Need to get my hands on a dual G4 as well. Please email at lousub@forestcom.com or call at 613-831-9252.
Thanks! Louis.
Please pardon my curiosity... What possible advantage in buying a dual G4 (or any G4) is there over buying a dual G5 (or any G5)?
Some G4s can boot OS9.2. But Mac OS 9.2 was abandoned by Apple when they released OS X 10.0 in 2000.
A quick scan of prices on EBay shows that dual G4s are selling for unreasonable prices. You'd be wiser to invest in a G5... but wiser still to buy one of the new 64-bit Intel Macs.
Price. A dual G5 is going for closer to $2000 and I think they are too expensive considering a retail MacPro is $2400 plus taxes.
A Dual G4, if i can get something at a reasonable price would last me 3 years, at witch time I can probably get a used G5 at a more reasonable price. Do you have a G5 for sale at a reasonable price?
Quote from: macsnstuff on February 25, 2007, 10:58:47 AM
A Dual G4, if i can get something at a reasonable price would last me 3 years
I have a single-CPU G4 MDD 2003 that is still a capable workhorse. However, Mac users have stars in their eyes about what money their G4 MDD 1.42 GHz duals should fetch.
~IF~ you can get a deal for a dual G4 MDD 2003, take it. It will serve you well. Otherwise, given the shift from PowerPC to Intel, I think your best long-term investment is the Intel generation. The advantages in the software that you will be able to use (think virtualization as well as all the applications that will now be ported much more easily from Windows -- sorry if that sounds heretical) make the Intel boxes a better value for you than a G5.
what do you think they should go for?
Quote from: macsnstuff on February 25, 2007, 01:24:22 PM
what do you think they should go for?
Significantly less than a new Core 2 Duo Mac Mini, in my opinion.
A G5 tower has speed and configurability on its side. But as you say, they are expensive used. In your situation, I would try to land a MacPro on EBay.
Quote from: macsnstuff on February 25, 2007, 10:58:47 AM
Price. A dual G5 is going for closer to $2000 and I think they are too expensive considering a retail MacPro is $2400 plus taxes.
A Dual G4, if i can get something at a reasonable price would last me 3 years, at witch time I can probably get a used G5 at a more reasonable price. Do you have a G5 for sale at a reasonable price?
You choice of going G4 DP latest model is very good thinking in your part.
Depending on the configuration.
G4 - 857mb DP around $650
G4 - 1ghz DP around $850
The G5 DP are selling for to much money, considering what the new MacPro's are selling for.
With the introduction of the Intel Mac's line and the MacPro, Mac users will have to get with the program and readjust there pricing.
The old myth that the Mac retains it's value is no more, newer model of Mac's are being introduced fatter than ever.
I considered a used G5 DP at some point, but they are asking to much money for them, it does not matter how much they try to convince people that it's good and fast, it's still older technology, might as well get a MacPro for the extra $400.oo.
I have a G4 - 857mb DP loaded to the gills, and there is no way I'm letting this CPU go, it's a work horse : )
When all the major software will have been written native for the Intel machine, and proven in several upgrades, I will buy into the MacPro line, but until then, I will let others be the guinea pigs : )
Be very careful of buying on Ebay !
I woud not.
My 2 cents
Here. Here. Ok. That being said. Who wants to sell me their dual G4. Pretty Please... I want at least a 1G DP.
I love this forum!!
Quote from: UCGrafix on February 25, 2007, 08:45:31 PM
Be very careful of buying on Ebay !
I woud not.
My 2 cents
For $0.02 you supply plenty of FUD about Ebay and Intel-based Macs. That's a penny per subject, according to my calculator. ;^)
I've bought all my Macs from sellers on EBay and they were great deals with commendable service.
If you already ~have~ a G4, it's a fine computer. As I said, I have one too. But it's old technology for which people are asking too much. The Intel Macs make the G4s look feeble.
