Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Shaddim · Aug 31, 2003, 10:13 PM

today I was helping a lawyer friend of mine setup his new HT system (sweet ass system, but I won't bore you with those details) any way, he's telling me he has a dual G5 (2GHz of course) on order and is looking to sell his several month old PM dual 1.42 (he's a severe technology junkie and is always buying the newset thing). At that point I wasn't paying too much attention as I have a dualie 2GHz on order myself. So anyway, I'm calibrating his new HT with my Rad Shack meter mumbling "uh-huh, yeah", etc.

He then asks, "would you be interested in it for $1500?".

At that point I nearly choked. This thing is LOADED; 2GB of RAM, 2 160GB HDs, GF 4Ti, Superdrive, AE installed, FW800/400, etc..

I looked at him sideways and asked calmly, "Today?".

He said, "If you want it, I can do my work on my Powerbook (it's a PB 17) until my G5 comes in".

Due to ethical reasons, and because he's a friend, I then commented, "It's worth a lot more than that".

His response was, "Don't worry about that, it's no big deal.". He's right too, he makes high 6 figures and doesn't think about such things... and if I don't buy it from him at that price someone else will.

So, about an hour and a half (and a clean install of 10.2) later I'm walking out of his place with a dual 1.42 in it's original box with all the docs and accessories... and a considerably lighter checkbook.

I then came directly home, set it up, and have been playing around with it for the last few hours. DAMN! This thing is FAST!

Yeah, I'd played with them at work, and even fixed a few, but I guess I never really paid too much attention. UT2003, Q3A, WC3, Dungeon Seige, all at highest quality and res settings simply fly on it. Not to mention what it does in PS7, InDesign2, and FCP3... things are damned well instantaneous!

So now I'm at a loss and befuzzled. Should I cancel my G5 2GHz? This dual 1.42 is far faster than I would have thought and with Panther on the horizon it'll be even faster. ARGH!!! I want a G5! But I don't think I'd notice much difference with what work I do... sure I do rendering and other fairly intense stuff (200MB+ PS files, 4GB books in InDesign, etc.), but this machine blazes through it. I could cancel my G5 order, and with the money I save I can buy a 23" Cinema! I figured I'd run the G5 on my Dell 18" LCD until I could get something better... but with the dual G4 I could have the 18" AND a 23" Cinema! HUGE amounts of desktop space!

Smeagol confused. We wants the G5 precious, but now we haves as much computer as we needs.

HALP!!

striker100 · Aug 31, 2003, 10:20 PM

Well you have a choice, you can list the loaded dual 1.42 gig G4 on ebay and probably make a nice profit and put it towards the G5.

Or just enjoy the dual 1.42 gig and know you'll be able to get the 2nd or 3rd revision and still enjoy a great Mac!

Leonis · Aug 31, 2003, 10:29 PM

Wow....you save at least $1200 CDN over the brand new Dual 1.42GHz G4 (if you can find one)

Cool

You may consider sell it a few weeks later on eBay.....make some profit towards to your "I want a G5" fund

Oh....a little friendly advice on Cinema Display. Go buy it from 3rd party retails stores that offer extended warranty. Such an expensive display really needs a good coverage or you will be screwed if it breaks down after 12 months

Centris650 · Aug 31, 2003, 10:41 PM

Originally posted by MacNStein:
today I was helping a lawyer friend of mine setup his new HT system (sweet ass system, but I won't bore you with those details) any way, he's telling me he has a dual G5 (2GHz of course) on order and is looking to sell his several month old PM dual 1.42 (he's a severe technology junkie and is always buying the newset thing). At that point I wasn't paying too much attention as I have a dualie 2GHz on order myself. So anyway, I'm calibrating his new HT with my Rad Shack meter mumbling "uh-huh, yeah", etc.

He then asks, "would you be interested in it for $1500?".

At that point I nearly choked. This thing is LOADED; 2GB of RAM, 2 160GB HDs, GF 4Ti, Superdrive, AE installed, FW800/400, etc..

I looked at him sideways and asked calmly, "Today?".

He said, "If you want it, I can do my work on my Powerbook (it's a PB 17) until my G5 comes in".

Due to ethical reasons, and because he's a friend, I then commented, "It's worth a lot more than that".

