Vanity... First Post with my New Macintosh G5 computer

Vanity | 9/18/2003 | Swordmaker

[Swordmaker]

This is my first post on FreeRepublic using my new Macintosh G5 computer. I purchased the Macintosh G5 1.6 GHz as an upgrade from my 450MHz Mac Cube that I have been using for the past three years.

This is one spectacular computer. Internally it is one of the most well engineered pieces of equipment I have ever seen. EVERYTHING is literally easy to reach. Installing an additional 1G of RAM was so simple anyone (including my 87 year old mother) could do it. Internally the design is super clean with easily removeable modules for fans and other parts. Apple even includes a set of four specialized screw/glides for slide-in installation of a second hard drive if you desire, There are very few apparent cables internally as almost everything plugs in to sockets.

The system operates almost as silently as my fanless G4 Cube even though it has NINE computer controlled fans. The air coming out of the perforated end panels is cool.

Set up was extremely easy.... truely plug and play. I will have to get a Firewire cable to connect the Cube as an external HD to the G5 to copy over my files at a high rate of speed but that can be done tomorrow.

This system is blazingly fast. The serial ATA hard drive loads programs with no discernable delay.

[Swordmaker]

Some pictures:

My computer lacks the lower second G5 processor unit seen in this picture and only has four RAM slots for a 4 Gigabyte potential instead of the 8 shown in the 1.8Ghz and 2.0Ghz DUAL versions (Shown). The CPU fans slide out and in easily and a transparent plastic air-flow guide covers the entire side panel before the brushed aluminum side plate closes the access. A padlocking latch keeps the expensive RAM secure from thieves.

The Latch:

The ports:

The front panel ports:

Note the OPTICAL audio ports for connection to a high end sound system! The front panel ports include an audio out, USB and firewire400 port.

[The Duke]

That *is* one beautiful piece of equipment!

[SpaceBar]

Although I'm a PC guy, I've drooled on the latest Apple stuff at the computer store. I'm particularly impressed by the quality of their monitors. Crisp and clear. You pay more for Apple equipment, but you do get quality workmanship. That is why I think as a company they will continue to exist regardless of their rollercoaster finances.

[Caipirabob]

"Macs is the devil, boy!"

Just joking.

In addition to being a beuatiful piece of machinery, I have yet to hear of any security issues with MAC OS on the level of the reported Windows Security "Sieves". That's a level of comfort that goes a long way these days. Congrats...

[pageonetoo]

I'm jealous... I have a 450 g4 myself!

[zarf]

I bought my G4 Dual Processor 800 about a year and a half ago. I love it.

I'm still jealous.

I hate you.

[Glenn]

I'm holding out for the 2.0 dualie. My 1.25 dualie is great but I need something for the office.

[zarf]

Have they fixed it so you pop a CD out of the drive without having to have the damn computer on?!!!

[zarf]

Have they fixed it so you can pop a CD out of the drive without having to have the damn computer on?!!!

One of the great Mac blunders.....

[bitcon]

That's partly because there are fewer macs so less reason to hack it, less damge from viruses (from those people) aswell as less machines means less sensative data or ability to show off/practice. I have heard about contests that mac has had to try to crack their saystem and form what I heard no ones had done it.

[bitcon]

Nice machine. How do you find getting software is? Like price and availability. I know they had some software that was compatible with both Mac and PC but I'm not sure if that became the norm or if it just kinda failed.

[Izzy Dunne]

ArsTechnica has some benchmarks showing the 2XG5 WAY outperforming a hotwired Dual 3Gig Xeon:
here

