mac Pro 2.8 ghz 8-core (stock model) appears in the Apple online store for the low price of $2399...finally in my price range.

I was so excited that I ordered it without even realizing I don't even have a monitor yet. Can anyone point me to some good ones?

I know it's a good deal for an Apple product but I was curious to know if it was a good deal in general, given the specs?

Either way it's a done deal and I'm going to install another 4GB RAM right away.

Given the leap I'm making from my current computer, I pretty much have no idea what to expect. I fear for the moment when my new Mac Pro arrives and I realize that I literally can do anything that I want and not be hindered by obsolete technology. When will I have time to sip my coffee when all applications launch in one-bounce?

Considering my trusty Powerbook G4 has lasted me 5 full years with zero issues, I think this computer might in fact last until I'm dead.

it's going to be a HUGE improvement. obviously lol. price wise... i have no idea... sounds alright

what kind of design do you want to do?

 

[rareflares]

Well, it's purely going to be a side business to my day-job unless it becomes huge but basically graphics design, animation, website design... basically whatever people will pay me for! I already have a couple of projects lined up with nightclubs in the area that need flyers and website design for their promotional materials so I suppose that's a good start.

 

[Chaos123x]

For rendering and stuff oh yeah HUUUUGE.

But for everyday stuff, it will be just a little faster but not blown away or anything.

 

[dophineh]

For rendering and stuff oh yeah HUUUUGE.

But for everyday stuff, it will be just a little faster but not blown away or anything.

i disagree. i bet i'd be pulling my hair out just using a web browser with an old 1.33 g4!

 

[matticus008]

i disagree. i bet i'd be pulling my hair out just using a web browser with an old 1.33 g4!

Not really. I occasionally fire up an old 500MHz G4 and it does web browsing just fine, though it does choke on video playback with Flash and HD.

I was so excited that I ordered it without even realizing I don't even have a monitor yet. Can anyone point me to some good ones?

What are your expectations? Between undergrad and law school I did some systems administration and general IT for a graphics production company, which has come in handy being able to balance both the user side and the engineering side of display technology. I've kept up since with display technologies as a matter of professional relevance, so I'd be happy to help you sort your options.

I'm assuming you want good color, but I don't get the impression that you're an exacting gamut Nazi, so that will free up some options for you.

What is your budget range? Do you hate glossy or matte or have no strong feelings? Don't base your response to the latter on perceived technical inferiority--this is just your sensitivity to aesthetics; performance is a separate question from panel finish, as glossy does not mean optical coating.

 

[jngphoto]

I was in a simliar situation as you. I went from the 1.25 Powerbook to the same MacPro you ordered. Big leap and you'll notice how everything is quicker. I added 8gb ram and 2 hard drives.

The only problem I had was migrating because going from Tiger to Leopard can be difficult for some settings and applications. It is best to reinstall all applications and copy files over. Good luck and enjoy it.

 

[rylin]

Given the leap I'm making from my current computer, I pretty much have no idea what to expect. I fear for the moment when my new Mac Pro arrives and I realize that I literally can do anything that I want and not be hindered by obsolete technology. When will I have time to sip my coffee when all applications launch in one-bounce?

Don't worry, spinning platters with a arm moving about trying to read data is still insanely slow and will be obsolete Real Soon Now(tm)
You'll still have apps requiring more than a bounce, so coffee wise you should be fine.

If you really want the system to scream, you get faster storage.
Whether that's a 2-4xIntel X25 RAID 1 (or 10, which is more reasonable) or a 4-6xWD Raptor RAID-10 AoE DAS/SAN array is up to you, but I'm fairly confident those options are out of your league

I'll be writing a nice and detailed article on making a home brew blazing fast storage unit costing roughly a tenth of what the big boys charge as soon as I get out of this confounded sickbed.

 

[rylin]

The only problem I had was migrating because going from Tiger to Leopard can be difficult for some settings and applications. It is best to reinstall all applications and copy files over. Good luck and enjoy it.

Any particular apps spring to mind? Can't say that I've had any problems migrating machines from old kitty cat to new kitty cat.
Just curious is all

 

[newspimp]

For what it's worth, I went from a 450 MHz G4 Sawtooth to an 8-core, 2.8GHz Mac Pro with 10GB RAM, a 320GB main drive with two 1.5TB drives in a RAID-0, and two HP LP2475w S-IPS monitors.

Night and day, night and day...

