Is there a technical reason for this, or is it just an arbitrary limitation? The 512MiB limit on the Intel i810 comes to mind as an example of arbitrary memory limiting.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Do any of you daily drive a PPC Mac?
- Thread starter sparty411
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
XCode. One of the main reasons I bought an iBook, back in 2001, is because it had a free c compiler on the command line -- well, you had to install XCode which came on one of the CDs, and you still have to install XCode on PowerPC Macs. Along the way, I downloaded newer versions of XCode for free from Apple using my free Apple Developer account. I use Xcode 3.1.4 on Mac OS X 10.5.8 (Leopard) and when I fire up the old G3, I think I use a slightly older version of XCode on Mac OS X 10.4.x (Tiger).
At some point, Apple started charging US$99 for newer versions of XCode and started asking for credit cards, and basically they seemed to want to put me in their iWallet. Also, I think now most applications need to be "signed" and approved by Apple to be installed. I believe that they have been moving many of their "open source" tools that are GPL over to tools that have non-copyleft licenses. For me, it is good be compiling everyday using tools where I can access the source code without restriction (ie. copyleft.) I've even been able to compile newer GNU compilers and tools for PowerPC Macs.
Right now, I can hear the fan running on another "daily driver" PowerPC Mac that I've put to the task of compiling Perl 5.30 which is required by OpenSSL which is required by nmap.
At some point, Apple started charging US$99 for newer versions of XCode and started asking for credit cards, and basically they seemed to want to put me in their iWallet. Also, I think now most applications need to be "signed" and approved by Apple to be installed. I believe that they have been moving many of their "open source" tools that are GPL over to tools that have non-copyleft licenses. For me, it is good be compiling everyday using tools where I can access the source code without restriction (ie. copyleft.) I've even been able to compile newer GNU compilers and tools for PowerPC Macs.
Right now, I can hear the fan running on another "daily driver" PowerPC Mac that I've put to the task of compiling Perl 5.30 which is required by OpenSSL which is required by nmap.
Sometimes. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/bash-—-command-line-shell-terminal.2108811/
Looks like my builds from 2018 were for Leopard.
It depends on what is being built. For dash bash and make I didn't mind sharing the binaries at the time as these utilities are my daily drivers. A utility like nmap is new to me, I'd be hesitant distribute it and there are more dependencies. Distributing anything with encryption and/or decryption might certainly be problematic. Also, I am learning things, even simple things about Certificate Authorities (CA) from building openssl and curl.
I dont know exactly, but I dont think it was an i810/815 situation
id not be surprised if its because the uninorth 2 control shares logic etc going all the way back to the Uninorth 1 memory controller in the Sawtooth
(keep in mind DDR RAM did not do much for G4 CPUs because the FSB was not fast enough, even by the end it was just a simple 167Mhz SDR Bus)
the only thing DDR afforded for PPC, was the ability to increase the bus speed from 133Mhz to 167Mhz (because PC SDRAM tops out at 133Mhz)
this is what makes the DDR2 of the DLSD all the more laughable LOL
What about energy consumption and latency of DDR vs DDR2? Both should be a bit better, but does the DLSD take advantage of it?
You're still using that quad all these years later? hahaIt does fairly well. I've got some niggling problems but mainly due to aging components and peripherals, not the Mac itself.
It handles six displays fairly well so I can't complain.
Well, I got it in early 2017, so yeah. Two and a half years.
I mean, 2TB main hard drive, 4TB secondary drive, 16GB ram, three video cards for 6 displays…it's certainly not your standard Intel Mac or PC set up.
What a beautiful setup, what a beautiful picture. Masterpiece.Well, I got it in early 2017, so yeah. Two and a half years.
I mean, 2TB main hard drive, 4TB secondary drive, 16GB ram, three video cards for 6 displays…it's certainly not your standard Intel Mac or PC set up.
My wife jokes saying this is me in the future. LOL But anyway... I'm so far behind still!
