New PowerMac 1.8GHz Released

[macidiot]

Sweet!-finally a headless profesional Mac . Guess it may use the U3L like the iMac G5

umm, not to nitpick, but every "professional" mac since the Mac II has been headless.

 

[macidiot]

lets just take the top iMac model with no added features as our example, that's $1899.
now, go and configure a powerMac with exactly the same specs (by upgrading to a 160GB HD) that's $1599...i guess that "saves" $300 but only if you already own a monitor ($300 for a 20" cinema display seems like a good deal to me)

so here's where it gets really pathetic: add a 20 cinema display to the powerMac total, even just for compare the two. It's the same display the top of the line iMac has already. The powerMac cost comes to, drum roll, $2898.!

The iMac 20" display is not the same as the ACD. Its inferior in several key specs.

However, your right, Apple is making you pay extra to get something in a metal case. Guess aluminum is expensive...

 

[macidiot]

for $1638 I will have -

PM 1.8 Single Processor
ATI X800 XT 256MB
8x Superdrive (compared to the 4x in the iMac)
256MB RAM
no AE, BT, or Modem

Now I can add the things that I already own:
Dual 19" LCDs
An extra GB or RAM that I have sitting in my desk
an extra 80 GB SATA HDD that I have sitting around

Not a bad price for that setup. I understand that I am in tha minority in this group. But hey, that's a sweet deal. I just think it is funny how everyone was pissed about the upgradeability of the iMac's GPU, the slow SuperDrive, and the fact that you were stuck with that display (and the costly repairs if it needed to be fixed), and all of that is now forgotten.

You guys are a fickle bunch.

Hickman

Sounds like your the target buyer for this mac.

BTW, I know where Sewell, NJ is.

 

[Nermal]

Well, I've almost ordered a G5. By 'almost ordered' I mean that I've emailed a local reseller and requested a price for a custom config (getting rid of the modem and pushing the video card up to the 9600 XT). My current G4 is sitting on an auction site at the moment

 

[aswitcher]

Well, I've almost ordered a G5. By 'almost ordered' I mean that I've emailed a local reseller and requested a price for a custom config (getting rid of the modem and pushing the video card up to the 9600 XT). My current G4 is sitting on an auction site at the moment

So this is the new single G5? How much ram are you going to shove in?

 

[Nermal]

Yes, it's the new single G5. I'm not going to pay Apple prices for RAM*, so I'll order it with 256, then throw in another gig (additional NZ$360 for Samsung, the same stuff Apple uses).

*Especially Apple NZ prices:
512 MB = $280 (vs NZ$220 from Apple US)
1 GB = $550 ($440)
2 GB = $1190 ($1750) - much cheaper in NZ

I have no idea what Apple Australia's prices are like - I can't find RAM on the Australian store (it's obviously in a different place from the US and NZ stores).

 

[aswitcher]

Yes, it's the new single G5. I'm not going to pay Apple prices for RAM*, so I'll order it with 256, then throw in another gig (additional NZ$360 for Samsung, the same stuff Apple uses).

*Especially Apple NZ prices:
512 MB = $280 (vs NZ$220 from Apple US)
1 GB = $550 ($440)
2 GB = $1190 ($1750) - much cheaper in NZ

I have no idea what Apple Australia's prices are like - I can't find RAM on the Australian store (it's obviously in a different place from the US and NZ stores).

So you making sure you pair your ram to maximise the speed? If so you might want to get another 256 and 2 * 512s... (not an expert but this apprently is the deal - it must be paired...)

You getting anything else, like the FCE deal ?

 

[Nermal]

That gigabyte for $360 is two 512s (and it comes with 2 128s)

I didn't know about the FCE deal, but I can't really afford it anyway. Hopefully I'm not going to be ripped off with the video card upgrade (on the US store, upgrading to 9600 XT and removing the modem adds $21 to the price).

 

[aswitcher]

That gigabyte for $360 is two 512s (and it comes with 2 128s)

Of course.

Nice and when you have the cash you can easily toss the 2 * 128s for another couple of 512 sticks.

I didn't know about the FCE deal, but I can't really afford it anyway. Hopefully I'm not going to be ripped off with the video card upgrade (on the US store, upgrading to 9600 XT and removing the modem adds $21 to the price).

