Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Should i get a Powermac G5?

M

Maczog

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 11, 2009
5
0
Hey.
Im a programmer, I'm planning to make a really good game for the PowerPC and PC also Intel mac's.
But my issue is.
I would love a Powermac G5.
But my issue is, Im not sure if i should get one.
I would mainly use it for:
Photoshop work (nothing SERIOUS)
Xcode development.
PHP Development.
HTML, CSS Development.
SMALL bit of BASIC video editing.
Would it be Ok for that?
Or should i get the Acer Ferrari One 200?
I would do the same things with it.
Thanks guys :D
 
Maczog said:
Hey.
Im a programmer, I'm planning to make a really good game for the PowerPC and PC also Intel mac's.
But my issue is.
I would love a Powermac G5.
But my issue is, Im not sure if i should get one.
I would mainly use it for:
Photoshop work (nothing SERIOUS)
Xcode development.
PHP Development.
HTML, CSS Development.
SMALL bit of BASIC video editing.
Would it be Ok for that?
Or should i get the Acer Ferrari One 200?
I would do the same things with it.
Thanks guys :D
Click to expand...

Id get an Intel Mac, purely because the latest versions of XCode + iOS SDK require an Intel Mac (I believe post XCode 3.1), and because its a lot more future proof than a G5. (Give it 2 years and the latest versions of everything will be Intel only, if they arent already)
 
Hell no! I just got a G5, but I'm still considering bumping it on ebay because of the various reliability issues they're known for having (like power supplies)
 
Better off with something more current

I've been working on Macs for awhile now, and the Powermac G5 had lots of issues, which was one reason they went and made the Mac Pro and the current line up of Macs using Intel Processors. Heat was an issue with the entire G5 series, they needed those huge heat sinks to cool the CPU, and some of the liquid cooled units would spring leaks shorting out various components. 95% of the time it would take out the power supply, and sometimes logic boards, a processor and even RAM or some combo of the above. (Expensive for an out of warranty machine) If you feel that you absolutely have to get a Mac that's easily expandable get one of the Mac Pro models, you can sometimes find them used or refurbished at a halfway decent price. However you should be careful when buying a second hand Mac, as they don't always come with a warranty, and sometimes you end up with a well designed doorstop.

As any Mac owner knows a Mac out of warranty can be an expensive thing when it comes to repairs. Its always nice to have the 1 yr standard applecare that comes with every new Mac, and I recommend the 2 yr extension as well. I recommend the Mac Mini price wise at $699.99 (even though there all still Core 2 Duos and have 256 VRAM max). They really are nice computers dont let their looks fool you. However the newer iMac 27 inch has a 512 MB VRAM ATI HD, or a 1 GB VRAM ATI HD video card built in and should be more then enough for several years of developing video games for the Mac if you have $1999.00 to spend. There's also the smaller version the 21.5 inch with the 512 VRAM ATI HD graphics card.

One last thing to think about is that not all programs that run on the Power PC chip (G-3 through G-5) run correctly on the newer Intel Macs. The PPC Mac's (G series) are becoming obsolete as well. Hope this advice helped you out some.
 
Last edited:
The Mac Mini will be a lot more powerful than the G5. Also, as mentioned before, it'll use a lot less power. I had a 1.6 G5 and replaced it with a Mac Mini. The Mini eats the G5 for lunch.
 
I wouldn't recommend getting one now, they are too old, and you can get used intel machines cheaply that will be more powerful. They were good computers for their time, but the only reason for one now is if you collect old macs.
 
BigDukeSix said:
I have no opinion one way or the other, other than that big ole' aluminium case looks cool as hell.....
Click to expand...

The solution is a Mac Pro 1,1 (Intel + Massive Aluminium Case + A lot less reliability issues, even if most G5s still alive now are solid, it doesnt mean they all are) - These can be had for not much more than a G5 + the required hardware upgrades to bring it up to current operational specs (between 4 and 8GB RAM and the inevitable larger Hard Drive(s), as well as possibly graphics card and optical drive upgrades)) - My MacPro5,1 looks cool as hell (And with some luck it may gain a G5 companion as my MDD is getting ever slower as my main personal machine), but for cheapness reasons Id get the MacPro1,1 as its cheap enough to be affordable while very very powerful.
 
I can say that the quad g5 I had would have eaten the mini, but they are power hungry. But yes unless you have an established list of software that is ppc only, you would b better off with a intel Mac.
I loved my quad g5 ran like a dream, and never had any issues.

Good luck with your choice.
 
RedReplicant said:
Why not get a Mac Mini? These things eat your power bill alive.
Click to expand...

How is a tiny little computer with no expansion a logical replacement for someone who wants a PowerMac with loads of expansion. Try to actually help someone when you give advice. Not offer them a solution that is the polar opposite of what they want.

I will take my heavily upgraded G4 tower over any mac mini intel or PowerPC.
 
zen.state said:
How is a tiny little computer with no expansion a logical replacement for someone who wants a PowerMac with loads of expansion.

...<snip>...

I will take my heavily upgraded G4 tower over any mac mini intel or PowerPC.
Click to expand...

For his use I agree, a PowerMac G5 is better than a Mini, the only reason Im even suggesting Intel is purely for the latest version of XCode with the iOS SDK. (zen.state - you may know this, can the latest iOS SDK run on PPC, I know there used to be a hack but im unsure if its still current) - If the hack is still current go with a G5, just make sure to pick an aircooled model (Dual 2.3 or below I believe), otherwise hunt around for a used Intel MacPro 1,1 (Coming up to 5 years old so their about to hit the massive cheapening point of when they come off corporate lease - seems to be once a machine is 5 years old its value starts declining a bit faster)
 
I use an eMac @ 1.42 ghz and it runs imovie and OS X Leopard and boots just 10 seconds slower than an intel imac and i would recomend an imac g5 they work just fine. :apple: :apple:
 
I have a G5, the only thing it does not handle well is skype video, and if you have more than a couple of app's open, it lags bad when typing in email. Other than that, it works pretty good.
 
BigDukeSix said:
I have a G5, the only thing it does not handle well is skype video, and if you have more than a couple of app's open, it lags bad when typing in email. Other than that, it works pretty good.
Click to expand...

As long as he gets a Dual G5 with 4GB RAM, it will handle all that fine and wont lag - according to your sig you have the Single 1.6 G5, which is known to be rather slow in comparison with the rest.
 
chrismacguy said:
For his use I agree, a PowerMac G5 is better than a Mini, the only reason Im even suggesting Intel is purely for the latest version of XCode with the iOS SDK.
Click to expand...
This one item alone makes a G5 the wrong computer for the OP.
 
chrfr said:
This one item alone makes a G5 the wrong computer for the OP.
Click to expand...

As I said later in that post: if the hack to let iOS Development be done on a G5 exists, it could be a good machine, for now, not for long however, but I have suggested repeatedly a Mac Pro 1,1 - gives you expandability, more power than most Minis and the shiny case (and lots of HD bays - always useful).
 
chrismacguy:

I have heard of iOS development for and on PowerPC but know very little about it. Everything I deal with and prefer is desktop based.

I proudly still rock my Motorola Razr and 3rd gen iPod nano combo :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back