funkyfc's Full Review: Apple Power Mac G5 (M9031LL/A) Mac Desktop
I have been an Apple fan my entire life. I bought an Apple IIc when I was a kid and have used an Apple my entire life (except for that brief college experiment with the PC). Currently, I have the last beige tower G3 and a new iBook G4. When the new G5 came roaring out touting to be the fastest thing on Earth, I had to get one. Being cost conscious, I had to get the middle of the line 1.8 MHz single processor G5 with the 160 GB hard drive and Superdrive (although Apple now offers a dual processor 1.8 as well as the dual 2.0 MHz).
I am not a technological wizard, so I will not go into the details of the computer. You can find the details yourself, but I will report what I have found.
First thing - this computer is HUGE. Calling the aluminum casing "massive" is an understatement. The G5 barely fits under my desk. It is a lovely looking machine (yes, it does look like a cheese grater, but with soft little touches - the engraved Apple sign is very subtle on the side). So, if you have a small workspace, this behemoth will eat up some room.
Things I like:
The speed of this computer is amazing. At work, we have a dual G4 and the single processor G5 kills it. While using iMovie and Photoshop, the G5 beat the dual-G4 by about 20 seconds each time. Yes, I timed them. I wonder if the time difference would be increased if I were doing more complicated applications like rendering in Final Cut or Avid Express. Starting up the an application was also faster but not enough of a difference for me to write about. But I do enjoy the opening and closing of my Powerpoint files and picture ladened PDF files faster.
This is one extremely quiet machine. The dual processor G4 is loud. The fan whines very loudly. This G5 is so quiet I have to press my ear to it to hear if it's working. Apple has done a wonderful job in noise reduction. Evidently, it has multiple fans cooling off the parts, so nothing will overheat if you push the computer.
Apple has made this computer Bluetooth and AirPort ready. I have no experience with Bluetooth (able to use wireless peripherals), but I do use an AirPort Extreme and it's nice to have those things ready and available. I just added an AirPort Extreme card to the G5 and I had wireless internet access in seconds. Which brings me to the opening of the G5 - I have never opened a computer any easier. You do not need a screwdriver or any such instrument unless you are putting in something dramatic. A few latches and it's open. The G5 wall swings open for easy access to its inside.
On the exterior, they put some USB 2.0 and Firewire 800 ports on the front of the machine instead of all on the back. Now, I won't have to work myself behind the computer to attach my portable hard drive. Easy access is a good thing.
Finally, the Apple company has usually used quality peripherals. The keyboard and mouse work smoothly and feels like they are built solidly. The keyboard is nicely designed and feels very comfortable. The mouse is a single button optical mouse and moves smoothly and effortlessly.
What I Don't Like:
The new G5 has only one optical bay. The dual G4 had space for two optical bays. The purpose for me was burning CD's. I liked being able to burn straight from CD to CD without having to make a disk image on my hard drive. Of course, there are probably more uses to having an extra optical drive, but that's mine.
Another really small point is that the programs are not optimized for the G5. So, there have been a few frozen moments in my time. It happened once during a Word document. No big deal... I just hope the "made for G5" version of Word comes soon. This is the price you pay for being on the cutting edge of technology.
The teeny tiny speaker is not very good. But when you have a computer like this, you should be purchasing a high quality speaker system with a subwoofer to go with it anyway.
Conclusion
I like the new G5 very much. I think Apple has done a wonderful job at making this computer the best it can be. Loading it up with top notch equipment (e.g. Ge-Force FX graphic card, DDR RAM, Firewire 800 and USB 2.0) just makes it a great machine. I love the Superdrive (being a DVD-R and CD-R is great).
Overall, it is a great machine and you will happy with it for years to come (or until the G6 comes out!).
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2500 Operating System: Macintosh Processor speed: over 1000 RAM: More than 256 Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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