His response was, "Don't worry about that, it's no big deal.". He's right too, he makes high 6 figures and doesn't think about such things... and if I don't buy it from him at that price someone else will.

So, about an hour and a half (and a clean install of 10.2) later I'm walking out of his place with a dual 1.42 in it's original box with all the docs and accessories... and a considerably lighter checkbook.

I then came directly home, set it up, and have been playing around with it for the last few hours. DAMN! This thing is FAST! Yeah, I'd played with them at work, and even fixed a few, but I guess I never really paid too much attention. UT2003, Q3A, WC3, Dungeon Seige, all at highest quality and res settings simply fly on it. Not to mention what it does in PS7, InDesign2, and FCP3... things are damned well instantaneous!

So now I'm at a loss and befuzzled. Should I cancel my G5 2GHz? This dual 1.42 is far faster than I would have thought and with Panther on the horizon it'll be even faster. ARGH!!! I want a G5! But I don't think I'd notice much difference with what work I do... sure I do rendering and other fairly intense stuff (200MB+ PS files, 4GB books in InDesign, etc.), but this machine blazes through it. I could cancel my G5 order, and with the money I save I can buy a 23" Cinema! I figured I'd run the G5 on my Dell 18" LCD until I could get something better... but with the dual G4 I could have the 18" AND a 23" Cinema! HUGE amounts of desktop space!

Smeagol confused. We wants the G5 precious, but now we haves as much computer as we needs.

HALP!!

Well, you could always sell it to me!

businezguy · Aug 31, 2003, 11:01 PM

I looked at the G5 1.6 and 1.8 GHZ over at Short Hills and I wasn't overly impressed with the snappiness. In fact, I was quite disappointed. I honestly have decided I may not go the G5 route after all. I'm too pleased with the machine I have.

Shaddim · Aug 31, 2003, 11:06 PM

Originally posted by Leonis:
Wow....you save at least $1200 CDN over the brand new Dual 1.42GHz G4 (if you can find one)

Cool

You may consider sell it a few weeks later on eBay.....make some profit towards to your "I want a G5" fund

Oh....a little friendly advice on Cinema Display. Go buy it from 3rd party retails stores that offer extended warranty. Such an expensive display really needs a good coverage or you will be screwed if it breaks down after 12 months

Actually, I work for a 3rd party Apple retail store. I'm a service tech there.

My problem is I'd feel a little funny selling the dual G4 after getting such a great deal on it... and I already have a dual G5 on order. Ya see, if I cancel the G5 I can take the $$ I saved and buy a 23" Cinema for the difference. Dual 1.42 + 23" Cinema = about the same price I'd pay for the G5 by itself (more or less). If I sell the dual G4 on ebay, I'd make a $700-900 profit, but no 23" Cinema. To do that I'd have to lay out $1000. Of course, I could just pocket the profit to offset the cost of the G5...

ACK!!

idyll · Aug 31, 2003, 11:19 PM

I'm thinking about buying a dual G4 myself and use the money I save towards something else.. but I keep hearing about how Panther will speed up the G5s by 40%. Is this true for the G4 systems as well? I just think I'd do better with a dual G4 system rather than a single G5 system.

CheesePuff · Aug 31, 2003, 11:22 PM

Well, from the latest Xbench test, the Dual 1.42 GHz is just a little bit slower then a 1.8 GHz G5, so a Dual 2 GHz G5 would be quite a bit faster... but if the Dual 1.42 GHz is fast enough for you (which it probably is from your post, definitely would be fast enough for me, especially with it loaded!), then buy a 20" Cinema (I'd go for the 20", its cheaper and put the saved cash for a 3-year warrenty and the screen is brighter then the 23").

mark9939 · Sep 1, 2003, 12:06 AM

Save your dual G4. More exp bays, cheaper RAM, etc, etc. I'm sure it's got enough power for what you do. And yeah, get yourself a nice display. -M

AssassyN · Sep 1, 2003, 01:10 AM

Use the G4!!!!!!! For heavens sake, cancel the G5 & buy a Cinema Display!

FauxCaster · Sep 1, 2003, 01:30 AM

Use the G4, buy the dual 3ghz g5 in June 2004

Cadaver · Sep 1, 2003, 01:41 AM

If your 'new' G4 is fast enough for what you do, keep it for a year then sell it when the faster G5s come out.

