I thought it would interesting to find out what Mac was the best of all time? It seems that currently, many people have a huge wishlist of upgrades that they are hoping to see on future macs. Was there ever a Mac that had it all?
RCA Ports, S-Video and composit in/out, first (Hardware-based)DVD player, SCSI and ATA controlers, modem/printer ports, upgradable ZIF processor. Add a firewire/USB combo card, and it can do everything a G4 can.
<strong>original LC series (I-III) with the 12" RGB display. oh yeah!</strong><hr></blockquote>
There were a lot of problems with those, though. Only the LCIII was any good. The LC was slow and crippled by a 10MB RAM limit and a 16-bit data bus. The LCII had a 68030 instead of a 68020, but it actually managed to be slower. Also, the LCII required you to install more RAM than the computer could recognize if you wanted the maximum. It had 4MB built in, and you could either add 2x2MB or 2x4MB, but the max was 10MB. So you had to waste RAM.
The LCIII was much better, with a 36MB RAM limit and a 24-bit data bus (32-bit w/ Mode32). It was much, much faster. In fact, it probably qualifies as one of the best Macs. I'd say my top five picks would have to be these, in no particular order:
PowerBook G3 Series (except the no-cache 233 MHz rev. A model)
SE/30
IIfx
Quadra 840av
Yosemite B&W G3
EDIT: I forgot the Blackbird PowerBooks! (520, 520c, 540, 540c) Those were really good. First true desktop replacements.
It depends if you mean best Mac for all time or the Mac you would want most when it came out.
The Color Classic was really cool. The original Powerbooks were amazing. I would say my favorite Mac of all time is my Cube, especially if I had a Cinema Display to go with it. I wouldn't trade it for any other form factor.
The 20th Anniversary Mac was cool but even then a 12 inch screen was pretty limiting so that was a strike against it.
A/V and a snap to get into the case. PCI and processor on a daughtercard. Up to 1GB of RAM!!!!!!!!!!!!! 6MB VRAM (or upgradeable via PCI slot). Desktop form factor, internal/external SCSI buses.
I'm with the Beige G3 (of course I do have one...)... insanely upgradable to get up to today's stuff. I use mine as my main machine and it can do things the current standard G4 cannot (eg, read floppy , AV and S-video ins and outs, microphone in, scsi, expansion bays, ADB, serial, etc). Mine is a Rev. A, had it for 4.5 years and is in nice condition with a 542mhz G4 and a Radeon 7000 in it.
the original G4s. I was still in love with that thing over 2 years later - it never seemed slow. Plus it's got the sexiest case that Apple's come up with.
Comments
RCA Ports, S-Video and composit in/out, first (Hardware-based)DVD player, SCSI and ATA controlers, modem/printer ports, upgradable ZIF processor. Add a firewire/USB combo card, and it can do everything a G4 can.
there were all sorts of cool cards you could get for the PDS slot. my school had one with the Apple II card installed. now THAT was kick ass.
but perhaps i'm dating myself...
<strong>original LC series (I-III) with the 12" RGB display. oh yeah!</strong><hr></blockquote>
There were a lot of problems with those, though. Only the LCIII was any good. The LC was slow and crippled by a 10MB RAM limit and a 16-bit data bus. The LCII had a 68030 instead of a 68020, but it actually managed to be slower. Also, the LCII required you to install more RAM than the computer could recognize if you wanted the maximum. It had 4MB built in, and you could either add 2x2MB or 2x4MB, but the max was 10MB. So you had to waste RAM.
The LCIII was much better, with a 36MB RAM limit and a 24-bit data bus (32-bit w/ Mode32). It was much, much faster. In fact, it probably qualifies as one of the best Macs. I'd say my top five picks would have to be these, in no particular order:
PowerBook G3 Series (except the no-cache 233 MHz rev. A model)
SE/30
IIfx
Quadra 840av
Yosemite B&W G3
EDIT: I forgot the Blackbird PowerBooks! (520, 520c, 540, 540c) Those were really good. First true desktop replacements.
[ 08-07-2002: Message edited by: Luca Rescigno ]</p>
<strong>Rev. B iMac</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hey, at least SOMEONE thinks I own the best mac of all time.
My vote goes to the original G4's. When they were introduced, we really were ahead of the Intel/AMD folks.
The Color Classic was really cool. The original Powerbooks were amazing. I would say my favorite Mac of all time is my Cube, especially if I had a Cinema Display to go with it. I wouldn't trade it for any other form factor.
The 20th Anniversary Mac was cool but even then a 12 inch screen was pretty limiting so that was a strike against it.
A/V and a snap to get into the case. PCI and processor on a daughtercard. Up to 1GB of RAM!!!!!!!!!!!!! 6MB VRAM (or upgradeable via PCI slot). Desktop form factor, internal/external SCSI buses.
too bad it sounds like a cessna
The first line of G4's was exciting
but I give it to the iMAC and in particular the g4 iMac
--
Current Powerbook too is cool! But i dont think others will agree!
iBook (current one)
It's got it all: portability, power, speed, looks, price. It's so far ahead of the curve in the laptop arena that it's not even funny.
Jet
Otherwise original iMac
2. current iBook
Chas
<strong>
too bad it sounds like a cessna
<a href="http://homepage.mac.com/rtison/.Movies/marsflyin.mov"; target="_blank">What's wrong with Cessnas?</a>
<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
So far my ibook 600 combo has been it.