As someone who spends much of my day buried in the Terminal, glossy screens were *not* an option for me. We got a new batch of the glossy iMacs in for the artists middle of last year and I went right about 4 hours using one of them before I wanted to pull my hair out. The constant reflections annoyed me to absolutely no end.

 

[rareflares]

What are your expectations?

I'm assuming you want good color, but I don't get the impression that you're an exacting gamut Nazi, so that will free up some options for you.

What is your budget range? Do you hate glossy or matte or have no strong feelings? Don't base your response to the latter on perceived technical inferiority--this is just your sensitivity to aesthetics; performance is a separate question from panel finish, as glossy does not mean optical coating.

Long story short, I'm not picky. Frankly, I like both the glossy screen and matte. Of course I want good color, but like you said, I'm not the type to spend above and beyond to get perfect color. I would prefer a widescreen monitor as I've found it useful in college to have a couple of different canvases or palettes viewable at once. I also dont think I need anything above 24" (but definitely nothing smaller than 20").

As far as budget range goes... having done little real research on the typical display price, I'll say that I would prefer to not spend above $350 if that is at all possible.

 

[matticus008]

I would say that given your budget and size range, the NEC EA221WM is actually a very good choice, with 22" and 1680x1050. This is just about the only non-TN panel bigger than 20" near your price range. Viewing angles and color are quite good.

The older, discontinued 2407WFP has excellent color, and given that it's discontinued, the secondhand price will be very good, and certainly within your budget. It's an S-PVA panel as I recall, but with better color than the 2408WFP that replaced it and is outside your budget.

If you don't mind spending some time calibrating, the TN panels in the 22" Samsung 2233BW and 24" BenQ G2400W actually have very good deltaE performance and highly competitive prices (the Samsung can be found in the $200 range and the larger BenQ will be $350ish but can be a bit hard to find). The LG 2252TQ is pretty good, but it's difficult to adjust the colors and more expensive than the Samsung.

If you're willing to go up to $400, the Samsung T240HD is an outstanding 24" monitor. TN, but with calibrated color matching that of some IPS panels. You pay a bit more, but you also get a built-in 1080p HDTV tuner and speakers, along with a TV remote, so you can kill two birds with one stone. No other ~$400 24" monitor can match this one. The Samsung 2433BW is almost as good, but tosses out the HDTV tuner to get back to your price range)

For glossy displays, the HP W2007 is an excellent 20" monitor, or you can move up to the W2207 (22") for about $50 more.

So, to sum up, split by size and organized from highest recommendation downward:

20"
HP W2007 (~$200)
Dell 2008WFP (~$225)

22"
NEC EA221WM ($379)
Samsung 2233BW (~$200)
HP W2207 (~$250)
LG 2252TQ (~$275)

24"
Samsung T240HD ($400)
Samsung 2433BW (~$350) *Currently $270 at Newegg after rebate*
Dell 2407WFP (second-hand, price varies)
BenQ G2400W (~$350)
Acer P243W (~$350)

Ultimately, I can't recommend the Samsung xx33BW line enough for people on budgets who want the option of reasonably good color--at the Newegg price right now, it's basically a no-brainer. The NEC probably isn't worth an extra $100 to you, but is a better display. The T240HD is also a better display, even ignoring the HDTV bonus, but again, more expensive. The Dell 2407WFP is also an excellent choice, but no longer available new.

 

[rareflares]

20"
HP W2007 (~$200)
Dell 2008WFP (~$225)

22"
NEC EA221WM ($379)
Samsung 2233BW (~$200)
HP W2207 (~$250)
LG 2252TQ (~$275)

24"
Samsung T240HD ($400)
Samsung 2433BW (~$350) *Currently $270 at Newegg after rebate*
Dell 2407WFP (second-hand, price varies)
BenQ G2400W (~$350)
Acer P243W (~$350)

Ultimately, I can't recommend the Samsung xx33BW line enough for people on budgets who want the option of reasonably good color--at the Newegg price right now, it's basically a no-brainer. The NEC probably isn't worth an extra $100 to you, but is a better display. The T240HD is also a better display, even ignoring the HDTV bonus, but again, more expensive. The Dell 2407WFP is also an excellent choice, but no longer available new.

Wow, thank you so much all the help! A narrowed-down list is all that I needed to do my research and sort through my options. I'll admit that the $350 number I threw out there was 50% wishful thinking and 50% serious but I'm glad there are some decent options around that range.

Again, thanks so much!