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Re: :)

Originally posted by madamimadamtimallen


I agree with everything except this point; I see no reason why could can not add 2 memory chips and extra storage to the iMac later on... they are both possible, just not user installable anymore (minus one RAM chip).

I was referring to what is readily available for slots. While it is true that you can replace the memory chip behind door number two, I don't know if that will do anything to the warranty. The towers have three slots, and if both the iMac and G4 tower ship with one chip, you can still add two to the tower but only one to the imac.

For the extra storage in the iMac, unless you want to get into the guts of the system, you will have to go with external storage. With the tower, you can put a total of four drives inside it (including the ones that ship with it).

Either way, get what you can either afford, or really need/want to. Either way, just go smart, and get a Mac :D
 
Originally posted by maclamb
I'm thinking I have to run lotus notes under classic till next release comes out, word and ppt both are sluggish (IMHO - but it's my time and patience - not yours, you cannot judge my experience - just as I don't judge yours) IE is slow and NS is worse.

Don't blaim your machine for sluggish Microsoft products, so far I have been VERY disappointed with Microsoft for X speed. IE is slow and Word and Excel give me that spinning load curser sometime for AGES. Seems there are many OSX apps out there that are just not up to scratch yet but, I suppose, it is a BIG move port that much code in such a short time. Still, I used to love Office 2001 and IE5 for 9.
 
Re: Re: :)

Originally posted by AlphaTech


I was referring to what is readily available for slots. While it is true that you can replace the memory chip behind door number two, I don't know if that will do anything to the warranty. The towers have three slots, and if both the iMac and G4 tower ship with one chip, you can still add two to the tower but only one to the imac.

For the extra storage in the iMac, unless you want to get into the guts of the system, you will have to go with external storage. With the tower, you can put a total of four drives inside it (including the ones that ship with it).

Either way, get what you can either afford, or really need/want to. Either way, just go smart, and get a Mac :D

There is no question at ALL that the G4 is more configurable than the iMac but you can change HDD and RAM. It requires a Apple Authorised Service Tech and some thermal paste though. :(

May I just mention... not happy about that one Apple. Sure, I can do that installation but 1) I should not have to learn about thermal paste and 2) user additions are SUCH a good selling point. Oh well, I can not be angry at something so beautiful for long.
 
i still see office 2001 for mac all over in stores and that must mean something

the move to os x will take more time than anticipated and some, designer/photoshop types, cannot move over until adobe gets its photoshop product out...and it better be good
 
Re: Re: Re: :)

Originally posted by madamimadamtimallen


There is no question at ALL that the G4 is more configurable than the iMac but you can change HDD and RAM. It requires a Apple Authorised Service Tech and some thermal paste though. :(

May I just mention... not happy about that one Apple. Sure, I can do that installation but 1) I should not have to learn about thermal paste and 2) user additions are SUCH a good selling point. Oh well, I can not be angry at something so beautiful for long.

I can see your point about that one. Maybe I am just spoiled, since I am under a month away from becoming Apple certified so that I can do such repairs at the office. Our company has made the arrangements with Apple so that we can work on our own hardware. It will make life easier for us, so that we can do the trouble shooting, then contact Apple with what we need for hardware and then do the repairs in house.

I just need to brush up on some more of the odd points that in the study material before taking the test. It would help if I could find out how much of what is in the study guide is actually on the test. As it stands, I know most of what is important, and can look up what I need when I need. I have been working on the Mac every day at work for over two years now, and am the lead tech for the office I work at. I know most of the hardware, and how to fix the software that we have. Most of the problems we encounter are due to either a m$ application, or is server/network related. Trying to access files off of a server that is in NJ from MA with 3Mb of bandwidth that is shared between about 250-300 people is no joy. We try to tell people to pull the files to their local systems and work off them there, but they don't listen. Then we hear about it when the computer is slow to open the file (gee imagine that).
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: :)

Originally posted by AlphaTech
I just need to brush up on some more of the odd points that in the study material before taking the test. It would help if I could find out how much of what is in the study guide is actually on the test. As it stands, I know most of what is important, and can look up what I need when I need.Trying to access files off of a server that is in NJ from MA with 3Mb of bandwidth that is shared between about 250-300 people is no joy. We try to tell people to pull the files to their local systems and work off them there, but they don't listen. Then we hear about it when the computer is slow to open the file (gee imagine that).

Oh, service exams can be a b!tch; they tend to have a lot of tricky questions that you would never use in the real world. If you are all studied up and have anything you might not know at easy reach combined with an atmosphere where you can not be disturbed, you will kick it.

Good luck!
 
Don't blame your machine

I'm not blaming my machine - if I was I would use a PC to run M$ stuff - it definatley performs better under win2k - hands down, though there are features in Office x I like.

I belive it is best to get the fastest machine you can NOW - unless you are fgoing to turn the machine over every 6 months.

We get machines for 2 years (lease) - so I tend to spend a little extra $ to get perhpas more power than I need _today_
Who knows what we'll need tomorrow?

Do YOU buy only for today's needs?

Other points are well taken - some of the sluggishness of Notes is due to network issues, I'm sure.

While we can argue the negatives of M$ coding and code bloat (which will get worse as the OS gets faster) - we seem to be drifting into the philospohical territory of "Don;t encourage code (APP or OS) bloat - or the unremiting CPU MHZ escalation...." - It's a circular thing - more code = need fo rmore iron = more speed to "waste" on creeping featurism.

