Just how far can we go?

I have them all. LOL. I would probably use the 933mhz one though as it runs way cooler than the sonnet upgraded one and the dual 1ghz. I have an 867 too but the 933 is way faster than that one and runs just as cool.
 
BJonson said:
I have them all. LOL. I would probably use the 933mhz one though as it runs way cooler than the sonnet upgraded one and the dual 1ghz. I have an 867 too but the 933 is way faster than that one and runs just as cool.
Click to expand...

My only QuickSilver is a dual 800 MHz model :(
 
Altemose said:
If we switch to a mobile user agent we can get more years out of it. It would really tick me off if my PowerMacs got recycled into PCs.
Click to expand...

I tried the mobile site thing and it was only okay. Mobile sites often require lots of scrolling which can be a pain. It also rules out websites that choose to have a dedicated Android/iOS app rather than a mobile site.

In general it was better, but I had to use Google Docs for class, so it didn't work out too well. Google Docs is utterly unusable garbage on a PowerPC because it constantly refreshes the page and it's irritating on anything else.
 
556fmjoe said:
I tried the mobile site thing and it was only okay. Mobile sites often require lots of scrolling which can be a pain. It also rules out websites that choose to have a dedicated Android/iOS app rather than a mobile site.

In general it was better, but I had to use Google Docs for class, so it didn't work out too well. Google Docs is utterly unusable garbage on a PowerPC because it constantly refreshes the page and it's irritating on anything else.
Click to expand...

Google Docs is just not something for PPCs....
 
I don't care what the world thinks, I'm still using PPC for as long as possible into the next few years! I have some relatively low-powered PPCs and they do everything fine for me! If I have to maybe I'll find a nicer, faster PBG4 or a PMG4/G5, but I don't think PPCs will be completely dead for several years.
 
This thread has been an interesting read for me.

I came to PowerPCs "backwards" as my first Mac was a late 2011 model Macbook Pro that I bought in 2012. I'm still using that computer as my main computer, and in all honesty it's not going to be displaced in that role any time soon.

The PowerPC computers are more of a hobby for me, although my G5 still kicks butt with Photoshop CS4 and the entire computer with a copy of Photoshop already installed was about as expensive as buying a current version of Photoshop Elements. I've had a ton of fun upgrading(and am still working on upgrading) my G4.

I have specific tasks for which my PowerMacs are much better suited than my Macbook Pro, but for surfing the web, working in Excel and Word, and other day-to-day stuff the Macbook is simply a much faster and more useable choice.

I think that, at least for a while, PowerPC and Intel Macs are going to peacefully co-exist for me. I don't like the direction that the newer Macbooks are going, with the move toward no user-replaceable components, so will likely continue using my current laptop for as long as it is feasible.
 
eyoungren said:
1. Web browsing and JS. It's only going to get worse and more intense. That has already marginalized PowerPC and eventually it's going to push us out altogether. The concept of Classila using mobile sites is a good one, but if we drop to that in OS X then we have to start wondering just how it is we can get things done on the web.
Click to expand...

My objection here is all of this fancy stuff hasn't really improved the my web experience. In fact I would argue it has made it worse because web developers are more focused on the cool things they can do with second thoughts going to the content. Sort of like modern movies where the special effects seem to be the basis for the movie. The story line is more a second thought.
 
reco2011 said:
My objection here is all of this fancy stuff hasn't really improved the my web experience. In fact I would argue it has made it worse because web developers are more focused on the cool things they can do with second thoughts going to the content. Sort of like modern movies where the special effects seem to be the basis for the movie. The story line is more a second thought.
Click to expand...
I totally agree with you on this. The problem is that we are a minority. The majority is not driven by content and if they have to focus on content it has to be given to them in easily digestible chunks. No one is interested in in-depth content any more.

I find that sad.
 
gavinstubbs09 said:
I'll throw my feedback in.

