New Mac purchase....

N

~~NeYo~~

iBud
Ok, so its come to that dilemma once more. albeit a rather nice one...
beautyshot_power_mac_g5.jpg
step2_powerbook_15_2.jpg

Anyhow, I've just got approved my loan, and the funds are beaming their way to my account.

I do NOT really want to spend over £2000 on a system, first and foremost.
The main reason for wanting to sell my current setup (Cube - 17" Studio Display etc etc) was because I wanted a Mac to take with me to the states... Notably a 15" PowerBook. However I don't think I will be going this year, well surely not for the length of time I initially had planned. With the cash all but burning a hole in my Pocket, I am left with a dilemma.

Besides taking a PowerBook to the states with me, it wouldn't really travel an awful lot. Around the house yes... But that would be pretty much the extent of it. Having a nice big desk, and a desktop machine suits me quite well, as long as I am comfortable... With that said, I seem to have a couple of options, really...

Keep my 17" Studio Display, and JUST sell my Cube w/ mouse & keyboard, and get the Dual 1.8GHz G5 Tower.
Probably sell my 17" Studio Display and definately Cube, and get a 15" PowerBook.

The vast difference in specs is what even brings a G5 to mind, but I only really use common Apps, and design apps. (Photoshop, Flash, DW, etc etc...) Nothing Video, Audio really... Makes me wonder if maybe the PowerBook would be fine for that, and / or the G5 tower maybe even OVERKILL?

Its really tricky for me to decide, and I appreciate you guys couldn't make my mind up for me, but some viewpoints would be appreciated none-tha-less...

...If anyone is interested in my Cube setup, I would be looking to sell quite soon (in the UK mind) ... baring in mind its NOT a stock spec!

Edit - The fact PowerBooks HAVE been update VERY recently and G5's are due one also makes me reluctant to want to buy a current G5 model... :(
 
Sounds like that's a decision you'd have to make for yourself. It sounds like the PowerBook purchase would be based solely on ONE trip away from home, and if you feel you'd be disappointed with a PowerBook once you got back home, well, then, there's your answer. You don't NEED a computer every trip you take -- in fact, I take 3 to 4 cross-country trips a year and do just fine not coming close to a computer while I'm gone (and I use my Mac for work AND school).

Yes, a G5 would be overkill for what you do with a computer now. But in two years, would it still be overkill? Probably not. People thought they were in heaven when the dual 1GHz Macs came out, and now you can pick one up for close to $1000. A dual 1GHz Mac isn't top-end overkill anymore. But then again, it's tough to drag a G5 around an airport, though.

Listen to the advice given here, but ultimately, it's gonna come down to how you feel about it, regardless of what the people have suggested here.
 
Yeah, unfortunately for me, i have no opportunity to try them both out, and make a better assumption of what is right. I appreciate what you're saying about not taking a computer away, and i never have before... But I was / am looking to go away for a few months...

I looked on 'cancom' and they do have a Dual 2GHz G5 for the price of a new Dual 1.8GHz as a refurb. I've never bought a new computer in my life, but what are people's stances on this? Before my loan was agreed, i was dead cert on the PowerBook, but the power difference between the two really makes it a tough one to call - certainly when i don't yearn for portability nor really know if I would make use of it...
 
I have just talked myself into buying a powerbook instead of a G5.
Reason 1: I want to hang in the kitchen or in the bed or in the garden surfing the web etc and throw out my old desk and all the ugly wires.

reason 2: the G5 is to fast for me :) i play my games on a xbox and i have never felt my current computer was slow for the things i do on it.
 
Ok i am pretty much decided on the G5. However I will have to sell these little USB harmon kardon speakers with my Cube... Well OK, i Def will. Anyhow, I am / was impressed with them, but I always liked the look of the Harmon Kardon Soundsticks. I trust they come in a format for which the G5 could connect to? 3.5mm headfone jack i assume? Does anyone have any views about these? Like i said, the Apple Pro speakers aren't bad anyhow, they sound decent IMO, as well as looking good *always a plus* :p

...So yea, any opinions / info would be good. Plus anyone seen a price cheaper than Amazon's (UK note!) £109.99?

Cheers 4 ya time... :D
 
I'm not really interested, but just for the hell of it...

What price are you looking at for that darling little cube you have?

And I remember not too long ago you had the same 'dilemma', and you decided on the cube over a new 1GHz iMac, if I remember correctly. I think I said you wouldn't last long with the cube :D
 
haha! hey man! Yea i remember the dilemma, it was 14 months ago, yup! :D

Anyhow being in the UK, the price will seem STEEP - even tho you're NOT interested.

Hmm, well in truth about £800. Some people will see it as steep (Certainly if they convert it to the WEAK (america / weak? heh) dollar) Besides the CPU, its pretty much maxed out tho.

120Gb HD
1.25Gb RAM - It can be filled with 3x512Mb's but hey!
nVidia GeForce 3 ADC 64Mb. This is the most powerful Mac AGP card, that will fit without custom mods, to the internals (relocate DC-DC board). The card alone cost me about $450. Still actually sells now on eBay for $350-$500. Crazy money I know, but the Cube has become quite a niché market...

Yea, you probably did say that ... thanks for the 'I told you so...' :mad:
haha, but no, I still love it, but I am not the kinda guy to keep stuff, certainly when they're worth so much. I would much prefer to pay a huge chunk of my loan off, with the sale of this little beauty. At times I feel the speed, of course... But Photoshop, Flash and Dreamweaver ... they are the Apps i used most to burn up Power, and they're hardly Final Cut Pro, so I do get along fine. However, like the posts suggests, I was looking for a PowerBook to take across the world with me, but that will be put on ice, so between now and then, I hope to be lapping up a rather speedier machine... I'll probably look to sell this forthcoming G5 in the new year, in search for that portable I was initially looking at. We will see! ;)

Dlloyd, care to make any newer assumptions about my life? You wouldn't know any forthcoming UK lotto numbers would ya, Oh Buddy Oh Pal....;)

haha.

Later man
 
If I did, do you honestly think I'd tell you? I'm still salivating over the Cube, remember. ;) :D

And sure, I'll make a prediction!

"You're going to sell the G5 in about 6 months so you can get a PowerBook, and you'll be sorry you got the G5 in the first place because you'll take a loss when you sell it to buy the Powerbook." Sound good? :D
 
Just to keep up to date..

I bought a refurb machine:

Dual 2GHz G5
512Mb RAM
ATi Radeon 9600 Pro
SuperDrive
160Gb HDD

Harmon Kardon Soundsticks II

... I'll take some pics and make an iPhoto gallery 2morro, for anyone who cares!

(altho my dad is making me a new desk.. so ignore the current one! psshh) :)
 
Dang, how'd you get your Spymac working? I've been waiting a month and still nothing...

Cooooooooool! :D
 
Well, since they went and did the 1gig free email (stupid if you ask me; a publicity stunt) accounts aren't getting set up, and they've had a lot of bugs. I guess my waiting a month is one of then :(
 
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