Do I really NEED a G5?
I'm starting to think about a new Mac purchase for home. I currently have a 7250/120 and am ready to move up. (Who wouldn't?) My intended use would be home movie editing, email/internet and possibly some desktop publishing.
Would a G5 1.6 be overkill? Money is an issue, so would I be better off with a Superdrive eMac? ($700 + monitor difference). I want the new Mac to last a long time as well.
So, do I invest in a machine that won't be obsolete next year or just go with what I need?
Any advice would be appreciated...
Another thought... would a PowerMac dual G4 from eBay be worth considering?
Would a G5 1.6 be overkill? Money is an issue, so would I be better off with a Superdrive eMac? ($700 + monitor difference). I want the new Mac to last a long time as well.
So, do I invest in a machine that won't be obsolete next year or just go with what I need?
Any advice would be appreciated...
Another thought... would a PowerMac dual G4 from eBay be worth considering?
Comments
I will tell you that the G5 will last you longer then the eMac by far with the ability to upgrade video + ram. It's really up to if you want a machine that will last you longer or a 2yr machine.
My personal opinion (not popular around here it seems with all the frequent updaters) is to save your money for another month or two and plop it on the 2Ghz G5 because that has a long life time to it even compared to the 1.6 G5.
G5 isn't over kill if your doing any type of mid-serious movie stuff. The 2Ghz is but it won't be in the next 2->whatever years.
Not sure if I'll go beyond iMovie for video editing, but I know what kind of hog that can be.
Thanks for the advice...
(Now I need to find a way to raise $3K!)
Originally posted by ast3r3x
You liked it that much or why just quote my post without saying anything?
Sorry! Slip of the mouse button.
Originally posted by Nedrick
So, a $3K dual G5 wouldn't be too much for a home machine? (I'm not actually planning to buy for a few months - will Apple "G5" the iMac in that time?)
Not sure if I'll go beyond iMovie for video editing, but I know what kind of hog that can be.
Thanks for the advice...
(Now I need to find a way to raise $3K!)
It would kinda be too much yes. But I mean the life of that machine will be significantly longer then the 1.6GHz.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with an eMac or a 1.6GHz G5. But for me (and this is my philosophy on purchases) waiting an extra month or so to be able to jump up to the next step will provide a better experience and a lot longer life.
The decision is simple in that you are impatient and you like your eMac for 1-2 years.
You love your 1.6GHz for 2-3 years.
You love your 2GHz for 3-5 years.
It's just up to you on how you want to play it I think.
Originally posted by ast3r3x
My personal opinion (not popular around here it seems with all the frequent updaters) is to save your money for another month or two and plop it on the 2Ghz G5 because that has a long life time to it even compared to the 1.6 G5.
that advice is ridiculous
Second. If your not going to be going beyond iMovie I suggest the eMac.
Personally I don`t see the need to buy a computer 8X more powerful than you need. Its only a waste of 8X of your money.. And no it really wont make your penis bigger.
mount_my_floppy:
And no it really wont make your penis bigger.
It WON'T?
Dang.
I have the first model of eMac, with a CD-RW and a 700Mhz G4. I've put some more RAM in it (another 512 MB) but the only time it ever slows me down is when I'm compiling a lot of code, which would be the case even with a G5.
People have been doing video editing, 3D work, and application development on far less capable machines for a long time, so by buying the eMac you wouldn't be crippling yourself.
That said, if you can afford a G5 (any G5), you can probably make it last longer since it not only starts off better, but it does offer some expandability. That and using a top-of-the-line machine is, IMO, more fun. You can't change the graphics card on an eMac
Originally posted by applenut
that advice is ridiculous
Perhaps, but could you explain why? You disagree the 2GHz has a lot longer life then the other two models?
my advice is that you get the G5. The eMac is IMO pretty much obsolete already, even though it's a huge step up from you 7250. It has few options for upgrading, you'll have to throw out the whole machine if you want to upgrade the videocard, get some massive amounts of RAM, etc. The 1.6Ghz G5 will last you alot longer, have all possibilities for the future. It'll be much faster for home-video editing, and who knows? Maybe you'll end up being a semi-pro, or want to use the mac for much heavier tasks later, just because you now can? If something like that happends, you'll be much better off with the G5.
Originally posted by Zapchud
Nedrick,
my advice is that you get the G5. The eMac is IMO pretty much obsolete already, even though it's a huge step up from you 7250. It has few options for upgrading, you'll have to throw out the whole machine if you want to upgrade the videocard, get some massive amounts of RAM, etc. The 1.6Ghz G5 will last you alot longer, have all possibilities for the future. It'll be much faster for home-video editing, and who knows? Maybe you'll end up being a semi-pro, or want to use the mac for much heavier tasks later, just because you now can? If something like that happends, you'll be much better off with the G5.
I guess the more I read, the more the G5 1.6 sounds right. And who knows? by the time I can afford it, there may be a 2nd G5 revision which will allow me to buy at discount.
I guess if I look at it as an investment, it makes sense.