Buy an older Mac G5?

[AndrewD]

Okay, I love my Ubuntu but it's proving glitchy in some applications, I love my iphone and that made me get an ipad....

However keen I am to get a Mac I'm not spending the thick end of £1500!

I fancy getting a desktop Mac so was thinking of getting a second hand G5 off eBay, something like this one...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180727340723?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2661

So for £250 is this worth it or am I buying a white elephant?

I don't do much games and use it for home office etc, even emails are 99% iphone now!

 

[Tbolt]

Hi, I have used many flavours of linux and keep going back to mac.

I have a powerbook G4 laptop and a mac mini (intel).

The power-pc machine has been great and in regular use since 2005. It is still ideal for web browsing, email and general computing tasks. It also has some good older software that does not work with newer macs.

I now find some software support for pre-intel machines to be limited. For example it will not work with the latest web browsers such Chrome. It is also limited to osx leopard so I have not linked my iphone or ipad2 to the laptop.

The intel macs will work with snow leopard and now lion.

If you do not need a monitor you may find an intel mac mini for a similar budget and it will have more power, use the latest software that will match with your ipad.

Gerry

 

[ianf]

Intel mac mini is the way to go. Try for a core 2 duo one or you'll be in the weed for software updates.

I've had g5/core duo/core 2 duo over the years, memory mAxed from crucial, and not needed to spend more than £200 yr to stay current.

 

[AndrewD]

I now find some software support for pre-intel machines to be limited. For example it will not work with the latest web browsers such Chrome. It is also limited to osx leopard so I have not linked my iphone or ipad2 to the laptop.

The intel macs will work with snow leopard and now lion.

If you do not need a monitor you may find an intel mac mini for a similar budget and it will have more power, use the latest software that will match with your ipad.

Gerry

Cheers for the info, this might be the first of shifting family to macs with other pcs too.

Are you saying I cannot sync my iPhone or iPad with the G5?

 

[cookie]

i think apple just dropped support for all Power PC macs? they are even being restrictive about the earlier intels. no Lion for Core Duos.


ps. Macs are not all £1500 which in this particular case is bit of a pity

 

[Jiffy176]

Why not go for a mac mini intel version. Should get one used for a good price. Don't worry too much about spec as like Linux they run faster that the other stuff and as mentioned they don't slow down line the most used o/s
If you get an intel you could update to the new op sys which is lion for £21
I moved to mac a year or so ago. Still don't fully understand it all but it does what I need and is much better than I am. Wouldn't go back ever! Now have iPad and IPhone they all work v well together.
Good luck whatever you get.

 

[Jiffy176]

i think apple just dropped support for all Power PC macs? they are even being restrictive about the earlier intels. no Lion for Core Duos.


ps. Macs are not all £1500 which in this particular case is bit of a pity

Though apple said all intel macs could run lion. Think mine is a core duo as basic iMac 18 month old now running lion fine.

 

[Tbolt]

Just tested the ipad2 and it did sync photo's with the G4.

Gerry

 

[cookie]

Though apple said all intel macs could run lion. Think mine is a core duo as basic iMac 18 month old now running lion fine.

just double checked, and it's officially not. Core2Duo > only, which is what your 18 month old machine will be.

CoreDuo and Core2Duo are different beasts. earlier one is 32 bit and the 2 is 64 bit.

 

[shugie]

just double checked, and it's officially not. Core2Duo > only, which is what your 18 month old machine will be.

CoreDuo and Core2Duo are different beasts. earlier one is 32 bit and the 2 is 64 bit.

Just checked mine, seems I will be able to Lion it at some point. Hope the ebay machine price goes up a bit, seems cheap right now.

 

[cookie]

Hope the ebay machine price goes up a bit, seems cheap right now.

early days yet. i'm pleased it's that high so soon.

 

[AndrewD]

So a G5 for about £250....

Or go the whole hog and buy this from Argos?

Imac £899

My reason for Argos is I can do 9 months interest free, so just chuck £100 in the piggy bank every month

I'm guessing it's not got thunderbolt but apart from that is current?

Now I also need to decide if it's going to be the magic mouse or trackpad.....

 

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

So a G5 for about £250....

Or go the whole hog and buy this from Argos?

Imac £899

My reason for Argos is I can do 9 months interest free, so just chuck £100 in the piggy bank every month

I'm guessing it's not got thunderbolt but apart from that is current?

Now I also need to decide if it's going to be the magic mouse or trackpad.....

I bought that exact same machine from a guy on Ebay for £675 just this week. I'm not kidding when I say it is absolutely pristine!!! All the protectore back in place in the box. It was literally as new. It even came with the balance of the 2 year applecare until May 2013!!



There are some bargains out there if you look hard enough

 

[AndrewD]

I bought that exact same machine from a guy on Ebay for £675 just this week. I'm not kidding when I say it is absolutely pristine!!! All the protectore back in place in the box. It was literally as new. It even came with the balance of the 2 year applecare until May 2013!!



There are some bargains out there if you look hard enough

How you getting on with it?

 

[cookie]

I'm guessing it's not got thunderbolt but apart from that is current?

Now I also need to decide if it's going to be the magic mouse or trackpad.....

there's virtually nothing to connect to Thunderbolt at the moment. not much on the horizon either really, unless you want to connect an apple display.

mouse v trackpad. i have both & for normal tasks, the magic mouse is miles better.

 

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

How you getting on with it?

I had a 24" G4 before this which has just sadly had a tiff with it's logic board. I did feel like I was compromising going down to the 21.5" but in all honesty I don't notice it at all.

it's quick, well certainly quick enough for me, as with all Apple hardwear it's like a work of art.

What blows me away most is the screen, It's absolutely sublime! I feel like I could just reach into it and pick the pages off with my fingers. Utterly fantastic!

 

[AndrewD]

Looks like the one I linked to in Argos has the iSight camera but the newer ones have an HD camera, not sure what else (other than thunderbolt) is better?

 

[cookie]

Off the top of my head....

Sandy Bridge chipset.

Better graphics.

Probably some increased compatibility with Lion.

 

[AndrewD]

Went out and brought an i5, 21.5 with both the magic mouse (very clever) and the trackpad too, not too sure on the trackpad but it's pretty good.

Poor old PS's getting raped for it's data and moth-balled but 'shhh' don't tell it or it'll dump an HD

Now to get the iphone/ipad/ipod sorted and once the 10m HDMI cable arrives it's probably time to get an Apple TV for the new OS5 and iCloud......God it's too late I've been 'Applewashed'!