My PowerPC Plan: What happens when Intel comes into the picture again?

[tevion5]

Agreed. You can access the App Store on iOS 3. I agree with you on MobileMe. Why would you stay on 10.3, 10.4 is much more optimized and almost the same from a UI perspective. Agreed.

I believe Tiger is a bit more performance intensive than Panther, while Panther has almost no difference between itself and its predecessor. Leopard of course is the big jump, but 10.4 is a big improvement over 10.3, but at a cost. That said, anything that can run 10.3 comfortabley should have no problem with the much better 10.4.

10.5 is the best of course, but a much improved graphics card is naturally required for comfortable operation.

 

[128keaton]

I believe Tiger is a bit more performance intensive than Panther, while Panther has almost no difference between itself and its predecessor. Leopard of course is the big jump, but 10.4 is a big improvement over 10.3, but at a cost. That said, anything that can run 10.3 comfortabley should have no problem with the much better 10.4.

10.5 is the best of course, but a much improved graphics card is naturally required for comfortable operation.

Agreed. Leopard is/was a performance hog. My iBook HATES is and I wouldn't dare run it on my TiBook (500 MHZ lol).

 

[Cory5412]

My apologies for hopping in on this thread so late. I read this thread a few weeks ago and wanted to make a post, but haven't had an opportunity for a while.

I've been into old Macs in some form or another since the late 1990s when a 68k-based Performa was my main computer.

What I've learned in that time is that it usually makes relatively little sense to view using a particular type of microprocessor as a sort of moral issue, as though there's something wrong with you or you're betraying the cause by using an Intel based computer.

Realistically, there's no difference between a G4 or G5 based system and an Intel-based one, unless you count the fact that early Intel-based systems almost universally outperformed PowerPC ones. Most PowerPC systems, especially the G5s, are horrifically compromised designs, because Apple felt like exerting more control than was specifically necessary, and as such, the chipset on all of the iMac and Power Macintosh G5 systems is terribly broken.

Anyway -- in my experience, it's best to use what works best for you. If this post: https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/20553347/ is anything to go by, that's probably not PowerPC Macs at this point.

It's often said that computers can do anything they can do the day they were new. THe thing that gets left out is that the methods for doing those tasks might change (movement from Office v.X to Google Docs isn't kind to a Mac built in 2003, for example) and that this "anything" includes unfixed security vulnerabilities in Mac OS X.

It's neat to see a lot of people using PowerPC systems, but it's realy interesting to see them be being used instead of systems that (being of the same physical design, from the same vendor, running the same software) are faster but somehow have less character and soul.


As a side-note about PowerPC as an ideological position: I have a Microsoft Surface RT, which I both like for its form factor, battery life, and software, and also think it's neat to use Windows on something other than Intel. That's not going to stop me from tossing it in a desk drawer the moment that it either stops meeting my needs or stops getting security patches. Even though I like the platform and want to support Windows' ability to run on more than one CPU architecture, it's just not worth compromising my own productivity for a cause.

 

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

My apologies for hopping in on this thread so late. I read this thread a few weeks ago and wanted to make a post, but haven't had an opportunity for a while.

I've been into old Macs in some form or another since the late 1990s when a 68k-based Performa was my main computer.

What I've learned in that time is that it usually makes relatively little sense to view using a particular type of microprocessor as a sort of moral issue, as though there's something wrong with you or you're betraying the cause by using an Intel based computer.

Realistically, there's no difference between a G4 or G5 based system and an Intel-based one, unless you count the fact that early Intel-based systems almost universally outperformed PowerPC ones. Most PowerPC systems, especially the G5s, are horrifically compromised designs, because Apple felt like exerting more control than was specifically necessary, and as such, the chipset on all of the iMac and Power Macintosh G5 systems is terribly broken.

Anyway -- in my experience, it's best to use what works best for you. If this post: https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/20553347/ is anything to go by, that's probably not PowerPC Macs at this point.

It's often said that computers can do anything they can do the day they were new. THe thing that gets left out is that the methods for doing those tasks might change (movement from Office v.X to Google Docs isn't kind to a Mac built in 2003, for example) and that this "anything" includes unfixed security vulnerabilities in Mac OS X.

