[HoosierK]

Just set up my G5 1.8 tonight.

it froze when the computer was automatically registering with Apple.. when the blue globs are playing tennis back & forth? Anyhow for like 15 minutes that went on so finally I held in the power button and rebooted. The computer didn't technically freeze..maybe it was the Apple server freezing or something, but I had to reboot irregardless.

Has worked fine since then.

Initial thoughts:

1. This thing is BIG. sticks out 3" past my desk...hitting my knee as I type this....if you have a small desk make sure you measure before getting one of these massive machines!

2. The DVD/CD tray is very noisey/loud/tacky when it pops open. VERY poor engineering on this...seems like something you'd expect on a el cheapo windows machine at Walmart.

3. Fan Noise: I have a 1.42 and it is pretty quiet actually. This one is about 75% as loud as my G4 1.42 dual.

4. LOVE the Firewire plug on the front. THANK YOU APPLE. No more having to break my head on my desk to plug in my firewire drive or cameras!

5. Keyboard is a kinda cool design, but very ugly tacky white plastic, so I'll keep using my old Black pro keyboard.

6. Mouse. well we all know that everyone has their opinions on apple mice. The apple mouse only belongs in retirement homes/kindergarden classes or homes for the mentally challanged who can't fathom extra buttons.



7. Speed wise..no testing but seems to be MAYBE a tiny bit faster than my 1.42 dual. Applications to seem to open up a little faster, but iMovie still crashes when I try to reedit a movie I made with my 1.42. (and yes I have it upgraded to the very latest version of iMovie).

Again, it is perhaps a bit faster, but nothing earthshattering. I expect more when Panther comes out.

[CheesePuff]

How much RAM is in both machines? I am thinking of purchasing a Dual 1.42 GHz machine and a 20" Cinema display.

[PeterKG]

Lousy review. I'm so glad to have learned more about the keyboard and mouse. When I get a G5, I will give a full report to everyone about the power cable.

[proton]

The Power cable is very cool. It is kind of like the eMac power cable where when plugged into the machine it sits flush with the back of the machine.



- proton

[willab]

Originally posted by PeterKG:
Lousy review. I'm so glad to have learned more about the keyboard and mouse. When I get a G5, I will give a full report to everyone about the power cable.

Good I've been wondering about it.

[-Q-]

I have to disagree about point 2. That is a brilliant piece of engineering. Take your side cover off and actually look at the thought that went into that piece. It is a brilliant effort to save you money b/c if that were some motorized piece, it could easily fail and you'd be bitching about how you now can't use your media drive. Being the way it is, it'll easily last for the life of the machine and if it does ever break, won't cost an arm and a leg to fix.

[zigzag]

Thanks for the comments, Hoosier. Pay no attention to the a**hole - he probably wanted more pointless benchmarks.

I was counting on the G5 fans being quieter than you describe but I want one anyway. And I agree about the clunky door mechanism, but according to -Q- it's that way for a reason. Not that it's a deal-breaker, we just expect an extra degree of refinement from Apple.

[Link]

Aw come on, the door is actually pretty good. The typical fold-down doors are NOISY when they close

I can come up with the imac and quicksilver ones for this.. they both make a loud CLUNK.

[HoosierK]

Originally posted by CheesePuff:
How much RAM is in both machines? I am thinking of purchasing a Dual 1.42 GHz machine and a 20" Cinema display.

Both have 1024k of ram.

I have a 20" Formac LCD with the 1.42 and on the G5 am using a 15" Apple LCD.

To an earlier reply that it is noisey..it is NOT... I had a G4 400 before the 1.42 and it was very loud. The 1.42 is VERY quiet. The G5 is even quieter. Very happy with the low noise level.

As to the powercable: I didn't bother to use the new one..I just used the one with the previous G4 tower I'm replaced (a 800 mhz G4 mac). I'm using the keyboard that came with the older G4 as well as I just like it better. If you like white you will LOVE the new keyboard..I just like something not too distracting.

As to the CD/DVD tray/door thing..I MUCH prefer the 1.42 design. But..this works, its just so loud when it opens.

But I want to make it clear that this machine is actually very quiet. You can hear it, but just barely. Its not noisey. My 1.42 dual is not noisey either though.

The real benefit to this machine will be Panther and am anxiously waiting for that.

[AngryAngel]

Originally posted by HoosierK:
Both have 1024k of ram.

I don't think that'll be enough for System 7. I'd stick to System 6.

[stefls]

Originally posted by AngryAngel:
I don't think that'll be enough for System 7. I'd stick to System 6.

Score 5: funny.

[chrisutley]

"1. This thing is BIG. sticks out 3" past my desk...hitting my knee as I type this....if you have a small desk make sure you measure before getting one of these massive machines!"

