How important is Intel?

I think Intel is key until Apple has their own processor.

Being new to the apple scene, to me they don't have any problem leaving old technology and their users behind.

 

Your iMac G5 is still a very good and useful machine. As far as Apple leaving the folks behind who still use a PPC machine, that's what's known as progress and innovation in the industry. Your G5 will be around for years to come - as long as it's healthy! There's still plenty of software available for it including a fine operating system (OS X Leopard).

And it appears most software developers have not decided to cut off the folks with PPC machines and publish their programs as Intel only. As a matter of fact - I have heard that the next MS Office for the Mac (Office 2010?) will still support the PPC.

Hey, I'm still driving a 98 Mustang! Gets me around real well.

Regards.

 

For future OSX releases, Intel chips are very important.

Your machine and other PPCs still run their native software very well.

However, just like hardware issues, it cannot be expected that you machine will keep up with any new software. Run your machine until it no longer meets your requirements and then get a new one.

 

I would say given that Hardware updates revolve around Intel, they are probably pretty important.

 

There are still G3 and G4 products keeping their users happy, including those that find their cache of OS 9.x apps running happily under Tiger. G5 machines are great, have their quirks and faults, but will generally be all most users will need from there machines.

The day after SL was released . . . none of my computers seemed to work any less efficiently.

 

With any luck, old hardware will outlive the efficiency of its software. In other words, it will be software issues, most likely internet related, that will doom the hardware to the scrap heap. But, if the hardware dies, you'll get some of the new software when you replace it. So, as someone else said, just use it as long as it works for you.