It's neat to see a lot of people using PowerPC systems, but it's realy interesting to see them be being used instead of systems that (being of the same physical design, from the same vendor, running the same software) are faster but somehow have less character and soul.


As a side-note about PowerPC as an ideological position: I have a Microsoft Surface RT, which I both like for its form factor, battery life, and software, and also think it's neat to use Windows on something other than Intel. That's not going to stop me from tossing it in a desk drawer the moment that it either stops meeting my needs or stops getting security patches. Even though I like the platform and want to support Windows' ability to run on more than one CPU architecture, it's just not worth compromising my own productivity for a cause.

Oh, don't get me wrong; many of us here are not into these Macs because of their processors. Sure, PowerPC processors (and this is a counter-claim) were better than Intel's old Pentiums and such, but we are not judging the computers based on their chips. There is so much more to a PowerPC Mac---no---rather, a Mac which contains a PowerPC processor, than that. I am not limiting myself with my choices; I think Apple's current Macs are very nice, but their older Macs were some of the best ever created. Although there are great Macs today, Apple has lost that 'charm' in the sense of PPC Macs. Although knowing that a PowerPC processor is inside is a cool thing, I wouldn't think different about my PowerPC Macs if they had been Intel instead (other than the fact that they wouldn't all be as powerful).

I became a Mac user in 2004, with a brand-new iMac G5. I didn't ditch Intel and go limit myself to PowerPC---I was on PowerPC to begin with. I still like to use my computer from before I got my first Intel Mac.

 

[GraniteTheWolf]

This thread is pretty intriguing, but I feel those who mention "Use what works for you to be most productive" have the right idea.

I used to have my upgraded 1.25ghz iMac G4 sitting next to my mac pro:

For a while it worked great for what I had wanted- which was a 2nd computer to the side that I could use when my mac pro was busy rendering or whatever. Something I could browse the web, chat, and watch videos on. It could barely do youtube with Mactubes, but it was watchable.
Time passed on, some of the websites I wanted to go on changed and got very slow to browse, and I started to notice the true age of the machine doing basic web browsing.

For around $250 I streamlined my iMac setup next to my mac pro. I upgraded to a early 2009 20" 2.66ghz Core2Duo model with 1066mhz ddr3 ram and the decent Nvidia 9400 GPU. Even got a bluetooth keyboard and bluetooth trackpad to reduce any unnecessary wires.
This newer iMac runs crazy circles around my old g4 iMac. So much so that I have been using it as my primary computer for everyday tasks to save a bit on the electricity bill. I think my 2012 mac pro & dual display setup uses 3 to 4 times the power of this iMac. Apple rates this iMac to use 60.7 watts of electricity at idle! Pretty low power.

Sure, it doesn't have the same beauty and charm of the old G4 I have, but its still a very pretty computer that more then serves what I originally wanted my G4 to do. Its also totally secure and able to run Yosemite if I wanted (Currently has Mavericks on it)

My PPC machines dont get much use any more, beyond my iBook 466. I have fun pulling that out and playing on it because its easy and small. My iMac G4 sits packed away carefully in a tote surrounded by foam and wrapped in bubble wrap.
You have to use what works best for you. For now my old iMac will stay in storage, I cant part with her as ive stuck way more into it then its worth (400gb 7200rpm hdd, 2gb ram, new ide dvd burner...) Plus I love the design too much.

I recently dug out my G4 iMac and wiped it from Leopard, installed Tiger on it instead. That alone brought a VERY noticeable speed boost to the old girl. Sure, it can run leopard, but leopard really slows it down a lot.

 

[Gamer9430]

Oh, don't get me wrong; many of us here are not into these Macs because of their processors. Sure, PowerPC processors (and this is a counter-claim) were better than Intel's old Pentiums and such, but we are not judging the computers based on their chips. There is so much more to a PowerPC Mac---no---rather, a Mac which contains a PowerPC processor, than that. I am not limiting myself with my choices; I think Apple's current Macs are very nice, but their older Macs were some of the best ever created. Although there are great Macs today, Apple has lost that 'charm' in the sense of PPC Macs. Although knowing that a PowerPC processor is inside is a cool thing, I wouldn't think different about my PowerPC Macs if they had been Intel instead (other than the fact that they wouldn't all be as powerful).