The member is looking to buy a Mac. Telling him to invest in old, overpriced technology because of your FUDdly reasoning is hardly persuasive... unless, of course, it persuades him. :^B
i would love to buy the latest and greatest but Macs are great. They last and they don't normally breakdown. Buying used mac is a good idea. The only problem is pricing. I just want to save some money. G5 prices are unreasonable. G4 prices may be better and what I am looking for is 2 - 3 times faster than what I have. Single 1.4 Ghz Quicksilver.
The last few G4 MDD that were built is a better option. The FW800 models. The only thing that i don't prefer is that you can only have a maximum of 2GB of Ram to these machines and you can only run 1GB of ram per application.
Tiger is not even built to run native 64 bit anyway. CS2 hardly is. Only CS3 will be true 64 bit compliant as well as the latest OS X after Tiger.
If I could get a G5 DP for around $1300-$1500, I would do that. But everyone wants close to $2000. A brand new 2Ghz DP with 1GB of ram, 256 mb video cards is $2400 plus taxes. How cheap is that. And people expect to get $2000 for the similar but less spec G5?...
z-mac, I don't how long you have been using a Mac for, but buying into the latest technology is not always a wise choice, you better have deep pockets if you want to play the " get the latest toy game ", specially with all the software upgrades : (
Yes the G4 is older technology. but the initial question was for a G4 DP, so my answer was in line to compare the G4, G5 and Mac Pro.
That being said, a G4 latest DP is still a good buy if you find one at a reasonable price, or go all out and get a Mac Pro and be ready for Tiger and Native written software, but then again, that's if " macsnstuff " is ready to fork out that extra cash ?
There is still quite a leap between the G4 / 1ghz DP around $850, and the MacPro at $2400.oo plus tax.
Tiger is not even out, nor have the major software been written for it yet, worste been provent, take that in consideration and if you think that Apple will not be coming out with new models before that happens, your dreaming.
I rather hold, and see what comes out in the mix over time, and I give it a time line iof at least one year.
Depending on what the computer is intended to be used for, my answer could have been quite different.
Any one wanting an all around Mac, to surf and have fun with, I would say to go directly for the Mac Mini / 1.66Ghz Intel Core Duo at $679.00, or the latest Imac, but don't ask it to do any intensive rendering with software such as Photoshop, illustrator or other, plus the G4 latest DP if intended to be used with the so mentioned software will be significantly faster than the Single 1.4 Ghz Quicksilver.
When Tiger comes out, and the major software's will have been written and proven in native mode for that OS, it's going to be a whole different ball game.
BTW, the Quads are not the end of the Mac line, nor is the MacPro, there is more to come by the time Tiger pans out, they are already experimenting on doubling that, and it's called Quad Core.
As for Ebay, watch the scams.
I rather buy from a major forums such as ehMac's used and classified, or usedmacs, that buy from who know who on Ebay, and loose considerable cash.
My opinion is exactly that, and opinion.
Use it, discard it, it's your choice.
PS : This is going to be moved and become a thread in the discussion area pretty soon.
Surprised to find out that the Tiger I've been running for more than a year now is only beta. Won't it be great when it comes out as final.
Quote from: UCGrafix on February 28, 2007, 03:34:19 PM
z-mac, I don't how long you have been using a Mac for, but buying into the latest technology is not always a wise choice, you better have deep pockets if you want to play the " get the latest toy game ", specially with all the software upgrades : (
I've owned Macs for 10 years. I agree with you that the smart money avoids the abuse and cruelty of the Apple upgrade/obsolescence cycle. I'm not dreaming: I agree that Apple is likely to continue to abuse customers as far as it will take them. Steve Jobs' vision has been remarkable, but Apple is just a company with a marketing team and shareholders. I agree that the value proposition of a G4 dual CPU box is good... at a certain price. The G5s will come down in price in three month's time if the buyer can wait. At the same time, the G5 tower is a great design -- better than any of the G4s. A G5 for a good price has real value for the consumer.
