I am buying a new computer sence my G4 Power pc died .... I work with video and need good performance, however I dont have a lot of money and this is all I can afort, I figured Mini mac with I gig or ram, and super drive with apple care for under 1000, sounds good, but I dont now if the ibook is a beter option, I need help deciding
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mini mac or ibook
- Thread starter psyseed
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well, if you work with video, I'd probably go for the mini with a bigger display. The resolution on the ibook isn't going to be so great for video...
do you NEED portability? that would be the only advantage of the iBook, otherwise go for the mini, it will have more power for the money.
I would go for the 14" iBook, because it supports Core Image. This takes graphics processing load off of the main CPU, so it is faster when working with graphics. I would know, because I have both! 
Some Macs are better than others in terms of speed--Core Image included--but just to be clear: contrary to popular misunderstanding, ALL Macs support Core Image.
Core Image will leverage whatever hardware resources you have available: if you have AltiVec (G4/G5), it will use it. If you have multiple CPUs, it will use them. If you have a programmable GPU that will do the job better than the CPU, it will use that.
A higher-end GPU is good to have, but you do not NEED one to use Core Image. Core Image is an ingenious software technique that reduces multiple image-processing steps down to one step, and anyone can benefit from that, whether using the CPU or GPU.
Details here: http://arstechnica.com/reviews/os/macosx-10.4.ars/15
Core Image will leverage whatever hardware resources you have available: if you have AltiVec (G4/G5), it will use it. If you have multiple CPUs, it will use them. If you have a programmable GPU that will do the job better than the CPU, it will use that.
A higher-end GPU is good to have, but you do not NEED one to use Core Image. Core Image is an ingenious software technique that reduces multiple image-processing steps down to one step, and anyone can benefit from that, whether using the CPU or GPU.
Details here: http://arstechnica.com/reviews/os/macosx-10.4.ars/15
Consider an Apple-certified refurb too (click Save at bottom-right of store.apple.com). G5 power would serve you well.
You can get an iMac G5 for $999, or a PowerMac G5 for $1299. (Both have a single 1.8 G5, and you'd want to boost the RAM later when you could afford to.)
I know you don't need a screen, but if $999 is the cheapest G5 you can get, it's worth considering. It's a 1440x900 screen, not bad.
Also, new G5 towers are rumored for Apple Expo in September--and that could mean discounts on the outgoing models.
And remember that you don't have to decide to buy AppleCare until just before your year warranty runs out. If it's AppleCare or RAM, I'd go for RAM. You can always buy AppleCare later.
You can get an iMac G5 for $999, or a PowerMac G5 for $1299. (Both have a single 1.8 G5, and you'd want to boost the RAM later when you could afford to.)
I know you don't need a screen, but if $999 is the cheapest G5 you can get, it's worth considering. It's a 1440x900 screen, not bad.
Also, new G5 towers are rumored for Apple Expo in September--and that could mean discounts on the outgoing models.
And remember that you don't have to decide to buy AppleCare until just before your year warranty runs out. If it's AppleCare or RAM, I'd go for RAM. You can always buy AppleCare later.
nagromme said:
This just isn't true. Core Image relieves the CPU of graphics task and load's them on the GPU. Core Image will not work if the graphics card used isn't supported by Core Image. Core Image can then not take advantage of the GPU and will then not work at all.
This is why the development test of Core Image which is included with XCode 2.2 will not work on the Mac Mini as the graphics card is not supported. The new iBook is supported by Core Image the Mac Mini is not.
apple.com said:
This also applies to Core Video as Core Video is just an extension of the Core Image libary.
Take not that when using application's like Photoshop this will not effect use as Photoshop does not even try to take advantage of Core Image. Apple has the development app which uses Core Image, as well a QuickTime can take advantage of Core Video the extension of Core Image to take the load of off the CPU. If Core Image is not availble QuickTime will not try to use it.
Core Image does not have the availbilty of dropping the task's it want's do on the CPU if the graphics card is not supported. It is the developer's task to make their application check if Core Image is availble and let the application decied from there if it will take advantage of Core Image.
An application developed only to take advantage of Core Image and has not extension to work with out it, will not work on a Mac Mini because the graphics card is not supported.
You're wrong--read the detailed explanation I linked to at Ars Technica (and Apple's own info agrees)--but I think I know why people think Core Image "will not run at all" if you don't have a high enough GPU: an individual app can check to see if certain hardware is available, and refuse to run if not. Presumably, Apple's dev test that you mention does this.depill said:
In other words, Core Image CAN run without a special GPU. But a given APP has the option to enforce stricter requirements beyond what Core Image itself requires. An individual Core Image application CAN require Core Image to have a programmable GPU, just like an app can demand a G5 or a certain number of GHz.
So the dev test you mention must NOT be a test of Core Image in general, but rather a more specific test of running Core Image on a programmable GPU. Which is just one way (the fastest) to run Core Image.
So as I said, "A higher-end GPU is good to have, but you do not NEED one to use Core Image."
That doesn't mean nobody needs a higher GPU--many people do--I'm just setting the record straight that Core Image itself does not need it.
According to Ars, CoreImage DOES have that ability--and Ars explains in detail WHY CoreImage is useful even without a high-end GPU. And Apple's info on the Tiger pages clearly agrees:
"For computers without a programmable GPU, Core Image dynamically optimizes for the CPU, automatically tuning for Velocity Engine and multiple processors as appropriate."
From http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/coreimage/
Some people may say portability is overrated, but I disagree. I love being able to take my 14" iBook out into the dining room or couch or hell just about anywhere and be able to watch movies or type while I'm sitting with my family. It beats sitting alone in your room being holed up using the computer all the time, right?
Couldn't agree more. I'd LOVE to have a dual G5 and top-end GPU powering my games and apps--and someday I will probably add a desktop Mac--but if I can only have ONE Mac, it has to be a portable. I seldom NEED portability, but I was instantly hooked on having it. Any room, any friend's house, in my car, wherever. Now THAT's functionality--which trumps raw speed for me any day.MUCKYFINGERS said:
But for this poster's needs, speed may be the top consideration.
Isn't Quartz Extreme the one that offloads CPU useage to the GPU? But you're saying that's what Core Image does...
QCassidy352 said:Isn't Quartz Extreme the one that offloads CPU useage to the GPU? But you're saying that's what Core Image does...
They both can
For different purposes. Short version: Quartz (in its various flavors) handles rendering of on-screen elements and is used all the time. Core Image is for specific image-processing tasks (like applying filters).Don't know what you've decided from the above posts, but here's my $0.02...
I just bought a Mac mini last month with a gig of RAM, and I'm in love. I also bought a 20" ACD, which as absolutely amazing! All told, it was about $1750, at an Apple retail store (w/ Edu discount).
You won't go wrong with the mini, and the display can't be beat.
I just bought a Mac mini last month with a gig of RAM, and I'm in love. I also bought a 20" ACD, which as absolutely amazing! All told, it was about $1750, at an Apple retail store (w/ Edu discount).
You won't go wrong with the mini, and the display can't be beat.