I became a Mac user in 2004, with a brand-new iMac G5. I didn't ditch Intel and go limit myself to PowerPC---I was on PowerPC to begin with. I still like to use my computer from before I got my first Intel Mac.

I agree... Apple will never make another Bondi blue colored product, an iMac with the design of the G4, or another TiBook. Apple has lost it charm with keeping the same designs year after year. Sure they work, but there is no creativity. As more and more companies are taking key design details from MBs, that sense of differentness continues to drop. I have a lot of fun bringing my iBook into school because no one know what it is. It's different. All of today's macs have the same aluminum casing with a black glass screen. Sure back in the days of the iMac G3 and original iBook they were both multicolored, but everyone else's computers were beige. That showed how apple wanted to stand out. PPC macs had the special charm of being unique and different from other computers on the market. If you go even further back, the old 6xxx, 7xxx, and 8xxx PowerMacs, while being beige, had the most unique designs to their cases, whether it be the PizzaBox or something else, they were different then the standard beige rectangle that Windows users were used to.

I know I'm ranting on about nothing and no one important will care and do something, but this is the reason everyone here collects and still uses PPC macs. I'm relatively new to PPC macs and this group, but at times I find myself using my older PPC macs over my new computers, just because of the way they look and feel to use.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way, but this is my two cents on the thread.

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Oh and one more thing, notice how old windows computers are "crap" and old macs are cool, as someone said to me in school yesterday.

 

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

I agree... Apple will never make another Bondi blue colored product, an iMac with the design of the G4, or another TiBook. Apple has lost it charm with keeping the same designs year after year. Sure they work, but there is no creativity. As more and more companies are taking key design details from MBs, that sense of differentness continues to drop. I have a lot of fun bringing my iBook into school because no one know what it is. It's different. All of today's macs have the same aluminum casing with a black glass screen. Sure back in the days of the iMac G3 and original iBook they were both multicolored, but everyone else's computers were beige. That showed how apple wanted to stand out. PPC macs had the special charm of being unique and different from other computers on the market. If you go even further back, the old 6xxx, 7xxx, and 8xxx PowerMacs, while being beige, had the most unique designs to their cases, whether it be the PizzaBox or something else, they were different then the standard beige rectangle that Windows users were used to.

I know I'm ranting on about nothing and no one important will care and do something, but this is the reason everyone here collects and still uses PPC macs. I'm relatively new to PPC macs and this group, but at times I find myself using my older PPC macs over my new computers, just because of the way they look and feel to use.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way, but this is my two cents on the thread.

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Oh and one more thing, notice how old windows computers are "crap" and old macs are cool, as someone said to me in school yesterday.

Oh yeah, many people here feel that way. I went Intel in 2012 but continued using PowerPC on the side. I fell back further into PowerPC through my collecting and joining of this community. Apple is way more mainstream now because of the iPhone and such, and their computers, while they are the sleekest out there, DO lack the creativity they used to have; they stand out less and less. I feel more comfortable using an older computer, and I do also prefer older-style keyboards over the current scissor-switch ones they use for DESKTOP computers... I am starting to not like Apple's rash decisions today, but I do think their new computers are pretty cool. I probably would not have gotten into PowerPC, had I not used it when it was current, and had I not collected all these PowerPC Macs. The main thing, though, is that my first Mac was a brand new PowerPC Mac, in 2004, so I had the feel for them already. I mainly went back to using my PowerPC Mac (which was my actual computer--not a collection piece) because I like desktops and despise laptops in some ways. Liking to use my PPC Mac again/collecting other ones got me back into the feel of these computers. As some may think, we are not drawn to them simply because they contain an IBM processor. In fact, other than the novelty of having one in there, and that they were once better than Intel processors, I don't care too much about the processor itself.

The sad truth is that flashy, fun-looking computers wouldn't work today. Think about music; my favorite band is Led Zeppelin, and IMO, the 1970s were the greatest era of music ever... but as amazing as LZ is, it wouldn't fit in our current society as mainstream, pop music. There was a time for radical-looking Macs, but by now, that era of computer design---the breaking-away from uniform, beige boxes---is over. Things seem to actually be repeating, and although we have great, sleek designs today, none of them have that 'wow factor' that older Macs did. They don't look fun, they look cool. Both are good, but they have their differences.

