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.
Dual 2.5GHz PowerMacs Shipping
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
- Status
Agony of Defeat!
How is this for sucky - After getting the notice that the G5 I ordered on June 11 was shipping "in the next 24-48 hours" last wednesday, I called apple back today (because I never got the shipping notification) and was told that the email was an error and that my G5 is not going to be ready until the August 20 ship date. Talk about getting yanked around!
The only consolation is that I got them to ship my 20" cinema screen free shipping and upgrade my G5 shipping time to 2 day.
This roller coaster is losing its charm!
Anyone else have this happen?
How is this for sucky - After getting the notice that the G5 I ordered on June 11 was shipping "in the next 24-48 hours" last wednesday, I called apple back today (because I never got the shipping notification) and was told that the email was an error and that my G5 is not going to be ready until the August 20 ship date. Talk about getting yanked around!
The only consolation is that I got them to ship my 20" cinema screen free shipping and upgrade my G5 shipping time to 2 day.
This roller coaster is losing its charm!
Anyone else have this happen?
tjpigot said:
lol that's a promotional offer! I got it on 6/28
you had to specifically request it, don't think they gave you anything they weren't going to give everyone else.
"yeah, you get up to 7 days faster shipping but we delayed your order by 20 days, FEEL APEASED!"
So How is your 2.5 GHz G5????
I agree with solo-act. Every day I search this and other forums. I check Macsurfer.com. Still no real first impressions or review on the machine so many have waited (and are still waiting) so long for. This is THE machine, the cutting edge of Macintosh technology! No Mac has ever flown so high, so fast. It stands as the very pinacle of every thing Apple.
Sorry to heap on the potatoes, but please, let's hear some impressions and comments. Photos of box openings, were fun, but I think we're past that now. So far Hotwire and thegimp have been the only ones except the sad addition of airport extreme malfunction of another early adopter. But let's hear it all, the good, the bad and the.....nothing ugly here, right?
I agree with solo-act. Every day I search this and other forums. I check Macsurfer.com. Still no real first impressions or review on the machine so many have waited (and are still waiting) so long for. This is THE machine, the cutting edge of Macintosh technology! No Mac has ever flown so high, so fast. It stands as the very pinacle of every thing Apple.
Sorry to heap on the potatoes, but please, let's hear some impressions and comments. Photos of box openings, were fun, but I think we're past that now. So far Hotwire and thegimp have been the only ones except the sad addition of airport extreme malfunction of another early adopter. But let's hear it all, the good, the bad and the.....nothing ugly here, right?
brykken said:Sorry guys.. I wanted to add a counter so the new addy is...
http://www.king-panda.com/macs.shtml
I won't change it again.
I ordered my DP2.5Ghz on 6/28 WITH the GeForce FX 6800.
As a mac gamer I will post reviews of gameplay and frame rates upon reception of my G5. (CoD, UT2K4, Warcraft 3, Quake 3, Ghost Recon, AAO, etc.)
si-valleyguy said:I agree with solo-act. Every day I search this and other forums. I check Macsurfer.com. Still no real first impressions or review on the machine so many have waited (and are still waiting) so long for. This is THE machine, the cutting edge of Macintosh technology! No Mac has ever flown so high, so fast. It stands as the very pinacle of every thing Apple.
Sorry to heap on the potatoes, but please, let's hear some impressions and comments. Photos of box openings, were fun, but I think we're past that now. So far Hotwire and thegimp have been the only ones except the sad addition of airport extreme malfunction of another early adopter. But let's hear it all, the good, the bad and the.....nothing ugly here, right?
OK, I've missed a bit here--I've been at my G5 forum so I haven't been keeping up with this thread lately, and I don't feel like reading the 5 pages I missed
Here's my review:
It's great, awesome, the best.
Seriously though, my new Dual 2.5Ghz G5 is awesome. Everything I've run on it absolutely flys: GarageBand, PhotoShop Elements, iPhoto, Final Cut Pro, etc. It's so much easier to edit video, thanks to both the tremendous speed increase from my iMac and the additional screen real estate by having dual monitors. The speedier editing is *very* helpful now that I'm in charge of the local television news. There's (a very small amount of of) the good.
The bad: not much. The system tends to run between 140 and 150 degrees farenheit, which seems a little high, but then again the only computer I've ever checked the temp on was my old 1.2Ghz PeeCee, which ran at 106. That's really about it. I've had some minor glitches, i.e. my eyeTV locked up once, but that was when I accidentally changed the channel while it was doing a channel search. No system crashes, kernel panics, or any of that. The system is pretty quiet, though if all the fans kick on (it's only happened once) it sounds like a jet engine.