If we can say a two good things about the move to Intel, they are a) wattage efficiency and b) the new CPUs are amenable to most of the application code in the world today. This is significant future value for the consumer. And let's not forget that now you can run MS Windows natively on Mac hardware, as well as standard Linux distros. The path that gives the consumer the most freedom is the best one. It might cost more now, but given options G4, G5, and Intel, the latter has the strongest legs.
The number of cores in a CPU is not likely to be a factor for most users, nor most applications. Intel and AMD have marketing departments too. :^) However, the current family of Intel CPUs leaves G4s well behind. A Core Duo Mini with 2GB RAM is an adept performer.
I would always buy from a local seller if I had the option. One can get burned in any transaction, though, and used gear is used gear. EBay's advantage is that you can source parts from the US market, which is 10 times the size of ours. Let the buyer be aware and informed. Homo hominem lupus est.
In the end, one of the best configurations for our friend just might be buying an old Sawtooth G4 and stuffing it with a Sonnet dual G4 1.8GHz upgrade card. You might be able to put this together with used components for $600 CDN. But it's definitely an exercise for EBay users.
As someone else noted, Tiger is current and Leopard is next.
Quote
PS : This is going to be moved and become a thread in the discussion area pretty soon.
Heh. Sorry about that, Sir. :^B
Quote from: z-mac on March 01, 2007, 05:17:37 AM
The number of cores in a CPU is not likely to be a factor for most users, nor most applications. Intel and AMD have marketing departments too. :^) However, the current family of Intel CPUs leaves G4s well behind. A Core Duo Mini with 2GB RAM is an adept performer.
I would always buy from a local seller if I had the option. One can get burned in any transaction, though, and used gear is used gear. EBay's advantage is that you can source parts from the US market, which is 10 times the size of ours. Let the buyer be aware and informed. Homo hominem lupus est.
In the end, one of the best configurations for our friend just might be buying an old Sawtooth G4 and stuffing it with a Sonnet dual G4 1.8GHz upgrade card. You might be able to put this together with used components for $600 CDN. But it's definitely an exercise for EBay users.
Heh. Sorry about that, Sir. :^B
lololloloololol
Sorry, I messed up my Cats ; )
Leopard is what was aimed and intended in my previous post : )
It's a huge Jungle with to many Cats out there I guess. lol
Your right, multiple Cores will not be a Mac for Mr. everyone.
Most who bought in, said they should have waited because it's underutilized.
Ebay for parts is very attractive in deed, but as you say, buyer beware.
Buying a Mac is not always an easy task, it all boils down to one simple thing " what you need vs. what you want ".
Please don't call me Sir, it makes me feel like your grandfather, and I'm not that old. lololol
Not in my mind I'm not ; )
I saw some real nice deals on G5's DP set ups a few months ago ( around $1500.oo ), but I'm still holding off until Leopard has been proven with Native software ( Bootcamp to boot ).
One year.
I give it only one year enduring the white nuckle sindrome and holding back from buying, then " a new MacPro will set me free ". lol
This will also set my bank account free when I upgrade all my software : (
Free and empty that that is.
Hey macsnstuff.
Tell us exactly what you intend to use the computer for ?
Are you srtating out ?
What level of Graphic design are you involved in ?
Be honest, and we as a group may offer you better adsvise.
You have to maximize your Bucks and make it worth your while : )
A MacMini Intel Core Duo might your answer if your not into heavy rendering, if you can work with that mac, it would be a better buy and a wiser choice than a G4 DP any day of the week.
I have heard of guys do some pretty intensive work on there laptops, so a MacMini could be your answer.
Hey guys! I have an small agency with 3 people. I have 14 years experience in high end design. Advertising. Marketing, and web development. We also get into displays. I have the CS2 package which I just upgraded. I don't plan on upgrading again for 3 years so I think if I go to a G5 DP used that I can expand to 8GBs of ram instead of 4 like on the PCI models versus the PCI-x models, then I will have a machine that can be run for 5 years or so.
