[driven]

I had to go back to using my PowerMac G5 as my primary Mac after my MacBook Pro was stolen.

It seems to do the basics fairly well ... (Using it now primarily for iPhoto and some basic video editing.)

Anyone else still using the G5 based PowerMacs?

What do you plan to do with your G5 when you eventually move to the Intel platform? (Sell it? Make a server out of it? ) My old G4 Cube is on a shelf as a display item, but the G5 is a bit too big for that. :-)

[Thorzdad]

Still chugging-along with my 2x2 G5. Economics being what they are, I'm way behind in the software and OS upgrade cycle, as well.

[driven]

Sounds like you have the same equipment that I have.

Economics are the very reason I haven't replaced my MacBook Pro yet. I have the money, but with the uncertainty I ain't spending it. (I'm really trying to be smart for once in my life.) LOL

[Thorzdad]

Well, I don't have the money. At least not the spare cash to upgrade my Mac, the OS, and the other software I need. I see the need to upgrade coming down the road...once Apple pushes the OS to Intel-only, and Adobe moves there, too. I'm not really sure what I'll do then. Any new Mac probably isn't going to connect to my Cinema Display, either...at least not without an expensive (and probably non-existant) adapter. So, an upgrade is going to be a seriously expensive event.

[cgc]

When I got my MacPro 3 years ago I retired my trusty G4 Sawtooth to act as media center (using iTheater). Still running strong after 9 years.

[reader50]

Quad G5 here. I tend to buy a decent system, then keep it for 5-6 years with upgrades. So barring catastrophic failure of the coolant system, I expect to keep my system through 2011 or 12.

My old G4 Sawtooth is on standby in the other room as a backup / guest computer / standby server.

[driven]

Originally Posted by reader50 

Quad G5 here. I tend to buy a decent system, then keep it for 5-6 years with upgrades. So barring catastrophic failure of the coolant system, I expect to keep my system through 2011 or 12.

My old G4 Sawtooth is on standby in the other room as a backup / guest computer / standby server.

That's sort of what I did when I bought this model new back in early '04. I guess we are at 5 years now.

I like the media center idea mentioned above for this beasts "next life".

[angelmb]

(Besides my intel Macs) I still have a 100% functional 2003 PowerPC Mac… if you though about another G5 you guessed wrong, it is a humble MDD G4 which is keeping its awesomeness for the years to come since it doesn't need to upgrade neither its OS nor the most CPU hungry apps running an·y·more

[driven]

Originally Posted by angelmb 

(Besides my intel Macs) I still have a 100% functional 2003 PowerPC Mac… if you though about another G5 you guessed wrong, it is a humble MDD G4 which is keeping its awesomeness for the years to come since it doesn't need to upgrade neither its OS nor the most CPU hungry apps running an·y·more

How much memory do you have in her?

[sadpandas]

I have a 2x2 G5 and just put her back online with a clean install of leopard and man, i have to say with the 4gigs of ram she still runs like a truck. I am super happy and can't wait to get these cs3 discs installed and connect 360 and some other goodies. I really don't have any software for my 2x4 mac pro that i can't install on the G5 so it would be nice to use it as a back up machine in some* cases.

Now, if i could only find a way to get the damn iTunes folder off of a p.c. and into the G5 i would be set.... Every mac formatted drive i have mounted (fw400) can't be seen by "my computer" and only can be seen in the "safely remove hardware" window.... sucks.

So, yes, i am still using a G5.

[angelmb]

Originally Posted by driven 

How much memory do you have in her?

Maxed out at 2 GB RAM.

[Big Mac]

My G5 DP 2.0 continues to be my primary Mac.

[driven]

I really thought I was one of the last hold-outs here. It does seem that I'm in good company.

[Demonhood]

still running a dual 2.3 here (4GB RAM). altho i'm scheduling to upgrade next week.
the old machine will go to a relative, who will give it a good home for its later years.

