Not sure why they call it Multimedia ?
Written: Jan 03 '02
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Pros: Slick looking, solid built, Imovie and IDVD
Cons: No mic, small kb, single butt mouse, limited support, No audio inputs
The Bottom Line: Very expensive to own and operate, very snobby and limited support, limited options and market offerings. Unsurpassed Video Editing and DVD Authoring. No Audio inputs/outputs. Not a PC replacement.
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| dougmjones's Full Review: Apple Power Macintosh G4 Multimedia |
Don't get me wrong. I love this machine for many reasons but some of the claims border on hipocracy. They don't bother telling you that you will need to buy a USB audio device since this machine has no analog inputs or outputs and no digital inputs. In other words you don't get the basic features that all Windows PCs come with and nowhere near as nice as a 50 dollar Windows compatable sound blaster live value card. The Griffin Imic is a good solution for small bucks but is not fully supported yet on OSX but works partially. The sound blaster live for Mac does NOT have spdif or digital audio inputs and all the other features of the PC flavor card and is more expensive too. So dont even listen to people recommending that.
Next they said this was the most expandable Apple ever. Well that might be true but compared to the Windows PC market this is a small midtower case with no expandability in the front except for one factory optional IOMega Zip Drive which is a total waste of money in my opinion for many reasons. The PCI expansion is not that impressive either and there are only 3 PC133 style memory slots.
Let me cover some good points for a moment. The case is built like a tank and very impressive in general quality. The CPU has a heatsink instead of a less reliable cooling fan that can fail. The artsy design is what you are paying for here.
The OS9 and programs are stable and the Imovie and IDVD are the most obvious reason for even considering owning one. The OSX is now functioning much better but lacks many tools and programs that OS9 has. Support is dismal in my opinion and the Apple forum is the only place you can get any help as long as you can stand the sarcasm.
I bought Apple Care 3 year extended support for 300.00 dollars and that was a waste so far. It really hasnt provided me any special recognition or help. I have had to battle through each and every issue since I bought the system.
I love the system but I dont see the superior product that is touted so heavily. The memory is slow and PC133 and not DDR or anything fast like in PCs. The harddrives are ATA66 IDE and not the new faster ATA100. The drives are ATA100 but the Apple motherboard only runs at ATA66 speed. This is a bug difference.
Apples Itunes installer update wiped out my entire harddrive and you never hear about that because the left wing media loves to harp on Bill Gates XP security , meanwhile Apple wipes out half the harddrives in the USA and doesnt even make the evening news.
You have to buy the updates to OSX 10.0 and iDVD1 to iDVD2 and recieve them in the mail, about 30.00 each. The IDVD2 had more bugs than a candy factory and is finally running better with the latest fixes. Meanwhile half the worlds blank DVD supplies were turned into coasters while Apple responded like molasses. Only after myself and many other users started getting media coverage.
I love this product for the simplicity and DVD burning capability. I even like the smooth look of OSX. But all the issues and problems and especially snotty nature dealing with Apple has left a funny taste that I wont soon forget.
Apple's ability to forecast updates and notify customers of proper procedures and upcoming fixes is horrible. They have the attitude of take what we give you and shutup and be thankful you got it.
I will absolutely think twice before I buy a new machine in the next year or two. If I need a PC I will buy a 1000 dollar Intel, run XP Pro and disable the XP GUI back to 2000 classic and run with it. The PC provides many more options and software to choose from and far fewer problems.
It sounds like I hate my Apple but I don't. I am just realistic and don't buy all the Steve Job's hype stuffed down my throat.
I am still on my quest to make OSX fully functional so dont let anyone slam XP. This Apple and OSX is still very much in a beta'ish stage and the bugs are not all worked out yet.
This machine is very expensive to own, operate and upgrade but the saving grace is the Imovie and iDVD2, period.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 3500
Operating System: Macintosh
Processor: PowerPC
Processor speed: 701-800
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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Epinions.com ID:
dougmjones
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Location: Atlanta , Ga
Reviews written: 78
Trusted by: 24 members
About Me:
Computers, Music, Quality toys and gadgets. Like to review products that I demo or purchase.
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