[The Placid Casual]

Will thi smachine meet my needs...

Buying to use it for Indesign 2 *ONLY*, (and keep my foot in the Mac camp).

Using my PC for all email, database, Photoshop and Illustrator work, but can't face Indesign on x86.

Looks like I got a good deal on the machine, but will it be up to the task?

It is stock except for a 7200rpm HD 80 Gig drive, CD-RW/DVD Combo drive and 1 Gig RAM.

TIA,

Marc

P.S. Also, anyone know what CD-RW will fit in this machine?

[Back up 15 and punt]

Should work just fine. I use the same machine.

[Exizl del Fuego]

It should work great. I've been setting up a lab full of those machines, but with smaller hard drives and less RAM, and they do quite well under 10.3.

[mac freak]

I was shocked at how well 10.3 performed on my old DP450. Much faster than 10.2, and a much greater difference than 10.1-10.2.

Of course, it was being installed from my new G5 DVD

[naderby]

I use ID2 on the DP450 everyday. It runs ok, but you have to remember ID2 can clog up with large documents or quality previews switched on.

I have 1GB RAM with this machine and would say this is crucial. By the time you have System/ID2/AI10/PS7 running you need it.

One thing to remember: ID2 is not multi-processor aware and as such you're bascially running it on a single processor 450.

Not sure why you'd use the AI and PS on the PC though? Wouldn't you want to share your type collection?

[The Placid Casual]

Originally posted by naderby:
I use ID2 on the DP450 everyday. It runs ok, but you have to remember ID2 can clog up with large documents or quality previews switched on.

I have 1GB RAM with this machine and would say this is crucial. By the time you have System/ID2/AI10/PS7 running you need it.

One thing to remember: ID2 is not multi-processor aware and as such you're bascially running it on a single processor 450.

Not sure why you'd use the AI and PS on the PC though? Wouldn't you want to share your type collection?

Thanks for the replies everyone, much appreciated!

In all honesty, I would like to run them all on the same machine, a Mac. However my PC is very nippy indeed and 'in theory' presents as lot of time saving benefits! (XP3200+, nForce 2, 9600XT, 1 Gig RAM, etc etc). PS really flies.

It is much Much quicker than the dual 867 box I had, and a 1.25ghz Powermac I have been playing with. Also more importantly it cost me £350 to make compared to £2500 for a dual G5! When I built tha machine, it seemed like a no brainer! However...

ID2 is just horrible on the PC! PS is not much better, but I can handle it as it is very quick, but ID... Whoa, it is a whole new level of hell for me!

I have used Mac for 12+ years, and guess I have just got stuck in my ways, but after 2 months PC usage, thinking of doing any DTP on the PC brings me out in a cold sweat...

Interesting info on the ID2 dual processor usage... brings another variable into the equation.

Cheers again,

Marc

[The Placid Casual]

Just wondering how the dual 450 would stack up against a 733ghz G4 PM?

[Link]

For stuff like that which is not MP aware you'd BETTER go with a beefier single. A 733 is good but lacks decent cache so I'd say a 733 graphite or 867 qs.

[The Placid Casual]

Hmmm, Just got the dual 450... worked out much cheaper in the end. The stuff I'm doing is not that intensive, in fact I used to do it on a G4 400, so I should be OK...

Only thing now is a CD-RW.

Anyne know which ones are so to speak, 'best', and would allow burning in iTunes?

[Luca Rescigno]

The Lite-on LTR-52327S is fully supported for everything in 10.3. I had one, but I sold it and got a Combo drive instead. NewEgg has the LTR-52327S in stock right now for $39 w/ free shipping. It's 52x32x52x.

[The Placid Casual]

Originally posted by Luca Rescigno:
The Lite-on LTR-52327S is fully supported for everything in 10.3. I had one, but I sold it and got a Combo drive instead. NewEgg has the LTR-52327S in stock right now for $39 w/ free shipping. It's 52x32x52x.

