Ben Cloud
Grip
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2001
- Messages
- 16
1. If I am going to use the computer mostly
for surfing, email and photo/video/audio
editing programs, is a Mac G5 overkill?
- For surfing and email a PowerMac G5 is probably overkill, a G5 iMac would be more than enough. When it comes to photo/video/audio editing it really depends on the complexity of the files. Average iPhoto/iMovie/iDVD/Garage Band stuff and an iMac should be fine. If your projects tend to be more towards the Photoshop/Final Cut Pro/ProTools stuff you may should definitely look towards a PowerMac G5 (dual processors, extra ram, upgraded video card etc.)
2. I see most G5 computers tout 512 memory.
If I were buying a Windows PC I would opt
for at least 1 gig. Is 512 memory on a Mac
comperable to the same on a Windows PC? I
will be using a lot of high-memory programs
and startups.
- I would recommend at LEAST 1GB of ram. Echoing others statements, don't buy from Apple.
3. Are there still a lot of software that
will not work with the Macintosh? For instance,
even chat cliants like Trillian or
email programs made by 3rd party vendors?
- True, there is less software for the Macintosh platform from the perspective of quantity. However, from a quality standpoint, I believe the software that exists is much better in ease of use and stability. Good examples are the iLife apps from Apple (iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, iDVD, Keynote, Pages, Garage Band) as well as pro apps from Apple (Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Shake etc). There are many reasons these products get rave reviews. Here's a link for the Apple website that addresses this question: w w w.apple.com/macosx/applications/
4. Can I work with .JPG .GIF and .BMP files
in Macintosh or am I now going to be working
with an entirely new array of file types?
- You can work with these files types and many others with no problems.
5. What program allows you to run Windows
programs under Mac? Will it run any Windows
complaint software? How much slower will it
run under the Mac environment? Can I run the
Windows client and multitask with Mac programs
outside that client at the same time?
- The software you are referring to is VirtualPC and you are right in that is does run slow compared to the speed of the host computer. If there are certain PC apps that you just can't live without, I would actually recommend keeping your old PC, enabling Remote Desktop (assuming your running XP or 2000+ server*), then install Microsoft Remote Desktop on the Mac. If you utilize Internet Sharing and the built-in Firewall on the Mac and connect your PC to it you should be able to keep it pretty secure. This will let you run your apps at decent speed -- full screen if you want -- no need for a second monitor. You can also enable drive & printer sharing between the two.
*If you don't want to use Remote Desktop or can't, you can always use VNC.
6. Is it easy to migrate from a Windows XP
environment to a Macintosh? In other words,
within a few hours of use, will I pretty much
be comfortable navigating around the Mac OS?
-- I like to think it's pretty easy to migrate to the Macintosh from Windows as I have personally helped a number of users and friends do this very thing. Apple has some nice documentation on this: w w w.apple.com/business/mac_pc/tutorials.html
7. A top-of-the-line Windows PC costs about
$3k or so. How about a G5 with lots of memory,
high-end graphics, a DVD and CD burner, TV card,
(and perhaps a few other bells & whistles) cost?
Note: I don't need a Monitor
- A top of the line PowerMac retails at $2999. You would probably want to add additional ram, upgrade the video card (Games, Final Cut Pro and Motion if you like). A number of companies sell TV cards and FireWire/USB TV Tuners (El Gato, Miglia etc)
8. Will my Linksys adapter automatically
configure to the Macintosh settings once I
turn it on? I'd hate to have to reconfigure
my entire wireless broadband network.
- Your Linksys setup should be fine.
9. If I switch to Mac will I regret it? Will
I miss Windows? Will this be the best move I
will ever make?
- Everyone that I know that has switched hasn't missed it one bit.
I would encourage you to drop in on a local Macintosh User Group in your community and talk with people about their experiences. They can provide a great deal of insight and can also be useful for support should you decide to switch to the Macintosh platform: w w w.njmug.org/ not sure if this is close but you get the idea.
for surfing, email and photo/video/audio
editing programs, is a Mac G5 overkill?