Ummm... I guess that's about it, I'm not much good at writing reviews. I'm happy to answer any other questions if you ask.
Hi Hotwire,
Thanks for your lastest review post.
Would you mind putting a link up again (or in your sig) to your G5 forum?
I have a question: when doing lenghthly processor intensive tasks such as rendering, are you getting louder fan noise (fans speed up) than when your machine is in 'standby'?
Curious as I may have my 2.5 in a bedroom and will want to render overnight (depending on how loud it turns out to be).
/Thanks/
Thanks for your lastest review post.
Would you mind putting a link up again (or in your sig) to your G5 forum?
I have a question: when doing lenghthly processor intensive tasks such as rendering, are you getting louder fan noise (fans speed up) than when your machine is in 'standby'?
Curious as I may have my 2.5 in a bedroom and will want to render overnight (depending on how loud it turns out to be).
/Thanks/
My Personal [Subjective] G5 Review and Impression (Part I)
Okay...here is my subject review on my 2.5 G5.
Pros:
1. Casing - not that it has changed from the previously released G5 units, but this is the first time I've been with a G5 for hours. Seeing them and touching the aluminum casing in stores is nothing compared to actually having one in your own place and running your fingers on the sleek, smooth metal body.
2. Quality - despite my horror story on the Airport Express factory installation, I would give it 100%. It would have been 101%. My first rev PowerBook G4 had a minor bulge on the casing from the hinges. It's not noticeable, but when you run your fingers and examine under light - you see it. In this case, the G5 is flawless.
The parts are manufactured to fit with each other - obviously. Something that cannot be attained in the Wintel world where every fit has to be generic. You could argue Alienware machines are a cut above the Wintel world, but go past the case and check the internals. You'll end up with a bunch of cluttered wires. Apple has designed the internals to be completely hidden - very attractive and clean. Unfortunately, this has its own short-comings which I will discuss in the Cons later on.
3. Use - This machine is equivalent to exotic Italian race cars. It's sleek, it's beautiful and it's fast.
a. Software installation - I installed software such as FCP HD, Adobe Creative Suite Premium 1.1, Final Draft 7 and Office 2004. I was surprised how many mintues each installation took. I didn't have to break a sweat to wait long. The only lag I saw was the installation of the LiveType and Soundtrack additional discs due to it's massive hard drive requirement - we're talking Gigabytes of space.
b. Software use - the only lag is launching software for the first time after a restart/cold start. Once the application has launched, I haven't experienced any lag especially with FCP.
c. Fan noise - I must admit I was expecting noise from the G5. I'm happy to report there is virtually no noise from a machine like this - liquid cooled and full of fans. The reason is obviously because of the design where the unit is completely sealed on it's sides in order to ensure a unidirectional of airflow from the front to rear. If this isn't disrupted, the fans spin slowly and, thus quietly.
d. Liquid Cooling - I honestly can't hear a thing from this part. I swear I would have imagined some kind of awkward noise to be emitted, but it's not even whisper quiet, I can't hear a bloody thing.
The noise I hear occurs if you stick your ear on the case then you will hear a various low level hums which could come from the spinning hard drives, fans and perhaps the liquid cool. But I wouldn't know because when I tried to operate the computer with the plastic case removed the fans will automatically spin fast. Apparently there is some trigger switch or sensor that detects if you try to remove the clear plastic. Plus, Apple warns against operating the machine with it removed so I never dared open it again while in operation.
*One funny side note is a sticker on the floor of the inside that states if you find liquid, to stop the machine and consult your manual. Hmm. Hopefully none of this will ever occur to anyone. Ever.
Okay...here is my subject review on my 2.5 G5.
Pros:
1. Casing - not that it has changed from the previously released G5 units, but this is the first time I've been with a G5 for hours. Seeing them and touching the aluminum casing in stores is nothing compared to actually having one in your own place and running your fingers on the sleek, smooth metal body.
2. Quality - despite my horror story on the Airport Express factory installation, I would give it 100%. It would have been 101%. My first rev PowerBook G4 had a minor bulge on the casing from the hinges. It's not noticeable, but when you run your fingers and examine under light - you see it. In this case, the G5 is flawless.
The parts are manufactured to fit with each other - obviously. Something that cannot be attained in the Wintel world where every fit has to be generic. You could argue Alienware machines are a cut above the Wintel world, but go past the case and check the internals. You'll end up with a bunch of cluttered wires. Apple has designed the internals to be completely hidden - very attractive and clean. Unfortunately, this has its own short-comings which I will discuss in the Cons later on.