[sadpandas]

Originally Posted by angelmb 

Maxed out at 2 GB RAM.

my powerbook (1.67) is also maxed out with 2 gigs of ram and i use that as my 'primary' around the house lap top... My mac pro is out in the studio and the G5 is in the den.... so, everything has it's place.

p

[driven]

You all have inspired me to upgrade the RAM in the G5. (Mine has only 1GB)

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by angelmb 

(Besides my intel Macs) I still have a 100% functional 2003 PowerPC Mac… if you though about another G5 you guessed wrong, it is a humble MDD G4 which is keeping its awesomeness for the years to come since it doesn't need to upgrade neither its OS nor the most CPU hungry apps running an·y·more

Yeah, my only Mac desktop is my 733MHz Digital Audio G4 with 1.5GB RAM. It runs Leopard surprisingly well.

[DrBoar]

Just replaced My Sawtooth G4 1.2 GHz with a secondhand 2x2 G5. While faster it produces a lot of heat, way more than a 2x2.5 intel dual core. It costed me less than the G4 upgrade and will serve me as a stopgap measure to 2010 or 2011, I think..

Why not use a fat32 formatted disk/usb stick to get those iTunes stuff of the PC?

[laieboy]

Still using mines...

[Andrew Stephens]

My main machine is a MBP 15in 2.16, which is nice. The office server is a 1GHz MDD which is maxxed out to 2GB ram and runs 10.5.7 quite happily. It just serves files really and some email and internetz. Basically I love that you can stuff 5 drives into it and it doesn't melt (4 bays plus one in the lower optical bay).

Office music is served via a G4 iMac 800 which copes just fine and Mrs Dr Happy uses her 867MHz G4 12in PB every day and won't change it until it physically dies apart from for an air, which we can't afford.

Not that I'm for or against PPC, it's just these older Macs work just fine for what I want so I have no plans to spend out on anything other than a new main laptop for me in maybe 6 months.

[CIA]

My dad got the Dual 1.8 G5 when it came out (originally it was only a single if I recall, apple released the dual after the fact.) He's happily using it to this day and he's a photoshop nut. I think besides a bigger faster hard drive and a RAM bump he's quite content. As is my mother on her trusty lampshape iMac.

My Quad G5 had the video card fan die last fall, I took it into the Apple Store to be replaced (at the very end of Applecare, phew!) and a month later I walked out with a free refurb 8 x.3.2 with 8800gt. Long story short, I think it had a coolant leak but Apple wouldn't admit it. I'd been reading up a lot over at xlr8 on the coolant leak problems, but didn't see any indication of my machine having one. They claimed all sorts of random stuff that was wrong and that they couldn't fix it. They never asked about money since it was all under AppleCare. Finally they offered to replace the machine with a stock MacPro. I said "It was a top of the line machine when I bought it, shouldn't it be replaced with a top of the line machine?" The apple guy said, "That makes sense" and I had my new mac pro a week later.
The PC guys at work were livid with me when I set it up. Imagine Dell replacing a nearly 3 year old machine for free with a top of the line model, all because originally my video card fan died.
I was already an Apple user for life (1st machine, 512ke) but that sealed the deal. I wish all companies treated customers like this.



<edit> Almost forgot! It's not a G5, but my old trusty Powermac G4, dual 450 with 2GB of ram is sitting at my feet here at work, crunching Seti and ABC@home units 24/7. It hasn't been rebooted in almost 4 months, and it's been running non-stop for 5 years doing that! I reboot it every so often just because, but it's stripped down to just the OS and BOINC.</edit>

[Big Mac]

Pretty cool, CIA.

[driven]

I had a similar experience with my old gumdrop iMac. (Which was a pretty nice machine back in the day). Sound board failed on a 200-some Mhz machine. They replaced it with a 500Mhz machine with double the hard disk and double the RAM. It was my first iMac. I was an Apple customer for life after that.

Apple really did write the book on how to treat customers.

