On Jan 21, 2010, at 12:08 PM, Mac User #330250 wrote: > Hello fellows of the G-Group! > > I was just thinking about the future. I've just made an old G3 B&W working > again (it was wasting space and picking up dust for about two years or more) > and it is now in my office. I've installed Tiger and it is just okay working > with it, in other words: it is slow. > > Where was I? Ah, thinking about the future... > Apparently Apple has finally dropped all support for Tiger. That was > forseeable, it doesn't come as a surprise. > > I am wondering: I read so many postings here about people buying or working > with Power Macs and G3/G4-Laptops. As operating system you're all running Mac > OS X, some are still on Mac OS (which I call "Classic", because I've joined > the Mac world two years ago so the term seems fit to me). > > But why? (Why Power Macs _and_ why Mac OS X?) > > All newer software will be for Mac OS X/Intel very soon. Some of you may be > using Leopard already, but it is now also just a question of time when it > will > be dropped as well. And this is dropping PowerPC support alltogether. > > If Apple does as they always do, Leopard support will be dropped with the > release of the successor of Snow Leopard. Since Snow Leopard is already 6 > months out, PowerPC users are safe for another two years or so. But that will > be it. Dead for good. No more. The end. > > So why bother with the G3-G5 anyhow? > > > On the other hand you can all convert to Linux. Linux was and will be running > on PowerPC for at least another decade (-- my personal opinion). So if Mac OS > X is now longer an option, you can always go the Linux way. But as I think of > it, you will all be very unhappy with Linux. Mac OS X is really the best when > it comes to being user friendly and easy to use for everyone (beginners but > also experts; and geeks off course). > > > I'm now in this situation. My G3 B&W runs Tiger. I use it in my office for > writing documents (Word 2004, OpenOffice.org Writer 3.1.1 and Bean), for > making spreadsheet calculations (Excel 2004 and OpenOffice.org Calc 3.1.1) > _and_ for surfing in the world wide web. And the last part is the problem. > With Tiger no longer being supported the recently discovered security flaws > are no longer being fixed. Surfing the internet will become more dangerous. > > Newer browsers will be (Snow)Leopard-only. Tiger support will be dropped in > the forseeable future. Using old browsers (with ahellofalot unfixed security > flaws not yet discovered) will also make the situation worse. (Like running > Panther and being bound to use Firefox version 2.0, which is not a good idea > if you ask me.) > > > So: why bother with Gs? > > I've read, I think it was the Geekbench homepage, that the switch to Intel > was > a boost in performance to the Mac world. And I agree. Intel Macs are just... > well, Macs! It doesn't make a difference if the hardware is PowerPC or Intel > x86 -- as long as the operating system doesn't show any difference at all -- > which it doesn't. Work on an Intel Mac and you won't notice anything, except > that it is faster than any Power Mac you've ever used. Period. > > > To clarify one thing: I'm only having Power Macs standing around at home and > the one in my office. I got them as presents since they were no longer used > in > the company of a friend. So he thought I could use them still, which I do by > the way. Just one I bought myself: a Late 2005 G5 with 2.0 GHz Dual-Core. It > is nice, but really Leopard isn't using all its power (like 64-bit). > > _But_ my perspective was always to run Linux on it, just like I did -and do- > with all my x86-PCs. So for me it was mainly a new experience and to see if I > could manage a difference hardware architecture with Linux. > > I've also entered the world of Mac OS X -- which is a great OS by the way -- > and got stuck with using Tiger daily on my G3 B&W. I love it. Something > different for a change. > > > So, G-Group: Why are you (still) PowerPC-based Mac users? > > Cheers, > Andreas aka Mac User #330250 (and: Linux User #330250, Windows User #330250)
What makes you think just because Apple drops support for PPCs and OX 10.411 and 10.5.8 that all of a sudden every thing will cease to work? I still run my QuickBooks 2007, AppleWorks 6 and a host of other stuff My G3 iMacs at my shop and the same programs on my G5s and MBPs at the house. Apple didn't plant a bomb in theses boxes to go off at will like Windoze does . I have some very expensive CAD software that only will run on OS9 believe it or not. I need that stuff every day. A lot of us don't need Apple to support our machines anyway there's a lot of stuff out there for a long long time. But that's just me. John Carmonne Yorba Linda USA -- 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 g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list