The 2 things holding me back from switching!

[Jonknox]

I dont want to make the switch when intel processors are on there way.
Also I want a laptop but those are still g4's.

I do no high end computing but for some reason it bugs me.
When the intel ones come out will they stop making software for the older kinds?

Will there be only G5 software?

 

[EvilDoc]

once all the intel macs are out its gonna be atleast another 4-5 yrs before the can stop making software for the ppc. so if you think about it its gonna be like 2011-2012 before they stop making software for it. and about waiting till after the switch if you need it now buy it now. i would rather buy a PPC now and not deal with what ever hiccups the 1st intel mac's have... rev A is never perfect.
developers will make software for both PPC and Intel for several years..
just my 2 cents.

 

[realmcenter]

You can think of it another way. The PPC platform is proven and very stable at this point. Like with the 68K Macs, it will be years after even the entire line moves to Intel before PPC software will become harder to find. And there will be bugs and issues in the Intel line when it first comes out, just like when PPC Macs were first introduced and probably many more this time around, too. I'd rather stick with tried-and-true than the newest thing out there. And it's not like your machine will stop working all of a sudden when there are no more new PPC Macs being produced, it will still be a useful machine.

 

[Kerry Sanders]

At this point, considering the support of PPC based machines are going to be around for quite some time, if you need a machine, then buy one of the current systems. You will love it and it will be around long after the first Intel based system is released and the bugs are worked out on them.

I had my Power Mac for just one month before the announcement to move to Intel was announced. I was bummed for a few hours, but I got over it pretty quickly. I realized that a majority of the experience is the OS, not the processor.

Anyway, my point is, as I mentioned above, if you need a machine, buy one now. That helps Apple out and gets you into a better experience quicker.

 

[andiwm2003]

i think about buying a powermac soon.
i'm not afraid of the intel switch. a g4 or g5 based machine will be o.k. for 3 years easy.

you get a well tested bugfree system. all of todays software is speed optimized. everthing is as robust as software goes.

apple will support the ppc for minimum 5 years to come.

the intel switch will only lead to a minor speed bump if at all. let the other people buy the first generation of systems and software and find all the bugs.
and if there is the one software that you absolutely need but it doesn't run on a g4/g5 anymore, you can buy an intel mini in 2 or three years from now.

if you sit around and play the waiting game you never get the mac you want. everybody will say wait for the intel, wait for rev.b of the intel, wait till they have better graphics, wait for the new form factor, wait for the new dual core...you get the point. if i had waited for the g5 powerbook i still would do powerpoint presentations on a toshiba laptop bos (=brick of s!$%).



andi

 

[tristan]

Does the processor really make that much difference? Switching is more about the OS I think. But I do understand your position - now is a weird time to buy. Honestly, though, there's hardly ever a good time to buy technology, it's always like this.

 

[AnAppleADay]

There all right! I was skeptical but I actually just bought a Powerbook G4 today...I know it's a wierd time but again, you can't keep waiting.

 

[andiwm2003]

There all right! I was skeptical but I actually just bought a Powerbook G4 today...I know it's a wierd time but again, you can't keep waiting.

congratulations. you won't regret it. and i'm jealous of the ipod.....

 

[quidire]

I bought a Power Mac a few weeks ago precisely because I wanted a PPC desktop before the Intel switch. As easy or hard as the 68k-PPC shift was, this one will be easier. The actual binary of a program is a miniscule part of the hard drive space requirements of that program. So long as new programs run on OSes that still could be installed on a PPC computer, there is little reason for a developer NOT to compile a "universal" binary that can run on both platforms (there is no speed cost; when the program executes the application loader in the kernel just picks the appropriate binary out of the universal binary package and runs that)

Apple will support PPC in 10.5 and the next revision AT LEAST. The latter will be released 4 years from now (roughly). Even now most applications support 10.2; new revisions are starting to require 10.3 at the minimum, in keeping with the principle of supporting the current and one previous version.

This means (numerical nomenclature aside) that after 10.7 is released, application developers will support a PPC. When 10.8 is released, they may begin to cease doing so.

That is almost certainly 7 years away. No computer you buy now will really be able to run the latest and greatest programs 7 years from now. The Intel switch is no reason not to buy a Mac.

I hope this helps

EDIT: Ah, OP already made up their mind, my mistake Congrats on the new Mac!

-RS

 

[Jedi128]

In my opinion a pre-intel mac is better. It won't have the problems of the first intel's and the new software will run on it! The developers are coding for both PPC and intel so why is everyone worried about software not running? The intel switch, in reality, should have no affect on the average consumer. There's no reason to wait either... this should have no affect on buying a PPC or an intel. Just buy when you need it. And again, it is technology which means it will be outdated in 6 months no matter what you do!

 

[MUCKYFINGERS]

Intel will have its advantages of course. It's the next gen hardware, supposed to be faster, etc.

But PPC is still good. Ultimately, if you want to wait for an intel, wait for an intel. But if you want to get a Mac now and enjoy it now, get a PPC. Either way, you're going to get a great machine because it's running OSX, hehe.

 

[jimjiminyjim]

(snip)....That is almost certainly 7 years away. No computer you buy now will really be able to run the latest and greatest programs 7 years from now. The Intel switch is no reason not to buy a Mac.

-RS

The same reasoning that RS used applies to the G4 vs G5 question. Since eMacs, Mac Mini's, and iBooks and Powerbooks are all G4, Apple should support them for at least 4-5 years. Admittedly, 64 bit Apps and OS X are likely (IMO, no facts to back this up) to show up in and after Leopard, but those too, may have new bugs from recompiling.

 

[andiwm2003]

In my opinion a pre-intel mac is better. It won't have the problems of the first intel's and the new software will run on it! .........

i also want a pre intel mac. how do i know if my sony ex7 printer driver will run on an intel? i think all the small stuff like old printer drivers, utilities, scientific software and stuff could be a problem. and that stuff often is free. so i'm not sure if the update it quickly.

andi

 

[jimjiminyjim]

i also want a pre intel mac. how do i know if my sony ex7 printer driver will run on an intel? i think all the small stuff like old printer drivers, utilities, scientific software and stuff could be a problem. and that stuff often is free. so i'm not sure if the update it quickly.

andi

Seems like this kind of answer comes from the kind of person with a philosophy that the second mouse gets the cheese.

 

[StrongGlad]

I agree with most everything said above, but I'm also in the market for a new PowerBook, and I can think of at least one good reason to wait for Intel: Windows.

For a variety of work-related reasons, I need to run both Windows XP and OS X. At home, it's no big deal: I just set up my Power Mac alongside my XP machine, and use a KVM.

I'm certainly not going to lug two laptops around, however, and so I need a portable that can run both OSs. That leaves me two options: 1) run Virtual PC on the current, PPC PowerBooks; or 2) wait for Intel so that I can run Windows NATIVELY on the PowerBook.

As anyone who's used Virtual PC with the current Macs will attest, emulation entails a significant speed hit.

On the new Intel Macs (from what I've gathered), it should be no problem installing Windows alonside Mac OS X in a dual-boot configuration, and Windows can then run on the machine just as it would on any standard PC. Even if it's not possible to install Windows in this manner, however, we'll still be able to use Windows on the new Intel Macs with Virtual PC, but with one BIG difference: no emulation.

So, for a mobile user with multi-OS needs, it does make sense to consider holding off.

 

[IllTakeAnApple]

so the OS makes the computer usefull. When leopard is released will say a g4 ibook or powerbook be able to run it? or i guess a better question would be what are the specs required to run the new OS hopefully coming out sometime after the the first intel macs are launched?