How did you get into PowerPC Macs?

[Anonymous Freak]

It does not take much to figure out that a machine at least two years newer has better specs than the old one...

Exactly. This is a subforum for enthusiasts of the PowerPC Macs. I don't think there's a single person who frequents this thread who would argue that a Power Mac G5 is a "better" machine for modern work than a Mac Pro. Or that a 12" PowerBook G4 is a "better" machine for modern work than a MacBook Air (or Pro.)

The arguments against you, Intelligent, were that your post was superfluous. It is a statement that didn't need to be said, because we all know it.

In the early days of the Intel switch, there may have been perfectly legitimate discussions/arguments about the benefits of PowerPC over Intel; but nobody at current would seriously attempt to argue that a PowerPC is a more powerful machine than a current Intel model.

But, of course, "better" is subjective. When cost comes in to play, an already-owned PowerPC could be considered significantly "better" than a new Intel system you can't afford.

 

[bunnspecial]

My late 2011 MBP is better than even my best G5 is every way(unless I absolutely need a PCI expansion card, which my MBP can't do).

I think any reasonable person would agree with me on this.

With that said, the PPC Macs are a hobby to me. I have fun buying them(cheap, usually), upgrading them, trouble shooting them, and generally trying to get the best performance I can out of them.

I think I have the collecting "gene" and have quite a few collections of various objects. Most of them are obsolete technology, like one of the various 100+ year old watch I have in my pocket every day. Learning about all the variations of PPC Macs(or at least from the iMac era forward, which is where I've concentrated) has been fascinating for me, and seeking out examples is just a natural extension of learning about them.

I have a friend who does bioinformatics by trade. The best workstations in his lab have dual 12-core Xeons(24 cores total) and I think 40gb or so of ram. In other words, he's not lacking for access to high performance computers when he wants them. Despite that, he was very impressed with how useable and responsive my G5 remains even today.

To me, I get a lot of satisfaction out of being able to use a 10+ year old computer for many of the same purposes as I use my 2 year old laptop.

To add to that, Photoshop CS4 runs great on both my dual 1ghz Quicksilver and on my single 1.8 G5, and does anything I could possibly need for it to do. That's not a piece of software that I'd want to have to buy a current version of.

 

[weckart]

My late 2011 MBP is better than even my best G5 is every way(unless I absolutely need a PCI expansion card, which my MBP can't do).

Ahem.

Of course, strictly speaking that is PCIe rather than good old fashioned PCI but still...

Actually, my G5 cannot do PCI cards either come to think of it.

 

[bunnspecial]

Ahem.

Of course, strictly speaking that is PCIe rather than good old fashioned PCI but still...

Actually, my G5 cannot do PCI cards either come to think of it.

Thanks for the link.

I didn't realize such a beast existed, as I haven't kept up with Thunderbolt development. That's certainly good to know, though.

Unfortunately, the "entry cost" is still very high on Thunderbolt, where even a cable is ~$40 and most peripherals are similarly expensive. I bought a new external hard drive to use as a Time Machine drive a couple of months back, and ended up going with Firewire 800/USB 3 combo drive. The equivalent Thunderbolt drive was about $100 more.

A Thunderbolt docking station really appeals to me-especially since most of them have USB 3(something my MBP doesn't have)-but they are $250+ as well and the main advantage they would give me is only having to plug one wire as opposed to 3 or 4 into my computer.

As for the G5-Mine has PCI-X, which(as I understand it) is backward compatible with PCI. I think it was only the last generation or two that had PCIe.

 

[repentix]

Thanks for the link.

I didn't realize such a beast existed, as I haven't kept up with Thunderbolt development. That's certainly good to know, though.

Unfortunately, the "entry cost" is still very high on Thunderbolt, where even a cable is ~$40 and most peripherals are similarly expensive. I bought a new external hard drive to use as a Time Machine drive a couple of months back, and ended up going with Firewire 800/USB 3 combo drive. The equivalent Thunderbolt drive was about $100 more.

