Should I return the Dual 1.42 I just bought?

tripleotripleo
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Do you think I should?



The plus side of keeping it is that this is the absolute tail end of the G4 production line which means every possible bug (hopefully) has been worked out and its been in use long enough to address issues users have had. (Though I know an absolutely bug-free computer is an impossibility)



I worry that with this brand new generation of powermacs, with a brand new chip, it may be quite a while before they get it right.



Do you think this is a valid concern? I think it would make me want to kick myself even more if I decided to go with an untested 1st generation G5 only to see the smoother running 3G processor power mac with OS10.3 coming out next year.



I need the computer to do professional grade audio work on using ProTools HD and a little bit of Cubase. Also need to be able to digitze and edit video using Final Cut Pro and Premeire and may need it to do some compositing and visual effects work with programs like Maya, Commotion, Shake and Photoshop.



Bottom line: Should I stay with the G4 or take my chances with the new G5? (I can't wait a year for the 3G's... my current computer is on it's last legs.)



I guess since NO one has had a chance to play with the G5's any opinion would be pure speculation.



Arg... what to do. what to do.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 39
    lemon bon bonlemon bon bon Posts: 2,383member
    Yes.



    Lemon Bon Bon
  • Reply 2 of 39
    tripleotripleo Posts: 26member
    Do you think I should?



    The plus side of keeping it is that this is the absolute tail end of the G4 production line which means every possible bug (hopefully) has been worked out and its been in use long enough to address issues users have had. (Though I know an absolutely bug-free computer is an impossibility)



    I worry that with this brand new generation of powermacs, with a brand new chip, it may be quite a while before they get it right.



    Do you think this is a valid concern? I think it would make me want to kick myself even more if I decided to go with an untested 1st generation G5 only to see the smoother running 3G processor power mac with OS10.3 coming out next year.



    I need the computer to do professional grade audio work on using ProTools HD and a little bit of Cubase. Also need to be able to digitze and edit video using Final Cut Pro and Premeire and may need it to do some compositing and visual effects work with programs like Maya, Commotion, Shake and Photoshop.



    Bottom line: Should I stay with the G4 or take my chances with the new G5? (I can't wait a year for the 3G's... my current computer is on it's last legs.)



    I guess since NO one has had a chance to play with the G5's any opinion would be pure speculation.



    Arg... what to do. what to do.
  • Reply 3 of 39
    tripleotripleo Posts: 26member
    haha. umm.. "YES" to which? Getting the G5?



    Quote:

    Originally posted by Lemon Bon Bon

    Yes.



    Lemon Bon Bon



  • Reply 4 of 39
    skyweirskyweir Posts: 13member
    Yes.
  • Reply 5 of 39
    tripleotripleo Posts: 26member
    To clarify, I bought the the Dual 1.42 FW 800 Mirrored Door. The very top model as of right now.
  • Reply 6 of 39
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    Personally I would get the G5. Keep in mind the limited internal disk expandability but that is easily overcome by the use of external drives. And MAJOR problems would be fixed by Apple so you wouldn't be left high and dry, even to the point where they may be a major motherboard issue that would needs its replacement, it would be covered. An example would be the MMD noise fan noise and the eventual Apple fix. It may take a while. Other than those issues you'll be getting bleeding edge performance, and good internal expandability for the stuff that really matters like RAM.
  • Reply 7 of 39
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    the dual you bought, will be perfect for your needs. Many soft you will use will be dependant of altivec, and altivec scales lineary when you compare a G4 to a G5 excepting for very large files, where the bus of the G5 should make the difference.



    If you return your G4 you will lose a lot of money, and will have to wait for two monthers before getting a G5.



    It's unfortunate that you did not read the AI forum, before, it will have prevented you to buy this computer.
  • Reply 8 of 39
    josephgjosephg Posts: 111member
    I'm all for early adopting if you can afford it (moneywise and in terms of downtime putting up with bugs). But I like your reasoning--that you don't want a 1st gen machine. I'm cautious like that.



    So my vote is to keep the MDD G4. Cheaper and safer. And if I'm not mistaken, it'll be awhile before you can take significant advantage of the 64-bit processors--OS and software migration will take a few months.
  • Reply 9 of 39
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    I always hear people say this, but what kinds of problems has Apple historically had with 1st gen machines? Of course you're going to get better specs and features in later machines, but have there been actual flaws in 1st gen machines?
  • Reply 10 of 39
    tidristidris Posts: 214member
    Your concern is legitimate. However it isn't correct to think the G5 machines are untested and that nobody has played with the G5 machines. You would be suprised if you knew how many people worldwide have been testing and playing with G5 machines, all of them under NDA of course. I am not one of those people in case you are wondering.



    My opinion is that Apple is extremely motivated to make sure the G5 machines are in a very usable state from day one and to act quickly on any significant issues revealed by widespread use. So you are taking a risk buying a first generation G5 but the odds are greatly in your favor I think.