I've used PowerPC Macs for 3 years now (when I finally could get ahold of my first Mac, look at my sig I only have one intel mac, and own 6 PPC macs) and this far in, my G5s rarely see any prime-time use. I want to do game recordings with a HDMI card, but I'm SOL until I can get a cheesegrater Mac Pro. Also rendering any form of HD on my 2.7GHz is a nightmare, and I just can't do it. Running new software like FCPX.1 and Logic Pro X, I'm also out of luck without an intel machine. Yeah I could use FCP7 and Logic Pro 9, but I would rather be on the side of newer and much more performance. I'm dying to get a Mac Pro again (had one, sold it, and I got screwed over in that deal and lost lots of money, saving to buy my truck at the time) and now that I have my truck, most of my money has been going into that for gas (thanks vortec 5.7l) and parts here/there. If I wasn't at the age I am at now (16) and didn't have other priorities and Macs were my only focus, I would have a Mac Pro at my desk but I'm stuck with a G5 for the meantime!

One other rant is I tried to get a Mac Server working (have done a setup for a Mac lab at school running MV server) and going back and trying to figure out how to do similar things in Tiger/Leopard Server is a nightmare (everything was changed in Lion Server) and I'd prefer to stick with what I know.
Click to expand...

IMO if you're going to use the types of applications you've outlined I would definitely recommend buying the fast Intel Mac you could afford. While I love the PPC systems when it comes to applications which require a capable system I would have to steer anyone away from PPC. PPC is fun for non computer power applications (such as web browsing, e-mail, word processing, light spreadsheet work, etc).
 
In our little PowerPC forum here on MacRumors we have many skilled PPC users. Goftrey (The Work-Around King), Intell (The iBook Of Knowledge), eyoungren (The Tinkerer), gavinstubbs09 (The PowerPC Geek), AQUADock (The UI Customizer), iMacC2D (The Repair Specialist), and SkyBell (The PPC lover), all make this community move forwards with everything ranging from making our Macs look like Mountain Lion (AQUADock) to knowing all specifications and part numbers (Intell). However we can't forget Cox Orange, Hrududu, tom vilsack, 666sheep, Jessica Lares, Nameci, AmestrisXServe, zen.state, BJonson, and many others! Together, we can develop a series of ways to keep propelling ourselves further.

Intell, eyoungren, and I wrote a guide on speeding up Leopard. It definitely makes a difference in making the UI silky smooth like a new Intell. There are tons of tips and tricks we all know that make the experience better. Maybe the days on the web are numbered, but we can easily extend that as best we can.

So lets take these next few years for the best and run our PowerMacs until they die. Let's buy parts until we no longer can find them and lets keep our machines in service as long as we can. If I can survive a week on an iBook G3, there should be no problems on a G4 or G5 for a few years to come!
 
Last edited:
I applaud you guys that actually use these power pc macs as your every day main machine. Takes some serious dedication.
My only PPC mac would probably be considered a powerhouse among iMac G4's since i do have it maxed out as far as I know, but for me it still doesn't cut it when I need to edit video or game.

If all my other computers were not available I could probably use my maxed out late 2002 iMac G4 as an every day machine. (1.25ghz 17", 2gb ram, new 7200 rpm 400gb hdd) I can actually browse the web without having to wait much, the only 2 websites it has serious troubles with are Facebook and Twitter. Most other websites are fairly "snappy." I have perfectly working AIM, YIM, and Skype clients on it as well. Youview works perfect for YouTube.

Eventually these machines will turn into the inevitable novelty computers. (Like browsing the web and using aim on my friend's old 68k color classic mac using ethernet)
How long that will be depends on if any software developers that pop up and decide to make new programs for these old machines. Thats pretty obvious though.
 
I want to add, I still have 1 more PPC mac I want to add to my tiny collection. I want a 466mhz iBook G3 Clamshell. I want one I can actually use for instant message clients (which should be fine) and light web browsing. Anything else it wont really be capable of doing without it being almost painfully slow.

To some of us, its more the novelty then anything. Im sure most of you, like me, grew up using computers. Using them before they got cheap and powerful, when you actually appreciated the things they did.

