On Thu, Jul 28, 2011 at 2:17 PM, Cliff Rediger <redicl...@thecriticalcrab.net> wrote: > The main issues are CPU speed > and the ever increasing number of cool 10.5+ only apps.
There is a tendency for people who don't obsess about these things to tend to fixate on CPU speed. In fact, total system performance is actually a more complicated beast and depends on how a number of factors all interact. A fast CPU can easily be slowed by bottlenecks due to limited RAM or hard drive throughput or, depending on what app you are running, even video throughput. > I've lived with the speed thing because my WiFi ISP speed has been > limited. However, now they've increased their bandwidth, so I can get > up to more commonly reasonable internet speeds. I may be wrong, but I doubt a newer system is going to make much difference in terms of Internet speeds. It might help the browser render faster, but if you are in the US your basic Internet throughput is unlikely to be noticeably improved. The Internet in the US is just not that fast. And that is unlikely to change over the next few years or possibly longer. I don't see that the companies which own the Internet plumbing have any reason at all to upgrade. They've got no competition that I know of. If you are going from 802.11g to 802.11n you may see a local throughput increase. But I wouldn't count on it making your socks go up & down. And that would require that your (WiFi) router also supported 802.11n, not just the new(er) Mac. > **Want to retain PPC apps for now, so need Rosetta and apparently can > only max at 10.5 OS As mentioned earlier Snow Leopard, 10.6, still supports Rosetta. Apple did not drop Rosetta until the current release, Lion, 10.7. > **Cannot afford to change/upgrade my HDs to GUID. Again, as already stated, the only reason you would want GUID partition tables (GPT) on your drives is if you want to boot an Intel Mac from that drive. Otherwise no change should be needed. If you do want to use GPT on a drive it would require backing up the data and reformatting and restoring, not necessarily replacing the drive. > **Would like best video card/system possible That would argue against the 32-bit Intel systems, at least IMHO. IIRC, the 32-bit Intel Macs used Intel integrated graphics. The Intel GMA950 integrated graphics is less special. Unfortunately, Apple did not stop using GMA950 in their Mini line until the early 2009 version. (Macmini3,1 ???) > ** Assume a Mini is most affordable option Best way to find out is to go browse the prices on the different used Macs available. It's hard to supply feedback on this without having a better idea about what you consider to be "affordable". One thing I have noticed about the iMacs is that even broken ones seem to sell for a premium on eBay, especially if the LCD still functions. I have always assumed they are picked up by people who take them apart and sell the parts. They can usually get a very good price for the LCD. On Thu, Jul 28, 2011 at 2:35 PM, Bruce Johnson <john...@pharmacy.arizona.edu> wrote: > While building your own frankenMac out of PC parts isn't the daunting > challenge it > used to be, it sure as heck isn't as simple as a real mac. While not trying to completely discourage against this, I would point out that generally a Hackintosh is a better fit with someone who wants to muck about with their computer at least as much, possibly more, than use their computer. The potential for fiddling and fixing is there every time you install an update. I did not get the impression you were looking for that sort of fun. -irrational john -- 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