    If it was me I wouldn't return the dual 1.42GHz G4 just because a faster machine is around the corner. After all a faster machine will always be around the corner. I am buying a dual 2GHz G5 now because I expect it to be at least 8 times faster than the 500MHz G3 I use today. Then I will wait until a machine 8 times faster than the dual 2Ghz G5 comes out before I update again. I don't make a living from my Mac. If I did I might use a lower performace increase to trigger an upgrade.
  • Reply 11 of 39
    majormattmajormatt Posts: 1,077member
    Yes.



    The G5s are tested enough, and besides it will have a year warranty and if there is something wrong with the 1st generation Apple will have to repair it.
  • Reply 12 of 39
    tripleotripleo Posts: 26member
    Actually I haven't even opened the box yet so there would be no re-stocking fee or anything. ...especially if I tell the guys at MACMALL that I plan to purchase the G5 from them when it comes out. Should be a straight refund.. no money lost.





    Now where I MAY lose money is return shipping the additional 52x CDRW LiteOn internal drive I just ordered for the 2nd optical bay of the G4.



    But in your well informed opinion, I would really be better off taking my chances with the 1st generation G5?
  • Reply 13 of 39
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by tripleo

    Actually I haven't even opened the box yet so there would be no re-stocking fee or anything. ...especially if I tell the guys at MACMALL that I plan to purchase the G5 from them when it comes out. Should be a straight refund.. no money lost.





    Now where I MAY lose money is return shipping the additional 52x CDRW LiteOn internal drive I just ordered for the 2nd optical bay of the G4.



    But in your well informed opinion, I would really be better off taking my chances with the 1st generation G5?



    If you are sure to not have money lost, than buy a dual G5. However i don't know the law in your state, but i can't do that where i live. With the announcement of the new G5 line, the G4 line is much more cheaper. Macmall has not a single chance to sell your dual at the price you bought it.

    Anyway ask them, and good luck.
  • Reply 14 of 39
    tripleotripleo Posts: 26member
    I DID buy the APPLE CARE but is this only valid for my G4? If I were to return it, could I keep the Apple Care for the G5? I haven't even opened the box yet (for the computer OR the Apple Care)



    It actually wouldn't be THAT much of a pain to return the system. There a MacMall store about 5 miles from my house. I haven't opened the box so I could get a full refund... and I'm sure it would make them happy to know that I would be planning on purchasing the G5 from them when it becomes available.



    But yes, I'm just thinking that it might be a lost cause..at least for a while.. because this cutting edge technology can't be utilized by anyone yet. No software is really made to work with 64bit and I haven't heard of any PCI-X cards. So I think there will be some "catch up" time involved in the Mac 3rd party industry.



    Sigh....



    But I WILL have to return the LiteOn 52x CD-RW internal I just ordered.



    Are the Dual 1.42 FW800's really that buggy? I HAVE heard of the heating and noise issues... but I don't know if this is wide spread or if I'm only reading of the few instances it occurs on the mac forums here and on apple.com. Afterall, people dont usually post if everything is working correctly.
  • Reply 15 of 39
    hobbeshobbes Posts: 1,252member
    I expect that the general consensus will be that if you can indeed return your G4, can wait two months for the G5, and absorb the loss for restocking or reselling the secondary internal drive -- yes. Return it.



    The dual G4 you bought will be fine, but the G5 is an order of magnitude better. There's undeniably a bit more uncertainity involved in a 1st generation product, but this is something Apple's been working on for a long time. It's also just a better investment for your hard-earned cash.
  • Reply 16 of 39
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    Purchasing advice belongs in General Discussion.



    Moving, and merging in the same thread from Current Hardware...
  • Reply 17 of 39
    tripleotripleo Posts: 26member
    Well I asked them if the price would be dropping now that the G5's were coming out and they said that they had already dropped the price and it wasn't going to go any lower. After all I just bought it 2 days ago and it wasn;t on any kind of clearance sale. >shrug< I may just have to find out.
  • Reply 18 of 39
    tripleotripleo Posts: 26member
    Sorry. I thought it was relevant because I DO own the computer and it IS a question pertaining to future hardware. But General Discussion is fine. My apologies.





    Quote:

    Originally posted by Amorph

    Purchasing advice belongs in General Discussion.



    Moving...



  • Reply 19 of 39
    tidristidris Posts: 214member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Hobbes

    The dual G4 you bought will be fine, but the G5 is an order of magnitude better.



    A dual 2GHz G5 is nowhere close to being an order of magnitude faster than a dual 1.42GHz G4. An "order of magnitude" means 10x faster afaik.
  • Reply 20 of 39
    fauxcasterfauxcaster Posts: 23member
    Your 1.4 Dual G4 will hold its value better than rev A G5s I bet. I can't believe how long those 9600s held onto their value in the g3 days. I'm not saying its logical, that's just what happened. I think you can wait for rev B G5s and still be able to sell your G4 for a decent amount.
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