3. Use - This machine is equivalent to exotic Italian race cars. It's sleek, it's beautiful and it's fast.
a. Software installation - I installed software such as FCP HD, Adobe Creative Suite Premium 1.1, Final Draft 7 and Office 2004. I was surprised how many mintues each installation took. I didn't have to break a sweat to wait long. The only lag I saw was the installation of the LiveType and Soundtrack additional discs due to it's massive hard drive requirement - we're talking Gigabytes of space.
b. Software use - the only lag is launching software for the first time after a restart/cold start. Once the application has launched, I haven't experienced any lag especially with FCP.
c. Fan noise - I must admit I was expecting noise from the G5. I'm happy to report there is virtually no noise from a machine like this - liquid cooled and full of fans. The reason is obviously because of the design where the unit is completely sealed on it's sides in order to ensure a unidirectional of airflow from the front to rear. If this isn't disrupted, the fans spin slowly and, thus quietly.
d. Liquid Cooling - I honestly can't hear a thing from this part. I swear I would have imagined some kind of awkward noise to be emitted, but it's not even whisper quiet, I can't hear a bloody thing.
The noise I hear occurs if you stick your ear on the case then you will hear a various low level hums which could come from the spinning hard drives, fans and perhaps the liquid cool. But I wouldn't know because when I tried to operate the computer with the plastic case removed the fans will automatically spin fast. Apparently there is some trigger switch or sensor that detects if you try to remove the clear plastic. Plus, Apple warns against operating the machine with it removed so I never dared open it again while in operation.
*One funny side note is a sticker on the floor of the inside that states if you find liquid, to stop the machine and consult your manual. Hmm. Hopefully none of this will ever occur to anyone. Ever.
My Personal [Subjective] G5 Review and Impression (Part II)
So here are the Cons:
1. Price - overall it is very much worth it to spend on this machine. But USD3K is still a lot for a computer that will eventually be replaced in less than a year (a speculation, but the sad truth). The only consolation is that it was once the fastest and if it ages, it will age beautifully.
2. Build Defect - As people who have been following this forum will know that my Airport Extreme card was incorrectly installed. I could have only hoped that I installed it myself than have them BTO. How would I know some tired finger in the factory is rushing to build more units to meet the demands that the person just pushed the pin from the wires without any care if the pin would snap. Alas, my G5 will have to be taken apart in the following weeks by some technician and I can only hope he restore it back to a flawless state.
Furthermore, as I have mentioned in the "pros" review the parts have been beautifully designed to fit with one another than all traces of wires have been hidden. The bad part is that there are only a few parts that are "customer serviceable/replaceable". In my case, if the simple wire attaching from the AE card to the antenna needs to be replaced, one cannot do it for the simple fact that this wire has been hidden from view. You will have to remove everything - processor, motherboard, etc - before you see the remainder of the wires. A simple process like this is a lot of cost to the consumer should something break down, which we all hope wouldn't happen at all.
3. Miscellaneous - As we have noted. The machine is so brand new that most (or all) of the serial numbers do not even exist with Apple. My telephone support (twice) and meeting with the Apple Genius at my local Apple Retail store had them baffled. They couldn't help me as much and I spent half my time arguing about the serial number. I was treated like a dummy whom they assumed I couldn't read.
"Can you read that to me again", "Can you replace each letter with a whole word...S is for Sierra, A is for Alpha, etc...", "Can you open the case and read to me the sticker with the serial number", "Can you restart your computer and read it to me again".
Until I finally told the Nth guy that I know how to read and it's not my fault that the serial number does not exist. I did not assign it, you guys did.
4. Weight - H-E-A-V-Y. Of course not that I wouldn't carry it around at all. But I did, when I had to go to the Apple Store and back. Something I wouldn't do again. This weight is good, I guess it ensures good materials used and not some flimsy plastic part to save on cost.
5. OS X Hiccups - I was able to make the computer not wake from sleep yesterday. It only happened once from the countless sleep modes since I received it. I intentionally never closed the computer even if I leave the place. I would like to make sure the unit is properly burned in, functioning and free from whatever component defects left. Might as well make it run 24 hours before I let the Apple service person touch the computer.
6. Noise - I just finished editing my last project with the old computer so I haven't really pushed this latest to the limits. I will be editing two more film projects next month so we will see how HOT and NOISY the fans will go with the case fully sealed. The only time I was able to witness the loud fan noise was when I tried to take the plastic case out while in operation - and man do these fans spin like a beast. But I never heard the loud noise again despite not having to ever shut down the computer at all.
