14 replies to this topic

[BananaPeal]

hello,

this is my first post. I've been a windows user all my life but OSx seems as if its on another level from windows. I'm currently looking for a new desktop and I'm wondering whether to commit to a new imac, its price and features are very similar to a dell dual core model i've been looking at. I'd be very willing to pay the $150-200 premium for the mac.

Unfortunatly this business about apple switching to the x86 platform has made me wonder whether to wait for the new intel macs or perhaps a better pc on which to load an intel compatible version of OSx...

I'd be very greatful if anyone could offer some advice!

Thanks,
Alex

[Eggman]

Well... If you need a computer now, you should get a PC (or if you love Mac, like me, go ahead and buy a PPC Mac).

If you can wait until January, do so!  Intel Macs will be very powerful!

I wouldn't recommend a more powerful PC, most of all for the reason that OSx86 is illegal.

PPC Macs, while running Tiger, aren't that good, in my opinion.  If you look at the specs, PowerPC processors don't offer that much power.

[cyrana]

Do you need a computer "right now"?  If not, I'd wait until January just to see if the x86 macs really are released.  The iMac G5 is a decently fast computer, I don't think it'll get upgraded quite yet, but hopefully we'll see some updates on the lower end stuff then.

I sort of disagree with Eggman, but you do pay a bit too much for the power you get on the G5-based systems.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

In some ways the higher cost of ownership of a G5 can be offset by the excellent resale value of used late model powermacs.

There are also refurbished units available directly from apple or full service vendors such as smalldog.

For instance there is a Dual 2.3ghz G5 tower with ATi 9600 available for $1999.

Not a bad price for a dual processor machine that runs OS X I think and the quality of the hardware is outstanding

[m4ff3w]

Zaphod Beeblebrox, on Dec 1 2005, 09:12 AM, said:

In some ways the higher cost of ownership of a G5 can be offset by the excellent resale value of used late model powermacs.

There are also refurbished units available directly from apple or full service vendors such as smalldog.

For instance there is a Dual 2.3ghz G5 tower with ATi 9600 available for $1999.

Not a bad price for a dual processor machine that runs OS X I think and the quality of the hardware is outstanding

But how will the resale of PPC Macs be after the switch?

[bjr1028]

The hardcore Apple zealots would pay a decent price for them.  Other than that, PowerPC systems will be obsolete pretty fast.  To be honest, if I were Apple, I wouldn't support them in 10.5.

[blahsucks]

It depends on your Windows dependence. WINE and Windows will be completely useless on a PPC Mac unless you decide to buy Virtual PC, which is still slow.

Intel iMacs won't be out for a few months, but they will run Windows dual-boot and Darwine flawlessly.

Application/OS support won't be problematic for a few years. Unibins will remain prevalent for quite a while. Once PPC binaries start disappearing, the iMac G5 will be obsolete anyway.

[BananaPeal]

Hello agian,

It is abit scary thinking that the ppc imac would become obsolete once apple stops supporting software, but other than that it seems pretty competitive according to this cnet article... the 17inch not so much probably. I imagine the dual core windows systems will pull away once software takes advantage of it.

I think i may end up waiting unless i succumb to the need of a new computer to get the dell box. Thanks for your help!

[bjr1028]

By the time windows machines take advantage of DC/SMP technology, rumor has it dual core yonah iMacs will be on the scene.  Mac OS X was designed for multi-processing from the start.

Edited by bjr1028, 02 December 2005 - 03:53 PM.

[cyrana]

bjr1028, on Dec 2 2005, 09:55 AM, said:

By the time windows machines take advantage of DC/SMP technology, rumor has it dual core yonah iMacs will be on the scene.  Mac OS X was designed for multi-processing from the start.

Windows already does... I use linux and mac even more, but still, it isn't like Windows is single threaded or anything.

And again, on topic, I say wait a bit and see what January brings.

Edited by cyrana, 02 December 2005 - 10:47 PM.

[fungi79]

Should get the imac now since there won't be an intel version until next June.

And no, software and new version of OSX will continue to be available for the imac long after you put it into storage so software support isn't a worry.

[bigjohnjr]

You could just spend $500.00 and get a mac mini.

[Joshua]

fungi79, on Dec 7 2005, 06:13 AM, said:

Should get the imac now since there won't be an intel version until next June.

Oh really. Your sources, please?

[Loxx]

To be brutally honest I couldnt see the appeal of macs until my future mother in law bought her third mac and i started to play and woke up that the OS was smooth and fast...  I was eyeing up a G5 until the MacOS for Intel announcment and thanks to you guys will wait til next year and get a new system,

Secondly is it possible to increase a VMware disk image (currently 6GB) im using for Tiger.
I didnt create the original image.


thanks and laters

[macgirl]

It is possible, there is a utility in the pearpc site called HD Image Resizer, is written in Java.

But the problem is that inside Tiger the disk is increasead but not the partition, I tried to resize wit different partition utilities like iPartition, DriveGenius, VolumeWorks and Disk Studio, none of them recognize the scheme inside the Image, althoug it worked on a Hard Disk.

The other way y to make a new Image the size you want with VMWare and ditto the contents of one to the other.