[JPigford]

Well...I've wrestled with myself for 2 years trying to convince myself I didn't want a mac...apparently I was just fooling myself. In the next couple of days I'll be purchasing one with the following specs:

PowerMac G5 Dual 2GHz
250GB Harddrive
2GB SDRAM
ATI Radeon 9800 XT w/256MB DDR SDRAM
+Plus all the other fun stuff that comes with the mac

I'm also getting myself an iPod while I'm at it.

I'll also be repurchasing all my software that I don't have a mac version of. Anywho, basically what I'm looking for are some recommendations of what kinda accessories I should think about getting...hardware and software. So bring it.

[sworthy]

First thing I'd suggest is a new mouse. I prefer the logitech mx 700 link

Other things you might want:

-speakers (you may or may not have some), if not, I prefer a simple 2.1 setup like this Obviously not a high end setup, but for $55 you can't beat it.

-monitor (os x is sweet w/ a large monitor, may I suggest a new or old 20" cinema display?)

What else do you use your computer for, do you have any specific needs?

btw, don't buy your RAM from Apple, buy from crucial, OWC, or others

[JPigford]

I have a wacom tablet that I use which has a great wireless mouse. I also have great speakers. I've got a 17" TFT-LCD Flat Screen monitor that I've had since December that I plan on using for this unless I could find a VERY good deal on one of the cinema displays. I've been doing web/graphic design as well as video production on PC for years and I have a very good PC that I built but I just finally have convinced myself it's time to switch to mac.

So concerning the RAM. You're suggesting just get the bare minimum that I can with the package deal from mac and then buy the rest from somewhere else? And where are some good places to get memory for mac?

I've been hardcore PC for so many years and so I'm a bit lost when it comes to finding the best deals on things for mac.

[JPigford]

Okay...here's a link to the memory I'm thinking about getting.

http://eshop.macsales.com/Catalog_It...3200DDR1GBPKIT

I would get 2 orders of that to give me 2GB of memory from them in addition to the 512mb that comes stock with the mac to give me 2.5GB of RAM. Is this a good idea?

[sworthy]

Yea that sounds good. That's where I got my powerbook RAM. Maybe ask some of the folks in the powermac forum about best RAM deals. Definitely cheaper than buying directly from Apple.

As for 'deals' (apple doesn't really let resellers mark down there items) check dealmac.com and http://www.dealsontheweb.com/headlines.php

I've had particular success with the latter.

Also, you should consider buying a rev a dual 2.0 instead of the rev b if you're interested in saving a few hundred bucks.