System suggestions, help!
Long time (circa 1989) Mac user.
Former Apple engineer.
My home system is a 1.5 GHz PB G4 and 20" Cinema.
I also have an iMac G5, but use the PB more.
I have recently jumped from shooting DV video to HDV video and need a faster editing station for Final Cut Studio. Also use Aperture.
Just trying to figure out if I should get a refurb or current PMG5 CPU or wait for the Intel models.
There are some good deals going on refurb which would still yield something 2-2.75 faster than what I use now. You can pimp out a dual (or dual core) G5 for under $2K.
Any thoughts appreciated.
I just know how the NEW models are, and I like to wait until Rev B before jumping.
Former Apple engineer.
My home system is a 1.5 GHz PB G4 and 20" Cinema.
I also have an iMac G5, but use the PB more.
I have recently jumped from shooting DV video to HDV video and need a faster editing station for Final Cut Studio. Also use Aperture.
Just trying to figure out if I should get a refurb or current PMG5 CPU or wait for the Intel models.
There are some good deals going on refurb which would still yield something 2-2.75 faster than what I use now. You can pimp out a dual (or dual core) G5 for under $2K.
Any thoughts appreciated.
I just know how the NEW models are, and I like to wait until Rev B before jumping.
Comments
The Intel towers will probably be good but the G5 is still very strong and who knows when the pro machines will come out or the price. The G5 as you say can be 'pimped out' with better graphics as well as a custom display and you can get them relatively cheap just now.
If I were you, I would get a Dual G5 now. I have Dual 2 and love it. Through some extra hard drives in and you will love it.
Remember: Something faster will always be around the corner, no matter when you buy. It is likely that the PowerMac will go Intel during the 3rd quarter. If you don't need the machine any time soon and don't care about waiting around to see how things pan out, why not wait. But just remember, no matter when you buy, something newer, faster and spiffier will be around the corner. That's the way it goes with computers. As a former Apple engineer, you should know that more than any of us.
The 20" iMac is quite spiffy. Pimp it out with a BTO 500GB SATA drive, and upgrade the RAM to 2 gigs. It even has DVI out so you can hook up a second monitor. And once the "Mac Pro" comes out, delegate it to other tasks or flog it on eBay. Since all of Apple's pro apps are already either available as universal binaries, or will be in the coming weeks (Aperture is due in mid-April, and I think the others are already all done), everything will be fast and native.