All the people with small desks will have to buy Dell's!!!

[Taipan]

Originally posted by PeterKG:
Lousy review. I'm so glad to have learned more about the keyboard and mouse. When I get a G5, I will give a full report to everyone about the power cable.

Hi!

I just recently got my PowerMac G4 1,25, and honestly, the first thing I thought was: "Hey, even the power cable looks cooler than any I have ever seen."

[zigzag]

Originally posted by HoosierK:
To an earlier reply that it is noisey..it is NOT... I had a G4 400 before the 1.42 and it was very loud. The 1.42 is VERY quiet. The G5 is even quieter. Very happy with the low noise level . . . But I want to make it clear that this machine is actually very quiet. You can hear it, but just barely. Its not noisey. My 1.42 dual is not noisey either though.

Good to hear - I didn't realize your dual was that quiet.

[denim]

Originally posted by AngryAngel:
I don't think that'll be enough for System 7. I'd stick to System 6.

Honestly, 1MB is kinda pushing it for System 6, too. Should upgrade to 4MB (4096KB), at least.

[fireside]

whats so great about the G5 powercable?

[NYCFarmboy]

Originally posted by fireside:
whats so great about the G5 powercable?

When you plug it in it appears that it is permenatly connected instead of just plugged in.

I have a Dual G4 1.42 and its very quiet. They really did fix the noise thing when they went to the 1.42's in January or whenver it was. The duals before then were very noisey..after that are very quiet.

I made sound recordings of it and my old 400 g4 as well as my G4 1.42 dual.

hear them for yourself at
http://www.nycfarmboy.com/g4.html

but you need earphones or very good speakers to hear the recordings. (was made with a usb mike).

[oivindi]

Originally posted by Taipan:
Hi!

I just recently got my PowerMac G4 1,25, and honestly, the first thing I thought was: "Hey, even the power cable looks cooler than any I have ever seen."

I�m also thinking about buying the 1.25 (either single or dual), but I�m mucho worried about the noise level.

How would you describe it? Is it tolerable?

-�ivind.

[Taipan]

Originally posted by oivindi:
I�m also thinking about buying the 1.25 (either single or dual), but I�m mucho worried about the noise level.

How would you describe it? Is it tolerable?

-�ivind.

In my opinion it's not loud at all. It's under my desk and I can still hear it, but it's OK. The Umax S900 I had before was much louder.

[cgc]

Originally posted by Taipan:
In my opinion it's not loud at all. It's under my desk and I can still hear it, but it's OK. The Umax S900 I had before was much louder.

Have you noticed that you can either take the cheapo 1.24 and add dual proc to it or take the fastest dual 1.25 and remove some fancy stuff and they'll both be the same price...except the stripped down 1.25 dual with have 2mb cache instead of 1mb? Both similarly equipped too...

[slipjack]

Good Insight Hoosier... too bad you're not a Hawkeye fan.

I agree on the mouse bit... first thing I do nowadays is buy a new mouse when getting a Mac. I seriously can only handle the lame-o single clicker for about a day.

Just curious, but why did you upgrade to a 1.8 from a dual 1.42?

thx.

[AssassyN]

Originally posted by oivindi:
I�m also thinking about buying the 1.25 (either single or dual), but I�m mucho worried about the noise level.

How would you describe it? Is it tolerable?

-�ivind.

I just got a new Dual 1.25Ghz G4 and it's *VERY* quiet. Muchh quieter than expected...once it boots, I never even hear the thing under normal circumstances.

[sirosisofliver]

This is good info to have...I am considering buying my first Mac in a about 4 years. Good to know it worked out of the box (cant say that about the PC crap I have bought for my work in the past couple of years...incidentally, I am on my 39th MS patch for XP...which stands for Xtra Porous...help!!).

Do you think the single processor is worth it for average Photoshop use? I am not an aspiring movie director. Deciding against price of single G5 vs price of dual G4...
The noise levels? Ever listen to a P4? My stinkin fans run constantly..., and the doors to the optical drives are noisy as well (HP, but the same on any other PC machine..)

[HoosierK]

Originally posted by slipjack:


Just curious, but why did you upgrade to a 1.8 from a dual 1.42?

thx.

I use a 1.42 where i work. The G5 1.8 I have here replaces a 800 mhz G4 tower.

[Taipan]

Originally posted by cgc:
Have you noticed that you can either take the cheapo 1.24 and add dual proc to it or take the fastest dual 1.25 and remove some fancy stuff and they'll both be the same price...except the stripped down 1.25 dual with have 2mb cache instead of 1mb? Both similarly equipped too...

Hmm, I guess this is a mistake in the shop script. I bet when you order the stripped down dual version you will still only get 1MB cache.