Sometimes my files in Photoshop are over a Gig when open so ram is important. You can only run 1Gig of ram per application on the latest G4s. The other problem that I have been running into is with my single processor, i get lag and chocking when I am switching from software to software and getting into multiple tasking.
Uploading files, while going on the internet, while sending large emails, while filtering in Photoshop. It may be worth my while to spend up to $2000 for a G5 DP now rather than spend $1000 on the latest G4 now and $1000 on a G5 in a year from now. Maybe I should simply buy the latest and run that machine for 6 years. It certainly seems to have the technology and speed to last that long.
The inetersting thing in all of this is that my mac or any mac for that matter other than G3 can still do the job. Its a matter of how fast you need it to do the job. I think that I need a DP at the very least to help with the multi-tasking I need to do.
I do love the look of my quicksilver though. Its a nice box.
Hi macsnstuff,
Considering your added info, here is what I suggest.
With the size of files you process in Photoshop ( they must be Raw files or TIFF ) and the type of work you do, don't even think of going G4, your wasting your money if your planning to invest for the next tree years, you would be two technology behind, and that's not business savvy.
If your ready to spend $2000.oo and plan for the next tree years, go all the way and buy the latest Intel technology, don't even stop to look at the G5, go direct to the MacPro Core Duo bare bones.
The Two 2.0GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon - 1GB (2 x 512MB) minimum configuration is $2440.oo
and
The Two 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon - 1GB (2 x 512MB) minimum configuration is $2,799.00, this is the model I would buy if I needed a new computer right now, at least you would have the Intel chip, and be ready for Leopard and all native software's.
You can start off with the bare bone Intel CPU, and add as you go along, buy all the extra components such as extra Memory and HD's from third party, Apple is way to expensive in that area.
I already have a G4, so I can afford to wait it out for the next year ( max. ).
My G4 - 867 DP / 2 gig ram isn't exactly a bomb, but it's not a Slow Moe either, it does the exact same job as a G5 DP, it just takes a bit longer to do it in.
Hope this helps you out.
Cheers,
Denis
I agree with Denis - the current top hardware is a solid investment. Expensive, but very good value.
Apple is going to have to force obsolescence through OS features because their hardware is now really top-notch AND mainstream. Internet transmission (FTP in your case, I assume) is more a function of what's outside your computer than what's in it, unless you are using poorly coded applications or wireless connectivity.
QuoteThe inetersting thing in all of this is that my mac or any mac for that matter other than G3 can still do the job. Its a matter of how fast you need it to do the job. I think that I need a DP at the very least to help with the multi-tasking I need to do.
I have an Intel Mini and I'm impressed by what it can do. If you want to send me a test case (FTP a file while opening a file in Photoshop) I will report the numbers for my Mini and my G4 PowerMac, just so you can convince yourself to do what you really want to do. :^)
QuoteI do love the look of my quicksilver though. Its a nice box.
The G5/MacPro case design has won awards for the ~inside~ design. There's no other case like it on the market for utility and access. It's worth a premium for that alone.
I forgot to add one thing about the Bare Bones MacPro purchase.
I know it's pushing it, but if you can squeeze your budget a little more, go with the upgraded Video card from Apple ( One year OEM warranty ),
The 3 x NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT 256MB [Add $359]
I would seriously stop eating for two months just to pay off that upgrade.
And yes, I'm crazy enough to do it. lol
Cheers,
Denis
Funny, this topic had me thinking about selling my Imac G5 Rev A and getting the latest Imac, before G5's lose more value. Looked at the price of a new Imac and the price difference I'd get for mine and have to pay for new doesn't justify parting with a machine that I'm totally happy with, except it doesn't run some of my Windowz programs.
Just my unsolicited 2cents..
Found out a few things. MacPro runs CS2 slower than on a G5 because of the new architecture. Also, CS3 will be the bomb with MacPro but that means buying a MacPro/$2700 (with taxes), getting CS3 $1,000, add 1 GB ram/$1,000 = $4,700.