[CIA]

Agreed. A little footnote to my story: They also gave me both my hard drives, and all my ram back as well. Heck they even let me keep that beefy odd power cord the quad came with. Selling all those little nick-nacks on eBay added up. I even got $10 for those little rubber feet that screw into the drives to mount in the G5's. Power cord got me another $10. etc etc....

[Hinson]

Still using a 2.5 GHz DP PowerMac. However, I'm looking to upgrade now that it's been 5 years. I'll be asking for advice in another thread soon.


-Jay

[william604]

I am still using and enjoying my Dual 2.0 G5 but will be upgrading in the next 6 months

[Don Pickett]

Still cranking away on my G5. Given the economy, looks like I will be for a while.

[sadpandas]

Originally Posted by DrBoar 

Just replaced My Sawtooth G4 1.2 GHz with a secondhand 2x2 G5. While faster it produces a lot of heat, way more than a 2x2.5 intel dual core. It costed me less than the G4 upgrade and will serve me as a stopgap measure to 2010 or 2011, I think..

Why not use a fat32 formatted disk/usb stick to get those iTunes stuff of the PC?

I did just that. I reformated the drive to Fat 32 on the wintel and copied the contents of the 2nd p.c. hard drive onto it. then i brought it over to the g5 dropped everything onto her 2nd internal and now everything is golden pony boy. Thanks for the advice and wish i would have seen it earlier .

Thanks!
p

[Mac Hammer Fan]

I have a Dual G5 1,8 but one processor is defective now. The computer is 5 years old. I am still thinking what to do: buy a new Mac Pro (expensive) or a second hand Powermac dual G5 2,5 or 2,7, which is a lot cheaper.

[awcopus]

A dual 2.5 G5 machine, that was running smoothly after Apple replaced almost everything (logic board, GPU, RAM, fans, power supply) just before AppleCare expire two years ago. Last night, it started making really strange squishy noises, followed by oscillating fan speeds and strange digital chirping noises. I looked down and saw a pool of water forming underneath it. I turned it off, opened it up, and everything was wet and smelled horrible.

So now I need to figure out what to do. This was a back-up machine used by my wife for graphic design. My plan is to hold out for Snow Leopard and hope that bolstered performance will make one of the more affordable Mac Pros seem worthwhile. Currently, I don't find the dual quad core Mac Pro's compelling.

[reader50]

awcopus, please read this page. It looks tailor-made for your situation, with obvious safety concerns. You may be able to talk Apple into a new MacPro despite your AppleCare being expired. If you need an example on Apple's own support forums, try this one.

[SSharon]

Originally Posted by angelmb 

(Besides my intel Macs) I still have a 100% functional 2003 PowerPC Mac… if you though about another G5 you guessed wrong, it is a humble MDD G4 which is keeping its awesomeness for the years to come since it doesn't need to upgrade neither its OS nor the most CPU hungry apps running an·y·more

High five! I've still got my MDD, but it is from August 2002. Until I got my new MBP last week it was my main computer and still is really since I haven't put anything on the MBP except Office.



4 internal hard drives, 2 optical drives, 2 firewire/usb pci cards, and a host of other upgrades have made this a great machine.

[driven]

I am glad that you replied (which caused this thread to send me an e-mail) ... which reminds me to order RAM tonight for my G5 so I'll have it when I get back from Australia.

[voo]

I too am still chugging along on a PPC, dual 2.7. 4 years old just past on June.

[awcopus]

Originally Posted by reader50 

awcopus, please read this page. It looks tailor-made for your situation, with obvious safety concerns. You may be able to talk Apple into a new MacPro despite your AppleCare being expired. If you need an example on Apple's own support forums, try this one.

Thanks for the insights, reader50. I'll contact Apple today and see what happens.

[angelmb]

Originally Posted by SSharon 

High five! I've still got my MDD, but it is from August 2002. Until I got my new MBP last week it was my main computer and still is really since I haven't put anything on the MBP except Office.



4 internal hard drives, 2 optical drives, 2 firewire/usb pci cards, and a host of other upgrades have made this a great machine.