OVERALL: Would I buy this again, repeat the experience and be in debt. Hell yeah! My last PC was last year which I custom built (for my Avid editing use), but I couldn't stand it and I sold it in parts in less than 6 months. I'm happy with this machine and, well folks, it's really worth the wait.
Enjoy and hope everyone receives theirs soon.
So here are the Cons:
1. Price - overall it is very much worth it to spend on this machine. But USD3K is still a lot for a computer that will eventually be replaced in less than a year (a speculation, but the sad truth). The only consolation is that it was once the fastest and if it ages, it will age beautifully.
2. Build Defect - As people who have been following this forum will know that my Airport Extreme card was incorrectly installed. I could have only hoped that I installed it myself than have them BTO. How would I know some tired finger in the factory is rushing to build more units to meet the demands that the person just pushed the pin from the wires without any care if the pin would snap. Alas, my G5 will have to be taken apart in the following weeks by some technician and I can only hope he restore it back to a flawless state.
Furthermore, as I have mentioned in the "pros" review the parts have been beautifully designed to fit with one another than all traces of wires have been hidden. The bad part is that there are only a few parts that are "customer serviceable/replaceable". In my case, if the simple wire attaching from the AE card to the antenna needs to be replaced, one cannot do it for the simple fact that this wire has been hidden from view. You will have to remove everything - processor, motherboard, etc - before you see the remainder of the wires. A simple process like this is a lot of cost to the consumer should something break down, which we all hope wouldn't happen at all.
3. Miscellaneous - As we have noted. The machine is so brand new that most (or all) of the serial numbers do not even exist with Apple. My telephone support (twice) and meeting with the Apple Genius at my local Apple Retail store had them baffled. They couldn't help me as much and I spent half my time arguing about the serial number. I was treated like a dummy whom they assumed I couldn't read.
"Can you read that to me again", "Can you replace each letter with a whole word...S is for Sierra, A is for Alpha, etc...", "Can you open the case and read to me the sticker with the serial number", "Can you restart your computer and read it to me again".
Until I finally told the Nth guy that I know how to read and it's not my fault that the serial number does not exist. I did not assign it, you guys did.
4. Weight - H-E-A-V-Y. Of course not that I wouldn't carry it around at all. But I did, when I had to go to the Apple Store and back. Something I wouldn't do again. This weight is good, I guess it ensures good materials used and not some flimsy plastic part to save on cost.
5. OS X Hiccups - I was able to make the computer not wake from sleep yesterday. It only happened once from the countless sleep modes since I received it. I intentionally never closed the computer even if I leave the place. I would like to make sure the unit is properly burned in, functioning and free from whatever component defects left. Might as well make it run 24 hours before I let the Apple service person touch the computer.
6. Noise - I just finished editing my last project with the old computer so I haven't really pushed this latest to the limits. I will be editing two more film projects next month so we will see how HOT and NOISY the fans will go with the case fully sealed. The only time I was able to witness the loud fan noise was when I tried to take the plastic case out while in operation - and man do these fans spin like a beast. But I never heard the loud noise again despite not having to ever shut down the computer at all.
OVERALL: Would I buy this again, repeat the experience and be in debt. Hell yeah! My last PC was last year which I custom built (for my Avid editing use), but I couldn't stand it and I sold it in parts in less than 6 months. I'm happy with this machine and, well folks, it's really worth the wait.
Enjoy and hope everyone receives theirs soon.
Has anyone else noticed several times a G5-sized dip in the available credit on their credit card?
The first time I read on a forum that Apple gets pre-authorizations this way,
I immediately checked my card online to see if Apple had put the pre-authorization on my credit. They had, and I excitedly supposed the shipment
was imminent. That was about two weeks ago.
Since then I've had the G5-dip in available credit at least two more times. I
can't say for sure, but it seems to happen at the end of the week. Yesterday
I called my credit card company, and they confirmed that was Apple who caused the dip in my available credit.
My order status still says "on or before August 20. So I'm wondering, "Apple, are you just playing with my mind"?! This is cruel and unusual to
get my hopes up and then dash them every week!
The first time I read on a forum that Apple gets pre-authorizations this way,
I immediately checked my card online to see if Apple had put the pre-authorization on my credit. They had, and I excitedly supposed the shipment
was imminent. That was about two weeks ago.
Since then I've had the G5-dip in available credit at least two more times. I
can't say for sure, but it seems to happen at the end of the week. Yesterday
I called my credit card company, and they confirmed that was Apple who caused the dip in my available credit.
