PowerMac buying season approaching...

[SYN]

So it's that time again. I'm in the market for a new PowerMac, I'm looking to buy one from the crop that will hopefully be announced at MWNY, I'll wait until AppleExpo Paris if I have to (September). So I'm guessing at something along the lines of a single 1GHz PowerMac, or close to that (speeds will probably be ranging from 1GHz to 1,2/1,4GHz if history is any measure).

I bought my trusty 400MHz G4 3 years ago, when the G4s first came out. I've been very satisfied with it, but it's starting to show it's age (mostly in games, rest is pretty fine, even OSX runs acceptably w 512MB or RAM ). About the same time, a friend of mine bought a Piii 450MHz. He's in the market for a new machine too.

What's disturbing me is that the machine he will buy this summer will be clocked approx 4 times higher than what he bought 3 years ago, wheras what I will buy will be clocked around 2.5 times higher. Now of course I realise that performance does *not* scale linearly, that mobo bandwith etc. make for much of the speed of a complete system, yet I can't help but wonder if the machine I will be buying will be, performance wise, competitive with what the x86 world offers.

My usage will be mostly light video encoding/photo editing, some sound work, mp3 encoding, probably some development and gaming.

I'd like to have the experiences of those of you who have bought a recent PowerMac, comparing performance to recent x86 machines if possible, first generation G4s ideally. As you can see, I don't really buy new machines very often, so I like to have a machine that is competitive at the time of release and for the forseeable future with the competition. There is no way I'm going back to Windows, this is just to gauge the legitimacy of an upgrade now, compared to one in perhaps 9months to a year.

All input is appreciated

edit: I realise MHz does not mean everythin, my point is that 3 years ago, he got a spanking from my G4, and I'm wondering if I'll still be in a position to do this now

[ 04-09-2002: Message edited by: SYN ]</p>

[jeromba]

Syn,
Actuellement je possède 2 cube : Un 450 et un 500 + un dual 800...
et un compaq PIV 1.7Ghz... je peux te dire que ce PC n'est pas vraiment plus rapide qu'un de ces macs. Que ce soit en dreamweaver, photoshop, flash, diablo 2, etc.
Je dirait même que ce pc est lent ! Windows XP n'arrête pas de réaliser des accès disques dans tous les sens... et pourtant il a assez de ram et est configuré parfaitement. Au fur et à mesure celui-ci devient plus lent tout au long de la journée... redémarrage forcé of course. Par contre sur mes macs avec X, je n'ai aucun problème du tout... à part avec le finder comme tout le monde (en vue liste et icône).
Go for a new PowerMac ! Si tes finances te le permette je te conseille vivement un dual.
Si tu as la moindre question, n'hésite pas.

[ 04-09-2002: Message edited by: jeromba ]</p>

[ricRocket]

Syn,
Unless you will be constantly using your friend's new PC (when he gets it), the place you'll notice the speed difference is between your old machine and your new one.

Don't make the mistake of feeling cheated because you're comparing a new mac with a new PC that you won't be using. I just upgraded my old beige G3 to a 667 TiBook...yes there are a million PC's faster than it, but I've been exceedingly happy because in comparison to the G3, it's a smoker!

No matter what you get, it'll be years (literally) ahead of your current machine and that's where you'll notice the difference the most.

rr.

[ps. of course, Apple still needs to close the gap...above comments not withstanding ]

[R-age]

The Future is in dual CPUs

OS X + Dual G4= FAST video work enviroment

my render time is around %1600 faster then my G3 400MHz Xlr8yourmac CPU Card in a PowerCenter Pro Box <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />

i do TV show intros and animated maps

[gumby5647]

[quote]Originally posted by SYN:
<strong>(speeds will probably be ranging from 1GHz to 1,2/1,4GHz if history is any measure).

[ 04-09-2002: Message edited by: SYN ]</strong><hr></blockquote>

Actually, if history is any measure, the fastest you'll see next is a 1.13Ghz G4 System.

733 ~&gt; 867= 133Mhz increase

867~&gt; 1,000= 133Mhz increase.

500~&gt; 667= 133Mhz Increase (Tibook)

[Mac Voyer]

The answer is no. You will not have bragging rights over your friends top of the line PC. At least, not in regards to speed. Try to love your machine for what it is.

Contentment is the key to happiness.

[SYN]

Thanks a lot to all of those who replied

I'll be checking out the duals too, I'm definitely interested, supposing I find one priced reasonably

What I wanted to know was if it really would make a significant difference with my current machine... Apparently yes

Jeromba: tu sens une grosse différence entre tes Cubes et ton dual?

[garyg]

[quote]Try to love your machine for what it is.<hr></blockquote>

Heh, I'm shopping for a laptop and saw that this quote basically somes up all my research in buying a powerbook. I'm looking at it for the OS.

It's like ... to be an owner, you've got to go through this mind ritual thing and prepare yourself, talk yourself (or lie to yourself) that ... "I'm smart enough, I'm good enough, and doggonit, people like me".

[spooky]

Don't bother. Wait for the G5. anything else is just a filler.

[I Can't Believe It's Not Butter]

[quote]Heh, I'm shopping for a laptop and saw that this quote basically somes up all my research in buying a powerbook. I'm looking at it for the OS.<hr></blockquote>

You sound like pscates.

That is, of course, the main advantage of going Mac. It's all about the software, baby.



[ 04-16-2002: Message edited by: Calvin ]</p>

[Matsu]

Your current machine probably isn't an acceptable performer for HEAVY OSX work, but I'm sure it runs perfectly with all of the OS9 apps that probably form the basis of your working environment. Any machine you buy now will, IMHO, not provide the OSX performance that ought to accompany such a price tag.

Might as well wait untill a good few minor revisions to the major OSX apps are out, and see what users report, and what kind of machine you can get then. Basically, the MoBo of the PowerMac can only be described as ANCIENT, there's just no way Apple can keep on keeping on with the current UMA for another 12 months (I hope) OS9 on a G4 400, with a compliment of OS9 apps is plenty fast and well supported enough for the next 12 months. Unless something stellar comes up before then, just wait and see.

[agent302]

[quote]Originally posted by gumby5647:

500 ~&gt; 667= 133Mhz Increase (Tibook)<hr></blockquote>

That's an interesting way to do math...

[EmAn]

[quote]Originally posted by agent302:
<strong>

That's an interesting way to do math...</strong><hr></blockquote>

<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />

[gumby5647]

D'oh!

didn't even catch that one... :o

[greyisgood]

[quote]Originally posted by R-age:
<strong>The Future is in dual CPUs

OS X + Dual G4= FAST video work enviroment

my render time is around %1600</strong><hr></blockquote>

same here... i had a single 800 and then went to dual 1G.... wow! video wise, it's a dream.