Need Help with PowerMac

[madmonk]

Hi All!

I'm getting tired of waiting for an update, plus my current PC can't handle the matlab stuff I have to use.... so I've decided to order my first mac soon!

I do have a few questions.

1) Graphics Card:

I understand that core images will use the graphics card more frequently, but how much more? Will 9800XT be an overkill for regular use? Will it hold up for another 4-5 years (of regular use, occasional gaming)?

2) Hard Drive

If I get a second hard drive, would I be able to take the hard drive from the mac, and use it in the lab's PC?

3) Display

With Dell coming out with the 2405FPW, and 2005FPW is almost half the price of the 20", do you see apple being pressured to lower the price once more in the next little while? I really like the apple display, but a $500 difference is really hard to justify the apple.

4) iLife up-to-date

I notice that the program ends on march 25th. Just wondering... why would Apple end the program if part of its lineup still ships with iLife04?

Thanks in advance.

 

[gco212]

Get the Dell display, it's so much cheaper. The video card will be fine for a very long time if you don't plan on much gaming, but in 5 years it might be below the minimum requirement for some games, though it should be good for every game for 2 years (though I am only a Windows user, so I don't know if Mac gaming requires better video cards as a result of bad code). But for core image, you'll be totally fine with a 9800XT.

 

[dsharits]

1) The 9800XT will be more than adequate for gaming and regular use, and it will continue to be a great card for a long time. Nobody really can tell how long it will be up to date, but it should remain useful for 4-5 years without any problem.

2) The G5's hard drives are SATA hard drives, so the PC will have to have a SATA controller available either via the built-in bus or an adapter card. Also, since Windows cannot recognize a HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) formatted drive, you will have to use software such as MacDrive to access the drive with the PC.

3) Go with whatever display you like and can afford. It doesn't have to be Apple branded, as long as it suits your needs.

4) Every new Mac comes with iLife '05, not just until March 25th. Every new Mac always comes with the latest version of iLife. I've never heard anything contrary to that.

I hope this helps!

Daniel