An Ordinary Person's Realistic Review
Written: May 16 '00 (Updated Apr 18 '01)
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Pros: fast, great graphics, lots of memory and space, great tech support
Cons: connecting old equipment hassles, little software, no printed manuals
The Bottom Line: This is a great computer, but not a perfect one.
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| anyamashiro's Full Review: Apple Power Macintosh G4 Multimedia |
After reading all the glowing opinions here about the G4's, I decided to take the plunge and buy one. Since I already had a Mac, I figured I could use my old monitor and printer and save a little money that way, justifying the higher cost of buying the computer I REALLY want.
Well, I have discovered that my choice has its pros and cons, which I will now share with you. First of all, I am very pleased overall with the computer—it is amazingly fast and has so much more memory than my wimpy old 12MB Performa. It's like a dream connecting to the internet without all the problems I used to have.
However, when I first received the computer, I had constant problems with applications quitting and the screen "freezing." I called tech support, and they were very helpful. In simple steps, they helped me reset my PRAM and do something else that cleared up the majority of the problems. I do still occasionally have problems with my connectivity/email/internet programs quitting or freezing, but it doesn't happen every day and isn't a huge hassle. One day when it annoys me, I will call and see if tech support can help me again. (One wouldn't expect a brand new, fancy computer to have such problems, would one?)
One of the biggest drawbacks to buying a G4 is the lack of software—I got only Outlook Express and Internet Explorer, the operating system (of course), simple text, and Sherlock (a search program). They did not include any anti-virus software, word-processing software, office or business software, and no free samples of games or educational software like I got last time. Outfitting your new G4 with the software you need is an expense to figure in.
Also, NOTE: you WILL (most likely) need to purchase special adapters in order to use your old printer, monitor, and other peripherals. The G4's have USB ports (narrow and rectangular-shaped), and the older stuff has "serial" ports (round with lots of prongs inside). You MAY need an adapter for your old monitor—I was repeatedly told I did NOT need one, but when the computer arrived, lo and behold, I DID need one and had to wait another week for it to arrive so I could hook up my new purchase—this was after I convinced the store I was ordering from that I was not crazy, I really DID need an adapter. The old DB-15 connector is about 1 1/2 inches wide with two rows of prongs inside, and the newer connector is less than an inch wide. The USB to serial adapter was about $90 and the DB-15 to Mac adapter was about $25.
Once I had the USB adapter hooked up and its software loaded, I still could not get my printer to work. Apple tech support was very patient and helpful, and I downloaded a newer version of the printer's software—their help website is very hard to use, in my opinion, but the people are very helpful when you call. Still, my printer did not work—OS 9 "doesn't support" this printer, whatever that means. I ended up emailing the company that made the adapter and I can now get my printer to work, but I have to start my computer, unplug the adapter, replug the adapter, and then print. Sometimes the communication breaks down during printing, and I have to cancel the printing, unplug and replug the adapter, and then re-start the printing. Annoying, but it's the adapter that causes the problem, I think, not the computer. (If you have a newer printer, you won't have to deal with this).
Another drawback is the lack of printed manuals—you get only a manual on how to set-up the computer—everything else is either on-screen or on-line, and, as I mentioned, the on-line site is not very helpful at all to someone like me (not a computer genius).
As for the petty things—yes the mouse is round, but I have no problem using it—there are lots of covers you can buy for about $10-20 to correct this if it bothers you. The keyboard is smaller, and has a different feel than most keyboards—it's springier. It took a little getting used to, but I really like the smaller size—it fits in my lap and on my desk a lot better. The desktop backgrounds ARE horrendously ugly, as I had read in one review, but on the backup cd in the cd extras folder you can find all the old desktop patterns as well as some stunning photographs of beaches, sunsets, flowers, rocks, mountains, dogs, glass bottles, etc. that you can use—there should be something to please almost anyone.
So, in summary—the pros are the speed, fantastic graphic capabilities, huge memory, quality of the product, and the helpful, friendly tech support people. The drawbacks are the hassles of connecting and using old equipment, the occasional "freezing" problem, the lack of software provided, and the lack of printed manuals. The new mouse and keyboard may bother you, but I like them.
Incidentally, I REALLY like the store I bought it from—www.macmall.com. They have really great prices, plus I got 128 MB RAM free and took advantage of a software special, too. I shopped around quite a bit before choosing them, and I recommend checking them out if you need computer stuf—they are also www.pcmall.com.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1900
Operating System: Macintosh
Processor: PowerPC G4
Processor speed: 401-500
RAM: 256
Internal Storage: DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20
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Epinions.com ID:
anyamashiro
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Member: Andrea
Location: Dowagiac, MI
Reviews written: 50
Trusted by: 37 members
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