I like how you phrased this. While there are some jobs which require the fastest computing power available others, like web browsing, do not. Today a typical web page (or email) has so much meta data packed into it compared to non-meta data it's ridiculous.
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Well it might be the reason why iPads and such are a lot more "desirable" to the common user nowadays, they can pretty much do what they need (surf email and some docs) while computer are more for the "pros" as in people who "create content"....wich begs the question, do we really need the word pro on a computer?
The thing though is, back in the "days" resources were limited, and programmes optimized a lot their stuff, or you couldn't use more than a program at the time.
Today we have so much raw power that optimization is not as important, and often not done at all, think about the web, when is the last time you optimized an image for a website(as in size)? I remember in arounf the year 200 spending entire nights trying to shave a couple of KB in pictures to make the site snappier (especially on low connection).
This leads to making the same file in Illustrator CS 4 and the current CC one resulting a couple of megs and the newer one a couple hundred megs... , sure there are compatibility layer added and such, but the fact remains the same exact file is a lot bigger.... why?
Running older HW and SW is not an issue anymore, having standards helped a lot, I can edit stuff in Illustrator or Word using older versions and then simply export in PDF, and I will be sure you are watching the same thing I am.
Yes I am oversimplyfying things, and again not fooling myself, but still It makes me think a lot!
I think around the time the iPad was a couple generations old, many people who would have bought laptops for their surfing/general use bought tablets instead, because why would you buy the more expensive thing when the cheaper one does what you want? It's also easier to just hand your kids an iPad to watch YouTube on, whereas a laptop is quite a bit more fragile. I still prefer laptops or desktops though, having lots of screen real estate is nice, and they can be used for so many more things.
I ended up with the current set up:
- iPad Pro 12.9 2nd gen (web, media and some creative app like affinity)
- G5 (DC 2Ghz) for OS X apps (of course PPC compatible)
- MDD (DP 867) /G4 iMac (700 Mhz 15") pretty much all the rest that might require OS 9.
Lovely set up for me and really works out well, planning on updating the iPad one last time (already did 10 to 11) next year and then keeping it on verion 12 for a year after 13 is released and then sell it and repalce it with a newer one.
There's currently NO plans on changing the G5 / MDD / iMac G4 combo.
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As always to keep you guy up to date, I ordered an SSD from OWC, the price was good, hopefully it'll get here soon 
Hi.. the first card arrived (card + the adapter as in 1st and sec pic,) but i guess i need some sort of drivers, as i can see it in system profiler but as un identified ...Something like this
and one of these
I would suggest getting a Broadcom card over Atheros as BCM has better support under PPC, particularly if you want to run Tiger. This gives you native 802.11n AirPort WiFi. PowerMacs only ever shipped with 802.11g.
This is the elusive blue Runway card you need for the late 2005 PowerMacs with the grey WiFi/BT module mounted on it.
Last one I saw for sale wanted $100 for it.
Not good. The only one I think is supported by Leopard is the AR5BXB72. That would be Intel Leopard. Not sure if the kext is Universal.
You can try adding your card’s Vendor ID and Device ID to the Info.plist file in the closest matching Atheros kext.
System>Library>Extensions>IO80211Family.kext>Plugins>[Atheros kext]>Info.plist
If the card is close enough it might just work.
Hands up all those who can relate to arriving home with additional Macs - and unhappy wives/partners?
Both my hands are raised.......
Imagine the death stare I got coming home with this lot when a company I was working for got bought out and closed down
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I'd welcome a death stare with great pleasure to get those!Imagine the death stare I got coming home with this lot when a company I was working for got bought out and closed down
And then get the little lady a bunch of flowers to ensure I didn't stay in the dog-house.........
I've never burned so much money as I did by buying iPads as an early adopter. (iPads, that are throttled down to obsolescence now.)
