Anyone else disappointed with updated G5?

[churchwell]

I waited and waited for the recent G5 updates and was very disappointed in the chipset. No DDR2 memory. No PCI Express graphics. The new G5 processor generates a ton of heat and only the top of the line (I won't spend $3,000 for home use) is water cooled.

For the first time in 20 years, I actually looked at a WinTel computer (a Sony R Series). The case design (water cooling and open in the middle) is very quiet. It has a SATA HD and x800 graphics. You can configure it 100 different ways when ordering online. Imagine having TWO optical drives!

I know I ultimately will buy Apple because the operating system and iLife are so superior. Plus, I have invested a lot of money in Apple software. But it bothers me to know that cutting edge hardware is out there, and Apple does not have it. I will spend $2,000 to get PCI, AGP, and other technologies that have gone the way of the buffalo.

Anyone else willing to admit that they have Intel envy?

 

[musicpyrite]

Anyone else willing to admit that they have Intel envy?

F*** NO!!! (although I do sometimes envy AMD)

If you wan't bleeding edge technology, go buy a G5 and rip it apart. Put a 12X DVD burner in it. Put liquid cooling in it. If you NEED DDR2, go buy it and put it in so you can say "I have DDR2 in my mobo!" As for PCI express, whats the diff between that and PCI-X? Nobody really needs it.

Boo-his! people don't have bleeding edge tehnology in their computer. Unitll 6 moths ago I was on a 400MHz G3 iMac running 9.2 on dial-up.

edit: You know what? Screw liquid cooling, use what the big boys do: Liquid Nirtogen

 

[MrSugar]

I waited and waited for the recent G5 updates and was very disappointed in the chipset. No DDR2 memory. No PCI Express graphics. The new G5 processor generates a ton of heat and only the top of the line (I won't spend $3,000 for home use) is water cooled.

For the first time in 20 years, I actually looked at a WinTel computer (a Sony R Series). The case design (water cooling and open in the middle) is very quiet. It has a SATA HD and x800 graphics. You can configure it 100 different ways when ordering online. Imagine having TWO optical drives!

I know I ultimately will buy Apple because the operating system and iLife are so superior. Plus, I have invested a lot of money in Apple software. But it bothers me to know that cutting edge hardware is out there, and Apple does not have it. I will spend $2,000 to get PCI, AGP, and other technologies that have gone the way of the buffalo.

Anyone else willing to admit that they have Intel envy?

I guess I consider the G5 a top of the line premium machine, but for the price I expect a bit more. To be honest though PCI express and the x800 isn't to easy to find in a pc right now. It exists and sounds sweet but I have yet to see sites like new egg and mwave carry the new gfx cards and mobo's to support it.

I don't evny intel.. their style, and way of business bugs me. But I do admit that I wish the G5 was a bit better. Only because I pay a premium price and expect the best.

 

[Sun Baked]

There was a small chance of an new chipset, though it was highly unlikely to happen.

In order to get the new chipset, PCI-Express video, DDR2, and PCI-Express there has to be some availability of the devices in the market.

And ADC does remain a huge barrier to the adoption of PCI-Express video cards -- since ACD is a modification of both the DVI standard and a in-line modification of the AGP slot standard.

Don't think AMD has announce the HT Tunnel for PCI-Express video/expansion yet.

Even if it was available ADC sort of makes cards for Apple appear 6-12 months after a PC version. The old wait for the ADC modified version, or dump ADC dilema.

---

But usually the major barrier to all new chipsets is Apple, Apple likes to recover the money spent on the chipsets -- so they tend to stay around awhile while Apple tacks on new features via PCI.

 

[Grimace]

I waited and waited for the recent G5 updates and was very disappointed in the chipset. No DDR2 memory. No PCI Express graphics. The new G5 processor generates a ton of heat and only the top of the line (I won't spend $3,000 for home use) is water cooled.

Are you saying that you can configure a Sony desktop with all the same components as a G5 - for a lot less? I didn't think that there was really any price difference.

 

[LeeTom]

I just priced them out, and for very similar setups, the Apple costs about $1,000 more.

Sony:
3GHz, 512MB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, ATI Radeon X600XT w/128MB RAM, Dual Layer DVD-writer, 20" 1600x1200 Display
$2,764

Apple: Dual 1.8GHz, 512MB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, ATI Radeon 9600XT w/128MB RAM, Single Layer DVD-writer, 20" 1680x1050 Display
$3,623

Apple does have the highest margins in the industry.

Lee Tom

 

[King Cobra]

I know I ultimately will buy Apple because the operating system and iLife are so superior. Plus, I have invested a lot of money in Apple software. But it bothers me to know that cutting edge hardware is out there, and Apple does not have it.

