Mac hardware info/advice

[lllab]

well, i would definitely invest in an intel mac.

the g5 and ppc is dying, the next OSX will not support PPC anymore mots info says, apple skips ppc support. if you want to compile then you risk the g5(PPC) is not be able to work for the new osx.

for compiling any new intelmac should do it ok, as long it is 64 bit.
the intel macs are more or less normal pc hardware (only using EFI instead of bios, like some server pc hardware)

cheers
stefan

[Keith Young]

well, i would definitely invest in an intel mac.

the g5 and ppc is dying, the next OSX will not support PPC anymore mots info says, apple skips ppc support. if you want to compile then you risk the g5(PPC) is not be able to work for the new osx.

for compiling any new intelmac should do it ok, as long it is 64 bit.
the intel macs are more or less normal pc hardware (only using EFI instead of bios, like some server pc hardware)

cheers
stefan

Thanks a ton... I'm definately concerned about stretching each Mac upgrade as long as possible - I meant to mention/ask about this in the post, but forgot. Of course that may put off this upgrade a bit longer as well, since the Intel systems are typically more expensive (the cheapest being the Mini).

I guess it really doesn't make sense for me to be looking at G5 systems at all at this point (unless one fell from heaven or I could find something dirt-cheap).

Keith

[wbj]

Hi gang,

- G5 PowerMac

Since these don't come with a monitor (I'd need to purchase one separately in most cases), this is a more expensive route to take, but (and this is where some of my questions come in...) it looks like I might be able to use some "hand-me-down" PC parts over time for upgrading purposes (?).

In other words, I could more easily drop in one of my old PC HDs, memory (??), video cards (??), etc. as I had them to spare.


- C2Duo 'Mac Mini'

This choice would be fairly limiting on future upgrades, but the base system would likely be sufficient to do compiles with and the potential advantage to going this route would be to use it as a small-footprint/impact in the living room (WiFi to the router) for entertainment when not doing compiles.


...In any of the above cases, I might still end up needing to purchase an OS upgrade and/or keyboards, etc.

So, not being terribly well versed in Mac-land, my (general) question is the fairly wide-open: "Any advice?" :). A few more specific ones would be:

1. Does the PowerMac actually use the same memory form facter as Socket 775 PC motherboard systems (240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 for example)? or is it some Mac-specific thing?

2. Same question as above on video cards... can I just drop in my nVidia GeForce 8800 - PCI Express 2.0 x16 card at some point?

And finally... if anyone has a G5/C2Duo system they could make me a good deal on, please IM me - I'd be a lot more comfortable purchasing from someone within the C4D community, if I had my druthers.

Thanks in advance and happy 4th weekend!,

Keith

Q1: It depends on the G5 PowerMac model you're using. Some use DDR2 ram, others use just DDR ram (which might be harder to get these days). See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2248?viewlocale=en_US for more infos.

Q2: You can't drop in any other video cards, as their video bios doesn't support the ppc chip and the PPC version of Apple's OS doesn't contain drivers for these cards.

If you can, try to get a Core2 duo machine, as they will be faster (and quieter :-) as the G5 dual computers.

Best regards,

wbj

[jazzmik]

Keith, I would definitely recommend the Mini. It nearly fits your budget (base model is $599, upgrade the RAM to 2gig for $50), and I'm certain some folks around here would be able to throw you a keyboard / mouse for nothing (any USB keyboard / mouse will do). The monitor may be a tougher request, but you could plug it into your television's video in port.

I've had a Mac Mini running my house (lights, TV, telephone) non-stop for the last 3.5 years without a glitch.

Over the life of the machine you're looking at $150 / year or better.

[Keith Young]

Keith, I would definitely recommend the Mini. It nearly fits your budget (base model is $599, upgrade the RAM to 2gig for $50), and I'm certain some folks around here would be able to throw you a keyboard / mouse for nothing (any USB keyboard / mouse will do). The monitor may be a tougher request, but you could plug it into your television's video in port.

I've had a Mac Mini running my house (lights, TV, telephone) non-stop for the last 3.5 years without a glitch.

Over the life of the machine you're looking at $150 / year or better.

Thanks for the info...

Keyboard and mouse I'm not too concerned with, so the monitor would be the only concern. I'm not sure my (old/cheap) TV has much in the way of in ports, aside from RCA jacks ;), but the Mini does make an interesting choice.

I'm tracking several of them on eBay right now and have even seen a few with "Buy Now!" buttons in the ~$350 - $380 range, which is more than I can spare at this point, but something to keep an eye on (the iMacs and PowerMacs with Intel chips are all more expensive).

[GruvDOne]

Just to echo what has been said, it would be pointless to go with a G5, as the release of OSX 10.6 this September will not support the PPC platform.

The Mini is an excellent choice, and I would encourage you to look both in a few places for refurb or used deals that could save you some $$$

Powermax, for example has a used Intel Mini for $439 right now

http://www.powermax.com/parts/show/c-u66373

Good company, I've done lots of business with them. I know the price is more than some of the Ebay finds, but you really never know what your getting with Ebay, and there is still rampant fraud on that site... caveat emptor

There is also Small Dog electronics and the Apple Store itself. Both offer refurbs, though there are no Minis on the list right now, that could change.

[imashination]

If this machine is just for compiling 64bit versions, then I would try running osx on your pc, you can try installing it as an additional dual boot OS, or you can run it within a VM. This will avoid any new hardware, screens etc. Just grab a copy of osx and give it a shot, its been done:

http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Vmware_how_to

[GruvDOne]

If this machine is just for compiling 64bit versions, then I would try running osx on your pc, you can try installing it as an additional dual boot OS, or you can run it within a VM. This will avoid any new hardware, screens etc. Just grab a copy of osx and give it a shot, its been done:

http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Vmware_how_to


Yes, it has. I know at least a couple of people who have done it and it is a difficult, time consuming, high maintenance task. It's cool if you want to do it just to say you've done it, but it is not stable enough to rely on as a work unit.

Besides, I wouldn't think it wise to compile/debug on a system running via emulation. Not an intelligent path.

[dan1el]

agreeing about getting the Mac Mini, if budget is a problem,avoid secondhand CoreDuo (not Core2Duo) since they are 32-bit and 64-bit.