- For surfing and email a PowerMac G5 is probably overkill, a G5 iMac would be more than enough. When it comes to photo/video/audio editing it really depends on the complexity of the files. Average iPhoto/iMovie/iDVD/Garage Band stuff and an iMac should be fine. If your projects tend to be more towards the Photoshop/Final Cut Pro/ProTools stuff you may should definitely look towards a PowerMac G5 (dual processors, extra ram, upgraded video card etc.)
2. I see most G5 computers tout 512 memory.
If I were buying a Windows PC I would opt
for at least 1 gig. Is 512 memory on a Mac
comperable to the same on a Windows PC? I
will be using a lot of high-memory programs
and startups.
- I would recommend at LEAST 1GB of ram. Echoing others statements, don't buy from Apple.
3. Are there still a lot of software that
will not work with the Macintosh? For instance,
even chat cliants like Trillian or
email programs made by 3rd party vendors?
- True, there is less software for the Macintosh platform from the perspective of quantity. However, from a quality standpoint, I believe the software that exists is much better in ease of use and stability. Good examples are the iLife apps from Apple (iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, iDVD, Keynote, Pages, Garage Band) as well as pro apps from Apple (Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Shake etc). There are many reasons these products get rave reviews. Here's a link for the Apple website that addresses this question: w w w.apple.com/macosx/applications/
4. Can I work with .JPG .GIF and .BMP files
in Macintosh or am I now going to be working
with an entirely new array of file types?
- You can work with these files types and many others with no problems.
5. What program allows you to run Windows
programs under Mac? Will it run any Windows
complaint software? How much slower will it
run under the Mac environment? Can I run the
Windows client and multitask with Mac programs
outside that client at the same time?
- The software you are referring to is VirtualPC and you are right in that is does run slow compared to the speed of the host computer. If there are certain PC apps that you just can't live without, I would actually recommend keeping your old PC, enabling Remote Desktop (assuming your running XP or 2000+ server*), then install Microsoft Remote Desktop on the Mac. If you utilize Internet Sharing and the built-in Firewall on the Mac and connect your PC to it you should be able to keep it pretty secure. This will let you run your apps at decent speed -- full screen if you want -- no need for a second monitor. You can also enable drive & printer sharing between the two.
*If you don't want to use Remote Desktop or can't, you can always use VNC.
6. Is it easy to migrate from a Windows XP
environment to a Macintosh? In other words,
within a few hours of use, will I pretty much
be comfortable navigating around the Mac OS?
-- I like to think it's pretty easy to migrate to the Macintosh from Windows as I have personally helped a number of users and friends do this very thing. Apple has some nice documentation on this: w w w.apple.com/business/mac_pc/tutorials.html
7. A top-of-the-line Windows PC costs about
$3k or so. How about a G5 with lots of memory,
high-end graphics, a DVD and CD burner, TV card,
(and perhaps a few other bells & whistles) cost?
Note: I don't need a Monitor
- A top of the line PowerMac retails at $2999. You would probably want to add additional ram, upgrade the video card (Games, Final Cut Pro and Motion if you like). A number of companies sell TV cards and FireWire/USB TV Tuners (El Gato, Miglia etc)
8. Will my Linksys adapter automatically
configure to the Macintosh settings once I
turn it on? I'd hate to have to reconfigure
my entire wireless broadband network.
- Your Linksys setup should be fine.
9. If I switch to Mac will I regret it? Will
I miss Windows? Will this be the best move I
will ever make?
- Everyone that I know that has switched hasn't missed it one bit.
I would encourage you to drop in on a local Macintosh User Group in your community and talk with people about their experiences. They can provide a great deal of insight and can also be useful for support should you decide to switch to the Macintosh platform: w w w.njmug.org/ not sure if this is close but you get the idea.