[jwblase]

I see that we've got a sticky for the best shareware/freeware apps... but who's got the best apps for a G5 that everyday people can use?

The reason I'm asking is because my old B/W G3 machine finally gave up the ghost (until I can figure out exactly what's causing it to crash, but even the Apple Genuises at the Genuis Bar couldn't figure that one out) and bought a new G5.

Sure, iDVD is useful... if I made movies (which I may get around too... when I buy a camera).

iMovie is cool... (see above)

Garageband is nice... if I make music (which I can actually do now!)

Photoshop runs faster, but still does the same effects I've been doing on it for years... it just does them faster now.

But what *really* shows off a G5's strength for the consumer? Personally, I suppose I could have bought an older G4, but the G5 called to me. I just can't figure out why. After all... I would guess that 75% of the mac users out there (not on the forums... we're all "geek" users... we know too much for our own good), don't use most of the power that the G5 gives them. So why push and push for better computing power *for the average consumer?*

I don't want a fancy game (games will never keep up with the latest hardware out there... until we're all sitting in VR world working with photorealistic images in realtime in 3D, and then we'll want to go faster than real time...), but some piece of software that will really use the power that is given to me.

After all... what's the point in owning a Ferrari, when I can only drive down an alley?

JB

[Vader�s Pinch of Death]

Final cut, soundtrack and iDVD should use the G5 well. iMovie will not.

[lngtones]

Originally posted by jwblase:
So why push and push for better computing power *for the average consumer?*

The "average consumer" should get an iMac if they have no use for the extra power. Why spend the extra money?

[jwblase]

While the "average consumer" probably should get an iMac... Undoubtedly, the iMacs will go G5 in a year or so, and sooner or later, the OS will go 64-bit, and all the "power" that goes with it (if you believe the marketing hype).

What else needs this kind of power though? I'm just asking. I consider myself a "power-user", and love to tinker with the abilities of the G5, but what about Joe Schmoe.

JB.

PS. Vader: I love your sigs. This quote made me laugh so hard that my wife had to pick me up off the floor. I think I want T-shirts with all the various quotes and pics you have.

JB

[CharlesS]

Originally posted by jwblase:
What else needs this kind of power though? I'm just asking. I consider myself a "power-user", and love to tinker with the abilities of the G5, but what about Joe Schmoe.

What needs this power now?

Not much.

What will need this power in a few years' time?

Probably lots.

My current machine, a dual G4/450, was acquired when the G4 was still pretty new. I could have gotten a G3 or a G4. Did I need the G4? No. Would I have noticed the difference in speed from a G3 iMac with the apps that I was running at that time under OS 9? Probably not to any extreme. Am I glad I have a dual G4 three years later, now that OS X is highly optimized for AltiVec and dual processors, things like iChat AV want a G4, and frankly there's more need for speed than there was in 2000? Heck yes.

If you go back even further, and consider 604e vs. a G3 back in 1997, the impact of that decision is even larger.

A G5 will be useful for a lot longer than a G4 before you will need to replace it. At this stage in the game I wouldn't spend money on any Mac that didn't have a G5 in it.

[Horsepoo!!!]

UT2004
Doom 3 (coming soon I suppose)
sixtyforce
Flarestorm
Richard Bannister's emulators with HQ4x filters on

...all 'games' but whatever.