Thumbs up for 2nd hand PPC and early intel-Macs compared to the iOS-road - iOS is a juggernaut, always going forward, no memory about anything, what's left behind. No way going back to previous versions. No way to get back Apps from the past (like it's possible with old os9, OSX/PPC etc).
The convenience of any App-Stores coupled with the concession to hang yourself onto the drip.
Remembering the Apple-1984-Ad -ridiculous! All iOS- (and beware macOS-) things seem to be the 1984-way now ...
I'd like to choose, which version of iOS to install on my devices and get back the forgotten Apps too.
Same for OSX (PPC/intel). - I'd like to see the blown up data/traffic to be shrunk to the appropriate size.
It's a strange world. Millions of tons of great hardware about to be doomed while brain & goodwill could fit everything in.
"Alle Räder stehen still, wenn der Konsument es will" (All wheels stand still when the consumer wants it.)
Hope that wicker table was up to the task, looks like approx 150 lbs of electronics you got sitting on it.Imagine the death stare I got coming home with this lot when a company I was working for got bought out and closed down
Just an update to this old thread, the SSD arrived and I installed it, pretty pleased about it, sure it does not make the difference an SSD makes on newer machines, but the bus speed and the fact that file size were a lot smaller back then are a factor to keep in mind.
Booting is around 25-30 second, this is where I expected better performance, but still quite happy about it.
Booting is around 25-30 second, this is where I expected better performance, but still quite happy about it.
That's just typical PowerPC, it takes an epoch to do the power on self test and initialise open firmware. An SSD can't help with that. EFI based Intel Macs are way quicker to initialise, about 20 seconds less from memory...
Yeah.. i mena if it wasn't for the supposed "high power usage" I would just leave it on...
Then again, it is sucha beautiful machine, and is snappy as a new model (yes using yesteryear software that is) that a couple of seconds more won't hurt.
Also productivity is sky high as without internet, there is less to distract you
?????Yeah.. i mena if it wasn't for the supposed "high power usage" I would just leave it on...
Then again, it is sucha beautiful machine, and is snappy as a new model (yes using yesteryear software that is) that a couple of seconds more won't hurt.
Also productivity is sky high as without internet, there is less to distract you
I have two G5's (a Quad and a 2.3DC) and a G3 that are on 24/7 and do not sleep (although the monitors power off). The G3 is my server, accessible from anywhere.
All three Macs are connected to gigabit ethernet and have complete internet access 24/7.
I know that's not what you are doing, but I have zero issues with my setup.
Well the reality of thing is that youtube is very little usable, and apart from very simple site I still have issue browsing, not that I care really, as the computer for me is for Illustrator and Photoshop, and the few serches i make on google are good enough..
Gotcha. I don't really use Youtube and if I do, I use it either on a Leopard-Webkit linked webkit browser or my iPad or Intel Mac.
For the rest, I use TenFourFox with my tweaks that optimize it. I rarely have any issues.
There are other YouTube options that are available. @Dronecatcher can tell you about them.
It actually works "quite well" on the internet considering its age and most of the stuff powering the internet today were not even concieved back then, but as staded before, I use the machine for other stuff and leave the internet for my iPad Pro, where it shines.
Now If I could have Affinity on my g5....
The latest changes that added MOAR Altivec to TFF and Erik's tweaks to block ads and unnecessary integration with google, facebook etc all help. With these, fast G4s upwards are capable for basic internet use with a bit of patience. YouTube is a perennial pinch point though, same applies to other media heavy uses. I can load websites on a G4 that crash the browser on an iPad due to it running out of memory. On the other hand the iPad happily plays YouTube videos that would be a very poor experience on the PowerPC.
Any updates? You've inspired me to have a serious look at a PPC Mac Pro. Now I just need to figure which revision/model to get. I love the 30" Cinema Displays
Dare I say, grab a Mac Pro (2012 or earlier i.e. up to 5,1) as a backup? Typing on one right now ... It has FireWire still. The Mac Pro forum here is awesome too.