My order status still says "on or before August 20. So I'm wondering, "Apple, are you just playing with my mind"?! This is cruel and unusual to
get my hopes up and then dash them every week!
Dual G5 2.5 GHz first impressions
I picked up my G5 yesterday after work from the FedEx facility where I live on the account that I was at work when they tried to deliver it. I have to say the anticipation to get off work and go pick it up was overwhelming and it was for very good reason. Quite simply, this thing kicks all kinds of ass. You have to understand that this is coming from a long time PC user/builder/gamer. This makes my second Mac on my home network along with a 17" flat screen iMac, an AMD 3200+ gaming PC and a HP laptop (for .NET development purposes). This machine marks my first venture into an Apple produced tower system and so far I'm very impressed. Because I still consider myself new to Apple this review may be a bit lacking but I will do the best I can.
NOISE: I know from my PC building experience that with processors running as hot as they do nowadays trying to cool them can be a daunting process, especially when you try to factor noise into the equation. No one wants a computer that sounds like the Red Baron himself landed in your living room When I first got my iMac I was amazed at how quiet it ran compared to it's PC counterparts and Apple keeps with that low noise tradition with this dual G5 system. Even though it does employ a state of the art liquid cooling system, it still has to rely on some fan cooling in order to draw the heated air away from and out of the system which is to be expected from any system. I have to say, the thermo controlled fans are probably some of the best around and I would say that 99% of the time you hardly ever hear them. I will agree with Hotwire though that when they do spin up to full speed they are pretty loud, but the amount of time they do this for is a matter of seconds, not to mention that they don't always spin up to full speed. The thermo control sensor seems to be very well calibrated so as to accurately gauge how much heat is in the system and how much spin up is required in order to take care of the problem. I do have a feeling that this is application specific so I would be curious as to what the fans do when the machine is used for heavy rendering using apps like Maya and other high end 3D products.
APPLICATION PERFORMANCE: I'm glad that Apple has moved up to the new SATA interface for their hard drives and it shows. Application access from my 160 gig drive is quick and moving files from one place to another takes very little time. This machine's sole purpose will be for my digital photography (currently using a Canon EOS 10D) so the quick hard drive access times will definitely put to use while using iView Media Pro and Adobe Photoshop CS. In regards to application tasks, the Dual G5's make quick work of just about anything I throw at them.
VIDEO PERFORMANCE: I configured my machine with the highest end card Apple had available at the time which was the ATI Radeon 9800XT (R360 core) with 256 meg DDR memory. Seeing that I'm a pc gaming junkie I've come to expect certain things from video cards over the years and although I have yet to figure out how to run benchmarks comparable to 3DMark for the PC my initial outlook for the Mac version of the 9800 is positive. All I have done so far is run a couple of screensavers that depend on OpenGL support and compare how they run next to my iMac. The video performance on just those is worlds better than the iMac. I'm sure this is not only due to the video card but also the processing power of the dual G5s. However, I'm not satisfied with a few OpenGL based screesavers, they are hardly a benchmarking tool to the gaming enthusiast. I only have one Mac game in my collection and that is MOHAA (Medal of Honor Allied Assault). I will be installing that later on tonight and putting all the settings to max and see what happens. I highly anticipate that this system will cut through the graphics like knife through butter.
BUILD QUALITY: As far as I'm concerned the build quality of this unit is flawless. The case is a brushed aluminum work of art and everything fits perfectly. I have yet to find a defect and the case is very solid as computer cases go. I have had many bad pc case experiences in the past with sharp edges, flimsy construction, etc but this thing is solid as a rock. Kudos to Apple on a superior case design.
NEGATIVE REACTIONS: So, is it peferct? Well, I'm not one to say that anything is perfect, that is hard to achieve. I have noticed a couple odd things inside this version of the OS in the way of graphics hiccups. Nothing major but I think they should be pointed out. The one thing that I have noticed is that from time to time the drop shadow behind the fonts on the desktop will get broken up and the only way to fix them is to restart. Is this a big deal? Na, not at all, but it's curious seeing as how it never happened on my iMac. I've also noticed that sometimes in Apple Mail that even though there is no unread mail in one of my folders, that the application will indicate that there is. This is also another thing that requires a restart to correct.
Keep in mind, these two issues are so so so minor that I probably shouldn't even mention them. I'm really only bringing them to light so if anyone else experiences them, they will know that they aren't alone. The only thing that really is worth mentioning is the Applecare registration on these machines. If you have purchased the Applecare for these machines you may not be able to register them quite yet. My registration failed multiple times. When I contacted Apple they said that because these machines are so new that the serial numbers have not been entered into their system yet. They said it could take a week to ten days for them to get entered. Just warning up front if your registration fails.