No doubt the Dual 1.42 is a nice machine. Add to that the fast HDs, the GF4Ti, and (perhaps) a 23" cinema display, and you've got a killer system.

Panther will just make it faster. I have no doubt that 10.3 will be fully optimized for G4 processors, since it's clear that most OS X-running customers use G4s.

MindFad · Sep 1, 2003, 01:50 AM

Originally posted by FauxCaster:
Use the G4, buy the dual 3ghz g5 in June 2004

That deal is a *steal*, dude.

powerbook867 · Sep 1, 2003, 08:29 AM

Keep the G4. Cinema displays kick @ss!!! I love my 20 inch hooked up to my PB867...I was thinking about selling my powerbook and going with a Base g5, but I'm going to wait...the machine at Compusa didn't seem that fast, although it only had the base memory installed.

Good luck deciding!

osiris · Sep 1, 2003, 09:53 AM

That a great deal for the dual! It seems loaded with all the goodies and well worth the price.

It can be your precioussssss.

Simon · Sep 1, 2003, 10:53 AM

My advice:

Keep the loaded dual 1.42GHz G4. At that price it's more than a swell deal.

Buy a 23" HD Studio Display. It's a great screen and since you have money to spend...

In the meantime start building up savings. In a year you can still get a dual 3GHz G5 that will knock the socks off your dual G4. By then Panther and plenty of updated (and re-compiled) software will be available.

Peder Rice · Sep 1, 2003, 11:53 AM

It's a LOADED G4 system. Maxing out the G5 will cost A LOT MORE.

WizOSX · Sep 1, 2003, 12:29 PM

Originally posted by MacNStein

So now I'm at a loss and befuzzled. Should I cancel my G5 2GHz? This dual 1.42 is far faster than I would have thought and with Panther on the horizon it'll be even faster. ARGH!!! I want a G5! But I don't think I'd notice much difference with what work I do...

It seems to me that you have the best of both worlds. Remember that the G5 has just come out and we will see all kinds of revisions, adjustments, speed bumps, new things available etc, etc etc over the next 6-12 months. If you have a desperate need to be on the "bleeding edge" then buy the G5 now for bragging rights and the fun of having the newest. But it seems to me your current situation is absolutely optimal--a great, fast solid Mac that didn't cost much AND that you can probably get all your money out of in about 8 months or so when you buy your "perfect" G5 for less than they cost now!

Phil Quinney · Sep 1, 2003, 12:41 PM

MacNStein,

I think I would agree with everyone else here - keep your 1.42 and get a really nice display to work with. It sounds like you've got a computer that you are more than happy with so why change?

Phil.

rek · Sep 1, 2003, 12:41 PM

Keep the dual G4, go buy yourself a nice flat panel display, and then wait for the second or third G5 revision before you update.

I wouldn't feel comfortable selling it so soon after buying it at such a low price from a friend. The fact you're completely happy with the dual G4's performance makes selling it an even less good idea.

Maybe you can buy your friend's dual 2.0 G5 when the Rev. B's come out

Eriamjh · Sep 1, 2003, 12:52 PM

Keep it. Use it. Sell it when new G5s come out in June next year and are even faster.

Early benchmarks are showing the Dual 1.42s are still faster than the 1.6s and probably the 1.8s for heavy-processor tasks that can use DPs..

daydreamer · Sep 1, 2003, 01:59 PM

Originally posted by MindFad:
That deal is a *steal*, dude.

Agreed.

Doktorfaust · Sep 1, 2003, 03:51 PM

No question, keep the dual 1.4, buy the great display, cancel your G5 order, and sit pretty.

Somewhere down the line (may in a year?) you can sell the dual 1.42, keep the 23 inch cinema, and buy a new G5.

DF

gunnar · Sep 1, 2003, 04:15 PM

Another vote to keep the Dual. You'd be stupid to sell it at the price you paid, especially considering it's plenty fast for what you do. Getting a great screen is the key.

NYCFarmboy · 08:38 PM

Definately keep the 1.42 dual.

And wait on the G5 until the 3 gig G5 next year when the bugs are worked out and more software is written to take advantage of the 64 bit processing, and that it ships with Panther.