2x 2000 G5 OSX 10.2.7 (G5 plugin) 547 (energy settings highest perf)
2x 3060 Xeon (OC'd 2400)          488
2x 2930 Xeon (OC'd 2400)          471
   3200 P4 (800MHz)               427
   3000 P4 (800MHz)               405
   3495 P4 (OC'd 3.06)            386
   3060 P4 XP Pro (533 FSB)       358 HT
2x 2200 Xeon PC 800 RDRAM CPQ Evo 357 HT
2x 1500 G4 (OC'd 1420)            348
2x 1333 G4 DDR OS9.2 (oc'd 1.25)  346
   1800 G5 OSX 10.2.7 (G5 plugin) 344 (energy settings highest perf)
2x 1420 G4 OSX 10.2.4             338
2x 2400+Athlon MP                 338
2x 1250 G4 OS 9.2.2j              337
   3200+Athlon XP                 332
   1800 Opteron(dual-chnlDDR 333) 332
2x 1333 G4 DDR OSX10.2.2(oc 1.25) 326
   1800 OPteron(singl-chnlDDR333) 320
   3000+Athlon XP                 318
2x 1250 G4 OSX 10.2.5             318
2x 1250 G4 DDR OSX 10.2.1         316
2x 1800 Athlon MP                 312
   2800+Athlon XP Barton          298
2x 2000 P4 Xeon                   286
2x 1200 G4Powerlogix(867MHzG4/QS) 285 upgraded
2x 1533 Athlon MP                 285
2x 1533 Athlon MP                 283
   2530 P4 mobile (OC'd 1400)     282
   2700 P4B (OC 2400, 600 MHz FSB)280 
2x 1466 Athlon XP                 279
   1600 G5 OSX 10.2.7w/G5 Plugin  276 *MacNNscores
   2666 P4 (DDR 333)              269
2x 1000 G4 DDR 10.2               267
   2400+Athlon XP                 262
2x 1000 G4 OS9                    260
2x 1000 G4 OSX 10.1.5             254
   2400+Athlon                    252
   2400 P4B (800MHz)              251
   2400b (sis 648 DDR400)         251
   1600 Centrino IBM T40          250
   2400 P4 (533MHz bus)           249
   2400 P4 B                      241
   2340 P4 (overclock)            239
   1600 Centrino Dell D800        236 
   2400 P4                        234
   1800+Athlon XP (1533 MHz)      226
   1577 oc'd Athlon XP (Lestat)   221
2x 1000 G4 OSX 10.2.2 (upgraded)  218 ?!(dual 533 logic board)
   1548 Athlon XP                 214
   1670 Athlon XP (2000+)         213 
   1667 Athlon XP                 211
   1400 Athlon XP 1600+ xp pro    200 
1x 1533 Athlon MP                 197
   1300 Centrino Sony VAIO Z1A    196
   1000 G4 17" Powrbk OSX 10.2.6  196 
   2000 P4 Xeon                   194 
   1400 Athlon XP 1600+'98SE      191
   1000 G4 OSX TiPbk 10.2.2       185
2x  533 G4 OSX 10.1.5             175
2x  533 G4 OS 9.2.2               174
   1800 P4                        173
   1200 AthlonMP                  168
   1508 Celeron (overclock)       167
   1400 PIII Tualatin             160 **?
2x  550 G4 OSX 10.2.3 (OC Cube)   160 **?
2x  500 G4 OSX                    152 
2x  450 G4 OS9                    151 
   1333 Athlon TBird              147 
2x  450 G4 OSX 10.1.5             143 
    800 G4 Pbook OSX  1MB L3      135 
    733 G4 (miro7)                134 
    667 G4 PBk OS9 noL3           127
    667 G4 PBk OSX 10.2.3 no L3   125
    466 G4 OS9                    123 
    667 G4 OSX TiPBk 10.1.5 noL3  121
    866 PIII                      114 
    466 G4 OSX 133 MHz bus        112
    550 G4 Powrbk OS9*            104 
    500 G4 Pbook (OC'd 400)       103
1x  450 G4 OSX 100 MHz bus        101
   1000 Athlon TBird (PS6.01)     100
    550 G4 Powrbk OSX*             95
    933 Transmeta Crusoe Sony      78 
    700 G3 iBook                   74
    600 G3 iBook OS 9.2.2j         70
    233 PII                        30

[Unknown Freeper]

waiting for the new Powerbook bump...

Congratulations on your new addition, Swordmaker. It does look sweet.

[Peelod]

I hope to replace my beige G3-300 (29,991 hrs on it) with a Dual 2GHz PowerPC G5.

[Yeti]

Looks cool, although I haven't been an apple fan for about 15 years.

I especially like the connectivity, though I wish they would put it in front, audio and USB stuff gets swapped so often that I really think that should become the norm: low in the front. IEEE1394 (firewire) stuff will be like that, too.

I am wondering how is it for quiet? Can you buy quiet fans, drives and power supplies for it? When I built this PIII WINXP machine, I actually spent a couple extra dollars here and there for some peace and quiet. It was worth it: in my computer room the AC vent is louder that my computer when it's on.

[tiamat]

Congratulations on your new Mac! I've seen those machines and they look sweet.

Tia

[jigsaw]

My iBook wants to date your G5.

I said 'No' because I won't let any 'puter of mine date anything so fast!

[pageonetoo]

it would have been quiet except for those fans who quit 15 years ago! LOL!

[Varda]

Great machine! My husband bought one for my birthday. I've had it two days and being computer-challenged it'll take me awhile to get the hang of everything. I love the new monitor, 20 inch Cinema flat screen, beautiful!

[Norman Conquest]

You looking to unload your old Mac cube? With winter coming on in this drafty old barn, and natural gas prices so high, I was thinking I could shut down the furnace and heat the whole house on the cube's exhaust.