Anyway, sorry this is so long, but I wanted to give you all my first impressions. I have mixed emotions about posting this review, although it gives you all something to look forward to, but considering all the positives it may make that wait all the more unbearable
Later all
I picked up my G5 yesterday after work from the FedEx facility where I live on the account that I was at work when they tried to deliver it. I have to say the anticipation to get off work and go pick it up was overwhelming and it was for very good reason. Quite simply, this thing kicks all kinds of ass. You have to understand that this is coming from a long time PC user/builder/gamer. This makes my second Mac on my home network along with a 17" flat screen iMac, an AMD 3200+ gaming PC and a HP laptop (for .NET development purposes). This machine marks my first venture into an Apple produced tower system and so far I'm very impressed. Because I still consider myself new to Apple this review may be a bit lacking but I will do the best I can.
NOISE: I know from my PC building experience that with processors running as hot as they do nowadays trying to cool them can be a daunting process, especially when you try to factor noise into the equation. No one wants a computer that sounds like the Red Baron himself landed in your living room
When I first got my iMac I was amazed at how quiet it ran compared to it's PC counterparts and Apple keeps with that low noise tradition with this dual G5 system. Even though it does employ a state of the art liquid cooling system, it still has to rely on some fan cooling in order to draw the heated air away from and out of the system which is to be expected from any system. I have to say, the thermo controlled fans are probably some of the best around and I would say that 99% of the time you hardly ever hear them. I will agree with Hotwire though that when they do spin up to full speed they are pretty loud, but the amount of time they do this for is a matter of seconds, not to mention that they don't always spin up to full speed. The thermo control sensor seems to be very well calibrated so as to accurately gauge how much heat is in the system and how much spin up is required in order to take care of the problem. I do have a feeling that this is application specific so I would be curious as to what the fans do when the machine is used for heavy rendering using apps like Maya and other high end 3D products.APPLICATION PERFORMANCE: I'm glad that Apple has moved up to the new SATA interface for their hard drives and it shows. Application access from my 160 gig drive is quick and moving files from one place to another takes very little time. This machine's sole purpose will be for my digital photography (currently using a Canon EOS 10D) so the quick hard drive access times will definitely put to use while using iView Media Pro and Adobe Photoshop CS. In regards to application tasks, the Dual G5's make quick work of just about anything I throw at them.
VIDEO PERFORMANCE: I configured my machine with the highest end card Apple had available at the time which was the ATI Radeon 9800XT (R360 core) with 256 meg DDR memory. Seeing that I'm a pc gaming junkie I've come to expect certain things from video cards over the years and although I have yet to figure out how to run benchmarks comparable to 3DMark for the PC my initial outlook for the Mac version of the 9800 is positive. All I have done so far is run a couple of screensavers that depend on OpenGL support and compare how they run next to my iMac. The video performance on just those is worlds better than the iMac. I'm sure this is not only due to the video card but also the processing power of the dual G5s. However, I'm not satisfied with a few OpenGL based screesavers, they are hardly a benchmarking tool to the gaming enthusiast. I only have one Mac game in my collection and that is MOHAA (Medal of Honor Allied Assault). I will be installing that later on tonight and putting all the settings to max and see what happens. I highly anticipate that this system will cut through the graphics like knife through butter.
BUILD QUALITY: As far as I'm concerned the build quality of this unit is flawless. The case is a brushed aluminum work of art and everything fits perfectly. I have yet to find a defect and the case is very solid as computer cases go. I have had many bad pc case experiences in the past with sharp edges, flimsy construction, etc but this thing is solid as a rock. Kudos to Apple on a superior case design.
NEGATIVE REACTIONS: So, is it peferct? Well, I'm not one to say that anything is perfect, that is hard to achieve. I have noticed a couple odd things inside this version of the OS in the way of graphics hiccups. Nothing major but I think they should be pointed out. The one thing that I have noticed is that from time to time the drop shadow behind the fonts on the desktop will get broken up and the only way to fix them is to restart. Is this a big deal? Na, not at all, but it's curious seeing as how it never happened on my iMac. I've also noticed that sometimes in Apple Mail that even though there is no unread mail in one of my folders, that the application will indicate that there is. This is also another thing that requires a restart to correct.
Keep in mind, these two issues are so so so minor that I probably shouldn't even mention them. I'm really only bringing them to light so if anyone else experiences them, they will know that they aren't alone. The only thing that really is worth mentioning is the Applecare registration on these machines. If you have purchased the Applecare for these machines you may not be able to register them quite yet. My registration failed multiple times. When I contacted Apple they said that because these machines are so new that the serial numbers have not been entered into their system yet. They said it could take a week to ten days for them to get entered. Just warning up front if your registration fails.