Cool, thanks! My local retailer here in the UK has one in stock, may order tomorrow... I can put the DVD drive in my PC case as a 'spare'.

I would get a Combo drive like the one I have in my PC, but in reality I can count on one hand the amount of times I play DVD's, or even need to read from one.

*EDIT* Although, out of interest, which model drive do you have, and it would seem that CD-RW and Combo drives are pretty much the same price?

Once again, thanks!

Marc

[Luca Rescigno]

My combo drive is an LG GCC-4480B. I think it's discontinued, but this particular model is 48x24x48x and is also fully supported in OS X. I got it on eBay.

[The Placid Casual]

Originally posted by Luca Rescigno:
My combo drive is an LG GCC-4480B. I think it's discontinued, but this particular model is 48x24x48x and is also fully supported in OS X. I got it on eBay.

Cool!

Thats the same drive I just bought for my PC last month...

I think I'm going to put it in the Powermac, and put a new 52x CD-RW, and the DVD drive in the PC tower and save a few bucks. (And use some of the 6 optical drive bays )

[Lateralus]

I have been looking for a decently priced GCC-4480B for quite a while. However, it would appear that the word is out amoungst the Mac geeks that the drive is fully supported under OS X since used 4480Bs go for more on eBay than the brand new version of the model that replaced it sells for @ NewEgg.

[The Placid Casual]

Originally posted by PowerMacMan:
I have been looking for a decently priced GCC-4480B for quite a while. However, it would appear that the word is out amoungst the Mac geeks that the drive is fully supported under OS X since used 4480Bs go for more on eBay than the brand new version of the model that replaced it sells for @ NewEgg.

I go to www.overclocker.co.uk to get my stuff... They always seem to have loads of the things in stock.

Not the cheapest though...

[CIA]

I second the vote for the GCC-4480B, I have one in my yikes G4 and it works great under 10.3. I'm looking for a second one to put in a firewire case for my quicksilver... Bummer that they are getting hard to find. I may need to trade my rare Apple OEM GeForce3 for one! (Time to upgrade my Vid card anyway...) What combo drive is Apple using these days? Is it slower then the 4480B?

[Luca Rescigno]

Originally posted by CIA:
I second the vote for the GCC-4480B, I have one in my yikes G4 and it works great under 10.3. I'm looking for a second one to put in a firewire case for my quicksilver... Bummer that they are getting hard to find. I may need to trade my rare Apple OEM GeForce3 for one! (Time to upgrade my Vid card anyway...) What combo drive is Apple using these days? Is it slower then the 4480B?

Whoa there! You realize how much you can get for the GeForce 3? Think $300-$400. It's VERY rare and HIGHLY sought after by Cube owners who have nothing better to do with their money.

I'm not sure what Combo drive Apple ships with their current machines, but I do know they use a 32x one. In fact, Apple's never used an optical drive in any of their machines that has a read or write speed above 32x. I can't find any 32x Combo drives for sale anywhere, so I'm really not sure which model they use.

[CIA]

$300? I almost never game anymore on my mac... Hmmm... Maybe it's time to downgrade to an ATI 8500..... A G5 is in the cards for this fall anyway.... But, it does help the overall machine eBay resale value. What's the next step up from a Geforce3? 4MX? or do I need a 4Ti?

[Lateralus]

Originally posted by CIA:
$300? I almost never game anymore on my mac... Hmmm... Maybe it's time to downgrade to an ATI 8500..... A G5 is in the cards for this fall anyway.... But, it does help the overall machine eBay resale value. What's the next step up from a Geforce3? 4MX? or do I need a 4Ti?

Actually, the GeForce 4MX is substantially slower than the GeForce 3.

A Radeon 8500 is equal to the GeForce 3, and superior at higher resolutions. So in the end, it averages out to being a better card.

A step above the 8500 would be the GeForce 4Ti, and above that would be the Radeon 9700 and then the 9800.