[cjrivera]

which do you donate?

I have been doing some work for a school in my spare time. (Setting up a new web site using iWeb, making promotional DVD's with iMovie/iDVD, and printing fliers/announcements with Pages)

They currently use all Windows machines, but the teachers are getting more interested in the stuff I'm doing with the iLife/iWork programs. I'm considering donating 1 or 2 Macs to the school so the teachers can do some of the stuff I'm doing (really not hard to do stuff at all if you use the right programs), but I'm having a hard time figuring out which ones to buy....

I don't want to break the bank, so I'm thinking Mac mini (G4 or Intel), iMac (G5 or Intel) or maybe G5 tower. I can buy new, used, or refurb....

The best bang for the buck would be a G4 Mac mini, but I'm afraid it would be too slow or get outdated very quickly, and then have people say "See Macs are slow."

A Intel Mac mini would be faster, but by the time you get the dual core with Superdrive you start getting into G5 iMac range.

They have monitors, so a used G5 tower is a possibility also.

I want these machines to be
1) relatively fast. So that they don't complain about being "too slow" later.
2) kind of a showcase for what Macs can do, so maybe (way down the road) more Macs could end up in the hands of students and not just the teachers (another reason for #1)

Any ideas?

[stevesnj]

Cant go wrong with an iMac, coming from a teachers perspecive if there is more room on a desk to put other crap an iMac would be the best thing

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by cjrivera

promotional DVD's

DVD's what? /apostrophe police

OT: I second the iMac. Capable, small footprint, great looking. Very generous of you btw.

[cjrivera]

Originally Posted by Mastrap

DVD's what? /apostrophe police

D'oh! (I hope that one's right...)

I usually know the rules of apostrophe (usually can't spell it, but since you already did, it was easier), but for some reason I always do the CD's, DVD's like that. CDs, DVDs - for some reason that doesn't look right.

So for the iMac voters - G5 (better price) vs. Intel (more expensive & slower now with non-Mac apps- but since they don't have any other apps they could wait for the Intel native and be faster.)

Any idea's/ideas?

[olePigeon]

2x iMac Intels.

[faragbre967]

I'd say iMac's because they don't require a different monitor.

[gnomexp]

If there's a school with a large number of malfunctioning computers and you have dough to spread, I would recommend 3 or 4 baseline G4 Minis unless you can get decent Intel stock. Schools are most likely to use them for Microsoft Office (will be PPC likely for about a year) and Photoshop (will be PPC until next year). Prices for PPC Apple Pro software is significantly cheaper for the random movie-editing student, but they'll be more likely to use a workstation made available. The only reason I recommend minis is because most students don't know how to use Mac or how to use Photoshop. They don't need bleeding-edge technology and won't know the difference. I will say that Macs are a complete b**** to network with a restrictive system that you cannot change, so expect them to do internet and local printing only. Grab monitors from the "computer graveyard." My school's is under the staircase.

However, if there is a sincere need for a designer workstation (read: newspaper, yearbook, film club, serious art students), a single PowerMac G5 will go a long way. While only 6 or so students will use it in a given month, those students will all have extremely good uses for it. We put out extremely large, graphics intensive documents using InDesign and fun design goodies using Illustrator, Photoshop, and Aperture (250 is really cheap, especially since all school photos are archived as originals). A PowerMac G5 is useful if your school already owns a license for Adobe CS or CS2. For Photoshop 7 and below, get 2 iMacs instead, as performance won't change significantly and activation is much easier between two computers.

Recently, I worked to get the following donated to my school:

PowerMac G5 Dual 2.0 GHz (donated by a local Masonic temple in exchange for cleaning)
- 2 GB RAM
- GeForce 7800GT
Samsung Syncmaster 204 (donated by Circuit City because a teacher is related to the president)
- 20.1in LCD

[PurpleGiant]

iMac G5 for now I would say, since everything runs on it at native speed. Cheaper, too. Less 'tech support' issues for you if they try and use extra software or hardware on it that is not Intel compatible, or runs too slowly for them.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by faragbre967

I'd say iMac's

Did you do that on purpose?

[cjrivera]

Originally Posted by gnomexp

If there's a school with a large number of malfunctioning computers and you have dough to spread, I would recommend 3 or 4 baseline G4 Minis unless you can get decent Intel stock. Schools are most likely to use them for Microsoft Office (will be PPC likely for about a year) and Photoshop (will be PPC until next year). Prices for PPC Apple Pro software is significantly cheaper for the random movie-editing student, but they'll be more likely to use a workstation made available. The only reason I recommend minis is because most students don't know how to use Mac or how to use Photoshop. They don't need bleeding-edge technology and won't know the difference. I will say that Macs are a complete b**** to network with a restrictive system that you cannot change, so expect them to do internet and local printing only. Grab monitors from the "computer graveyard." My school's is under the staircase.

