What are your current machines and how long do you envision them lasting for you?
Sorry about the long title but I have a friend who is working in the tech field. As anyone who is even associated with tech knows, this area of the economy and the jobs associated with it have been in the dumps for quite a while now. In most areas I am very optimistic, but here I am decidedly not because most people I know don't fully use their current computers or their computers are already drastically faster than what their real needs dictate. His opinion obviously differs on this and so while posting here may not decide the argument, it will at least broaden my perspective on the affair.
My current machines are as follows
Work: Performa 6500 w/603e250@ mhz
Home: Powerbook G4 500, Powermac G4@450, IBM Duron 1300.
The Performa 6500 is the only one I would consider replacing anytime soon but even it browses the web respectably with Mozilla 1.2.1. Although anything with heavy flash is pretty much a drag on that machine. It doesn't take full advantage of broadband but still feels much faster than dial up.
As for the others, I can't really imagine a need for replacing them anytime soon. The Powermac has a gig of ram purchased when sd-ram hit to floor was literally about $1 for 10 megs. I don't do any heavy gaming on my machines with current games. In fact I am almost inclined to do the opposite since there are game packs of games about 18 months old where you get one for $10 or three for $20. When you consider I can pick up Unreal Touranament:Game of the Year edition for $10 when a new game is $50, I don't mind being a bit behind the curve because the savings if 500+%.
My uses are browsing, word processing and spreadsheets (all Appleworks), light gaming, email, mp3's (ripping and iTunes), and occasional fun editing with iMovie.
Next,
Nick
My current machines are as follows
Work: Performa 6500 w/603e250@ mhz
Home: Powerbook G4 500, Powermac G4@450, IBM Duron 1300.
The Performa 6500 is the only one I would consider replacing anytime soon but even it browses the web respectably with Mozilla 1.2.1. Although anything with heavy flash is pretty much a drag on that machine. It doesn't take full advantage of broadband but still feels much faster than dial up.
As for the others, I can't really imagine a need for replacing them anytime soon. The Powermac has a gig of ram purchased when sd-ram hit to floor was literally about $1 for 10 megs. I don't do any heavy gaming on my machines with current games. In fact I am almost inclined to do the opposite since there are game packs of games about 18 months old where you get one for $10 or three for $20. When you consider I can pick up Unreal Touranament:Game of the Year edition for $10 when a new game is $50, I don't mind being a bit behind the curve because the savings if 500+%.
My uses are browsing, word processing and spreadsheets (all Appleworks), light gaming, email, mp3's (ripping and iTunes), and occasional fun editing with iMovie.
Next,
Nick
Comments
I will, however, continue to transform / build my ever-changing PC, for game-playing. The next big upgrade should come with the release of DOOM III.
No plan to upgrade laptop in the next two years (Laptop is only for playing DVDs and presentation)
PC....should replace it with a new one in 10 months
As for my SlowSilver?.....probably will still be on my desk until rev B PPC970 based tower comes.....After my big horror with the rev A B/W G3 I swore I would never buy any rev A products
PC - never need another anytime soon
Cube - probably in 18 months with either a 14in iBook or 12in PB.
I basically use it for word processing, spread sheets, and presentation (i.e. MS Office), browsing, and email. And a little bit of gaming (Diablo II). If new 15 in PowerBooks come out with the 970 I MIGHT splurge on the first ones, but more likely I will wait for the first speed bump AFTER the intro. By then 1 GB RAM sticks hopefully will be cheaper and I can get 2 or 3 GB of RAM into a PowerBook. I think I would hold on to this one too....or maybe hand it down to my folks (which is an odd concept, hand me downs going in reverse). I honestly love this computer and its versitility. My wish list for future add ons would probably be an AirPort base station and maybe a firewire drive for backup.
I have a powerbook G3 300 that i use for Powerpoint presentation. He is perfect for the job : no need to replace it.
At my office i have three computers : one server and two computers an i mac 266 and a a G3 333. I use a software based upon 4 D server. The network is based upon ethernet 100.
This software is slow and i wished to upgrade it. I tryed to upgrade my server a B&W G3 350 with a extra UW HD, with a G4 550 card from Powerlogix : i see nearly no differences in term of speed for the my medical software based on 4D (contrary to the advice gived by the technician of the soft company
I hope to speed this software, and as a friend of mine, said i must upgrade the customers posts.
For me, i want to replace my G3 333 with a new tower, and you can bet i wait for the PPC 970. This post is not only use for medical stuff but also for some photoshopping ( corpses morphing and nose profiling in case of esthetic surgery planning). I own photoshop 7, but i can use it on the G3 333, because he is stuck under os 8.6 and refused to upgrade. I have also a lot of old drivers in it for my powerlook 3 scanner, and others.
