Shel Belinkoff wrote:
Thanks for your comments. I've been to the site but was hoping to get some
first hand comments from users. I guess the G5 is still new and spendy
(much more expensive than a comparable PC), so there may not be too many
people using them yet. The machine struck me as quite elegant ...
Shel
The G5 IS elegant! But as with most Apple Macs, there are several incantations of the G5, from sort of almost inexpensive to quite expensive.
I've been with the Mac since 1986, and I've gradually come to NOT buying the very latest and greatest, to let Apple sort things out for 6 months or a year before I buy.
So, my latest purchase, a little over a year ago was a tower style Power Mac G4. The single processor speed is 1.25 Ghz. I had the RAM slots filled up to 1 Gbyte, the HD is an 80 Gb 7200 RPM ATA-100 unit from IBM, 167 Mhz buss speed.
It came with Operating System 10.2.6 loaded. I have since upgraded to OS 10.3.7, and I'm very happy with it!
This unit is a joy to use!
Before I noticed the speed increase over my Beige G3's 333 Mhz processor, I noticed the quiet!
When I leave the machine, instead of turning it off, I select "Sleep." Everything powers down except for the bathroom light, and it's absolutely dead quiet!
When I turn it back on, the fan "noise" starts, but if you stand 10 feet away, you have trouble hearing it at all. Literally.
I can whisper in conspiratorial tones to a partner seated beside me, and we hear every sibilant. It's quiet. Never had a Mac so quiet.
Needless to say, I'm thrilled with this Mac.
I do a lot of web browsing, list visiting, and writing. I also do some CAD style drawing. Screen refresh is never a problem. When I open and work with spreadsheets, or any other large program, I never notice any difference from a simple text appllication, speed-wise.
I got mine for something like $1200.
If you can find one left on an Apple store shelf, you ought to pick one up for $800 or so.
On the other hand, there are still eMAc G4s available, brand new, starting at about $800. With an eMac you don't need a separate monitor, as a 17" (1280x960) monitor is bullt-in.
As is a 56k modem. Firewire 400, USB 2.0 and Ethernet connectors.
So, in the end, I can't give you any G5 experience, but if you can "settle" for a fast G4, you will not be disappointed!
That I can guarantee you!
Hope that helps,
keith whaley
[Original Message] From: Cotty <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
This page gives you all the relevant info:
<http://www.apple.com/powermac/specs.html>