However, if there is a sincere need for a designer workstation (read: newspaper, yearbook, film club, serious art students), a single PowerMac G5 will go a long way. While only 6 or so students will use it in a given month, those students will all have extremely good uses for it. We put out extremely large, graphics intensive documents using InDesign and fun design goodies using Illustrator, Photoshop, and Aperture (250 is really cheap, especially since all school photos are archived as originals). A PowerMac G5 is useful if your school already owns a license for Adobe CS or CS2. For Photoshop 7 and below, get 2 iMacs instead, as performance won't change significantly and activation is much easier between two computers.

Recently, I worked to get the following donated to my school:

PowerMac G5 Dual 2.0 GHz (donated by a local Masonic temple in exchange for cleaning)
- 2 GB RAM
- GeForce 7800GT
Samsung Syncmaster 204 (donated by Circuit City because a teacher is related to the president)
- 20.1in LCD

gnomexp - This is a small grade school, so likely only a few of the 6-8th grade students may use the iMovie/iDvd/Photoshop Elements programs. More than likely they would (initially) be used by the teachers to for letters/fliers/brochures etc. None of the teachers have used Macs, so I'd have to teach a few of them iMovie/iDvd/iWeb, and maybe they would spread the word. I'd bet they wouldn't use Illustrator, Photoshop, or even Apeture. Likely their needs would be the iLife/iWork suites - which are optimized for Intel now, right? They have no other legacy Mac software so waiting for Intel versions isn't a big deal. Although the G5's certainly would do well with the iLife/iWork programs for now, I wonder in the future, will they be that much faster on Intel machines. But then again for the money I save buying a G5 imacs or towers, they small hit in performance may not be noticed.

Since this is the school's first experience with Macs, I really want it to go well and for the machines to be useful and "snappy" for a while. I'm afraid by going with G5's the future apps may take a bigger hit in performance over time than an Intel machine.

But you've given me more to think about....
Thanks

[cjrivera]

Originally Posted by PurpleGiant

iMac G5 for now I would say, since everything runs on it at native speed. Cheaper, too. Less 'tech support' issues for you if they try and use extra software or hardware on it that is not Intel compatible, or runs too slowly for them.

The cheaper part I like.

Since the school has no Mac software right now (and would only use iLife/iWork which I think are Intel enhanced - maybe?), would that affect your answer in any way?

[Paco500]

Just a thought- Costco had 20" iMac G5s w/ apple care for under 1500 this weekend. I'd snap those up. Great price and no support headaches for 3 years.

[Paco500]

BTW- they are the "new" 20" G5s w/ built in iSight.

[faragbre967]

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Did you do that on purpose?

Ya I did, why? Any iMac would be good imo.

[cjrivera]

Originally Posted by Paco500

Just a thought- Costco had 20" iMac G5s w/ apple care for under 1500 this weekend. I'd snap those up. Great price and no support headaches for 3 years.

Really? I might have to go check those out....

Thanks

[gnomexp]

If that's the case, the "optimum" configuration would be the new dual-core Mac mini with 1 gig of RAM. iLife'll be snappy, new apps'll be snappy. If a middle-schooler trashes one, they'll be cheap to replace with no serious hardware investment (other than a grand).

Otherwise, get 20in iMacs... teachers will be awed by the monitor and possibly bonjour networking and vid chatting in iChat. It will be speedy for years. The only config change you need is a gig of RAM for future applications and the inevitable "red-button closing" that will leave every single application running at all times. (People don't use CMD-Q... they hit the red button coming from Windows). I'd recommend an Intel for the speed boost and future compatibility. You want them to be useful in the future.

[wdlove]

Might as well get the latest an iMac Intel.

[Moderator]

if they have monitors and you dont want to waste money then the Mini is what you want. But the iMac would leave a better impression. Go intel either way...save them headaches in the future.

[cjrivera]

Thanks to everyone for the good pros/cons.

I think I have narrowed it to the Intel line, just because I'm looking for longetivity and with the new Intel chips, I'd hate for there to be problems with compatibility with new programs in a year or 2, just cuz I wanted to save a few bucks with a G5.

Now I have to narrow it down to the Intel mini vs. iMac. I'll have to see what kind of monitors they have to spare, that may be the decision making factor.

I'll be honest, the iMacs would be huge in the "wow" factor that might get the door open for future Mac purchases. If nothing else (since our budget is not the greatest right now), maybe get the teachers more interested in Macs as a teaching tool, and maybe they'd buy 1 for themselves at home.

Keep the great advice coming...

[cjrivera]

... of course, as I jsut get done typing that last paragraph, I see in the For Sale section a dual G5 for $1350....

[gnomexp]

Well.... heck. That's just a little more than a pimped out mini.