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PPC uses?
- Thread starter Zeke D
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I'd say at this point they're really only collector's items. At least unless you really need some software only available on PPC.
We have two G4s at work. One is our Applescript server. It processes Editorial photos, files ad proofs and ad materials (email attachments) as well as moving over editorial news pages to Composing (me). I have a email server set up on it so I can email myself whenever someone drops a file in to our FTP site. The other serves as a print server so that my Mac Pro can print to an Appletalk only Tabloid printer. It also functions as a production machine that has older apps I sometimes need to use.
My 2.3 Ghz DC G5 at home serves as a design machine. I'm running Adobe CS4, QuarkXPress 8.5.1, Acrobat 9, Suitcase Fusion 2. Before that it was my 1.8Ghz dual G4 Quicksilver. I also use my G5 for web browsing, movie watching, email and word processing.
My old Quicksilver I have plans to turn in to a Leopard server.
BTW, my G5 runs six displays. And my G4 ran those six displays before that.
I have a 17" PowerBook G4 that serves as my main laptop. I use it for email, web browsing, word processing and ad hoc design using older versions of design software.
My 17" MBP I only use if I need Intel power for something or perhaps a bit newer version of an app. It is not my primary Mac. That would be my PowerBook and my G5.
My 2.3 Ghz DC G5 at home serves as a design machine. I'm running Adobe CS4, QuarkXPress 8.5.1, Acrobat 9, Suitcase Fusion 2. Before that it was my 1.8Ghz dual G4 Quicksilver. I also use my G5 for web browsing, movie watching, email and word processing.
My old Quicksilver I have plans to turn in to a Leopard server.
BTW, my G5 runs six displays. And my G4 ran those six displays before that.
I have a 17" PowerBook G4 that serves as my main laptop. I use it for email, web browsing, word processing and ad hoc design using older versions of design software.
My 17" MBP I only use if I need Intel power for something or perhaps a bit newer version of an app. It is not my primary Mac. That would be my PowerBook and my G5.
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You want my PPC gear? Sounds like you could use it. A drive up to the high country would do you some good...
Uh no.
We put out newspapers on a 1.8Ghz PowerMac G5 up until 2013 when it broke. My coworker would still be able to do that if necessary (we fixed the G5).
Ad design, Classifieds, Legals, production and composition of newspaper pages. I don't know what 'collector's item' can produce a modern PDF/X-4:2008 for transmission to a printer.
BTW, I just scanned and PDFed a book for a firefighter leadership course on my G5 using InDesign and Photoshop CS4 with minor edits on Acrobat 9.4.5 using PitStop Pro 7.5.
Don't tell me I can't be productive unless I'm using an Intel Mac!
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Thanks for the offer but I have a wealth of G5's coming to me right now. That and our schedule won't allow it
That wasn't what I said. My comment related to the average user who would find a lot of software not functioning on PPC. The average user cares about YouTube, properly formatted web-pages, getting Office 2016 ( God knows why), etc. Not about compositing newspapers. The PPC machines have their use-cases, but for an average person, I'd call them collector's items. Furthermore, it's a statement coming from how I see things right now. I'm not telling you how you are productive or anything like that. I'm giving my view on things as of this very moment. A view that is open to change any moment if someone else provides their view and said view challenges my own and convinces me. I'm happy you enjoy the PowerPC
Sorry, that last comment I made was general in nature and not directed at you.That wasn't what I said. My comment related to the average user who would find a lot of software not functioning on PPC. The average user cares about YouTube, properly formatted web-pages, getting Office 2016 ( God knows why), etc. Not about compositing newspapers. The PPC machines have their use-cases, but for an average person, I'd call them collector's items. Furthermore, it's a statement coming from how I see things right now. I'm not telling you how you are productive or anything like that. I'm giving my view on things as of this very moment. A view that is open to change any moment if someone else provides their view and said view challenges my own and convinces me. I'm happy you enjoy the PowerPC
In any case, just because a PowerPC does not have a use for a particular user does not mean it does not have a use for anyone else.
There are those of us on this forum that are viewing Youtube video in high definition just fine. Mainly DC G5 and Quad G5 users. I won't argue the case for G4s though I know some are using YT just fine at standard definition.
As to the average user, I won't argue your point. There are things that can still be done using PowerPC Mac but it requires interest and a certain dedication to working around problems. Not something the typical user will go for. It's one of the reasons scam artists on eBay have been able to get so much for PowerPC gear. The average user has no concept that Apple switched to Intel in 2006.
I do use PowerPC for home use though. I was just bringing up work use because they are still entirely capable for that. I only own one Intel Mac and it's not my primary Mac. My DC G5 (2.3Ghz) and my 17" PowerBook are my main Macs. I use them for everything.
Finally, just to be clear, both you and the OP realize that this thread is in the PowerPC Mac forum right? I ask because while many of us here own and use Intel Macs you are going to find more defenders of PowerPC in the PowerPC forum because that's our interest.
I very much love the PPC Macs, and will defend them against unwarranted criticism as well. I didn't actually look at which forum this was placed in though. Jumped into it from the "New threads" page. Anyway, I agree with pretty much 100% of what you wrote in your post. The YouTube thing, as far as I am aware, is mostly dependant on what GPU you have though, and not the CPU. I have heard of no G4 going above standard definition, but the G5's vary regarding which can do HD and which struggle with it. Regardless, as I said, I agree with you, and the PPC Macs were a brillant bunch. Especially a fan of the G4 iMac (relative to its time). Anyhow, I'm on a tangent now. We're in agreement.
