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cscade · 11:33 AM

Hello everyone,!

I have thought long and hard about this and finally decided I want to move to OSX for my personal stuff. I will need to maintain my PC for AutoCAD (work), but I want to do everything else on OSX.

So I am looking at getting the Dual 2GHz. Looks like I can get 2 1GB sticks from Crucial for about $250, which seems like the wise way to go instead of paying Steve for ram. I am trying to cut costs everywhere I can... is applecare worth it? I'm not concerned with tech support, I just wonder about the warranty. I intend to use my existing Samsung 192n PC monitor for now, until I can afford a pair of dell displays. Cinema displays are beautiful, but overpriced I think. I want to do mostly video and audio editing on it, and I want it to feel "snappy" at all times. As a prior owner of a Mini (for a very short time) I know how a G4 feels, and I wouldn't call it "snappy". Will a dual 2 be "enough"?

Sorry for the scattered format of the questions, but I'm still reeling from the cost. I know I want to do this, I just need to figure out the most cost effective way to pull it off.

Are there any caveats I should know about for using non-apple ram, display, etc?

Mac people, speak to me!

OreoCookie · Jun 13, 2005, 11:40 AM

Apple Care is usually worth it, and yes, you can use any standard VGA/DVI monitor for PCs. Caveats of using non-Apple displays, hmmm, usually Apple's design is better

d.fine · Jun 13, 2005, 11:45 AM

A Dual 2.0 GHz will be enough for most apps today. It can hold its place for video & audio editing.
You can get AppleCare before the first year passes, since the PM will come with AC for the first year. It is worth it from what I have read here. If a CPU goes haywire it can set you back anywhere between 600-1000 USD according to some posters here. So I'd recommend getting it, but you can wait another 11-12 months to get it, spread the costs.
The difference between a 2.0 and the 2.3/2.7 is the ability to take 8GB DDR and PCI-X. If those are none decisive factors for you, then go fot the 2.0. Crucial RAM is good for your Mac. Most people here will probably recommend it. No problems with using another display.
My G5 DP 2.0 feels plenty Snappy™ with Tiger, and it does anything I throw at it. Using Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, FCP HD, Cinema 4D and alike apps without any problems while listening to iTunes, encoding a DVD in the background, running SETI@home, etc...
I'd recommend it to anyone, but you'll get plenty reply's and recommendations here from other MacNN'ers.

Good hunting.

b11051973 · Jun 13, 2005, 12:52 PM

I've never used a dual G5 anything, but I can imagine its gotta be fast. I've got an 867Mhz PowerBook and a 1.42Ghz Mac mini. The mini is so much faster than my PB. I can't imagine how fast a dual 2.0Ghz PM would be. Especially since the PB and mini both have slow laptop hard drives.

I got AppleCare on my PB. I mainly got it because laptops are so difficult to fix. It has kind of paid for itself, because I've had to have 2 power adapters replaced. According to the bill they give me, it would have cost me $80-90 each. That actually only gets me halfway to the cost of AC, but oh well.

I'm on my third Dell and have never ordered extended warranties. IMO, desktopss are easier to fix myself. I've never had a problem with any of my Dells either. My older ones are with other family members and are still trouble free. The oldest one is almost 7 years old.

f1000 · Jun 13, 2005, 12:59 PM

I've owned Macs since the late 80's and I've never had AppleCare.

I personally don't think it's worth it unless your computer is mission critical.

cscade · Jun 13, 2005, 01:03 PM

Thank you all for the replies! Just the kind of feedback I was hoping for.

8GB DDR is a non-issue for me. I don't know if PCI-X is or not. Are there any good examples of tasks for which that kind of hardware would be a requirement?

I have always had great experience with Crucial ram, so I was expecting no less here. But it never hurts to ask.

Keep the comments coming!

f1000 · Jun 13, 2005, 01:10 PM

Is there a reason that you have to get a top of the line PowerMac? Why not try out a G5 iMac at the store and see if that's snappy enough for you?

You can get a good bargain on a refurbished G5 iMac online at the Apple Store.

cscade · Jun 13, 2005, 01:15 PM

Mostly the iMac just doesn't appeal to me. I have always been the kind of guy to build my own PCs, and the all-in-one non-upgradeable nature of the iMac is just not my style. I also assume that dual processors will be a major advantage for video encoding/editing. Correct?

f1000 · Jun 13, 2005, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by cscade

Mostly the iMac just doesn't appeal to me. I have always been the kind of guy to build my own PCs, and the all-in-one non-upgradeable nature of the iMac is just not my style. I also assume that dual processors will be a major advantage for video encoding/editing. Correct?

I'm not a video expert, so I couldn't comment on how big an advantage you'll see by getting a dualie.

I rarely upgrade any of my Macs. RAM and hard drive is usually all that I add, and then I get a new computer.

eddiecatflap · Jun 13, 2005, 01:40 PM

i have applecare , but since macs are so superbly made and so reliable , i don't think it's really that important

in the last 13 years of being a macuser i've had just one repair

and that was for a printer !

nuff said

d.fine · Jun 13, 2005, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by cscade

Mostly the iMac just doesn't appeal to me. I have always been the kind of guy to build my own PCs, and the all-in-one non-upgradeable nature of the iMac is just not my style. I also assume that dual processors will be a major advantage for video encoding/editing. Correct?