FCE for $150 AUD not $500 AUD. Only with a new Mac. Think about it, you only get it with a new mac...

 

[Nermal]

Well I might download the 'demo' from MTKA and see whether it's worth it

 

[billyboy]

This is a great computer to release, for us at our school at least. By stripping any non-essentials like an internal modem, no superdrive and even with 1GB Apple RAM and a 128MB video card, it comes out at under 1100 GBP with the educational discount. Very very nice considering I was thinking of shelling out not much less on a second hand dual PowerMac, plus we can use existing monitors, external fw hard drives... If Apple could have made the mouse and keyboard optional too, even better.

 

[~Shard~]

Did you have to pay any extra at the border or did they have no idea?

P.S. I doubt you could order from Apple USA and have it shipped to Canada.

I declared it at Customs, but it was under my $700 limit for the week so they didn't care whatsoever.

 

[HiRez]

So you making sure you pair your ram to maximise the speed? If so you might want to get another 256 and 2 * 512s... (not an expert but this apprently is the deal - it must be paired...)

Pretty sure I remember reading that with Apple's "crippled" G5s (the original single 1.6, the new dual 1.8, and I'm going to assume the new single 1.8), the memory bandwidth is 64-bits and cannot be doubled by dual-banking DIMMs (as opposed to 128-bits for the "uncrippled" machines). Probably the reason they can only have a max of 4 GB is that they only have a single bank. I'm just guessing about that but it seems reasonable. Better check this out before you go crazy with trying to match DIMMs...

 

[virividox]

hmmm looks like a good alternative for someone who doesnt want a 1.6 but something more than an imac

 

[dejo]

I declared it at Customs, but it was under my $700 limit for the week so they didn't care whatsoever.

Ah, good. Those higher limits can be quite handy now...

 

[dejo]

Pretty sure I remember reading that with Apple's "crippled" G5s (the original single 1.6, the new dual 1.8, and I'm going to assume the new single 1.8), the memory bandwidth is 64-bits and cannot be doubled by dual-banking DIMMs (as opposed to 128-bits for the "uncrippled" machines). Probably the reason they can only have a max of 4 GB is that they only have a single bank. I'm just guessing about that but it seems reasonable. Better check this out before you go crazy with trying to match DIMMs...

Your guess is correct. The single and dual 1.8GHz G5s only have 4 DIMM slots, while the dual 2.0 and 2.5 GHz G5s have eight DIMM slots, as stated near the bottom of the specs page on the Apple site: http://www.apple.com/powermac/specs.html

 

[toughboy]

I still feel this is a bit over priced with the imac g5 just released. I think it should be about $999. then you would attract more sales to it and see it as another option to the lower priced macs. I think they would sell alot of g5s at this price. My vote $999.

same vote over here.. Powermac G5 single doesnot give anything but upgradability over iMac...

 

[Rod Rod]

Your guess is correct. The single and dual 1.8GHz G5s only have 4 DIMM slots, while the dual 2.0 and 2.5 GHz G5s have eight DIMM slots, as stated near the bottom of the specs page on the Apple site: http://www.apple.com/powermac/specs.html

HiRez's guess is incorrect. HiRez was not guessing about the number of DIMM slots. He/she was guessing about whether the newest G5 required matching RAM. DIMMs must be matched in the PCI G5s.

The 4 DIMM slots are two banks of two, whereas the PCI-X models have two banks of four.

Please refer to the information on the tech specs page:

Memory

128-bit data paths for up to 6.4 GBps memory throughput

Single and dual 1.8GHz systems:

256MB of PC3200 (400MHz) DDR SDRAM

Four DIMM slots supporting up to 4GB of main memory



Dual 2GHz and dual 2.5GHz systems:

512MB of PC3200 (400MHz) DDR SDRAM

Eight DIMM slots supporting up to 8GB of main memory



Support for the following DIMMs (in pairs):

128MB DIMMs (64-bit-wide, 128- or 256-Mbit)

256MB DIMMs (64-bit-wide, 128- or 256-Mbit)

512MB DIMMs (64-bit-wide, 256-Mbit)

1GB DIMMs (64-bit-wide, 256-Mbit)

 

[Xtremehkr]

This is what people asked for...