A Thunderbolt docking station really appeals to me-especially since most of them have USB 3(something my MBP doesn't have)-but they are $250+ as well and the main advantage they would give me is only having to plug one wire as opposed to 3 or 4 into my computer.

As for the G5-Mine has PCI-X, which(as I understand it) is backward compatible with PCI. I think it was only the last generation or two that had PCIe.

I know that one G5, the 1,6 GHZ one had 3 PCI slots I don't however know if this was the only G5 with PCI

 

[bunnspecial]

I get the impression that (if you are even 18 yet) you would trade in a 1996 Lincoln Town Car for a 2014 Corolla just because it is "new".

And, of course, those in the know would go for the Towncar

It's interesting that you bring up that comparison, as my family is a "Lincoln" family and we've had our fair share over the years. My Grandfather had a 1996 Towncar that he drove forever, and kept it for a while even after buying a 2002 TC. My mom drove the wheels off her 2000 Towncar, and traded it in for a 2006 that she's still driving and will probably do the same to. I have an '04 LS(actually about the same age as my G5, come to think of it) that I've had for 6 years now and have no reason to think that I won't keep it for that much longer. My dad had a 98 Continental that he sold to the associate pastor at church(who is still driving it) and bought a 2001 Continental that he swears he's going to be buried in, although not too long ago bought my grandfathers nearly new(14,000 miles on the clock) 2010 MKZ that he drives most of the time now.

All that aside, I've had many "discussions" with friends-one a very good friend who drives a Corolla-about mine and my families' choices in cars...but we're not changing any time soon.

I also tend to get funny looks in gun stores when I walk past the cases of Glocks, Springfields, and Sigs that many of the guys my age gravitate toward and instead start slobbering over the old Smith and Wesson and Colt revolvers...or walk past the shelves of black rifles to look at old Winchesters and Marlins.

We all like what we like, and most of the time choices aren't as black and white as some would like to think.

 

[bunnspecial]

I know that one G5, the 1,6 GHZ one had 3 PCI slots I don't however know if this was the only G5 with PCI

FWIW, as per Wikipedia, the lowest spec G5 of any given generation(save for the last generation) had PCI slots and the higher spec models had PCI-X. I seem to also remember there being some correlation between that and the number of RAM slots, with PCI computers having 4 slots and PCI-X having 8.

And, of course, the last generation got rid of both in favor of PCIe.

 

[SkyBell]

The first elementary school I attended had been buying Apple computers for quite a while. My kindergarten year, we had the AIO PowerMac 5xxx series in the labs, but the classrooms throughout the school had various older models placed in them. These ranged throughout the PowerMac line, along with a few pizza box LC and LC II models. There was even one classroom that had an Apple IIe and IIc used all throughout the day running music teaching software!

The next school year in 1998, we replaced all the PowerMacs in the computer labs with brand-spanking new Bondi Blue iMac G3's. I remember the audible gasps, followed by the "oohs" and ahhs" our entire class made when we first laid eyes upon them. As young children often do, most of the kids became used to the wacky design and lost interest very quickly. The initial excitement wore off on me as well, but it was only replaced with desire to know more about these machines. As it turns out, the more I got to know them, the more I loved them.

My first Mac was a Macintosh Classic, but my first PowerPC was, yes, a Bondi Blue Rev. A iMac. These computers have always had the best user experience, and designs to boot. I mean, doesn't it say something that the current 2014 iMac is still using the basic design elements of its PPC ancestor?

 

[S.B.G]

I get the impression that (if you are even 18 yet) you would trade in a 1996 Lincoln Town Car for a 2014 Corolla just because it is "new".

Speaking strictly of cars, and not Mac's, I'd go for the old Lincoln over the new Toyota any day! Provided, of course, it was in good running order and not a rust bucket. Had a 1992 Town Car and it was a dream to drive and ride in - it was like riding on a cloud, it was that smooth and comfortable.

