iMac vs. PowerMac

[vouder17]

I need help , i own at the moment the 233mhz iMac , it is really old and i am thinking of an upgrade , but i don't know what to choose; should i spend more but get expandibilty with the PowerMac, or spend less and get a perfect computer but most probably not last as long as the PowerMac and go for the iMac.
I am not a person that needs a superfast computer , but it is just that with this iMac i have now , i have no more space on it to even upgrade to OS X, and i am afraid that if buy the iMac that in 5 years or so i will have the same problem that i have now or perhaps another problem such as slow processor etc. . If i were to buy the PowerMac then it would most probably last ALOT longer.

Oh another question will the PPC 970 cost more than the current G4?

 

[King Cobra]

I would consider ALL the factors of BOTH the iMac G4 and the Powermac, not just expansion, to determine which computer you would like to upgrade to.

If you want something affordable, convienent and doesn't take up a lot of desk space, go for the iMac.

If you need something as fast as possible and require the expansion ability, then get the PowerMac.


As for the PPC970 prices, it's hard to determine. I'm not too sure about that one.


EDIT: vouder17, one thread is enough.

 

[janey]

shouldn't this be in mac questions/tips or something?
anyway, i think you should get the power mac after they come with the PPC 970. I doubt that the 970 will cost more than the G4, but you never know.

 

[Sun Baked]

The PowerMac allows you to use more memory, more bare hard drives, and also use more video cards (or you can upgrade the AGP card).

Might not seem like a big deal, but the max memory you can put in the computer can be a big deal later on, as can the ability to buy more HDs without having to spend money on a USB and/or firewire case.

Plus OS X does offload some of the user interface to the graphics cards, and it would be nice later to upgrade the video card to keep pace.

 

[MacFan25]

I think that if you do buy a PowerMac, then you should wait until they put 970s in them. I doubt that they would cost that much more than G4s.

 

[DakotaGuy]

It depends on how much you want to spend. Remember the iMac has a nice 17" FP display included with the package, you will need to fork over a lot of $$$ for a monitor to go with the PowerMac. I am an iMac/eMac kinda guy, I love all-in-one solutions, of course once you are stuck in the all-in-one cycle, it is hard to get out of without forking over a lot of money. I don't think today's iMac will get outdated as fast as your old one did, but the way technology is moving who knows?

 

[anneleonard]

I love my iMac. Its just perfect for me- stunning looks, all-in-one, widescreen so perfect for dvd watching. I wouldn't like to go back to having a separate monitor and big base unit under the table again. i think its going to last me a good long while, as its always going to be a good computer even if its just for watching dvds on, or surfing through the web as a second computer elsewhere in the house, etc. especially with the superdrive option, you can burn loads of stuff to dvds to free up space if you ever run out of the 80Gb harddrive (i am nowhere near!).

 

[eyelikeart]

I was faced with this same dilemma a few months ago, and I opted for the 17" iMac over the PowerMac. My reasoning was based on cost & extent/time of use for the computer.

I priced out a 1GHz PowerMac with a 17" display, and it came out to about $500 more than the cost of a similarly equipped 17" iMac. I considered, I'm not going to use the hell out of it & would likely replace it within a year or so. I also decided I didn't need to spend that much money right now if I'm planning on replacing the computer indefinitely anyway.

My advice to u, consider your reasons and rationalize what u need rather than what u want.

 

[andrewlandry]

if you don't need a superfast computer, you might want to go with the iMac. they are really cool and will probably be plenty fast for what you need. and if you've been getting by on an old iMac with only a few gigs of hard drive, then you'll probably be fine with the HD on a new iMac for a long time. if you get really into mp3s or video editing, you can always add a firewire HD. i think the new iMacs will last for quite a while for average users.

 

[sedarby]

Re: iMac vs. PowerMac

Originally posted by vouder17
I need help , i own at the moment the 233mhz iMac , it is really old and i am thinking of an upgrade , but i don't know what to choose; should i spend more but get expandibilty with the PowerMac, or spend less and get a perfect computer but most probably not last as long as the PowerMac and go for the iMac.
I am not a person that needs a superfast computer , but it is just that with this iMac i have now , i have no more space on it to even upgrade to OS X, and i am afraid that if buy the iMac that in 5 years or so i will have the same problem that i have now or perhaps another problem such as slow processor etc. . If i were to buy the PowerMac then it would most probably last ALOT longer.

Oh another question will the PPC 970 cost more than the current G4?

I am in the same position with a Rev A iMac. To fend off the temptationi to buy a new computer I replaced the hard drive with a 7200 rpm 40 GB and upgraded the memory to 384 MB. It runs Jaguar quite well. I will be waiting until January to upgrade since I only do web surfing and web development.

You need to evaluate how you like to work. Personally, I don't like being confined to one room all the time. Even now I move my iMac on a regular basis depending on my mood. So my next computer will be a new iMac or whatever all in one is next (NOT the eMac!).


Good Luck