At 8:59 PM -0800 1/1/2010, kimtoufectis wrote: > >I am fairly non-tech; when my work Wintel machine fails an expert >comes to fix it. > >At home I'm on my own; I like simple. My iBook serves mainly as a >netbook: I use Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Reader for >productivity and news, and Pandora, GrooveShark, LaLa, and Playlist >to stream music.
>Searching online showed me that for the $250-500 cost of a netbook I >could step well forward in power with a used iMac (functioning >MacBooks seem out of that pricerange). The architect in me >appreciates the compact, elegant designs of both the G4 and G5 iMacs, >[snip] >(1) What should I expect as the performance delta between the G4 and >G5 in light usage, and does it justify the extra cost? About what you'd expect from the clock speed difference. >Is the G4 advanced enough to serve me for several years, or will I >soon need to >step up again soon to keep up with internet trends? The G4 is a line of great PowerPC processors, perhaps the best ever made; definitely has quite a few more years of life. >(2) I find OS X 10.4 on most G4s and 10.5 on more G5s; any guidance on >which OS is most useable with each processor? Both Tiger and Leopard run great on either processor. Keep in mind that Apple recently made it very difficult for developers to support Tiger, so you're going to see more and more apps go Leopard/Snow Leopard only. Because of that, I *strongly* recommend going to Leopard. Regardless of which OS you use, be sure to throw in lots of memory. 512 MB is about the minimum I recommend. OS X does so much better with 1 GB+. >(4) Given that I'm mostly okay with the 12 inch iBook screen, a 17 >inch screen seems adequate; any great reason to go larger? Bigger better faster more. It's amazing how you get used to one screen size, then a few months after you migrate to something bigger you wonder how you were ever happy with the smaller! LOL >(6) Are there other Macs I should consider, (I don't want a CRT eMac, >but maybe a Mini?) and if so why? I'm not a big fan of the iMac G4, as I seem to be running into a lot with neck failure and screen issues. The Mini G4 is nice but a PITA to upgrade. The iMac G5 is nice; I see very few for repairs. My personal preference is for the later models of Power Mac G4. They're just so versatile, resilient (forgiving) and easy to futz in. You mentioned that you're not an expert. Well, a PM G4 is an easy system with which to learn... HTH, - Dan. -- - Psychoceramic Emeritus; South Jersey, USA, Earth. -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
