[G5] hi! keep g4dp - or purchase g5dp?

[Jack]

Zane H. Healy wrote:
> At 6:24 PM -0500 11/11/07, YOUR FRIEND, CHRIS wrote:
>> Greetings!
>>
>> i have a 2000 g4 450dp. i'm on a tight budget {obviously!} and trying 
>> to determine if i would be better off by upgrading it {ram, video 
>> card, 2nd hdd - and possibly processor}
>
> No idea what upgrades are available, but with that CPU you are going 
> to be really hurting.  I upgraded just over 4 years ago from my G4/450 
> AGP to my G5 2x2. 

As a Mac user since the 9-inch screen days I agree with Zane's advice. I 
urge Chris NOT to put any more money into a G4. I have been using a G5 
2x2 for three years and it does not feel dated in any way. I do put more 
hours on my MacBook just for the sake of convenience, but the G5 does 
everything I ask of it, including photo processing,  web site work (with 
ancient MacOS 9-only software) with aplomb, and would run two really big 
screens if I wanted. The G5 will of reach the end of its supported life 
at some time in the future, but your G4 is already there. The new MacOS 
10.5 requires a minimum of an 867 MHz G4 processor. Who knows if 10.6 
will support G4's at all? I'd guess the G4 will reach the end of its 
useful life for all but the most undemanding and/or underfunded 
Mac-lover within two years or less.

Decent G5 prices are showing on eBay, if you are watchful. In fact, if 
you are not welded solid to the idea of a DP, why not consider a SP G5? 
They are going for very attractive prices. I suspect they represent a 
performance boost over your lowly DP .450 for the kind of computing you 
do, and you would be set for several years--enjoying a quality computing 
experience and not having to worry abut the wisdom of your investment. I 
am running two SP 1.8's with airport extreme cards on our home wireless 
network now for use by other members of the family and everybody is 
happy to be out of their old G4's and into the G5's.


Jack