Apple gets their chips from Motorola and IBM. As for the G5 specs not meeting or going beyond what you expected, IBM (not Apple) has the advanced chip technology. Don't forget, you're talking about a company that struggled to get the G3 above 1GHz for years. When Apple wanted them to help get PowerMacs to 500MHz, IBM basically said "No problem" and got us all 500MHz machines (one of which I use) and then dual processors at 500MHz. But when Apple wanted to get them to 3GHz G5s, IBM basically said "They're just not staying cool enough." Think about it like this: IBM had to put liquid cooling into the current top-model Mac, which is dual 2.5GHz, to keep it from overheating. Point is: It's understandable to be bothered that a major and mostly successful chip developer failed to meet a goal because of not planning to encounter new problems, but keep in mind that with new technologies come new challenges. (Again, we'll see what Steve says at WWDC.)

If you're looking for DDR2 in a PowerMac, then you're gonna have to wait at least a full year, as I don't see any major memory enhancements for PowerMacs until Apple updates them all over again (I expect for WWDC 2005).

 

[Grimace]

The FSB for ALL of Sony's desktops maxes out at 800Mhz. Compared with 1.25Ghz, I'd take the top of the line Powermac and pay the extra money. OSX and iLife justify the cost for me, I guess not for everyone.

 

[invaLPsion]

For the people who are not buying a G5 simply because it doesn't have PCIe that is a load of crap. I saw a review where it was shown that the AGP8x and PCIe versions of the top of the line graphics cards perform almost EXACTLY the same. In some cases, the AGP version beats out PCIe. PCIe isn't worth the hype.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Nope, not at all. I am vry tempted by the 1.8 dual. It may not have the gee-wiz features of the high end Windows PC, but it also allow me to keep humming along for many years to come without the PC envy.

 

[bousozoku]

I'm not disappointed since there will always be something that they don't add into the mix. I'm sure they dropped dual optical drives because so few people ordered machines that way. There will always be something useful that someone might want, but do they have a responsibility to provide it?

My dual G4/800 still does quite well, so I'm not sure what a 3 GHz machine will really buy me. That doesn't mean I'm not interested. The other night, I saw an HP/Compaq Athlon64 machine at Circuit City and it was $669 on open box pricing. Of course, there is absolutely nothing in Windows to take advantage of it, but I could use it for folding@home.

Apple can't always afford to take the big risks but they do at times. Certainly, the Macintosh was the biggest risk ever. USB was a huge risk that paid off for the whole desktop computer industry. Remember how hard it was to find a USB device before the original iMac? By the time they jumped to AGP, it wasn't a risk anymore. When they dump ADC, that will be a worthwhile risk since we'll finally get graphics cards on a timely basis again.

 

[Fukui]

I just priced them out, and for very similar setups, the Apple costs about $1,000 more.

Sony:
3GHz, 512MB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, ATI Radeon X600XT w/128MB RAM, Dual Layer DVD-writer, 20" 1600x1200 Display
$2,764

Apple: Dual 1.8GHz, 512MB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, ATI Radeon 9600XT w/128MB RAM, Single Layer DVD-writer, 20" 1680x1050 Display
$3,623

Apple does have the highest margins in the industry.

Lee Tom

Yes, but value gets better as you go up...

Sony:
3GHz, 512MB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, ATI Radeon X600XT w/128MB RAM, Dual Layer DVD-writer, 23" 1920 x 1200 Display
About $4,398

Apple: Dual 1.8GHz, 512MB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, ATI Radeon 9600XT w/128MB RAM, Single Layer DVD-writer, 23" 1920 x 1200 Display
About $4,333

(Just subtracted the LCD prices and added the bigger ones)

Kinda tells you what they want you to buy (not the lowend stuff).

 

[Mr Poop E Pantz]

Anyone else willing to admit that they have Intel envy?

No.

 

[Duff-Man]

Duff-Man says....hasn't all this stuff been done to death ten times over in this thread and this thread already? .....oh yeah!

 

[Spock]

Wow at least we are not still waiting for Moto to get past 1ghZ

 

[Krizoitz]

I just priced them out, and for very similar setups, the Apple costs about $1,000 more.

Sony:
3GHz, 512MB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, ATI Radeon X600XT w/128MB RAM, Dual Layer DVD-writer, 20" 1600x1200 Display
$2,764

Apple: Dual 1.8GHz, 512MB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, ATI Radeon 9600XT w/128MB RAM, Single Layer DVD-writer, 20" 1680x1050 Display
$3,623

Apple does have the highest margins in the industry.

Lee Tom

Ok, there are some major flaws in logic here. First a Dual 1.8 is MUCH faster than a single 3 Ghz, if you are going to compare you should compare to a dual 3Ghz. Even then the Pentium maxes out at an 800mhz FSP, the PowerMacs START at 900mhz. Plus the display cost is deceptive, you can use the same for both, or find a cheaper than Apple 20" display.

 

[wordmunger]

Ok, there are some major flaws in logic here. First a Dual 1.8 is MUCH faster than a single 3 Ghz, if you are going to compare you should compare to a dual 3Ghz. Even then the Pentium maxes out at an 800mhz FSP, the PowerMacs START at 900mhz. Plus the display cost is deceptive, you can use the same for both, or find a cheaper than Apple 20" display.

Good points. We also might want to wait and see how the new Apple displays compare when they are unveiled next week.