[X4U] New Pentium Macs

[Philip J Robar]

On Jan 19, 2006, at 2:36 PM, Richard Gilmore wrote:

> I'm getting one of these new iMacs for my work. I regularly use  
> Photoshop
> and Dreamweaver now I'm a little worried about performance. I  
> thought the
> extra power would negate any slowdown by Rosetta but now I'm not so  
> sure. I
> guess we'll see.

List mail just started working again after several days so I'm sorry  
if this is a repeat. PC Mag just reviewed the new iMacs:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1912969,00.asp

Summary: Casual Mac users will love the new iMac (Intel Core Duo),  
but professional users or anyone who uses graphics apps like Adobe  
Photoshop and video-editing software (such as Final Cut Pro) should  
wait until those tools are updated.

Pros: Intel Core Duo dual-core processor. Mini-DVI port for true dual- 
monitor usage. Front Row software is now peppier.

Cons: Many applications that are not optimized for Intel will run  
slower. Classic OS 9 environment no longer available.

Excerpts:

Other programs, such as the QuickTime player, show a marked  
improvement. Before Core Duo you really needed a PowerMac G5 dual or  
Quad tower to view 1080p high-definition movie trailers without the  
annoying audio or video stutters seen on the original iMac G5. On the  
new iMac, 1080p QuickTime 7 HD videos play smoothly without a hiccup.  
The Superman Returns and King Kong movie trailers look phenomenal on  
the new iMac.

Those that do utilize Rosetta, such as Aperture, Final Cut Pro,  
Photoshop, and Quark Xpress, cause the new iMac to take a performance  
hit, as you'll see in our chart  Apple iMac (Intel Core Duo)  
benchmark test chart.


Phil