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would it be wise to purchase a PBG4 or a PowerMac G5
- Thread starter dWeBB18
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After picking up a black MacBook, I can say that the new Intel machines absolutely SMOKE the PowerPC ones.
I would say it's the bus speed really. The bus speed on the current MacBook and MacBook Pro machines are 800MHz, and my PowerBook G4's bus speed is 133MHz.
IF you want to save money, get a refurbished MacBook.
I would say it's the bus speed really. The bus speed on the current MacBook and MacBook Pro machines are 800MHz, and my PowerBook G4's bus speed is 133MHz.
IF you want to save money, get a refurbished MacBook.
Roger that. You can buy a c2d laptop or desktop for the price of a g4/g5 that will outperform the latter machines in every way imaginable.
I'm going to have to go with the crowd here and suggest against it at this point. I would have expected the prices of the old PowerBooks to drop further than they have, but checking eBay shows that Macs hold their value a little artificially. I as hoping to pick up a used 12" iBook G4 for cheap (read: decent condition for under $300) and they're not quite there yet. I also think the sort of irrational love for the 12" form factor which has been displaced by the 13.3" models is keeping those prices alive.
They're nice machines if speed isn't an issue. (Nice form factor, good for web surfing, email, office, text editing, etc.)
One of the other issues is that after market upgrades on most G4 laptops are a pain to install except for RAM. For instance, if I got one of those laptops for cheap, 30 - 40GB is pretty weak for a hard drive these days. Installing a new hard drive is fundamentally unpleasant on the G4s. (Thanks goodness this is no longer the case on MacBooks!)
They're nice machines if speed isn't an issue. (Nice form factor, good for web surfing, email, office, text editing, etc.)
One of the other issues is that after market upgrades on most G4 laptops are a pain to install except for RAM. For instance, if I got one of those laptops for cheap, 30 - 40GB is pretty weak for a hard drive these days. Installing a new hard drive is fundamentally unpleasant on the G4s. (Thanks goodness this is no longer the case on MacBooks!)
I agree with everyone else. At this point, it really doesn't make sense to sink any money in to G4 or G5 computers. It's a dead end.
Because it will have a very small life span.
I recently upgraded to a Black MacBook 2.2Ghz (actually 1 month ago today) from a 17" PowerBook G4. The MacBooks run infinitely faster and smoother than any PPC G4.
Be smart and save money for a refurbished one, no use in dumping money into a machine that can barely do YouTube well.
Agreed it makes no sense but it's a PB. It's still the best looking Mac laptop.
Agree with previous posts that it's surprisingly expensive for what it is spec-wise... but it's a PB. The laptop that everyone stopped and looked at when you used it... The current range is better (although the PB G4 will run a hell of a lot of stuff) but models don't look any different from a cheaper Windows machine.
And where is this week's update of something (iMac please)?
Buying a Powerbook G4 would be pointless unless you are getting one for a steal. However with a PowerMac G5 they are still very much worth it depending on what your comparing to though. It all depends on what kind of machine you need. I just purchased a refurbished core 2 Duo imac 2.4Ghz and my Quad 2.5Ghz G5 still smashes it in almost every way. Not bad for a 2 and half year old machine.
The imac Core 2 Duo 2.4 is at times slightly faster than my G5 but only with some universal binary apps. Older non Universal Apps run much faster on the G5 and most Universal binary apps still run faster on my G5. When it comes to multitasking and Graphics intensive scenarios my G5 still wins hands down over the imac. Having a 7800GT GPU and 8Gb of ram with room for 16Gb wins over any imac.
Basically a Dual or quad Core G5 PowerMac can still hold it's own or beat Apple's current offerings of Macbook, Macbook Pro, or imac. Now if your comparing the PowerMac G5 to Apple's newest Mac Pros then that's a different story.
Forget the PBG4 though if comparing laptop to laptop the Core 2 Duo makes the old G4 look like a joke.
The imac Core 2 Duo 2.4 is at times slightly faster than my G5 but only with some universal binary apps. Older non Universal Apps run much faster on the G5 and most Universal binary apps still run faster on my G5. When it comes to multitasking and Graphics intensive scenarios my G5 still wins hands down over the imac. Having a 7800GT GPU and 8Gb of ram with room for 16Gb wins over any imac.
Basically a Dual or quad Core G5 PowerMac can still hold it's own or beat Apple's current offerings of Macbook, Macbook Pro, or imac. Now if your comparing the PowerMac G5 to Apple's newest Mac Pros then that's a different story.
Forget the PBG4 though if comparing laptop to laptop the Core 2 Duo makes the old G4 look like a joke.
i love my powerbook and imac g4. for light stuff, they are great. i have a mbp too so when i need the power, i have a machine to use. if it's not going to be your primary machine, i say get one.
wise words here, I'd say. The dual/quads G5s are not dead by any means, but do be careful that you're not still paying a premium for "pro" hardware that isn't current anymore.
More wise words ^^^^
Some of the last Power Mac G5's will still be faster than the current iMac's, depending on graphics choices.
Swapping out the hard drive in a PB G4 is SIMPLE. I stressed over nothing...used ifixit guide.
Agreed- I just got the new 2.4 BlackBook and my dual core 2.0 G5 still outperforms it in many ways. Leopard's graphics also work much better on the G5 for sure, but this could be a matter of adding RAM to the BlackBook. That said- I wouldn't buy a Power PC at this point unless you get a good deal on the last rev G5. Anything else would be a waste of money.
Oh, and like lamina said- the Intels absolutely smoke G4s. I went from an iBook to a BlackBook and was blown away.
Agree on the G5 point. The last one I had at my previous employer was a dream after the G3s we were constantly sitting waiting for it to do something. But they are still pricey in the UK.