Budget Powermac (Refurbished)

[mak]

Hi,

I have been a mac user since Feb 05 and opted to purchase a mac mini in order to get a better idea on how the platform worked. I have been so pleased that I prefer to use osx over windows xp on a daily basis for many of my tasks.

The mac mini was quite fast as i upped the ram to 1gb but I feel my needs have changed and I need a faster computer.

I am starting a new job in the autumn. I will be given the chance to use photoshop and macromedia fireworks on a daily basis day-in-day-out. In my spare time I will be working on audio and video work for home videos created. I will also work on editing 5 mega-pix photographs, create websites and various other multimedia related work.

The software is cross-platform which is making the decision to buy a faster computer that much more difficult. I have had a look at the new 'amd x2 dual-core' chips which seem to blast through multimedia work 'but' i am forced to use windows. i know windows isn't all that bad but osx is just so much more stable. The amd x2 systems are around £1300 for a good set-up.

I have looked at the powermac lineup and the refurbished systems seem to be in my price range. i do not really want to blow silly money as i want to purchase other things such as a graphics tablet.

The 'intel' switch is doing my head in as i do not want to be stuck using a mac mini for the next two years but at the same time i do not want a defunct and outdated ppc platform computer.

The following are immediately in my price range.

Power Mac G5 DUAL 2GHz/ 512MB/ 160GB/ SuperDrive/ PCI-X/ GeFr5200 (refurb - old version) for £1115

Power Mac G5 DUAL 1.8GHz/ 256MB/ 80G/ SuperDrive/ PCI/ GeFr5200/ GigE (refurb - old version) for £944

Power Mac G5 DUAL 2GHz/ 512MB/ 160GB/ 16x SuperDrive (brand new version) for £1250 ish education d/c

any major difference between older 8x SuperDrive with the newer 16x SuperDrive? also old dual 2.0 seems to have upto 8 gb ram capacity.

I could save and save for a dual 2.3/2.7 but that doesn't leave me with much to spend on ram / graphics products. it also means that an intel powermac would be all the much harder to buy as the 2.3/2.7 would/should be able to cope with my needs?

can anyone please help? what should i purchase? should i wait? should i get an amd x2 system to pass the time lol?

so many questions but hopefully you can all help.

thanks in advance

- London 2012 -

 

[mad jew]

Firstly, don't worry about the Intel switch. You have no idea how much it just doesn't change things.

You should be fine with any one of those G5s but I recommend at least 1GB of RAM.

 

[wdlove]

It would be smart to hold off on a Rev. A Intel Mac. The Rev. B should be bug free and more stable. So I would recommend purchasing the best that you can afford. The PPC should still be supported for at least five years after the Intel Power Mac is released. I would recommend at least 1 GB of RAM and AppleCare.

 

[milozauckerman]

I faced a similar choice (adding in the 20" iMac), went with a new Dual 2GHz through the student program. (Space for) 4GB of RAM should be more than I'll need, PCI-X looked unimportant since I'm not doing video work and it came with a better stock graphics card (though I sprang for a X850 anyway) and I could order with the first HD bump (160 to 250), Bluetooth and Airport Extreme.

Apples hold their value well enough that it should provide a good chunk of the cash for any future upgrading I do (Rev. B Mactels circa 2007?).

 

[gabriel_uk]

Power Mac G5 DUAL 2GHz/ 512MB/ 160GB/ SuperDrive/ PCI-X/ GeFr5200 (refurb - old version) for £1115

Power Mac G5 DUAL 1.8GHz/ 256MB/ 80G/ SuperDrive/ PCI/ GeFr5200/ GigE (refurb - old version) for £944

Power Mac G5 DUAL 2GHz/ 512MB/ 160GB/ 16x SuperDrive (brand new version) for £1250 ish education d/c

any major difference between older 8x SuperDrive with the newer 16x SuperDrive? also old dual 2.0 seems to have upto 8 gb ram capacity.

I could save and save for a dual 2.3/2.7 but that doesn't leave me with much to spend on ram / graphics products. it also means that an intel powermac would be all the much harder to buy as the 2.3/2.7 would/should be able to cope with my needs?

can anyone please help? what should i purchase? should i wait? should i get an amd x2 system to pass the time lol?

- London 2012 -

I agree wholeheartedley with the previous 3 comments.

I would definitely go for the Power Mac G5 DUAL 2GHz/ 512MB/ 160GB/ SuperDrive/ PCI-X/ GeFr5200 (refurb - old version) for £1115. Because 80G is too small, and the older 2GHz G5 has double the number of RAM slots. That's more important - I think? - than the Dual Layer SuperDrive.

Forget about MacIntel until 2010 - two whole years before we host the Olympics! Hip hip hooray!

 

[FFTT]

We're all staying at your house right?

 

[gabriel_uk]

We're all staying at your house right?

Sure thing - if you put me up some time for one of those Tribeca Film gigs!