I just got CS2. So, its decided, a DP G5 it is. I will wait a few weeks until CS3 comes out and when everyone goes out to get the new MacPro to go along with it, I should be able to get a G5 DP 2.0 PCI-X at a better price than now. Start with 4GBs of ram and away I go for the next three years. $2,000 sounds better than $4,700.
Wish me luck and thanks guys! I only discovered this forum recently and i really like it! Its great! Better than ehmac in a lot of ways.
Quote from: macsnstuff on March 01, 2007, 08:15:30 PM
Found out a few things. MacPro runs CS2 slower than on a G5 because of the new architecture. Also, CS3 will be the bomb with MacPro but that means buying a MacPro/$2700 (with taxes), getting CS3 $1,000, add 1 GB ram/$1,000 = $4,700.
I just got CS2. So, its decided, a DP G5 it is. I will wait a few weeks until CS3 comes out and when everyone goes out to get the new MacPro to go along with it, I should be able to get a G5 DP 2.0 PCI-X at a better price than now. Start with 4GBs of ram and away I go for the next three years. $2,000 sounds better than $4,700.
Wish me luck and thanks guys! I only discovered this forum recently and i really like it! Its great! Better than ehmac in a lot of ways.
macnstuff, i'm going to toss some ideas your way that may throw a wrench into your latest decision. :) and i don't mean to do in a nasty way, but i've been watching this discussion b/c i have a g4 mdd dually 1.25, 2 GB ram, tons of hard drives that i thought about selling to you, but i'm going to keep it. (sorry).
BUT, i think you're making a mistake going for the g5. i know you just upgraded to cs2, but i would think you'd be able to sell it in order to buy cs 3 when it comes out soon? or maybe an upgrade would be cheap? that is one idea.
the other thoughts are:
sure, a g5 dually 2.0 is nice. I have one of those too and i love it...very stable, consistent power, but i wish i had more processing power. i do lots of video work and work in photoshop. i have 3.5 ram and even at times with psd files up to 200 MB, it chugs a bit.
i can't help but think a new machine would be just insanely fast....even with only 1 GB ram. i couldn't imagine it with more...that would be awesome :)
all the apps will be going intel or UB if they haven't already so in terms of staying on the latest and greatest, having a new mac pro would be a great idea.
also, as time goes on, 2 things with the G5s:
1. i would think the chances of you snagging a g5 with applecare on it would be rare? i know some ppl don't like the applecare, but if you are running a business....do you want any additional downtime from having to wait for a repair and/or having a large unexpected expense? i know macs last a long time, but for me personally, i won't buy a machine without applecare on it. paying upfront for possible service is cost efficient to having to pay for something out of pocket.
2. also, i don't see G5s dropping in price for a year or more. i know that may sound nuts, but look how expensive G4s are going for. I foresee value in the G5 line for some time. I've been looking for another G5 too. i should have plunked some money down on the quad G5 refurbs. doh!
and lastly...
taxes.
i know you're thinking...oh my lord.... $4700 vs $2000 = ouch.
but really, that's only an ouch upfront. since you're running a business, you get a certain % tax write off (can't remember exactly what it is). since macs don't depreciate as fast as pcs, what you can write off is still a nice amount over the next few years. You CAN lease to get a larger tax write off, but i know ppl don't suggest leasing computers b/c their value drops so fast and you end up paying more over time.
you could take out a loan or, if you have life insurance built up, you should be able to take x amount from that and then just pay yourself back. i forget the exact terminology. the interest on that is incredibly low and this is something that MOST people have no clue about. better than a low interest line of credit account any day. we did this to help with the down payment of our mortgage :) and you just have to pay the premiums over x amount of time. this is such as huge loan possibility...it's amazing that people don't know about it. it's like paying yourself back...investing in yourself is another way of looking at it.
lastly, as john madden says, "Speed kills baby!"
sure, a g5 would be nice, but if the new machine's are insanely fast - do you really want any downtime? as a new business, you'll want to be churning out business FAST. you'll want files to be opening seamlessly and processed as quick as possible. again, this leads back to whether or not you'll want CS3.
