[starman]

Hi all,
I'm at this point where I want to get a G5. Apart from the fact that MW's in 2 weeks, I'm wondering if the dual 2.0 is really as fast as you thought it was when you got it. It's hard to explain what I'm asking - it's like this - you're enamoured with the thing the first week, but after a few months, does it still feel like the ass-kicking powerhouse it was when you got it?

EDIT: Here's what I mean - my 1GHz Powerbook kicks ass. When I got my last G4 tower, I was thrilled with it that first 2 weeks, but then its limitations started to show. My PC (2.53 GHz) hasn't been upgraded in a year, and I don't feel I have to because it still kicks ass.

Mike

[bimmerphile]

In a word: Very.

Now, I have only had my G5 since last thursday, but, since that time I have re-encoded 4 dvds, played Halo up to The Two Betrayals, re-beat UT2K3, and restored all my backup DVDs.

The G5 has handled everything in stride. Prior to, I had a Dual 1.30GHz G4. I was used to setting up the computer to do some DVD encoding when I went to bed, and waking up with it just getting done (about 10-12 hours). The G5 does it in 4-6. It's incredible.

Moreover, when I was working on that during the day, with Folding @Home running too, I only got to see the CPU usage bars hit full use once. once I tell you! It would have my G4 hanging on by the teeth, and the G5 eats the job alive.

The computer is still usable with all this going on too! I was playing UT2K3 disc copy was recreating an 15GB image of all my old music from DVD!

Am I impressed? Yes. If I were you, would I wait? Yes. Why? Because even if it will be until March before you can get a new G5, the old dual 2.0's prices will drop.

What's the point? Final summation? I've ran this bitch hard, and I haven't found it's sluggish mouse-crawling-jerky screen limits, and I don't suspect I will for quite some time.

[billybob128]

mine still has that kick ass feel to it but mayb because i use an 800 iBook as my second computer?

i think the main thing with the kick assness of the speed is the fact that we get used to the new speed.

however with a DVD copying and 2 Folding@Home cores running i am still able to play unreal2003 no problem with the frame rates been fast enough for me not to tell if it is stuttering

[Arkham_c]

I love my dual-2gGHz/9800. I've had it for 2 months or so now, and it is the greatest computer I've ever used, better even than the marvelous SGI O2/R10k I had at a job once. It's fast, it's reliable (no kernel panics yet), and it handles anything I can throw at it with aplomb.

It's a great game machine, and a better programming machine. I'm amazed how fast code compiles on it.

I also love the DVD burner. I was upgrading from a Sawtooth 450, so the ability to burn DVDs is very nice.

[-Q-]

It's quite the kick ass machine. I have no regrets and I certainly haven't noticed any shortcomings at all. From top to bottom, it's the best machine I've owned (although I do have a soft spot in my heart for the beige G3 the G5 replaced).

But I really do like the G5. Great machine.

[starman]

I'm amazed how fast code compiles on it.

I like this .

For work we have to build 4 versions of a very large project (2 flavors of debug/non-debug). I bring the code home sometimes and it compiles pretty damn fast on my 17" PB. I can't imagine what it would be like on a dual G5.

Not with every Mac I've owned, but with some I didn't feel I got "bang for the buck". If I'm going to drop $3k on a Mac I want to be sure I'm getting my money's worth.

So it looks like I'll be getting one around MWSF .

Mike

[bimmerphile]

ohhhh....you'll be getting your bang alright.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Raise your glass to the Dual G5!

Hip Hip...

[Hydra]

I've had my dual 2.0/9800 since the end of Sept. and I loved it more every day 3 Months and it's been the best computer I've ever owned. Fast and reliable, the two most important things in computing.

-Jerry C.

[zelig2]

I love mine, got it back in October at the Panther release party. I "switched" to apple that day. Though I still use my PCs pretty regularlly (even at the same time I'm at my desk). It's a great machine, I love it's integration and how well it works with the apps I have for it. I just need to spend some more time with it to get a VPN with my work and then I probably wouldn't use my PC as much.

[sodamnregistered2]

Originally posted by starman:
It's hard to explain what I'm asking - it's like this - you're enamoured with the thing the first week, but after a few months, does it still feel like the ass-kicking powerhouse it was when you got it?

I'm still pleased and I love to complain about Apple over promising and underdelivering.

It multitasks very well, and I find myself mutitasking more and more since it does it so well. Renders AE5.5 and C4d XL7 very fast. Is quiet.

I had a dual G4.800 before this, and passed on all the dual G4/1GHz, 1.25GHz and 1.42Ghz models and I can def say that this dual 2GHz is a perfomance leap - especially after moving to OS X 10.3

Basically, it's the type of hardware OS X NEEDS to shine.

