Last Power PC? What a way to go!
Written: Jan 20 '06 (Updated Jan 25 '06)
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Pros: Powerful, understated styling, rock stable, and very quiet for all but the most demanding tasks.
Cons: Some software doesn't take advantage of multiprocessor capabilities. Perceived speed differences depend on tasks.
The Bottom Line: If you need this kind of processing power, buy the Quad. If you're checking e-mail, writing, using iLife primarily, buy an iMac (a very capable machine) and save $1400.
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| GoodDad's Full Review: Apple Power Mac G5 Quad (M9592LL/A) Mac Desktop |
Apple's top of the line Quad Processor Power Mac is a remarkable engineering feat at a reasonable price point. For processor hungry audio and video applications, it has no peer.
I purchased the Quad Mac in December of 2005, and have been very pleased with its performance and ease of use. I do a tremendous amount of digital photography and video editing, and this machine flies through tasks that bog down lesser machines.
A quick word about moving to the Quad platform. Apple includes software to move existing files, applications, etc. from a previous Apple (or PC) machine to a new platform. This worked very well, moving all files and applications from my G4 Powerbook to the new machine. 90% of the applications did not require reentering serial number information...They just worked. Anyone who has upgraded to a new machine knows how time consuming and frustrating that process can be. It seems as though Apple has removed the kinks in that process very well.
This machine is liquid cooled, resulting in a very quiet device. The variable speed fans loaf 90% of the time, and when doing very heavy processor work, speed up marginally to cool the processors and power supply. As the IBM PowerPC chips have clocked up, heat dissipation has been and engineering challenge. This is the quietest desktop Mac built in the last few years.
The Quad Mac gets its name from the fact that it has effectively 4 processors all working together to get the work done. Some applications like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro are "multiprocessor savvy" and show marked speed increases when used on the Quad. Even if your application library doesn't include these types of power hungry applications, productivity can increase markedly due to the fact that multitasking on multiprocessors mated to a Unix based OS (like OSX 10.4) performs VERY well. For example, it is possible on this machine to be burning a finished DVD in iDVD, working in iMovie (including real time rendering) and Photoshop simultaneously without so much as a pause in smooth workflow. The Quad has an incredible capacity for work.
A few minor issues:
Because the new video architecture is not AGP based, my Final Cut Pro program refused to come up after loading. Unfortunately the only fix is an upgrade to FCP 5.0 HD, a fairly expensive solution. Any previous versions will not work with this machine.
Power consumption can be an issue if you have a tremendous amount of peripheral equipment on the same AC circuit. This is a serious machine, built for serious tasks. Don't put it on the same AC circuit as three other machines.
In all, a great engineering execution from a company that has been outstanding in this area the last few years. If you need this kind of power, you will not regret this purchase.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 3100
Operating System: Macintosh
Processor speed: over 1000
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: SuperDisk
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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GoodDad
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Location: Newburgh, Indiana, USA
Reviews written: 7
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