And YES..absolutely get as big an LCD as you can. You won't regret it.

I wanted to add: Perhaps a main reason Apple quit selling 1.42 G4 dual chip machines is that they compete too closely in performance..as stated in an earlier post the 1.8 only narrowly beats a dual 1.42., and I believe the dual 1.42 in fact out performas the 1.6 G5.

Thus Apple had to downgrade the G4 line to only 1.25 mhz to give some selling power to the G5 line. So the G4 1.42 you have is super hot, so hot in fact that Apple had to downgrade it so as not to take sales from the G5 line.

Shaddim · Sep 1, 2003, 06:13 PM

Well, I cancelled my G5 order and am going to keep the dual 1.42. Also, I went by work (it was closed but the owner was there doing paper work) and picked up a new 23" Cinema. The dual 1.42 + 23" Cinema ended up costing me $100 more than the G5 by itself (I'd added the better video and 250GB HD). I think that's a good trade off. Surprisingly, the 18" Dell and 23" Apple are pretty close to the same height in regard to their LCDs. They both make for a huge amount of work space. I'm about as happy as any Mac junkie can be.

At some point I'm sure I'll get a new G5, but I think now I can comfortably wait a year... or two.

Peder Rice · Sep 1, 2003, 08:49 PM

Good choice.

Besides, we'll probably have 2.4GHz G5s by February, so you may as well save some money now and get a killer system down the line (not that dual-1.42GHz isn't).

- - e r i k - - · Sep 2, 2003, 06:38 AM

I so envy you. Though I'm comfortable with my 17" PowerBook for now.

Cipher13 · Sep 2, 2003, 08:56 AM

Keep and use the G4 until a revision B or later G5 is out.

It'll last you well up until that point.

AssassyN · 10:43 PM

Originally posted by MacNStein:
Well, I cancelled my G5 order and am going to keep the dual 1.42. Also, I went by work (it was closed but the owner was there doing paper work) and picked up a new 23" Cinema. The dual 1.42 + 23" Cinema ended up costing me $100 more than the G5 by itself (I'd added the better video and 250GB HD). I think that's a good trade off. Surprisingly, the 18" Dell and 23" Apple are pretty close to the same height in regard to their LCDs. They both make for a huge amount of work space. I'm about as happy as any Mac junkie can be.

At some point I'm sure I'll get a new G5, but I think now I can comfortably wait a year... or two.

Outstanding! I've got nearly the same setup except mine's a Dual 1.25Ghz Mac and I'm using a 23" HD Display + 17" Apple Studio Displays for my dual display setup...it's a dream come true! Enjoy!

Not half bad for a college dormroom setup!

THE MAC GOD · Sep 4, 2003, 05:42 PM

Keep the dual... enjoy it... LOVE it... I would save that money and wait until the 3ghz version comes out... THEN I would buy. It's obvious to me that you are loving the speed now... and when Panther comes out, you'll already be as happy as a clam.

catzilla1228 · Sep 4, 2003, 11:49 PM

Great choice! I have a dual 1.25 and a 23" and it rocks!
I'll wait for a G6, I just hope they use the ADC.

zeus83 · Sep 5, 2003, 02:23 AM

use the g4-

the savings will come when you try to soup up the g5 with any amount of ram- it will cost you plenty-

wait till prices drop when the 2nd and 3rd gens come out- by then ram will be affordable-

denim · Sep 5, 2003, 04:05 PM

Originally posted by MacNStein:
ACK!!

I knows how Smegeol feels, I does. Whatta awful thing this lawyer did to you!

If you've got the income like your friend, g'head and get the G5. As it is though, if I were you, I'd get the display then sit back and wait for a later generation of G5 in a few years, savin' me pennies in the mean time.

denim · Sep 5, 2003, 04:11 PM

Originally posted by MacNStein:
At some point I'm sure I'll get a new G5, but I think now I can comfortably wait a year... or two.

Yep. Good choice. By the time you get your G5, the upgrade pieces will have come down in price: SATA, 1GB DIMMs, PCI-X cards... all cheaper, faster too. And the G5 itself will be faster.

P'raps the 64-bit clean MacOS will be out by then, too.

mikemako · Sep 5, 2003, 09:11 PM

what keyboard is that you have? Does it have the Apple logo on it?