[osxisfun]

very.

[Leonis]

I like mine quite a lot.

With 3.5GB RAM installed this machine really screams

The drawback (to some people) is that it doesn't run Windows

But man...this tower is big and heavy..

[///Milien]

Upgraded to a Dualie about a month ago from a single 1.8. With 4GB of RAM, no complaints here.

[wily]

I like it. My dual is my 15th Mac.

To put things in perspective, if my satisfaction doubled with each past upgrade, the jump from 867 Quicksilver to Dual G5 has been ten-fold.

Most of my work is DV/Photoshop, btw.

[OreoCookie]

Originally posted by zelig2:
... I just need to spend some more time with it to get a VPN with my work and then I probably wouldn't use my PC as much.

Take a look at VPNTracker. Great piece of software for connecting to VPNs, VPNTracker

[starman]

*sigh*

I just wish I had one to play with for a day. I can't take our company's projects to the mall just to try out a G5.

Mike

[jscotta]

...going down to the mall and talking to the store manager. Perhaps he has the flexibility to free up a demo or refurb for a week to let you try it. Don't get mad if he doesn't. He has job rules to play by like all of us. However, I hear that Apple really wants to break into the enterprise so maybe their rules are loosening up some.

[g3_brandon]

Gotta say, this thing is the best computer I've ever used, and I've used every model of PowerMac Apple has produced since the 466MHz G4. It can handle all the crap I have running at any given time and only go up to about 15% processor load on each...something that my 667MHz TiBook would die doing. I have absolutely no reservations about suggesting to anyone that they should own one of these...

[Rev-O]

Before October 3rd, my only (and first) mac was my 600MHz G3 iMac, and I used the thing constantly for goofing around. So I went from a G3 to a dual freaking processor G5 (with a 23" hd cinema display, no less). Am I impressed with it still. Oh yes. seems like I can just open as many apps as I want and plug away with nary a care. It's most impressive.

Does the fact that the G5 doesn't hammer pentium 4's in the recent bake-offs bother me? Nope. Think it was in these forums that someone said "Don't care if it is the fastest computer. Just care that it's the fastest computer running OS X."

But is it just me... or does the door/tray mechanism on the superdrive just sound kinda plasticy and cheap for a $3000 computer? It should just hummm open! Yah, I know... "want some cheese with that whine?"

[bojangles]

Had it for about two months and love it love it love it! However, with the rumor sites (and even MacNN!) predicting a speed bump in January, do yourself a favor and wait a few more weeks. If they do release the new ones at MacWorld, I�d feel pretty stupid if I got one right now.

So I went from a G3 to a dual freaking processor G5 (with a 23" hd cinema display, no less).

I hear you, Rev-0. Before my dual-2GHz G5 (with a 20" Cinema), I was working off a beige G3/266 running Jag. He�s still a great computer, but he�s kinda showing his age, y�know? I�m toying with getting him a new processor�. (My wife and I both work from home at the moment, so he still gets a lot of use.)

[dwishbone]

*hugs my G5*

[denim]

Originally posted by Arkham_c:
It's a great game machine, and a better programming machine. I'm amazed how fast code compiles on it.

I find I can play Oni on it, while running dnetc, and not notice any trouble. It's wonderful! I've had my 2.0/Bluetooth/9800 machine since October. It's really spiffy, too.

The more I use mine, the more I throw at it, the more I like it. It handles Halo w/o trouble, and anything older is cake.

I had to replace the keyboard with a Logitech Elite (w/ cable), and I never unwrapped the mouse, since I use a (Kensington Expert Mouse) trackball. But those items are issues across the board at the moment. They're not specific to the G5.

[denim]

Originally posted by -Q-:
From top to bottom, it's the best machine I've owned (although I do have a soft spot in my heart for the beige G3 the G5 replaced).

You too? I dunno, the G3 was good for its time. Consider what it was competing with.

I haven't figured out what to do with mine. I figure, maybe, to turn it into a server. I upgraded it from the original G3/233 to a G4/500 with 512MB of RAM. I figure that'll handle a web server et al pretty well...

[-Q-]

Originally posted by denim:
You too? I dunno, the G3 was good for its time. Consider what it was competing with.

True, but it also handled pretty much whatever I threw at it, software or hardware. And it's still going.

I haven't figured out what to do with mine. I figure, maybe, to turn it into a server. I upgraded it from the original G3/233 to a G4/500 with 512MB of RAM. I figure that'll handle a web server et al pretty well...

