PowerMac G5 to Mac Mini

[timestandstill]

I have an aging G5 from 2004, specs:

  Model Name:	Power Mac G5
  Model Identifier:	PowerMac7,3
  Processor Name:	PowerPC G5  (3.0)
  Processor Speed:	2 GHz
  Number Of CPUs:	2
  L2 Cache (per CPU):	512 KB
  Memory:	2 GB
  Bus Speed:	1 GHz
  Boot ROM Version:	5.2.4f1

Not sure how good that is, lol.

Anyway, this being a PowerPC, I'm starting to get more annoyed at the fact that I can't use the newest Apple software like Snow Leopard, iLife '11, and Aperture 3.

I was considering replacing it with the base Mac Mini (this one):

2.4GHz : 320GB
2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB memory
320GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics
Mac OS X Snow Leopard
Leaves Apple: Within 24hrs
Free Shipping
$749.00

So two questions:
1) Would going from the G5 to the Mini be an upgrade? I remember spending over $2000 on this when I bought it in 2004, but I know times have changed.

2) Is there a *need* to upgrade? Leopard and slightly outdated software is currently working fine for me, but Lion is looking pretty slick, and I'd love to upgrade to Aperture 3.

Thanks for your support.

 

[Satcomer]

The Core 2 will feel faster in a lot of things. The only thing that will feel slower is video crunching because of the much larger internal pipes in a tower computer.

Just do the easy (no tool required) third party RAM upgrade. Os X loves RAM and 4 Gig should be a sweet spot in that Mini.

Plus if you have an HD TV (with HDMI) then the Mini could be used in the living room with software like Plex. You can watch this free version about Plex in the free ScreenCastOnline reviews Plex. It's worth watching to see how good it is.