Anyway, sorry this is so long, but I wanted to give you all my first impressions. I have mixed emotions about posting this review, although it gives you all something to look forward to, but considering all the positives it may make that wait all the more unbearable
Later all
When I called Apple Billing and asked them what my pre-authorization meant, they told me that it meant that my computer was currently being built. I'm not sure if that is correct, but it's what I was told...
I'll add a few short comments, to the point I hope...
Noise: This machine just purrs quietly to itself. There are some small, quiet fans on all the time basically; the two big fans in front turn on now and then, when the machine wants to be cooler, and then they shut off. At no point is the machine particularly noticeable in making noise. I have mine sitting on my desk (I think it'd get hot in the CPU slot in my desk), but honestly, the ticking of the hard drive writing is easier to notice than the fans. =)
Speed: I don't have UT4K, Medal of Honor, or anything REALLY hardware intensive right yet. I do have WC3, which runs maxed out flawlessly, but everyone knows that I think. I've got to get a Mac copy of Halo, which will be interesting to try out. I will download the MOH demo and try it out. I don't think the machine will much care what I throw at it.
Bugs: The only bug I've had is the known bug with Radeon cards and the Superdrive (it sometimes won't mount CDs or DVDs properly on the first try, requiring relaunching the finder to get the disk mounted.) It's no big deal, and in a software update I suspect it'll be gone.
- Seth
Noise: This machine just purrs quietly to itself. There are some small, quiet fans on all the time basically; the two big fans in front turn on now and then, when the machine wants to be cooler, and then they shut off. At no point is the machine particularly noticeable in making noise. I have mine sitting on my desk (I think it'd get hot in the CPU slot in my desk), but honestly, the ticking of the hard drive writing is easier to notice than the fans. =)
Speed: I don't have UT4K, Medal of Honor, or anything REALLY hardware intensive right yet. I do have WC3, which runs maxed out flawlessly, but everyone knows that I think. I've got to get a Mac copy of Halo, which will be interesting to try out. I will download the MOH demo and try it out. I don't think the machine will much care what I throw at it.
Bugs: The only bug I've had is the known bug with Radeon cards and the Superdrive (it sometimes won't mount CDs or DVDs properly on the first try, requiring relaunching the finder to get the disk mounted.) It's no big deal, and in a software update I suspect it'll be gone.
- Seth
9800XT and MOHAA
As I posted in my first impressions, screensavers a benchmark do not make in the way of video performance. I just got done loading and then playing an hour into MOHAA and I must say....SWEET!! I ran at 1280x1024 (I have the acrylic 20" cinema display that goes to 1680x1050 therefore not allowing the 1600x1200 res in the game) with EVERYTHING turned up and on. Volumetric smoke, full shading, full model details, full textures, you name it, it was on. So how was it? Silky smooth framerate, just as I suspected
FAN ACTIVITY: Hardly anything above a whisper the full hour I was playing. They started to spin up a couple of times but never hit full speed and never stayed at an increased rpm for more than a few seconds. This of course allows you to concentrate on the approaching footsteps of the soldiers zeroing in on your position that would like to make you a memory.
Oh yea, just a question, seeing that I can't play at full screen, how do I get that windowed area centered? Any Mac gamers out there that know?
As I posted in my first impressions, screensavers a benchmark do not make in the way of video performance. I just got done loading and then playing an hour into MOHAA and I must say....SWEET!! I ran at 1280x1024 (I have the acrylic 20" cinema display that goes to 1680x1050 therefore not allowing the 1600x1200 res in the game) with EVERYTHING turned up and on. Volumetric smoke, full shading, full model details, full textures, you name it, it was on. So how was it? Silky smooth framerate, just as I suspected
FAN ACTIVITY: Hardly anything above a whisper the full hour I was playing. They started to spin up a couple of times but never hit full speed and never stayed at an increased rpm for more than a few seconds. This of course allows you to concentrate on the approaching footsteps of the soldiers zeroing in on your position that would like to make you a memory.
Oh yea, just a question, seeing that I can't play at full screen, how do I get that windowed area centered? Any Mac gamers out there that know?
Zaphryon said:
Zaphryon, it was rumored that the Radeon 9800 XT has a loud fan - but following your review, that's no problem... I decided to take the 9600 XT and hope it will do its job quite as well as the 9800 XT playing actual games like UT 2k4, MOHAA, BF 1942 or Call of Duty.