I read so many threads where people were demanding a headless Mac, so Apple delivered, same specs for the most part, and it's not enough. Wow.

 

[Telomar]

I read so many threads where people were demanding a headless Mac, so Apple delivered, same specs for the most part, and it's not enough. Wow.

You sound surprised? You can never please some people.

 

[dejo]

I read so many threads where people were demanding a headless Mac, so Apple delivered, same specs for the most part, and it's not enough. Wow.

My general impression was that people wanted a headless iMac for under a thousand dollars. But it would need to be heavily upgradeable, with PCI slots, an extra drive bay, plenty of DIMM slots, and the ability to replace the video card. I'm not sure how that would still be considered an "iMac". Maybe they think the "i" just means cheaper than the PowerMac line.

 

[HiRez]

HiRez's guess is incorrect. HiRez was not guessing about the number of DIMM slots. He/she was guessing about whether the newest G5 required matching RAM. DIMMs must be matched in the PCI G5s.

Ah, sorry. I must have been thinking about the G5 iMacs then.

 

[Doctor Q]

My general impression was that people wanted a headless iMac for under a thousand dollars. But it would need to be heavily upgradeable, with PCI slots, an extra drive bay, plenty of DIMM slots, and the ability to replace the video card. I'm not sure how that would still be considered an "iMac". Maybe they think the "i" just means cheaper than the PowerMac line.

I was one of those headlesshunters because I wanted (for a second system) a low-end consumer-performance (read "cheap") Mac with a huge monitor back when my choices were:

* flatscreen iMac -- screen too small
* CRT eMac -- screen too small
* Power Mac + separate monitor -- paying for unnecessary performance and expandability (and having to pay separately for AppleWorks)

I was about to settle for a low-end Power Mac one generation behind when the 20" iMac solved my problem.

If I had wanted an even bigger screen, say 23", I'd still be hoping to see a headless iMac.

 

[aswitcher]

I was one of those headlesshunters because I wanted (for a second system) a low-end consumer-performance (read "cheap") Mac with a huge monitor back when my choices were:

* flatscreen iMac -- screen too small
* CRT eMac -- screen too small
* Power Mac + separate monitor -- paying for unnecessary performance and expandability (and having to pay separately for AppleWorks)

I was about to settle for a low-end Power Mac one generation behind when the 20" iMac solved my problem.

If I had wanted an even bigger screen, say 23", I'd still be hoping to see a headless iMac.

I note Apple in the quaterly said there was no money to be made in that market which annoys me a bit because whilst the margins might be minimal it would be a nice entry switch machine for PC users (basically the headless emac) who have a nice LCD they have been using with their PC.

If they did a headless G4 low spec emac (1Ghz, 256 ram, 32 vid, 40 gig hdd - options for up to a gig or even 768, 64 vid, 160 gig hdd, BT and Wifi, ethernet, modem options) at above cost neutral it would allow them to switch allot of home users who dont want a CRT and can't afford anything else. An old argument I know.

Such a machine would be sweet for me to have as a second machine - dont need another portable (plus still a bit rich for what I need), dont want a CRT and iMac is too exy.

 

[atomiton]

Country Cost Differences

I declared it at Customs, but it was under my $700 limit for the week so they didn't care whatsoever.

Here's the "rip-off" break-downs:

These how much more Macs cost in Canada, UK, and France

All funds are USD

Canada:
Additional Cost (USD)
17" iMac 1.6 $104.84
17" iMac 1.8 $105.50
20" iMac 1.8 $106.83
PowrMac 1.8 $185.77

Great Britain
Additional Cost (USD)
17" iMac 1.6 $121.55
17" iMac 1.8 $122.51
20" iMac 1.8 $186.23
PowrMac 1.8 $199.79

France
Additional Cost (USD)
17" iMac 1.6 $172.33
17" iMac 1.8 $214.22
20" iMac 1.8 $266.45
PowrMac 1.8 $256.24

And the highest price is... France!... the 20" iMac costs $266.45 USD more.
$100 is hardly worth going south of the border... unless I can get it from the US tax-free... My best bet is to get a native friend to buy it on the reserve...

All European prices are EXCLUDING VAT. 17.5% in UK... and I don't know in France.