Buying a 30" and a G5

[SLCentral]

Hey guys,

I posted something like this on Spymac a little while ago, but I wanted a second opinion so here goes. I'm thinking/planning on grabbing a 30" Cinema Display for my office, and a cheap G5 to go with it, specifically, the refurbed 1.6Ghz. Speed isn't a complete issue for me, as I am using a iMac G5 1.6GHz and the speed is just fine, this is mostly about the monitor.

I'm planning on adding 1GB of RAM (so it will be 1.25GB), as well as an Airport Extreme card, and the GeForce FX 6800 GT DDL to power the monitor.

Bottom-line, is this the right time to buy, or is there any reason for me to wait until MWSF? I was thinking that they might lower display prices for the headless Mac (to introduce a low-end display), but this probably won't effect the 30", correct? So, should I wait?

Thanks!

 

[Macmaniac]

I think it would be a good idea to wait until MWSF, its so soon, and if they do release new powermacs then you may be able to get a better used powermac for even cheaper.

 

[edesignuk]

With MWSF so close, the question should be why not wait?? IMO you'd be a fool to buy anything from Apple right before a big event.

 

[jsw]

Agreed. Wait the two weeks. At worst, you're out two weeks of use. At best, you save money and/or get a better setup.

 

[SLCentral]

Gotta love how the guys at Macrumors give the exact opposite advice as the guys at Spymac. I guess I'll wait it out then 🙂.

 

[edesignuk]

Gotta love how the guys at Macrumors give the exact opposite advice as the guys at Spymac. I guess I'll wait it out then 🙂.

Spymac told you to buy now!?! 😱

Bloody typical 🙄 Not a brain between 'em 😱 😀 (Sorry Spymac 😛)

 

[Macmaniac]

Gotta love how the guys at Macrumors give the exact opposite advice as the guys at Spymac. I guess I'll wait it out then 🙂.

Someone needs to go in there and straighten them out, I would hate to have bought something and have something better and cheaper come out a few days later.

 

[SLCentral]

Spymac told you to buy now!?! 😱

Bloody typical 🙄 Not a brain between 'em 😱 😀 (Sorry Spymac 😛)

Yeah, about 75% of the commenters said go ahead. I don't see Powermac updates happening at MWSF, but the headless Mac may lead to cheaper displays.

Another thing, I don't want to miss out on the 1.6GHz refurbed deal for $1200. Will it last?

 

[edesignuk]

Yeah, about 75% of the commenters said go ahead. I don't see Powermac updates happening at MWSF, but the headless Mac may lead to cheaper displays.

Another thing, I don't want to miss out on the 1.6GHz refurbed deal for $1200. Will it last?

There will always be refurbs.

Hey, I'm not saying there will be and update, but with it so close it's worth the short wait. You never know what will happen, and you'll kick yourself for not having waited just 10 days if prices drop or new ones are released.

 

[combatcolin]

Yeah, wait - and treat yourself to some brand new Apple kit, shame Tiger is looking at a March release.

 

[stvli]

I agree with edesignuk. I would wait till the expo, then you'll have a clearer picture. If you were to buy now and something were to come out or did lower in price you'll be kicking yourself and we dont want that now. Be safe and wait 😎

 

[sushi]

Bottom-line, is this the right time to buy, or is there any reason for me to wait until MWSF?

MWSF is only a short time away. Why not wait to see what is introduced before you make your decision?

If on the other hand, you have pressing work that needs to be done before then, and you don't mind missing a price reduction or bumped model being introduced, then by all means, go ahead and buy now.

Sushi

 

[Milliways]

Whoops, I misread the post. That was all kind of pointless.

 

[SLCentral]

It's all a moot point, though, because if you got the 30 inch Cinema Display, you'd NEED to get the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 to power all of those pixels, meaning another 600 dollars on top of the 1200 for the computer. If you're getting the $3200 display, the extra 600 might not be such a big deal, but it's something to keep in mind.

Linkage. See the sidebar on the right.

Yeah, I have that factored in as well. As calculated, the total cost will be $5287. The thing is that I don't want to wait for MWSF, and see new 3GHz PM's, and by then, all the 1.6Ghz refurb's are unavailable, becuase I can't afford anything more. My only "hope" is that the 1.6GHz will drop in price, or the 1.8 will be bumped down to $1200, which wouldn't make sense, considering the single 1.8 was just announced. I can't see the Dual 1.2 dropping $800 in a day, either.