 

[redheeler]

Oh yeah, many people here feel that way. I went Intel in 2012 but continued using PowerPC on the side. I fell back further into PowerPC through my collecting and joining of this community. Apple is way more mainstream now because of the iPhone and such, and their computers, while they are the sleekest out there, DO lack the creativity they used to have; they stand out less and less. I feel more comfortable using an older computer, and I do also prefer older-style keyboards over the current scissor-switch ones they use for DESKTOP computers... I am starting to not like Apple's rash decisions today, but I do think their new computers are pretty cool. I probably would not have gotten into PowerPC, had I not used it when it was current, and had I not collected all these PowerPC Macs. The main thing, though, is that my first Mac was a brand new PowerPC Mac, in 2004, so I had the feel for them already. I mainly went back to using my PowerPC Mac (which was my actual computer--not a collection piece) because I like desktops and despise laptops in some ways. Liking to use my PPC Mac again/collecting other ones got me back into the feel of these computers. As some may think, we are not drawn to them simply because they contain an IBM processor. In fact, other than the novelty of having one in there, and that they were once better than Intel processors, I don't care too much about the processor itself.

The sad truth is that flashy, fun-looking computers wouldn't work today. Think about music; my favorite band is Led Zeppelin, and IMO, the 1970s were the greatest era of music ever... but as amazing as LZ is, it wouldn't fit in our current society as mainstream, pop music. There was a time for radical-looking Macs, but by now, that era of computer design---the breaking-away from uniform, beige boxes---is over. Things seem to actually be repeating, and although we have great, sleek designs today, none of them have that 'wow factor' that older Macs did. They don't look fun, they look cool. Both are good, but they have their differences.

I started collecting PowerPC well after I got my first Intel Mac, and you're right about one of the things I find most unique about them, the design. They do border on works of art, and I tend to display them as such.

I still like Apple's designs today, very sleek and minimalistic with the unibody aluminum appearance and still plenty of wow factor. In fact if I had the money I would get some modern Macs just to display in my collection as well

BTW, '80s music is so much better compared to '70s

 

[Gamer9430]

I started collecting PowerPC well after I got my first Intel Mac, and you're right about one of the things I find most unique about them, the design. They do border on works of art, and I tend to display them as such.

I still like Apple's designs today, very sleek and minimalistic with the unibody aluminum appearance and still plenty of wow factor. In fact if I had the money I would get some modern Macs just to display in my collection as well

BTW, '80s music is so much better compared to '70s

I'm with you, I had my MacBook Pro for 3 years until I started collecting PPC macs this year. They just have such a design that was so unique to the turn of the century and the dawn of a new age of computing. This point in computing time, everything is starting to look the same again. Windows computers are now in black boxes instead of beige ones, CRTs have been fully replaced by LCD, LED, and 4k monitors. Laptops are shrinking and looking more and more like macs as time goes on. I feel like this is another turing point or will be eventually when there is a rebirth of computer's designs. I really hope apple is the one who pioneeres it again.

BTW I agree that '80s is much better... '80s and First Wave FTW!

 

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

I started collecting PowerPC well after I got my first Intel Mac, and you're right about one of the things I find most unique about them, the design. They do border on works of art, and I tend to display them as such.

I still like Apple's designs today, very sleek and minimalistic with the unibody aluminum appearance and still plenty of wow factor. In fact if I had the money I would get some modern Macs just to display in my collection as well

BTW, '80s music is so much better compared to '70s

Yeah, their designs are still great, but obviously the PPC designs and today's designs aren't too comparable, other than the fact that current models (obviously) resemble past models.

Well, in terms of ROCK, the late 60s through mid 70s were the best. I'm not talking disco or something like that. xD

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I'm with you, I had my MacBook Pro for 3 years until I started collecting PPC macs this year. They just have such a design that was so unique to the turn of the century and the dawn of a new age of computing. This point in computing time, everything is starting to look the same again. Windows computers are now in black boxes instead of beige ones, CRTs have been fully replaced by LCD, LED, and 4k monitors. Laptops are shrinking and looking more and more like macs as time goes on. I feel like this is another turing point or will be eventually when there is a rebirth of computer's designs. I really hope apple is the one who pioneeres it again.

BTW I agree that '80s is much better... '80s and First Wave FTW!

