PLEASE Advice on purchase?

chortytke

ok I do moderate multimedia processing (After Effects, FCP and so on), and sort of need a computer now or temporary. so i was thinking about buying the Quad G5 which i know will have enough power, but since the new intel desktops will appear at the end of the year, will the wait be worth the difference in power from Quad G5 and Intel desktops??? or what temporary solution will get me through this wait, Mini mac upgraded, Imac to much?? Also factor in how long until the new software complications will be fixed until the real speeds of the intel chips are utilized properly? And i heard to maybe wait for the second generations of Intels because than new chips will be faster and all bugs fixed????? and since editing mac version of software are basically the same for PC software what are the perks to Universal software if mac versions are already there for the most part??? PLEASE HELP!! IM LOST

marvin

I think a Quad G5 is too much even for video work. I have put it under some pretty intense stuff and it refuses to use more than about 50% per processor, which is a bit of a waste IMO. You might say that I'm not doing intense enough stuff but no, it seems to hold back as if it's reserving some power to let you do something else - I think most apps just aren't capable of using the power yet. I would say at the most go for a dual core.



If the Intel Mini had a decent graphics chip, it would have been ideal for most tasks but sadly that's where it falls short.



The Macbooks are expensive but reports say they are really good. I've taken a dislike to Mac laptops after owning an ibook and powerbook though. The display quality is appalling compared to a Sony laptop, which is similarly priced.



The machine that comes close for me is the Intel Imac but it has an LCD display. I'm currently sticking with my G4 Mini until Apple come up with something better. Also, I'm waiting until more apps come out for OS Xi.



I'd like to recommend something but other than the underpowered Mini, nothing really interests me in the Apple lineup. I think what the majority of people have been saying is that there is a middle market which Apple isn't covering adequately and it's a market where a beefed up Mini would be ideal.



Overall, I'd say that if you want an upgrade, go for a PPC to last for the next 6-12 months while software developers get up to speed but go with a cheap one so it doesn't depreciate. Looking at the Apple site, I'd be most inclined to get the lowest G5 tower.



It isn't much more than the imac G5 but has two processors where the imac has one and it won't depreciate nearly as much because of all the expansion it allows. The imac G5s had cooling problems too. Plus you can use the monitor you have already.



In Summary my suggestion is:



Buy the dual 2GHz G5 tower (2GB Ram) or wait a while.

4fx

I agree with Marvin's suggestion. If you need a useable machine primarily for After Effects and FCP, and you need it before about a year to a year and a half, then go with a G5. FCP Studio will be Universal in about a month, but After Effects was just released and Adobe has unfortunately already said they will not make it Universal until its next major upgrade. I would not even attempt to run these apps though Rosetta emulation on an Intel Mac, you'll end up pulling out your hair.



The G5 will give you solid performance and reliability and should last you a good two years or more. Also, you get the benifit of being able to do your work with it now, rather than later (time is money after all).



As Marvin said, get at least 2GB of RAM, but not more than 4GB (FCP and AE can't address more than 4GB anyway, so its a waste of money).



If I were you, I would get the middle or low end G5 and save your money for Hard Drives (an Xserve RAID is always a nice addition), monitors, decks, capture cards, etc.



By the time After Effects is a Universal app, you will have gotten a lot of great use out of your G5, Im sure you wont regret it at all.