Using a dual CPU machine will see to it that video encoding/editing is vastly faster. I use FCP from time to time, and it is amazing what this machine can do. Working with GB's of video data, it acts as if I'm editing a 100mb file, it doesn't even glitch!
So if video editing and encoding is one of the main reasons to get a new machine, I'd definitively recommend a Dual machine.
If you do get a DP machine, I'd still advise you to get Apple Care. But you don't need to get it right away, like I mentioned earlier. You can get it at the end of the first year, because this first year is covered by the AC that comes with the machine.
I don't know a whole lot about PCI-X but I know (from the forum) that there are some professional video editing cards (or something like that) that take advantage of PCI-X. I wouldn't worry about it. A dual 2.0 will do it's job without hesitation. I just mentioned it because the previous 2.0 machine (RevB) had PCI-X and could take 8GB DDR, the new one (RevC) doesn't have these.
Just me

Al G · Jun 13, 2005, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by cscade

Looks like I can get 2 1GB sticks from Crucial for about $250, which seems like the wise way to go instead of paying Steve for ram.

Yes, definitely a wise move. Mac-specific vendors like Other World Computing (eshop.macsales.com), TransInternational (www.transintl.com), Ramjet (www.ramjet.com) or DataMem (www.datamem.com) are another alternative to Apple's overpriced RAM.

I am trying to cut costs everywhere I can... is applecare worth it? I'm not concerned with tech support, I just wonder about the warranty.

As you can see, opinions vary about this. The rule of thumb used to be that Applecare was important for laptops but not desktops. But in my experience, G5 Powermacs have a higher failure rate than G4 Powermacs, not to mention more expensive replacement components. I personally would never get a G5 Powermac without Applecare.

But Applecare doesn't need to be purchased at the beginning. You have up to a year. And you can find better prices for Applecare from places like Expercom, Smalldog and LA Computer (www.lacomputercompany.com) which are all authorized Apple dealers.

I intend to use my existing Samsung 192n PC monitor for now, until I can afford a pair of dell displays. Cinema displays are beautiful, but overpriced I think.

Agreed.

If your 192n has both VGA and DVI connections (although I'm not sure but I don't think that model does), you can use both computers on the same monitor and switch back and forth with a button on the monitor. All the higher-end Dell LCDs have that ability too.

I want to do mostly video and audio editing on it, and I want it to feel "snappy" at all times. As a prior owner of a Mini (for a very short time) I know how a G4 feels, and I wouldn't call it "snappy". Will a dual 2 be "enough"?

Yes, the difference between a mini and a dual G5 will be like night and day.

Sorry for the scattered format of the questions, but I'm still reeling from the cost. I know I want to do this, I just need to figure out the most cost effective way to pull it off.

You might also want to check around for a good deal on a previous version dual 2.0. Either new or refurbed, those cost less than the current DP2.0 and they have PCI-X and 8 RAM slots, although they won't have the latest 16X DL superdrive or as nice a video card.

Todd Madson · Jun 13, 2005, 03:55 PM

I'll say this: the speed of the dual 2.5 I'm using at home now is stunning.

I went from a 400 mhz G4/400 (AGP/Sawtooth) machine to the dual 2.5 and the
speed difference is really stunning. All of the areas where speed was an issue
before is negligible now. I hope to do some kind of stress test with the apps I
normally use that take forever.

The dual 2 should be more than adequate for anything you might want to do
and its definetely overkill for lite tasks like e-mail, web browsing and word
processing.

cscade · Jun 13, 2005, 04:54 PM

It looks like all the G5s on eBay right now are scams of some sort... are the better sources?

Todd Madson · Jun 13, 2005, 05:14 PM

Try a local Microcenter.. Don't know if you have one in your locale but check them out.

d.fine · Jun 14, 2005, 03:20 AM

Originally Posted by Al G

You might also want to check around for a good deal on a previous version dual 2.0. Either new or refurbed, those cost less than the current DP2.0 and they have PCI-X and 8 RAM slots, although they won't have the latest 16X DL superdrive or as nice a video card.

I read here that the 9600XT with the RevB is better than the current 9650 the comes with RevC, even tough it has less DDR. Not true?

tooki · Jun 14, 2005, 03:30 AM

I always recommend AppleCare for laptops: they get jostled and battered vastly more than the average desktop, and therefore suffer more wear and tear. (Desktops, on the other hand, mostly have warranty work for manufacturing defects, not for wear and tear. Manufacturing defects tend to show up quickly, well within the standard warranty.)

One single out of warranty repair on an Apple laptop costs, at minimum, almost the same as the AppleCare package. At worst, a single repair can cost four times as much.

tooki

cscade · Jun 14, 2005, 08:32 AM

No local microcenters here. There is an Apple Store about an hour and a half away that I would be willing to drive to, but does anyone know if you can apply for the Apple Credit accounts in store, like you can online?

barang · Jun 14, 2005, 10:44 AM

Check out the red-tag section on the online Apple store; often they have great sales on products that are being phased out, or great prices on refurbs. They come and go as Apple has them in stock, so you have to check often.

jamil5454 · Jun 14, 2005, 11:20 AM

The 8 RAM slots and PCI-X might be important to you. High-speed video capture cards come in PCI-X and just in case 2gb of RAM isn't enough, you'll have plenty of space to add more. I bought the dual 2.0 last Monday, and while it is (Very!) fast, I kind of wish I would went with the dual 2.3 or rev.B dual 2.0, just because of the ram slots and PCI-X. Remember, you can always upgrade your DVD drive and graphics card, but you can't swap out the whole logic board.

Al G · Jun 14, 2005, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by d.fine

I read here that the 9600XT with the RevB is better than the current 9650 the comes with RevC, even tough it has less DDR. Not true?

The 9600XT is clocked a little faster but the catch is it never came in a DP2.0 (unless you CTO'ed a rev. B). The rev. A 2.0 had a 9600Pro (64MB) and the rev. B 2.0 was downgraded to a GeForce FX5200 Ultra (also 64MB). Only the rev. B DP2.5 came stock with the 9600XT.