Cara Veteran Posted July 13, 2002 Veteran Share Posted July 13, 2002 Let me preface this by saying I'm currently a PC User and have been all my life... Now, I'm considering purchasing a Mac due to the newly published information about Microsoft's TCP/MS which is trying to make it's way into every day life... Now, if I were to purchase the following... Power Mac G4 1.5GB SDRAM - 3 DIMMs Apple Pro Keyboard - U.S. English Accessory kit Mac OS - U.S. English 1GHz - DP PowerPC G4 NVIDIA GeForce4 Titanium Apple SuperDrive 2x80GB Ultra ATA drive APP for Power Mac (w/ or w/o display) - Enrollment Kit Apple Cinema Display (22" flat panel) About what lifespan am I looking at for this system? In the IBM/PC world I've found most systems have an average lifespan of about 1 year before they start to show their age... After 2 years they are coming close to the base requirements of the latest and greatest programs (OS's also), and after 3 years you can convert it safely into a boat anchor... Given the fact that the above Mac will run me around $6,818.00 (USD) which is enough for me to purchase 11 decent IBM/PC systems, I need to know if in a year or so it will be so out of date I'll be left with only the option of upgrading to stay on top of things... I'd like to thank everyone for their responses ahead of time and remind flamers need not apply... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenmuncher Posted July 13, 2002 Share Posted July 13, 2002 About what lifespan am I looking at for this system? In the IBM/PC world I've found most systems have an average lifespan of about 1 year before they start to show their age... After 2 years they are coming close to the base requirements of the latest and greatest programs (OS's also), and after 3 years you can convert it safely into a boat anchor... Thats not true for PC's, my PC was made in 1998 (4 years ago yesterday) it came standard at 400mhz p2, 128MB ram, 8MB nvidia riva128zx. 12gb 7200rpm drive, 4x DVD-ROM and ESS audio drive 1968 audio. The only thing i've put in my computer is a 40GB HD for 160$, a 128MB more of ram for 40$, and a GF2 for 120. I only put the GF card in cuz i had the money otherwise my machine had nothing wrong with it. PC's do not go downhill that fast. Yea its not even close to top of the line but runs pretty good. just my 2000 cents Greenmuncher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzla Veteran Posted July 13, 2002 Veteran Share Posted July 13, 2002 Well for starters, I find it unlikely that you will be purchasing this system. Remember you are the same person who claims to own a P4 2.53GHz and over a gb of RDram :rolleyes: Anyway, back on topic. This will easily last for 4 years. iMacs and powermacs purchased in '98 are still more then capable of running OS X well if they have enough ram. Plus there is always the option of upgrades. For example (on behalf of Kitten, your other friend) you can purchase a Dual 1ghz CPU upgrade for towers for 300, a bargain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara Veteran Posted July 13, 2002 Author Veteran Share Posted July 13, 2002 Originally posted by Greenmuncher Thats not true for PC's, my PC was made in 1998 (4 years ago yesterday) it came standard at 400mhz p2, 128MB ram, 8MB nvidia riva128zx. 12gb 7200rpm drive, 4x DVD-ROM and ESS audio drive 1968 audio. The only thing i've put in my computer is a 40GB HD for 160$, a 128MB more of ram for 40$, and a GF2 for 120. I only put the GF card in cuz i had the money otherwise my machine had nothing wrong with it. PC's do not go downhill that fast. Yea its not even close to top of the line but runs pretty good. just my 2000 cents Greenmuncher Not going to go too far off topic but to give you the basis of my information... Information Based on an Custom Built Pentium III 450mhz / 512MB PC-100 / 20GB Ultra 66 (@33) / Geforce 3 Ti500 / system when compairing to modern computer game requirements such as EverQuest: SOL / Asheron's Call 2 (Beta), each of which requiring greater than the P3 450 on requirments. Both games will play, on lowest detail settings, on a P3-450m with extreme local side lag. This isn't my primary system but that is what I am basing the decline of it's usefulness on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara Veteran Posted July 13, 2002 Author Veteran Share Posted July 13, 2002 Originally posted by Dazzla Well for starters, I find it unlikely that you will be purchasing this system. Remember you are the same person who claims to own a P4 2.53GHz and over a gb of RDram :rolleyes: Anyway, back on topic. This will easily last for 4 years. iMacs and powermacs purchased in '98 are still more then capable of running OS X well if they have enough ram. Plus there is always the option of upgrades. For example (on behalf of Kitten, your other friend) you can purchase a Dual 1ghz CPU upgrade for towers for 300, a bargain. Actually Dazzla, I'm considering this system for purchase sometime in the next 6 - 12 months. I will admit I am not considering this for a purchase for tommorrow but I'm gathering as much information as I can as I'm putting aside a little money from each paycheck. I'd pose to you then what you'd recogmend for a system with a decent lifespan at a lower cost... (Only thing that I won't compromise on is that monitor, I saw one at a local Apple Store and fell in love with it. ;)) I do appreciate the other information and would be intrested in any suggestion you might have. The prices I got were off the online Apple store which I've gathered from reading here isn't the place to finilize a buy... Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzla Veteran Posted July 13, 2002 Veteran Share Posted July 13, 2002 I'm probably going to be on the lookout for a tower soon as well but I wont take what Apple says as gospel. I'm thinking of purchasing the base model, buying my own CPU upgrade and memory then I'll have plenty of money left over for things like iPods, digital camera's and a nice big tft screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenmuncher Posted July 13, 2002 Share Posted July 13, 2002 Originally posted by Cara Not going to go too far off topic but to give you the basis of my information... Information Based on an Custom Built Pentium III 450mhz / 512MB PC-100 / 20GB Ultra 66 (@33) / Geforce 3 Ti500 / system when compairing to modern computer game requirements such as EverQuest: SOL / Asheron's Call 2 (Beta), each of which requiring greater than the P3 450 on requirments. Both games will play, on lowest detail settings, on a P3-450m with extreme local side lag. This isn't my primary system but that is what I am basing the decline of it's usefulness on. If you play games and such, put i can do all my work on here, and even play the od game like Jedi knigh 2 or RTCW withlout lag on the client or server side. Sure if you want the best graphics and such. but i know where your comming from, my comp does what i need it to, if it didnt i would get a new one :) Greenmuncher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest deadzombie Posted July 14, 2002 Share Posted July 14, 2002 This is a good thread. I seriously have my eye on a refurbushed 450mhz cube I've seen in the local Computer Shopper for @$400 (no monitor). Is that a good deal? And are the cubes able to run OSX? Can they run it well? Will a cube last with it's heating system? I haven't been on a Mac in over a year, so I'm lost when it comes to Apple hardware... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest deadzombie Posted July 14, 2002 Share Posted July 14, 2002 And what happend to the 17" Studio CRT monitor that Apple was pushing so hard last year? I'd love a flat display, but my budget (I have 3 kids) won't allow right now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickedkitten Veteran Posted July 14, 2002 Veteran Share Posted July 14, 2002 Originally posted by deadzombie This is a good thread. I seriously have my eye on a refurbushed 450mhz cube I've seen in the local Computer Shopper for @$400 (no monitor). Is that a good deal? And are the cubes able to run OSX? Can they run it well? Will a cube last with it's heating system? I haven't been on a Mac in over a year, so I'm lost when it comes to Apple hardware... :o $400??? holy **** thats only ?250! If you don't want it I'll take it. We have a cube right now that is running osx with no problems at all. The cube runs fine with it's heat system which basically consists of a heatsink and is quiet as a mouse. Ross popped out the rage 128 pro that was in here and put a gf2mx in instead. Sonnet just announced that they are going to be releasing a dual 1ghz upgrade for the cube as well so cube owners the world over are kicking theirselves for selling away their babies for faster imacs. You must get that cube and become one with the force DZ:|| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvorgold Posted July 14, 2002 Share Posted July 14, 2002 idd get a cube if i could afford it (i might look around in the fall), i was looking on ebay and there was a cube with an apple 15" studio display for only $1600 CDN (n has a 60 gig drive which the owner added on) i'dd buy that any day :D if i only had the money right now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerosignull Posted July 14, 2002 Share Posted July 14, 2002 Microsoft's TCP/MS is what now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara Veteran Posted July 14, 2002 Author Veteran Share Posted July 14, 2002 Originally posted by Zerosignull Microsoft's TCP/MS is what now? A quick and somewhat inaccurate description is basically a converted version of TCP/IP designed around Microsoft's Digital Rights Management... For example, you could not record MP3's on one system and play them back on another system... After breakfast I'll see if I can find those documents I read up on it with... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickedkitten Veteran Posted July 14, 2002 Veteran Share Posted July 14, 2002 Originally posted by Cara A quick and somewhat inaccurate description is basically a converted version of TCP/IP designed around Microsoft's Digital Rights Management... For example, you could not record MP3's on one system and play them back on another system... After breakfast I'll see if I can find those documents I read up on it with... whats that got to do with tcp/ip? That is Digital Rights Management Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara Veteran Posted July 14, 2002 Author Veteran Share Posted July 14, 2002 Originally posted by Wickedkitten whats that got to do with tcp/ip? That is Digital Rights Management I should learn to type after I wake up. hehe. What I forgot to type is that the TCP/MS protocal allows MS to remotely manage your ability to access files and programs though the actual protocal, no need for them to put in seperate applications since any time you go to open a program it can stream it's own little ID Code out, unstopable, via the protocal. Add this along with the new forms of Hardware DRM coming to PC Systems that would allow companies to have a greater control over what you do with your system and I think it's time to start seeking out alternatives... BTW, Dazzla, thanks for your advice, I've managed to go out to a few other sites and price out similar configurations to that one I posted for nearly 2,000 USD less... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrunkenMaster Posted July 14, 2002 Share Posted July 14, 2002 Depends what you want to do with the system. Some people out there, just o play games will buy the latest and greatest. I don't really care if I get 120 frames a second at 1024x768 in Quake III. I've learned to put up with some lag and slow frame rate to play a game. Sorry to disappoint. I use my computer for programming, surfing and writing documents and the "occasional" game. Why blow 6 G's on a computer? You'll have to buy entirely new software, the games will be limited (if thats your plan). If you just want a gamining system buy a console. If you want a workstation, look at using Linux instead and invest in some 3d acceleration software (ie Xi Graphics) makes metroworks which does full-native OpenGl rendering of Linux for about $200. If you really want a MAC, heck I would get one if the price comes down, consider buying a G4 as bare as you can get an buy your own hard drives, keyboard etc afterwards that should save you some coin. In your case, probably over $1000 or close to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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