yo i want a new mac computer. i want it to play games internet and type and all the goods like imovie. im 14. i think i should get an imac dv se or an ibook

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Yale R.

[devospice]

Get the iMac. It will give you better performance with the 3D games.

If you're really into games you could get one of the G4s and get either a Raedon card or a VooDoo card.

I don't know if the iMac gives you the option of a Raedon card or not. If it does, spring for it.

->Later.....Spice

[mac freak]

The current crop of iMacs doesn't have a RADEON option. Sorry...

However, they perform just fine for games, especially the DV SE. If you have the money available, though, you could get a G4/400 (single) with a RADEON for $1700 (monitorless, of course).

Or a Cube/450 RADEON for $1900.

Or a dual 450 RADEON for $2600.

Or a dual 500 RADEON for $3600.

A DV SE is $1500. Good luck!

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Be Happy.

Yeah, the first G4 is a good choice. Only 200$ extra compared to the i-mac. Then U find afriend or someone to give U an old monitor if budget is an issue.

Then U can buy a proper one. That gives U expandability and a REALLY cool graphic card.

Consider it as an investment. I doubt that U will buy another computer withing the netx 2 year...

Cheers

[JoNoiD]

I hate to say it, but a $1000 PC will give you equivalent game performance as a $2500 G4. Of course, you do have to live with a bad operating system, but thats the price you pay.

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Jon Purdy
jonoid@home.com

[exca1ibur]

Don't underestimate the power of a custom config. Everyone seems to forget that one. I have a dual 500 w/Radeon for $2700. Strip out what wasn't needed and you can go undet those prices quite a bit. I even got extra ram from a 3rd party and have 512 meg of ram. If you are getting a G4 system I suggest you check out the Apple store for custom conffigurations, if price is an option, instead of just going for a stock model. I saved $1000 doing that.

For gaming, get a powermac G4. These are fully expandable, so when you have the cash you can upgrade to a Radeon video card. Powermacs have more video RAM than iMacs, and you can get a larger monitor, which is bonus for gaming.

If your lucky, you can still find last year's powermac G4 400 on sale for 1299. Check out outpost.com, macmall.com, and smalldog.com, one of these places should have it. At 1299, this is a total steal. You can get a sweet monitor and still cash in at under $1700 total.

Don't forget to budget in money for extra RAM, and a two button mouse. You'll need these extras for gaming.

I'd say go with the iMac. The current DV SE is pretty good at games, and its small footprint and ease of transport are ideal for someone your age. Maybe if I had my own house, I'd want a tower. But I like lugging my iMac to friends houses, or taking it on roadtrips. Plus it can do anything a G4 can do.

Ca$h

[AAPl Shareholder]

If you want to play games screw the iMac DV. Seriously.

First of all you will be stuck with a Rage Pro untill you sell that iMac... and the Rage Pro sucks. I was soooo disapointed when I first bought that card.

Get a G4 tower. The single processor G4s are only 1599... (add 250 bucks for a Radion and 128megs) and you will not get out dated any time soon. The G4 has a AGP port that you can upgrade until you are sick of the machine. The Cube has a small AGP port that might not support certain larger graphics cards... but it too is more upgradable then an iMac.

I have a new MP G4 with a Radion and I am in heaven. It is sooo much better then the iMac DV that I have at work. I can play UT with everything on at Max resolution.

I for one am sick of playing games at 640x480.

[blizzard]

First off: the iMac does not have a Rage Pro, it now has a Rage 128 Pro, which is better than twice as fast as the Rage Pro. It is basically the same chip that shipped with the G4s up until the Radeon came out, but with half as much VRAM and a lower clock. That said, an iMac DV SE can game about as fast as a G4 tower with a Rage 128, but the iMac is more in tune with a fourteen year old's budget (unless mom and dad are shelling out the bucks for it). Second, at UT's max resolution you would be getting an Unreal slide show, not a game experience. I've seen it playable at upwards of 1600x1200 on some PCs - on a Mac this would not be possible, even with a Radeon. I suppose it depends on your definition of playable, but it's really unnecessary to go any higher than 1024x768, in my experience.

In my mind, it's really all quite simple - if you have the money, get a G4. If not, get an iMac.

[anTHRAX]

um. Dont listen to whomever that was. The new iMacs run games a TAD better than my franken iMac, which is what I find ACCEPTABLE. Its not the best performer, but it still is pretty good.

Ca$h

"an iMac DV SE can game about as fast as a G4 tower with a Rage 128"

Yes, but not at the same resolution as a G4. The G4 has twice as much vRAM, so you can run games at higher resolution. Which comes to the most important point of a G4: you can get a largish monitor for it. UT on a 15" monitor is neat, UT on a 19" monitor will floor you, and on a 21 incher UT will totally immerse you. If you opt for the iMac, you may save a bit of cash in the short run, but after about three years, you will be itching for a faster video card, since your Rage 129 pro is so outdated that it can't even play the newest FPS. So then you have to drop another $1500 on a new iMac, instead of only $300 on a new video card and some RAM. In 4-5 years, you can even upgrade the G4 to a faster processor. An iMac will be useless for games after 4-5 years.

I saw last year's G4 400 (new) at smalldog.com for 1300. That's a good deal, and its just as fast as this year's model. Add $115 for more RAM, and $225 for RADEON, and you cash in at $1640. That's about the price of a new, stripped down G4.


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[This message has been edited by Phaedrus (edited 11-05-2000).]

[seanyepez]

Didn't you already post this topic a hundred times? Please don't repost.

I already told you that iMacs suck for games. If you want a gaming computer, get a PC. Period.

I have yet to see a Mac with RADEON, and I truly hope I am impressed...

I'd recommend getting a 350-megahertz "Sawtooth" G4 (with the ATi Rage 128 Pro AGP card) and adding what you need.

I can't play Quake with anything less than 35 frames per second. Preferably, I play with eighty frames per second or more. I get upwards of one hundred frames per second on my PC that I built for much less than a Mac that can "game" that well.