But my G5 delivery date is still 8/20 (or before) - so I'll have to wait. Unfortunately I will go for vacation on 8/21. Hope the G5 arrives before.
Thanks for your review...
Ulf
Rocketfella said:
The fans do tend to spin up when doing intensive tasks, and the system gets quite loud.
Here's another link to the G5 Forum:
http://www.coresoftcomputers.com/g5forum
I have just tried to check my Order Status at the Apple Store UK website. I get a message saying "Sorry, Order Status is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later."
Has anyone had this before. Maybe they are sorting out some of the date problems? It would be great if this information matched the emails they send out!
Has anyone had this before. Maybe they are sorting out some of the date problems? It would be great if this information matched the emails they send out!
LeonPro said:
I hate to overstate the obvious here, but if any of you did not fork over the extra dough for the maintenance plan, you are ASKING for trouble! I thought by waiting for the second rev of processor speeds, I'd be safe because Apple had worked out the bugs of the new (processor) technology. Here, we have the liquid-cooled processors that are going to open up a new can of worms, but I simply could not wait any longer.
If you haven't placed your orders for the maintenance pack, I suggest you call them and order it (separately so as not to delay your current order), but make sure they know it's to cover the G5 on a separate order.
Regards
Apple Store UK Order Status back up and running.
No change to my delivery date info. Ah well!
No change to my delivery date info. Ah well!
iGreek said:
That is a preauthorization.
They are doing that to make sure you have the money.
Apple Discount on my G5
Hi folks,
I ordered my 2.5Mhz G5 on June 10th and am on the 8/20 release date like many others.
However, I received a nice discount from an Apple Store rep on the phone that has cushioned the disappointment in the delay of delivery.
Shortly after I ordered my G5 online through the Apple Store, I decided to cancel my order so that I could wait for the (then-rumored) release of the new aluminum Cinema Displays. I knew that if I purchased my G5 with a Cinema Display, I could purchase an Apple Care extended warranty for the G5 and the Cinema Display could be included under that if both items appeared on the same invoice.
Well, when I called to cancel my G5 order, the Apple rep said, "Sir, you're basing your decision on pure speculation. You have no idea that when or if new Cinema Displays will be released." But I had a pretty good idea based on all the info floating around at the time. I asked again to cancel.
Then the sales rep offered me a $100 discount to keep my order. I thought about it for a moment and again asked to cancel the order. Then the rep said, "Sir, I can offer you a $200 discount on your order and that's my final offer to you." Well, that sounded pretty good so I took it.
I mentioned this to a friend who's a long-time Apple user and he said he'd never heard of Apple offering discounts like that so I consider myself lucky. Has anyone else experienced something similar?
I ordered my G5 through one of Apple's corporate discounts (I work for a company that has employee discounts in place through a specially branded online Apple Store), so I ended up saving around $400 through my combined corporate discount and the $200 discount from Apple.
My system:
2.5Mhz | 2gig RAM | 500g HD | Radeon 9800 | 20" aluminum Cinema Display
Hi folks,
I ordered my 2.5Mhz G5 on June 10th and am on the 8/20 release date like many others.
However, I received a nice discount from an Apple Store rep on the phone that has cushioned the disappointment in the delay of delivery.
Shortly after I ordered my G5 online through the Apple Store, I decided to cancel my order so that I could wait for the (then-rumored) release of the new aluminum Cinema Displays. I knew that if I purchased my G5 with a Cinema Display, I could purchase an Apple Care extended warranty for the G5 and the Cinema Display could be included under that if both items appeared on the same invoice.
Well, when I called to cancel my G5 order, the Apple rep said, "Sir, you're basing your decision on pure speculation. You have no idea that when or if new Cinema Displays will be released." But I had a pretty good idea based on all the info floating around at the time. I asked again to cancel.
Then the sales rep offered me a $100 discount to keep my order. I thought about it for a moment and again asked to cancel the order. Then the rep said, "Sir, I can offer you a $200 discount on your order and that's my final offer to you." Well, that sounded pretty good so I took it.
I mentioned this to a friend who's a long-time Apple user and he said he'd never heard of Apple offering discounts like that so I consider myself lucky. Has anyone else experienced something similar?
I ordered my G5 through one of Apple's corporate discounts (I work for a company that has employee discounts in place through a specially branded online Apple Store), so I ended up saving around $400 through my combined corporate discount and the $200 discount from Apple.
My system:
2.5Mhz | 2gig RAM | 500g HD | Radeon 9800 | 20" aluminum Cinema Display
- Status