Yours has to be the more loaded, upgraded MDD around here.

[driven]

I've ordered the memory to upgrade my G5 from 1GB to 3GB. ($85 USD). Hopefully it makes a noticeable difference with performance. (Perhaps enough that I won't need to upgrade for a spell) I already have nearly 1TB in disk storage in her (2 drives). I don't think I can do 4 drives like the MDD folks can do)

[mr. burns]

yea ram will help. i use a 1.6ghz G5 at school, doing stuff in lightroom. it only has 1-2gb and struggles sometimes.


on the subject of older macs, i gave my dad my gigabit dual 500mhz G4 back when i got my first generation mac pro. i had over a gig of ram in it for photoshopping and it's still going strong. i even threw a dvd burner in there. he just uses it for email and web browsing. he recently discovered facebook, which makes me sad...

[angelmb]

Originally Posted by driven 

I don't think I can do 4 drives like the MDD folks can do)

Not right out of the box, but there are solutions like this one.

[driven]

Originally Posted by angelmb 

Not right out of the box, but there are solutions like this one.

That actually looks like a very workable solution, assuming it doesn't hurt the airflow for cooling. I suspect the fans would run a bit more. (Of course they do that ever since I installed one of the tiger upgrades ... so that doesn't matter much anymore either.)

Thanks for the tip.

[Mac Hammer Fan]

Originally Posted by voo 

I too am still chugging along on a PPC, dual 2.7. 4 years old just past on June.

Still a very usefull machine, I presume.
I have decided to wait another year before buying a new Mac Pro and bought a G5 Dual 2,7 second hand instead.
8 GB RAM and a nVidia 6600 graphics card.
This one should replace my defective Dual 1,8, so I expect some improvement.

[techchick99]

Mine is a MBP 1.1 15" 2GHz Intel Core Duo, and I am still pretty happy with it. Except one thing. It is getting EXTREMLY hot on my laps! Is this something I need to worry about or is it normal?

[Mac Hammer Fan]

Originally Posted by techchick99 

Mine is a MBP 1.1 15" 2GHz Intel Core Duo, and I am still pretty happy with it. Except one thing. It is getting EXTREMLY hot on my laps! Is this something I need to worry about or is it normal?

This is not a G5, but you shouldn't worry about the heat.

[awcopus]

Thanks reader50. At the very least, according to Apple I will be getting a completely "new" dual 2.5GHz G5 in a matter of days. I am in discussions with Apple about replacing my tower with a non-liquid-cooled Mac. That would be preferable, I should think, for everybody involved (ie, to avoid things like poisoned cats). We'll see.

[Big Mac]

If you're getting a "new" G5 DP 2.5, that means that Apple's still making them! WOOT! PPC4EVER!

Good luck with your replacement Mac.

[outaru]

I'm happy that i sold my powermac G5 early last year, before this economic issue.

[reader50]

I'll be happy if surfing around here saved awcopus several thousand dollars. Besides, I may be in the same boat down the road. PowerMac G5 Quad with Applecare expired a few months back. No signs of leaks, but I'm quite interested in how the story goes.

[Demonhood]

just ordered an 8 core Mac Pro to replace my G5. it has served me well, but it was time to move on.

[chris v]

Rev. A Dual 2.0 3.5 gigs of RAM, Radeon 9600 Pro with 256 mb VRAM, still chugging along just fine. It's a bit of a princess (won't sleep, or sometimes will, but won't wake -- tends to seize up every few weeks for unknown reasons), but it does what I bought it for just great. In Logic 6, I can run upwards of 20 audio tracks, 6 or 7 effects busses, an a ton of effects, and it never pushes 50% CPU. Photoshop CS 3 runs like a dream.

The main bummer right now is that 10.6 will pretty much obsolete these things software-wise, once 3rd party app makers start rolling out 10.6-only products.

[driven]

I am wondering if the lack of support for Snow Leopard will force a bunch of G5s out to pasture before their natural life cycle is up.