Is my Quicksilver still relevant?

[9Charms]

The question has been driving me nuts for the last couple of weeks. I use my Quicksilver (see sig) primarily for 2 things:

1. Home PVR via Elgato EyeTV 2/Eye Home, conversion to DVD via Toast 7
2. Photoshop CS2 in my spare time (touching up/colour correcting Camera RAW files)

I don't play many games. Elgato's software is now a universal binary, so that's not a problem. I don't believe Toast is UB yet (hopefully soon), and I know that Photoshop isn't, and won't be for quite some time.

Considering that, would an Intel Mini be a suitable replacement? I'm thinking that if I sell my QS now, I could possibly get about $800 CAD for it, which means only a few hundred bucks more for the Mini.

My main hesitation is Photoshop performance. From other forum threads and my local dealer, performance is equal to a 1 GHz G4 under Rosetta. I tried PS on my Albook (see sig) and it was quite slow, but tolerable, I couldn't imagine what it would be like if it was even slower. One alternative is to boot into Windows and run PS there... but it's Windows... I hate Windows...

Big thing for me: I don't want to buy Rev A hardware if I can help it. I did that with the G3 Beige Tower and will do whatever I can to not repeat that mistake. But these Minis don't seem that bad...

If I wait for Adobe, then it will be at least a year, and by that time my QS will be worth $300 (if I'm lucky).

So should I suffer for a year with new hardware that will only get faster as apps become UB? Or run my current system knowing that it won't have any resale value this time next year as less and less apps are written for PPC? Is my Quicksilver still relevant?

 

[zap2]

keep the PM.. wait for photoshop to go UB, then get a PowerMac intel if you have the funds

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I'm not planning on trying to sell my Digital Audio G4 tower for profit, I've already thrown so much money at it it would be hard to come close to breaking even.

If I were you I'd start saving for a new Mac but soldier on with the QS for the time being - wait till the next rev shows up or there is a price drop.

 

[joepunk]

Just repeating what the others have said. Keep the QS and continue on until Adobe goes UB then imo wait until after any bugs have been fixed before spending a lot of money for new equipment and software.

 

[beatle888]

do you really need to upgrade? it doesn't sound like it. do you want to upgrade? sounds like it.

if you want to save money get yourself a nice scratch disk raid setup. that will speed up photoshop and you can use it with a new system once the pro towers come out. i dont think you'll be able to use your existing ram with the new pro systems but i know for sure that you'll be able to use a raid scratch disk on the newer systems as well as your current.

 

[matticus008]

My main hesitation is Photoshop performance. From other forum threads and my local dealer, performance is equal to a 1 GHz G4 under Rosetta. I tried PS on my Albook (see sig) and it was quite slow, but tolerable, I couldn't imagine what it would be like if it was even slower. One alternative is to boot into Windows and run PS there... but it's Windows... I hate Windows...

I had a dual 1.25 G4, and I've always felt that Photoshop was more responsive on my PowerBook (though the Dual G4 used PS7.0 and not CS2 like my PB), so I'd think that Photoshop would be roughly comparable to your existing setup. You may want to head over to an Apple store and try it out for a while. Keep in mind that if you do decide to switch, you'll have to buy Photoshop again for Windows if you go that route.

The other advice given here is good, but if you are planning on selling and not keeping your G4, this year is probably the best time to unload it. The thing with your G4 isn't that PowerPC software is going by the wayside, it's that yours is going to become too slow to run most new PPC software that'll continue coming out over the next few years.

 

[zap2]

I've already thrown so much money at it it would be hard to come close to breaking even.

.

Normally you use money when selling your computer, i don't think people ever break even when selling a used Computer

 

[disconap]

I concur with just about everyone here. If it does what you need it to, keep it until it doesn't. In the meantime, save some extra money and you'll eventually be able to buy a newer machine that is decked out like mad, which will then let you wait another very long time before replacing (whereas the mini probably wouldn't be as long-lasting IMO)...

 

[vniow]

Of course its still relevant, its probably the sexiest tower Apple ever produced.