My daily driver is a mix of x86 Windows/Mac when I need to develop new software at home, or when using video conferencing programs (Hangouts, Skype etc.). ELSE, Mac mini G4 1.5GHz under Mac OS 9.2.2 or, less often, Quad G5 under Tigerpard (Tiger and/or Leopard). I also like keeping a portable, 68k System 7.5.5 and Mac OS 8.1 on a PSP and PSVita (Basilisk II).
By the way, I'm slowly trying to be FULLY on PPC OS 9/Tigerpard, but I crawl towards that goal one step at a time, at a leisurely pace. So if anyone got PPC suggestions for replacing Google Hangouts or Skype, that'd be really nice... (Although I have yet to try using Hangouts' website on TenFourFox. It probably works?)
I swear you had a multi monitor set up maxed out like that way before that... was it a different machine?
Either way I’m jealous! My uni accommodation means I only have one 21 inch monitor
Mundane I know, but it still makes me giggle how well my quicksilver dual 1ghz plays YT using a mobile user agent in roccat. That experience vs in-browser video in say TFFx is startlingly different.
Fun times in PPC land.
Fun times in PPC land.
I do miss my g5 sometimes. “Hacking it” to workaround and tinker was so fun. My 1,1 running El Capitan just feels so much... easier.
G4 Quicksilver with a 1.8Ghz Sonnet Duet (Dual Processor). Still have the Mac, but it's mainly in pieces and if I can ever get the money to ship it there is someone waiting for it.I swear you had a multi monitor set up maxed out like that way before that... was it a different machine?
Either way I’m jealous! My uni accommodation means I only have one 21 inch monitor
Just got to the point where the time fixing it was more than the time using it. So, I got the Quad and it handles everything that the QS struggled with.
Wow, I admire these multiple monitor settings, but as hard as I try to tidy up my desks to create a setting with "just one" extra monitor so to find my Karma, I end up with my MBP/PB-G4 at the table in our living room.
Virtual desktops on a single Mac/PowerBook: that's apparently the only kind of stuff I can handle properly ...
I would dearly love to get displays that are all one size (as large as possible) and have them all mounted on a monitor frame. Doing so would get them vertical and above the desk and would allow me to compact the space to half the width.
The way it is right now I have to have to have enough width to allow for a very shallow curve for the combined displays. Otherwise the displays would run off my desk(s).
It means I end up taking an entire wall and my desks aren't long enough width-wise. I have to add extra pieces of furniture in there.
Then of course the acrylic displays have those legs in the back. They're great but they make it really difficult when you want to push them close to the wall.
Don't even get me started on the problems I have with them sliding because there are two thick panes of glass sitting on top of the desk.
I've been working on a PPC Mac Mini setup that will make this poor, maligned machine useful. Here are the specs:
- Original Mac Mini G4, overclocked to 1.42ghz by yours truly.
- 1gb RAM
- 64gb internal SD card with adapter, running unsupported OS 9.2.2
- 128gb external Firewire Samsung SATA SSD with Tiger (themed with Tiger Sierra)
- 20" Cinema Display with ADC->DVI adapter
- Pro Keyboard and Mighty Mouse
In fact, this machine utilizes most of the stuff that I've just got lying around. I'm one of those that find the G4 Minis to be pretty useless, and I'm attempting to change that way of thinking in myself
(Posted from said Mac Mini using IceWeasel PPC)
- Original Mac Mini G4, overclocked to 1.42ghz by yours truly.
- 1gb RAM
- 64gb internal SD card with adapter, running unsupported OS 9.2.2
- 128gb external Firewire Samsung SATA SSD with Tiger (themed with Tiger Sierra)
- 20" Cinema Display with ADC->DVI adapter
- Pro Keyboard and Mighty Mouse
In fact, this machine utilizes most of the stuff that I've just got lying around. I'm one of those that find the G4 Minis to be pretty useless, and I'm attempting to change that way of thinking in myself
(Posted from said Mac Mini using IceWeasel PPC)
Im a fan of the mini for what it is. I use mine mostly as a TDM machine. Its tiny foot print is perfect for moving around for this Purpose. When I’m not using it, it lives a relaxed life as a bookend.
