iMac vs. SP Powermac

[rugonnaeatthat]

dual core powerbook?

does anyone think it would be worth waiting for a dual core powerbook over the G5?

Also I too am thinking of buying an iMac and I'm a graphic designer by trade - I think this will be powerful enough to do my design work. Thing is my opinion is shaped by $$$ in Australia to get a dual 1.8 plus 20in it costs about $7000 as opposed to the imac at $4000 I know I'd get an extremely faster computer but $3000 more is rich by anyone's standards.

Aussie prices are skewed, I worked out I could fly to New York and back with spending money and pick up a powermac rather than going to a local store!

 

[Redboy]

I also settled on a SP1.8, to go along with my current monitor and another I'm buying from a friend. I really had a hard cap on what I could spend, and I just couldn't get up to the refurbed DP 1.8 (I could utilize an education discount). Plus, the refurbed units won't let you upgrade the crappy GPU for $50.

I'm just hoping that the upgrade companies can figure out a way for me to upgrade this one to a DP in 2 years or so. That would be nice.

I wanted the expandability, plus the optical audio was a real plus. The iMac was tempting, but I saw my smurf outlast that generation for iMacs for years. Gargamel finally got it though, and now it's dust. I think this will be a nice replacement.

 

[Sun Baked]

I'm just hoping that the upgrade companies can figure out a way for me to upgrade this one to a DP in 2 years or so. That would be nice.

Never happen the G5 CPU are on independent FSBs, not a shared bus like the G4.

So the machine needs to have 2 FSBs, and this machine has a soldered CPU and a memory controller with a single FSB.

So no joy.

The rev A SP machines would have made that a real PIA to upgrade to duals, and they had a 2nd unpopulated CPU pad -- and many thought it was easier to updgrade to a dual by selling the machine and buying a dual, because it would be less expensive than paying somebody to do the upgrade with Apple's repair stock.

 

[Redboy]

I guess I can deal with that.

It's going to be a lot faster than that 350 G3 I've been plugging away with for the last 5/6 years.

 

[nina]

Is the CPU soldered into the new Power Mac for sure? I've seen the Hardmac article, but I'm hoping it's not true...

I guess these things are shipping now, right? Hopefully we'll get confirmation of the CPU being soldered (or not) and benchmarks soon.

I am VERY tempted to spring for my first PowerMac, though - I'm a student in Canada, and I couldn't justify the $2499 price tag of a dual 1.8. But $1899 for a single 1.8 is just right....