you can get a core 2 duo for 399 brand new in a mini. why get a core solo for the same money?
On Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 12:55 AM, Ed Booher <edboo...@gmail.com> wrote: > On Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 2:58 PM, archer <arche...@embarqmail.com> wrote: > > > All advice on which one an Apple newby should buy will be greatly > > appreciated. > > Gerry > > > > Gerry, > > I'm going to wade into this discussion and take the Devil's Advocate > position. In the spirit of full disclosure, I do own Apple stock, and > generally prefer Mac OS X over all other operating systems. That being > said: > > > > ================================== > > $235 A43 APPLE iBOOK G4 A1055 1.33GHz 512MB 60GB DVD WiFi > > ------------------------------ > > $125 A172 APPLE iBOOK G4 A1055 1.33GHz 512MB 60GB DVD WiFi > > ------------------------------ > > > The G4 iBook was a very nice machine, and these two examples will allow you > to run Leopard, the last PowerPC version of the Mac OS. If you are going to > buy one of these machines just to learn the OS, then one of these would be > my recommendation. > > > > ------------------------------ > > $150 A26 APPLE iBook A1005 G3 700MHz 256MB 20GB CD LAPTOP > > MAC OS 10.4 TIGER iLIFE AIRPORT CARD INSTALLED > > ------------------------------ > > $175 A139 APPLE iBOOK G3 A1007 900MHz 256MB 40GB DVD WiFi > > ------------------------------ > > $100 A65 APPLE iBook A1005 G3 700MHz 256MB 20GB CD LAPTOP > > MAC OS 10.4 TIGER iLIFE AIRPORT CARD INSTALLED > > ------------------------------ > > $100 A34 APPLE iBOOK 600MHz 640MB 40GB DVD CD-RW WiFi M6497 > > 30 DAY DOA WARRANTY - MAC OS 10.4 TIGER iLIFE INSTALLED > > ------------------------------ > >> > >> > Do not, under any circumstances, buy a G3 anything. > > > > ------------------------------ > > $100 (DESKTOP) SM1 APPLE QUICKSILVER POWER MAC G4 800MHZ 768MB CD-RW > > ------------------------------ > > > > This machine will not officially run Leopard. You will have to learn how to > force Leopard onto this system, and as such may become frustrated. > > With that being said, personally, I wouldn't offer any of these machines to > a first time Apple buyer for several reasons without knowing specifically > what you want to use a Mac to do. So I will make some assumptions and > attempt to talk you forward based on that. > > First, the PowerPC (PPC) architecture is well and truly dead. Snow Leopard, > Mac OS X 10.6, is Intel only and has absolutely no PPC code left in the > system. Most games already are using a series of code that allows Windows > games to be quickly ported to the *Intel* version of the Mac OS by using > some of the WINE code to compile into the code to make the Windows API > specific parts of the game think they are running on a Windows machine. > This > means that there is already software that simply will not run on any > version > of the PPC Mac OS, and that will only get worse as new software is written > specifically for Snow Leopard. > > Second, out of all of the choices offered above the best ones are the G4 > iBooks. These iBooks were introduced in 2004, and as such are already 5 > years old technologically. The video processing (which is important for the > video you mention) is only 32 MB in an ATI 9200 Radeon chip on the high > end. > Can you perform video functions with this chipset? Yes. Will it be fluid? > Depends on what you are watching. YouTube regular video? Probably ok. > YouTube HD video? Really pushing it. Hulu, CBS, ABC, etc? Depends on bit > rate and resolution. Basically, bandwidth is important to get the data to > you, however, it's still up to the video processor to decode and display > that information. > > Third, while I am confident you will love the Mac OS if given an open and > honest chance. There is always that learning curve for new ideology. > Meaning, if you have Windows so ingrained that you just can't get your mind > to wrap around how the Mac OS does things, you'll always feel like it's > mocking you. Making you angry. With a PPC Mac, you are stuck with the Mac > OS, or PPC Linux/BSD. Reference the First point and you increase the > probability that this machine will sit unused. > > Fourth, while $235 will not buy you even a Core Solo (Intel) Mac Mini, when > you can find them $399 will. In fact Power Max ( > http://www.powermax.com/parts/show/c-u66060) has one in stock right now. > 1.5 > Ghz Core Solo, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB hard drive and 64 MB Video RAM with the > Intel GMA950 integrated graphics system. Also not a powerhouse video card, > but better at video decoding than the ATI. $599 will get you a Core Duo > iMac > with integrated 17" LCD monitor. $595 will also get you a 1st Generation > Core Duo MacBook as well, if a laptop is truly important to you. > > What does your $164 (for the Core Solo Mini) in difference get you? Peace > of > Mind Insurance. The Intel Macs can run Windows. In fact several PC > magazines > say the best Windows PC to buy is a Mac. So if the Third point comes to > pass > that you just have to have Windows, you can remove the Mac OS and install > Windows and chalk it up as a bad exercise. It also buys you the chance to > use Snow Leopard (though in the case of the Core Solo, not at full > strength. > Snow really loves multiple core/multiple processors) which will be out in > Sept, and will keep your Mac current for the next generation, thereby also > allowing you to have less worry about what software will not work for you. > > I want you to use a Mac, I think you'd enjoy it, but that is my opinion and > you might hate it. However I also want you to have the best chance at > enjoying your experience. Again, in my opinion, none of your neighbors Macs > fit the bill. Let him sell them to Mac geeks like myself, that are willing > to put up with the PPC quirks and already have knowledge of how to work > around them and follow the maxim "You get what you pay for" and take some > time to add a little bit more scratch to your budget and get a Mac you can > use for the next few years. > > EdB > > -- > "I'm a Night Elf Mohawk!" - Mr. T. > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://okiebenz.com/pipermail/mercedes_okiebenz.com/attachments/20090627/93f0cb21/attachment.html > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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