I did the same upgrade, although I maxed the RAM to 768 which helped me chug along in OS X a little longer than I probably would have otherwise. I turned mine into a server for my home network. It stores all the MP3s, does the daily backups, and serves as a test environment for my web stuff. Still a great machine.

Although the G5 is choice.

[denim]

Originally posted by -Q-:
Although the G5 is choice.

Well yeah, I wouldn't go out and buy a "beige" G3 now! Though they're probably rather cheap...

My main issue at the moment is space. I have no place to put another running machine, and no UPS "bandwidth" to support one.

[mfessenden]

Not happy.....ecstatic!!

[ourisman]

I'm totally happy with my dual 2.0 G5. At this point, I would definitely wait for the Stevenote at MWSF. He'll probably announce a dual 2.5 with dual 2.0s at the midpoint and dual 1.8s at the low end. The price of the dual 2's would come down immediately.

I think the dual 1.8 is probably the the value leader at this point ... even more so after MacWorld.

Just my 2� worth.

[bimmerphile]

Originally posted by ourisman:
I'm totally happy with my dual 2.0 G5. At this point, I would definitely wait for the Stevenote at MWSF. He'll probably announce a dual 2.5 with dual 2.0s at the midpoint and dual 1.8s at the low end. The price of the dual 2's would come down immediately.

I think the dual 1.8 is probably the the value leader at this point ... even more so after MacWorld.

Just my 2� worth.

Not according to Think Secret who has an impeccable record of accurate rumors.

[Locutus27]

starman,

I can tell you my first Mac was the 128k machine and my most recent Mac's were the following, Wallstreet G3 300 Power Book, B/W G3 400, 2002 QS DP G4 1Ghz and 12 Inch 867 G4 Power Book.

I received my DP G5 2.0Ghz, 2GB, 9800 on the launch date of Panther 10/24/03. This machine has exceeded all my expectations and has been the biggest leap I have experienced in any Apple product before.


Locutus27

[Charles Bouldin]

Love my dual G5. The only computer I've ever liked so much (and still do) is the 1 ghz tibook.

The dual G5 is a serious number-crunching machine. We do computational fluid dynamics and have been using 2.8-3.0 ghz dual processor P4 machines. The dual G5, with help from the --marvelous-- IBM xlf Fortran compiler, is 1.2 to 2.0 times faster than the P4 machines. No typo; on single processor jobs we get a 20% speedup, and parallel processing runs using either both P4's or both G5', the Mac is twice as fast.

Furthermore, if you are buying high-end dual P4 machines from a name brand manufacturer, like Dell or HP, the Mac is *cheaper* by 20% or so.

The combination makes the dual G5 a winner in both absolute performance and a runaway winner in performance/price ratio.

I couldn't be happier with this computer.

[Cadaver]

In case you need another "I'm happy" post, well, I'm happy. Very happy. Very, very happy.

[Leonis]

Originally posted by Cadaver:
In case you need another "I'm happy" post, well, I'm happy. Very happy. Very, very happy.

Make sure you are with this

[sodamnregistered2]

Originally posted by Charles Bouldin:
Furthermore, if you are buying high-end dual P4 machines from a name brand manufacturer, like Dell or HP, the Mac is *cheaper* by 20% or so.

I think you meant dual Xeon. There are no dual P4 computers.

If you build your own dual Xeon, they are petty cheap, and building a PC is pretty trivial.

[///Milien]

Originally posted by Leonis:
Make sure you are with this

or so

[Leonis]

Curse you, ///Milien, curse you

[///Milien]

LOL

[k2director]

I'm extremely happy with my 2 Ghz Dual (plus 2.5 gigs RAM and 500 gigs of internal storage).

The ONLY thing I could see improvement in is the fan noise. True, it is fairly quiet, and I used to note with pleasure that my Dual made less noise than my 1Ghz Titanium Powerbook. But then, I upgraded the Titanium to the new 1.25 Aluminum Powerbook, which is whisper quiet. And now the Dual seems a bit louder.

If the next G5s get even quieter,then I'll probably upgrade. Silence is something that, once you get a little of, you tend to crave more and more.

[bojangles]

Silence is something that, once you get a little of, you tend to crave more and more.

Agreed, but I can�t imagine how my dual-2GHz G5 (also with 2.5GB of RAM, btw) could be any quieter! Maybe it�s because I�ve just got the one 160GB hard drive? (How on earth is everybody able to afford the 2�250GB option? I think I�m the only one I�ve ever seen that has �only� 160GB!)

[bojangles]

Originally posted by ///Milien:
or so

Ah, the power of Photoshop…

(Yes, Milien. I know yours is real.)