While, yes, I do particiate in this both consciously and unconsciously, as well as the macho who;s CPU is faster, bottom line:
I want a fast, responsive machine that will STAY fast and repsonisve for at least 2 years.
 
congrats alphatech on getting certified!

i took the safe route with my wife and we went the pc route since we are self employed and more than an hour outside of the center of the the bay area (california) makes fixing apple macs a tough living

there is one apple certified tech that i know of in monterey county but she is also, gasp, A+ certified for the pc...you have to in order to keep busy all the time and ensure a steady workflow

in the real world of being self employed though, tutoring new users can bring in some steady extra money and in more rural areas, it can be the lionshare of any techie's income

i do wish that there was a microsoft office user specialist certification for mac's version of microsoft office becuase that would also look cool on an apple tech's resume

ps - i like your impressive desktop and laptop comination
 
Re: Don't blame your machine

Originally posted by maclamb
Do YOU buy only for today's needs?

Yup, todays needs will not be much different from tomorrows needs. We are at a point in computing where only the handful NEED new machines.
 
speed is an addiction...

And as with any addiction it has little basis in reality.

It took much reading and thought but I must say, early this morning I came to agree that I was getting fast stuff just to get fast stuff. Which is OK -0 but it was going to cost me $2000 just for "peace of mind" --
I returned the 15K drive and controller, decided not to get the MP (as was said - so I do TWO dumb things just slightly faster) - I don't do ANYTHING in parallel - so a 800, 867 or 933 would have been the better choice - but I also realized that much of the delay is network based or bad code - and no, the machine is not going to resolve that - or at least not $2000 worth.
Amd I get really tripped out on speed my Ti667 is FINE....

I did add more ram and that has helped (top no longer reports 4M avaialble)
Total cost $100

So, I got to work and found my machine JUST FINE for what I am doing.
imagine that ;)

It's HARD giving up that speed addiction.
So what did I do with the saved $ ?

Bought a different KB, mouse and am considering an ATA100 card and 60G ATA1000 drive as my main drive - and use the Maxtor (what is in it now - 30G probably 5400 RMPM) as my primary backup ( I also have a portable firewire drive as secondary backup and to move files b/forth to the house)

So, will I notice a speed up in things opening and finder related activities - or is the ATA100 overkill and I just need another drive.

I have saved about $1000 (by not getting the DP500 , scsi or 15K drive)
I'm planning to use $600 of it for the Apple 15" LCD to add to my desktop and run dual video.
Also is there a better, sharper, faster(;-) video card that you would recommend ? I have a Viewsonic 21" for my main monitor and want to add the Apple LCD as a secondary and wonder if the graphics on this model (G4 Gigabit) can be signifantly improved -
Now, more visual desktop space - THAT I can use...

Thanks again - tough rite of passage - perhaps one more of us could/(should?) make:)
 
Ok i really don't want to flame maclamb on his idea of "needs" but there are a couple of things that need to be said.

1) you don't need anything over 7200rpms (heck for what you are running that 5400 is just fine)

2) running a tibook as a server?!? they call it a portable computer for a reason.

3) ata 100 is more than over kill for you. (see former post on the "java raid" for further reinforecement of this point)

4) I run a powerbook g3 pismo as my portable VIDEO EDITING AND 3D CREATION machine. To this day I am quite impressed with its abilities to render in cinema 4d, edit in photoshop, play my collection in soundjam, cut in final cut pro, and send email at the same time!!!! This is a G3 400 mhz laptop with a 4200 rpm 20 gig harddrive, 576 mbs ram and a 14" lcd screen. It is also my main editing system. (since whenever i need something bigger i bother my friends for some "machine time") And you know what, it chugs away at what it does quite efficently for a 2 year old laptop running at 400 mhz and no altivec.
Personally i love the fact that I have a machine that most of my PC using (and many mac users too) would usually look upon as incapable at doing what i do with it. But so far i have done nothing but suprised the crap out of them with results to beat out their own systems (one of which mesures in at a heafty $33000 ; targa 3000 [beatiful card but everthing else sucks like a vacuum made by micro$oft] )

Just change you addiction from speed to efficency. Cull your system to just its bare essentials and you will be 20 times more pleased with it. This includes everything from your system (prebind if you use osx ; create a basic, lean, system folder in 9). This is were speed really happens. with a bogged down system folder i achieve 240.3 mega flops with a fractal test. With my lean and trim system i achieve 350.7 !! By the way your g4 should score anywhere from 900 megaflops to 1.1 gigaflops.

But if that sluggish scrolling is really bugging the heck out of you go and pump some money into that machine. but if you need to burn off money that badly I could give you my account # and you could wire the money there. heck i'll even pay the transfer fee.
 
two dumb things

I wasn't serious when I said that. You can also do two important tasks at once if you have to. I think this is where the big gains will be, MP and clusters.
Screen space is nice to have. Why not just chill for a few days before you spend anymore money. On the other hand, someone has to keep the economy going, no?
 
1) you don't need anything over 7200rpms (heck for what you are running that 5400 is just fine)
   4K060H3   Maxtor 60GB/5400rpm Ultra ATA/100 Internal Hard Drive D540X Series     $ 112.00
   07N6655   IBM 60GB/7200rpm Ultra ATA/100 Internal Hard Drive Deskstar 60GXP     $ 125.00

for a difference of $13 - I;ll tale the IBM drive...



I did not say I would use the Ti as a server - just that I could resort to using it if I really need the speed....


I decided topass on the ATA card for now -

Still interested in the video card suggestions, though.

prebind if you use osx ; create a basic, lean, system folder in 9

please show comannds and what you mean by elan and mean 9? -
All extensions turned off?
 
Ifeelbloated:

You have it backwards-
Get a REALLY fast computer, and have it powert the bicycle!
That way you can travel while surfing the web!

jealous newbie. Sheeesh!
 
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