Nostalgia is a hell of a thing.
 
bunnspecial said:
I think that, at least for a while, PowerPC and Intel Macs are going to peacefully co-exist for me. I don't like the direction that the newer Macbooks are going, with the move toward no user-replaceable components, so will likely continue using my current laptop for as long as it is feasible.
Click to expand...

I'm in a similar boat as you are. I started my 'Mac life' with the first MacBook and have since moved up to an Early 2008 MacBook Pro. I use for almost everything and I'm still very happy with it.

Since 2006 I have acquired a few PowerPC Macs (a trio of Power Macs, one of each G). To me they represent pieces of Apple history and nice items to have in my little collection. If they can be useful, that's a bonus. From time to time they are. If I could get my hands on a 12" PowerBook I could imagine giving it a more integral role in my day-to-day routine (even though I've never owned one it occupies a special place in my heart).

Stories all of you have shared in this thread are heartwarming and sad at the same time – it's heartwarming how people care about these beautiful pieces of design and engineering, even when their sun sadly looks to slowly be setting.
 
Altemose said:
So lets take these next few years for the best and run our PowerMacs until they die. Let's buy parts until we no longer can find them and lets keep our machines in service as long as we can. If I can survive a week on an iBook G3, there should be no problems on a G4 or G5 for a few years to come!
Click to expand...
I'm not going anywhere yet. But my perspective has changed.

It's one thing to talk about the death of PowerPC as an abstract "one day" kind of thing when things still work and workarounds are fairly easy to accomplish. But when you can actually start to see the end in the far off distance you have to start taking change seriously – unless you intend to just stay in that era.

If TenFourFox 31 is what we can expect going forward with a dev dropping to feature parity then it's a clear sign that things are getting more difficult. We're being forced out. Sure it's slow, but it's going to happen. And we have long passed the halfway point in the time we have left.

Apple made a lot of PowerPC Macs and that's one reason we have all survived this long. Prices are seriously low, but they are already on the climb because the sellers are starting to get wise. They realize their market. Now, I'm not talking about the ridiculous sellers that want hundreds, but the real sellers that know that scarcety is starting to set in.

I paid $40 for an iBook G4 on eBay. Two years ago I paid the same price for a PowerBook G4. And that was the lowest I could find. Yes, there are other options, many of them cheaper. But the point there is that now we have to actually look for the deals, whereas before it was a buyers market.

We can survive and continue, we've done it. I've done it since 2001. I've never owned anything but PowerPC Macs. But I think "years" is a bit optimistic. At most I see maybe three years before it's a matter of just maintaining things. Apps, hardware, etc. Beyond that I don't think even the G5 quads are going to keep up with change.
 
BJonson said:
Thinking I might just turn these quicksilvers into file servers. Cheaper than a NAS device.
Click to expand...

The PowerBook in my sig sees full time duty as an SFTP serverfor backing up files in addition to being my main machine 70-80% of the time. They can handle tasks like that easily and should be a good choice.
 
Altemose, you've left out some of the older or less frequent members of the PowerPC sub-forum. You've got Cox Orange, Hrududu, tom vilsack, 666sheep, Jessica Lares, Nameci, AmestrisXServe, and zen.state. Not all are as active or still around, but they have their niches of knowledge that helps to fill in the PowerPC puzzle. I know I'm missing some people, I apologize about that. I can't remember everyone. I'm only a Muppet.
 
Intell said:
Altemose, you've left out some of the older or less frequent members of the PowerPC sub-forum. You've got Cox Orange, Hrududu, tom vilsack, 666sheep, Jessica Lares, Nameci, AmestrisXServe, and zen.state. Not all are as active or still around, but they have their niches of knowledge that helps to fill in the PowerPC puzzle.
Click to expand...

I was mainly naming the top posting members, but they definitely bring forth a lot to the table...
 
LOL I didn't even know what PPC was two years ago..... they've changed the way I think about computers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Back
Top