For my secretary , a i mac will be perfect, but i have to wait a speed bump for the 15 inch model. (one ghz minimum and a better video graphic card : she did not really need raw power, but a geforce 2 mx card is a joke by todays standarts)
The sad thing is that currently my software is not ready for mac OS X, i expect that it will be ready in the end of the year, to allow me to make the "transition". I am not even sure that classic is able to run the old 4D.
Mac: Dual 450 768/30GB / DVD Rom / Jagwire 10.2.3
PC : PII 400 / 512/4GB / Win98se
Work:
Mac : 15 x 400AGP G4 Sawtooth 768/20GB/ DVD Rom / 9.2.2
+ 1 x ibook 14"
PC : 15 x PII 500 / 256 / 20GB / WinNT4
I'm not really going to replace any of them any time soon as apple aren't offering any real performance boost for the money at the moment. If the 970 is as major a jump as the hype suggests (and not just on a par with current PCs) then I'll probably put in the bid for replacing all our macs and PCs with 970s.
If the 970 is just another catch up event then I'm sure my bosses will be happy to replace my gear for me with shiny new Dells. we are dues for replacement later this year and I hope to god that apple has a killer powermac in the wings
of those, i expect to keep the slower desktop for about a year or so, then might just kick it down to someone else. the faster one i'll probably keep for two years or longer, although i've had it for at least a year or two already.
i used to game a lot more than i do now, so a fast PC was key. nowadays it's tough to push a TBS or RTS game that hard, so i stick with what i've got.
the 12" PB i'm sure i'll have a long time, it's got a DVD burner in it, and is really portable, so it'll be ages before that one's completely obsolete.
my macs average an extra 2 years at least over my PC's. party because they cost more, mostly because they work longer.
at home i have an iMac DV bought in 1999 that we run till it dies and then keep forever as a piece of art...it is almost 4 years old...i expect the kids to use it through high school---so about 4 more years...will probably have to increase the HD, but that is it for upgrades
we also have an iMac FP 800 bought in 2/2002---so it is a year and change...we will keep this also till it dies...i expect we will keep it running also for about 6 years....
we will add either a portable or a kick ass 970....three computers should be plenty for this house...though we may go 2 portables for both kids....
before that we had a quadra 605 that lasted from 1992 to 1999....so macs usually last some time in this household
in conclusion: right now, 2 iMacs....expect both to last 6 years, maybe more...might add to our total number of computers in the next year...either a 970 tower and a portable, or two portables.....
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I'll be going to grad school in the fall, and I'd like to snag myself a 970 when they come out. It all depends on if I can get myself a TA job (i.e. get my tuition paid for) or not. If not, my trusty ibook will just have to go it alone.
Then again, if I don't get a TA job, I'll be in debt anyways. So what's a little more?
No, No, must resist the twisted logic. Must resist the RDF!
The Graphite iMacSE will forever be my only OS9 machine so I can play through the Marathon trilogy every year of my life until I die (or it does).
The Cube will be upgraded to the point that it can't be anymore...and then it will live on as the Ultimate Mac Sex Object?. Never far from my lusty gaze.
The Pismo has been maxed out as far as I'm comfortable with doing myself. It crunches through Jaguar, and seems pretty happy nowadays staying up late with my gf playing DVDs on the couch with a couple bottles of wine when I'm at the office late.
The beige G3 300 has been lonely lately. I feel terrible about not spending more time with her, but I'm determined to surprize her with a boat-load of upgrades soon....probably serving something or other.
The PowerCurve hasn't been turned on since 1999. I'm afraid to because I'm sure I won't remember how OS8 works.
[edit]: The point of this post?...I can't bring myself to get rid of my machines. Too much emotional involvement.
Current Project: IBM Thinkpad T23 (768 MB), provided by the customer for the duration of the project
Home: Dual 1GHz MDD (1 GB RAM), PB G3 400 Pismo (196 MB RAM): No plans for replacement anytime soon.
I gave my last Mac, a G3 300 B&W (640 MB RAM) to my father.
In the cellar, waiting to be sold: PM 8100/80 (40 MB RAM), Quadra 700 (20 MB RAM - my first Mac).
The iMac has served me very well, but I miss not having an internal burner of any sort and my hard drive has been full for months. The lack of Quartz Extreme goodness is a bummer, too. I find the 500 MHz G3 just fine for my needs... but that would change if my video card could handle newer games.
Even though the iBook is even less impressive specwise, I use it mainly for schoolwork and light web browsing, so raw power isn't an issue. Portability and battery life are king.
I might replace them both with a single 12" PowerBook this summer. My Family has averaged a new Mac every three years in the past, although we always keep the old ones around.
I plan to use this emac for at least 4 years.
I have a Powerbook G4 550 that I got last year. I love it- but I dream of even more speed. My hope is to wait another 2 years until I get a job and they buy me a new Powerbook. Around that time I want a new iMac 17 inch too! Oh can I wait
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