I'll tell you why I use a G4 AGP graphics with a 450 processor. Because I refuse to collude with the destruction of our planet by dumping a working machine and buying a less reliable replacement I don;t really need. I also refuse to surrender to Apple's pressure to constantly update hardware and software they try to force on us by their simple expediency of withdrawing support for everything not quite current. If I want to upgrade I can (and do) add memory, an additional hard drive, an external firewire DVD burner (pre-owned from ebay), PCI cards etc. I can get used software cheaply online. I can continue to use OS 9.2 on the original drive with some of the vintage software I have, with OS X tiger on the newer drive. Recycling could be our salvation.
I've been using Macs since the SE30 was an innovation. I have an LC and a Powermac in the attic. They both still work. A 1975 VW beetle would get me from A to B. Think of my G4 as a VW beetle. Long may it last On Jan 21, 8:08 pm, "Mac User #330250" <macuser330...@gmx.net> 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) -- 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