I would use it for os9 but have os9 on a MDD and it screams.
I would use it for os9 but have os9 on a MDD and it screams.
Last edited:
G4 minis are the PowerPC Gods of OS 9 when power by form factor is considered.
Since Core Image support is nil, I'm sticking with Tiger on the Mini. It does an admirable job, whereas Leopard struggles. I'm using the various workarounds for things like video viewing and they work just fine. I've upgraded my opinion of the machine from "useless" to "quite adequate" and am actually having a bit of fun using it
OS 9 is quite nice for games and emulators. They fly on this machine, and I haven't had any of the overheating reboots that I've heard stories about; even after 3 hours of Return to Wolfenstein...
I don't quite daily drive it due to the browser situation, but I've noticed something: over the past 2 years, the usability/performance gap between late PPC and early Intel has largely closed. My maxed-out 2005 12" iBook G4 feels comparable to my early-2008 MacBook Pro 15" (6GB, 2.5GHz) on the web when comparing Leopard-WebKit on Sorbet to FF78 on El Capitan. Obviously the most media heavy sites still perform better on the MBP, but the gap has closed significantly. The YouTube site performs similarly on both, but videos are still much smoother and play at much higher resolutions than the iBook can do.
I definitely still see a difference between say my quicksilver dual 1ghz or MDD dual 867mhz Powermac G4s but I do agree and feel that gap closing when I use specifically my dualcore 2ghz PowerMac G5 - really any Powermac G5 that is A1117 970mp based. I just recently put this box back in rotation in my office and is my DD when in here. The final dualcore and quadcore PMG5s are a defining line for me. Where A1047 970/970fx pmg5s feel much closer to my sup'd up PMG4s, the A1117s feel very similar to my early intel machines. This gap widens again with my cMP 1,1 specifically which technically is early Intel but to this day with El Cap, just absolutely crushes it with SSDs in raid0, 32gb ram and 2.66ghz quad core cpu, so its a pretty beefy box for what it is.
I am definitely impressed with this A1117 in 2023+Sorbet. It handles great.
Last edited:
Not a PPC, though I use a PowerBook 1400 and 5300 quite regularly, but I do use my Performa 630CD with 68040 processor every weekday at work, for drafting documents, developing layouts and diagrams. It's way more productive than either M1 iMac or Windows 10 PC on either side of it because it's not busy distracting me with unwanted rubbish like email or notifications, and gives me software tools that do exactly what I want and are not stuffed with features I have no need for. Or bloatware in general.
It is on the network, and I move files around using FTP, but the simplicity of it makes it a very efficient workstation.
It is on the network, and I move files around using FTP, but the simplicity of it makes it a very efficient workstation.
3 years later (original post here), and I still have my G4 Mini, but it's now used for arcade game development for a cabinet I built (running XP). The SD card has been replaced by a 128gb SSD (with adapter), and it's still running OS 9.2.2 unsupported with a VPC "VM" running Windows 2K, which allows me to run the software that I use to develop my games. I have it connected to my 27" HP monitor via VGA, shared with my 2009 Mini.
I wouldn't say that I drive it daily, but it does get frequent use for the purpose that it was set up for. My original intent was to find a good use for the Mini, as I used to find them fairly boring and not-as-exciting to use/own. Mission accomplished.
I wouldn't say that I drive it daily, but it does get frequent use for the purpose that it was set up for. My original intent was to find a good use for the Mini, as I used to find them fairly boring and not-as-exciting to use/own. Mission accomplished.
Mostly, when I don’t travel. For development.
PowerMac G5 Quad or PowerMac 2.3 DC, depending on whether I go to office or stay home.