 

[mccjim12]

October '04. Bought a Powerbook G4 for school. Still going, albeit with a replacement logic board and hard drive. Also, the power supply caught on fire the other evening so it's currently out of commission until I feel like finding a new one.

Prior to owning the PowerBook I had been exclusively a Dell/HP owner.

 

[iBook_Clamshell]

I got started with Macs way before PPC. My first Mac was a Powerbook 145B with a Motorola 68030 25Mhz CPU and 4MB of ram! (I got it 2006-I'm not THAT old.) I also ran a Macintosh SE(and still do). When my older brother got a Powerbook G3 Walstreet II, I was jealous. When I in turn got my first PPC laptop-the Powerbook Lombard 400Mhz with a 10gb HD, I felt superior over my brother with his "wimpy 233Mhz laptop with a 2gb HD.
Now I have my favorite laptop-an iBook G3 Clamshell

 

[Aelita]

My high school Photoshop teacher had a couple of G4 towers in the corner of the room that I had been eyeing the entire year. I really wanted one considering the only other macs I had were an SE and a G3 iMac that I barely used. Finally one day he took a look at one and said "I gotta run these down to the dump pretty soon." and I told him that I could take both off his hands. One is a 350 mhz AGP and the other is a dual 500 mhz Gigabit Ethernet. After putting in an Airport card, new graphics card, 2 new hard drives, 2GB of ram, and upgrading the OS to Tiger on the Gigabit Ethernet, I replaced my 1.8 ghz Pentium 4 Gateway (which was ironically newer). This machine lasted me for 2 years of daily use until I got my iMac G5. In fact I still use my G4 pretty often for storage and large downloads.

You get a lot of strange looks when you're trying to fit a school computer into your locker.

 

[Altemose]

Speaking strictly of cars, and not Mac's, I'd go for the old Lincoln over the new Toyota any day! Provided, of course, it was in good running order and not a rust bucket. Had a 1992 Town Car and it was a dream to drive and ride in - it was like riding on a cloud, it was that smooth and comfortable.

It was just a comparison stating that new does not constitute better in all scenarios. A PowerPC will obviously not benchmark as high as an Intel due to the fact that it is older. That is something that I was trying to convey to Intelligent who blindly argued his points.

 

[S.B.G]

It was just a comparison stating that new does not constitute better in all scenarios. A PowerPC will obviously not benchmark as high as an Intel due to the fact that it is older. That is something that I was trying to convey to Intelligent who blindly argued his points.

Oh I fully understood what you meant, and agree too. I just had to comment on the Town Car because I really like them a lot, even to this day.

 

[Altemose]

Oh I fully understood what you meant, and agree too. I just had to comment on the Town Car because I really like them a lot, even to this day.

I do too and I am not even a Ford/Lincoln guy...

 

[S.B.G]

I do too and I am not even a Ford/Lincoln guy...

I am a Ford guy. My father retired from the company after 31 years. I now have 2014 Ford Fusion SE and love it.

Anyway, back on topic, I have a PowerMac G5 and like it a lot too. Just because it's older, doesn't mean it's not useful. It's still capable of doing many useful things these days.

 

[jrsx]

....Just because it's older, doesn't mean it's not useful. It's still capable of doing many useful things these days.

And there you have PowerPC in a nutshell!

 

[Altemose]

I am a Ford guy. My father retired from the company after 31 years. I now have 2014 Ford Fusion SE and love it.

Anyway, back on topic, I have a PowerMac G5 and like it a lot too. Just because it's older, doesn't mean it's not useful. It's still capable of doing many useful things these days.

I like Jeep for SUV's and Dodge for trucks. My G5 is still very relevant but now in 2014 as I upgrade everything around it, the G5 is now the bottle neck.

And there you have PowerPC in a nutshell!

Exactly...