From about 2011 until 2015, I was a frequenter of the PPC forums. I raged against the machine when Java 6 stopped being supported. I even had a RS Clan made up of PPC users to show our solidarity. I enjoyed my Sim City 4, Zoo Tycoon 2 & Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 on my G5. I even wrote my first two published novellas on my trusty G5. Unfortunately, in 2015 I had to migrate to intel. I've held on to my PPCs, but now I need room in my shed for other gear. It's the end of an era! I've been trying to give them away for the last six months, but no takers. It's almost time to just pitch them into the garbage can, or set them out on Garbage day and hope someone takes them.
I'd hate to see the Macs pitched, but shipping is expensive for these Macs. And G5s if not packed properly can be ruined. UPS turned my first G5 into a trapezoid.
If I were single I'd drive up and take them off your hands. But I just can't justify that right now.
Sucks…
That's why I held on to the Digital Audio and MDD for so long after getting my G5s, I just hated to see them pitched... Oh well, I guess time marches inexorably forward.
... I mean.... What do you thinking shipping to Denmark would cost? I'm up for a free PowerMac.
LOL, It's $70 to ship an autographed hardcover to Denmark, so I bet a G5 Tower would break me.
Probably more expensive than the roughly $300 it'd cost to buy a G5 in Denmark then.... Bunkers.
On PowerPC, all the hard work is done on the CPU. Regarding Youtube playback of 720P, with the appropriate plugin/workaround, the video is passed to Coreplayer, which is handled well on G4s above 1Ghz.
Hm. No media blocks on the GPUs from that era? Didn't actually know that, I was simply guessing, hehe
Yes, PowerPC Macs are still great machines. Just use the PowerPC Archive (powerpcarchive.dyniform.net) or the PPCStore (in LeopardRebirth) and you can find tons of great apps. Web browsing is OK on G5s and 1GHz+ G4s, and any PPC is great for any kind of secondary machine. This is my opinion, so please don't start yelling at me if your opinion is different.
Some of the later GPU's had support for different video formats, but most were not supported by PowerPC Macs.
OP, I will take your PPC gear! I'm in Ohio, but will be moving to Nevada this summer and could scoop them up
It's hard for me to believe that you couldn't off load them on craigslist for free. There must be a group of folks who would come grab them from you if you advertised them on CL. If nothing else, many folks appreciate them for the powermac cases for retro looking hackintosh boxes. I dunno about Arizona, but it is hard as heck to even find PPC macs in New Mexico so to put them out there for *free* would have to catch some serious attention I'd think.
I would keep at least one and load it up with some big drives as a server. Yeah, you could buy a new apple airport time capsule. It would be quiet and be more efficient but repurposing an old powermac this way is cool.
As far as daily uses, I use either a G4QS or my PMG5 on a daily basis and both work wonderfully for email, surfing, YT (not using coreplayer), paying federal tax extensions (laugh) and word processing (Office08/Pages), music recording/production (GB08,Reason,Audacity etc.), streaming tunes via spotify etc. There really is a huge list of uses for them still. I do admit that it bugs me that my iphone6s does not sync with my Leopard boxes but we DO have a dropbox work around which does sync with all of my PPC and intel macs/devices which is pretty awesome. Like anything, ppc serves a certain type of person - fundamentally, someone who enjoys tinkering and using obsolete 1999/2005-ish hard/software in a 2017 web environment. That's me, maybe it's you. Conversely it certainly is NOT my wife lol
. So yeah, there it is. As always imho, ymmv. So please do not throw them away. At the very least, drop them off at a goodwill or recycling/purposing center like that.
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Where at in Nevada? I'm like six hours from Vegas.OP, I will take your PPC gear! I'm in Ohio, but will be moving to Nevada this summer and could scoop them up
While they definitely have a lot of uses, as people have already mentioned here, I think it's important to consider what it's worth to you. If you aren't someone who is super interested in the "retro" computer idea, or just don't have space or a use for it, ask around, see who wants it. Some people are very willing to spend some money to pick up older technology, whether that be for fun hobbyist stuff, or for work (like a few have mentioned here). Myself, I like the collector aspect of it, and seeing what is still possible in today's world while using older technology.
Please elaborate on why Office 16 is bad? I use it for most assignments I do on my 2010 MBP and I love it. Works perfectly. I do have the choice of Office 2011 as well('11 and '16 are given by my school) but I chose '16
and it's awesome you've been able to use them to 2015, I would use my PB G4s("12 and "15) if I had more portability with them and a bit more recent software support. But portability is my biggest issue
, too heavy to carry with me plus it's hard to go back from my '10 nowMy biggest issue with Office 16 is the container encapsulation of the docx files. Microsoft did something to the file format that effectively broke the standard that they established with Word 2003. I would submit manuscripts "touched" by office 16, and they were forever broken. Automated scripts and websites would fail. Even resaving with 2011 resulted in the same errors. I ended up having to strip all font and paragraph data out of the docx, save it as a plain text document, then open that in 2011 and reformat. Even copy/paste into a new document wouldn't work. That single issue resulted in a month delay of my 2016 novel. I own all versions since 2003, and I'll stick with 2011.