Yeah, hopefully Apple will lead another breakthrough in design!

When it comes to rock & roll, nothing beats the late 60s through mid 70s. Rock in the 80s was generally garbage; the way I see it, the 80s has very select, specifically good songs. You have to sift through tons of trash to find them!

 

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

This thread is pretty intriguing, but I feel those who mention "Use what works for you to be most productive" have the right idea.

I used to have my upgraded 1.25ghz iMac G4 sitting next to my mac pro:
Image

For a while it worked great for what I had wanted- which was a 2nd computer to the side that I could use when my mac pro was busy rendering or whatever. Something I could browse the web, chat, and watch videos on. It could barely do youtube with Mactubes, but it was watchable.
Time passed on, some of the websites I wanted to go on changed and got very slow to browse, and I started to notice the true age of the machine doing basic web browsing.

For around $250 I streamlined my iMac setup next to my mac pro. I upgraded to a early 2009 20" 2.66ghz Core2Duo model with 1066mhz ddr3 ram and the decent Nvidia 9400 GPU. Even got a bluetooth keyboard and bluetooth trackpad to reduce any unnecessary wires.
This newer iMac runs crazy circles around my old g4 iMac. So much so that I have been using it as my primary computer for everyday tasks to save a bit on the electricity bill. I think my 2012 mac pro & dual display setup uses 3 to 4 times the power of this iMac. Apple rates this iMac to use 60.7 watts of electricity at idle! Pretty low power.

Sure, it doesn't have the same beauty and charm of the old G4 I have, but its still a very pretty computer that more then serves what I originally wanted my G4 to do. Its also totally secure and able to run Yosemite if I wanted (Currently has Mavericks on it)

My PPC machines dont get much use any more, beyond my iBook 466. I have fun pulling that out and playing on it because its easy and small. My iMac G4 sits packed away carefully in a tote surrounded by foam and wrapped in bubble wrap.
You have to use what works best for you. For now my old iMac will stay in storage, I cant part with her as ive stuck way more into it then its worth (400gb 7200rpm hdd, 2gb ram, new ide dvd burner...) Plus I love the design too much.

I recently dug out my G4 iMac and wiped it from Leopard, installed Tiger on it instead. That alone brought a VERY noticeable speed boost to the old girl. Sure, it can run leopard, but leopard really slows it down a lot.

Yeah, you gotta use what works best for you. Even though I just got my second Intel Mac ever, I felt it to be just too much to deal with as a work computer (1,1 Mac Pro). There's my 2009 MBP (first Intel Mac of mine), but that doesn't work with a desktop-worthy desk/set-up. So, I have my iMac G5 iSight, which was my main computer at one point, sitting on my work desk. I decided to put a bluetooth keyboard on it to save clutter, and this time, my external HD is on the Mac Pro. I find that this minimalist set-up is great for work, as I hate clutter and distractions.

My fastest PPC Mac is my DP 2.0Ghz PowerMac G5, but even that was too much for my simple set-up as well. My Mac Pro is currently not being used for work, which doesn't give it much to do, but I am planning to work in the other room from time to time, and use it. I am also using it for the heavy tasks that an old PPC Mac wouldn't be able to do.

All-in-all, I like using several computers as my main ones, as it's fun to do so. When it comes to working, I pick a couple work machines and leave it at that. It feels straining to have a huge tower set-up for simple work tasks. Anyway, I have enough computers that many go unused, and it's not a good feeling. I wish I could be able to use 'em all, but we all know that's not possible. I don't really even NEED this Mac Pro a whole lot, considering my MacBook Pro is doing just fine (and I put an SSD in it, so it's nice and speedy), so I may just let my mom use it if her iMac screws up again.

 

[Gamer9430]

Yeah, their designs are still great, but obviously the PPC designs and today's designs aren't too comparable, other than the fact that current models (obviously) resemble past models.

Well, in terms of ROCK, the late 60s through mid 70s were the best. I'm not talking disco or something like that. xD

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Yeah, hopefully Apple will lead another breakthrough in design!

When it comes to rock & roll, nothing beats the late 60s through mid 70s. Rock in the 80s was generally garbage; the way I see it, the 80s has very select, specifically good songs. You have to sift through tons of trash to find them!

Yes but it's those good songs underneath all the trash that defines the era.