 

[redhatcode29]

...I stumbled upon PPCs'. It happened when i accidentally bought a Power Mac G5, assuming that it was a Mac Pro.. i ddnt know much of PPCs back then.

I had a couple of intel Macs' and thought that this raw beauty of steel would be the perfect beast which i needed. Realising, much, much later when i had bought it that it was not what i thought it was...twas a blow!

I even tried to sell it away and was offered double the price which i had bought it for. Somehow i decided that the G5 was a 'keeper'.

I never even dreamt that the accidental purchase of the G5, would have me craving for more and more. Currently i have 7 PPCs in total and it aint gonna end there!

 

[bse5150]

I got started with Macs way before PPC. My first Mac was a Powerbook 145B with a Motorola 68030 25Mhz CPU and 4MB of ram! (I got it 2006-I'm not THAT old.)

My first Mac was a 16MHz 68030 based Classic II. That was back in 1993.

 

[repentix]

Exactly. This is a subforum for enthusiasts of the PowerPC Macs. I don't think there's a single person who frequents this thread who would argue that a Power Mac G5 is a "better" machine for modern work than a Mac Pro. Or that a 12" PowerBook G4 is a "better" machine for modern work than a MacBook Air (or Pro.)

I would say, that rabiz7 aka PowerPC fangurl is the only one who would say that

 

[iBook_Clamshell]

Exactly. This is a subforum for enthusiasts of the PowerPC Macs. I don't think there's a single person who frequents this thread who would argue that a Power Mac G5 is a "better" machine for modern work than a Mac Pro. Or that a 12" PowerBook G4 is a "better" machine for modern work than a MacBook Air (or Pro.)

I would say, that rabiz7 aka PowerPC fangurl is the only one who would say that

I would say that.

My first Mac was a 16MHz 68030 based Classic II. That was back in 1993.

Cool! I love the compact Macs...

 

[js81]

I had always built PCs... and then I started a Communications major (with a Graphic Design emphasis - small college, only a general program). Needless to say, if you're gonna be a designer (at least in the late 90s, early 2k's, though its still quite true now) you have to use a Mac. And I hadn't even touch one since playing Oregon Trail in elementary school on some flavor of Apple II.

So it was off to eBay to find the cheapest "decent" Mac I could find (this was very early in the year 2000, btw). My first was a PowerMac 8600/200(?) - I honestly don't remember much else about it. And I wasn't enthralled... I kept it and piddled with OS 8 for a few months until I grew bored of it. It then sat in the corner for quite some time... my home-built Pentium 4/Win XP desktop got all of the love back then.

A few years later (2004-ish?), I decided that my first go at Mac OS was pretty with too old of machine. After all, my biggest beefs with it were the lack of connections for anything I owned (no USB) and software for OS 8. So I decided to try again - I bought myself a B&W G3... and fell in love. (Well, at least as much as one can with a computer and its OS.)

I used the B&W for a while, but I never quite would make the jump as the 350MHz G3 just didn't compare to my 2.whatever GHz Pentium 4. But I loved Mac OS, particular X (Jaguar on that machine)... so I decided it was time to go (relatively) big or go home - I dropped a little over $200 on a PowerMac G4 Dual 500MHz! I loaded that bad boy up with nearly 2 gigs of RAM (it was 1.85 or something like that - one each of a 1GB, 512, 256, and 64 stick), OS X Panther and moved whole hog to Mac OS. This machine was fast enough for me to use daily, and I did - up until the day that either its power supply or logic board bought the farm (about 2 years later) and I couldn't justify the $100+ to fix it.

After that, I went Intel - I bought a Mac Mini Core Solo and upgraded it myself to a Core Duo. I've had a couple PPC Macs since then... a 15" 1.33 PowerBook and (currently and recently) a 14" 1.42 iBook. But it was the cheap, low-priced first PPC Macs that one me over. Well, not the first one... but the B&W and the Dual 500 lol.