anyhoo, just my thoughts. i'm saving right now to get a mac pro sometime later this year, unless i trip on a nice applecare-available G5.
go for the mac pro and just give'er. i know it's scary to pay a large chunk of money, but i bought my g4 way back when it was just around $4000. i had it paid off in just over a year. same with my g5. if you're making money, you'll pay it off.
oh, and if you wait a few months, i'm thinking that refurb'd mac pros will start showing up on the cdn site. (or, if you know someone in the US, buy a refurb from their site and have it shipped to your friend and then they ship to you).
best of luck.
i forgot one other important point macnstuff:
if you're worried about investing the money and then, unfortunately, the business failing - well, knowing the high resale value of macs, you'd be able to sell your mac pro even in a year or so and still get a fair chunk of money back. of course, i can't predict how much, but my g5 is from mid-2004 and look how much they are still selling for - I could probably get around 45% of the original value. that is pretty darned good for almost 3 years later.
it's like buying a foreign vehicle like a toyota vs north american. all good vehicles, but for some reason, the foreign ones hold their value while the NAs just depreciate like no tomorrow. i actually made money back on my toyota truck when i sold it. when i calculated how much i spent vs how much i got back for the truck and paid off the rest of the payments, my payments went down from $575 to $375!
i imagine a mac is somewhat the same. so it's kind of like investing in your business :)
somehow, i see you pinging the apple store and placing an order?
Quote from: keebmeister on March 02, 2007, 09:08:13 AM
taxes.
i know you're thinking...oh my lord.... $4700 vs $2000 = ouch.
but really, that's only an ouch upfront. since you're running a business, you get a certain % tax write off (can't remember exactly what it is). since macs don't depreciate as fast as pcs, what you can write off is still a nice amount over the next few years. You CAN lease to get a larger tax write off, but i know ppl don't suggest leasing computers b/c their value drops so fast and you end up paying more over time.
The rate at which any asset depreciates has almost nothing to with the amount you can claim on your taxes. For example, the CCA (capital cost allowance) you can claim on application software is 100 percent per year, but you are only allowed to claim 50 percent of the CCA in the year of purchase.
The Capital Cost Allowance is "a tax deduction that Canadian tax laws allow a business to claim for the loss in value of capital assets due to wear and tear or obsolescence" (Canada Revenue Agency).
If you purchased your computer equipment and/or systems software after March 22, 2004, it has a CCA rate of 45 percent (so 22.5 percent in the year of purchase).
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/prb0606-e.htm
Everybody can wake up now .... ;-)
Quote from: AdminMan on March 02, 2007, 05:53:55 PM
Quote from: keebmeister on March 02, 2007, 09:08:13 AM
taxes.
i know you're thinking...oh my lord.... $4700 vs $2000 = ouch.
but really, that's only an ouch upfront. since you're running a business, you get a certain % tax write off (can't remember exactly what it is). since macs don't depreciate as fast as pcs, what you can write off is still a nice amount over the next few years. You CAN lease to get a larger tax write off, but i know ppl don't suggest leasing computers b/c their value drops so fast and you end up paying more over time.
The rate at which any asset depreciates has almost nothing to with the amount you can claim on your taxes. For example, the CCA (capital cost allowance) you can claim on application software is 100 percent per year, but you are only allowed to claim 50 percent of the CCA in the year of purchase.
The Capital Cost Allowance is "a tax deduction that Canadian tax laws allow a business to claim for the loss in value of capital assets due to wear and tear or obsolescence" (Canada Revenue Agency).
If you purchased your computer equipment and/or systems software after March 22, 2004, it has a CCA rate of 45 percent (so 22.5 percent in the year of purchase).
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/prb0606-e.htm
Everybody can wake up now .... ;-)
perfect. so he can't write off as much, but a chunk the first year. this leads me to something else which may apply to both of us: if we bought a 2nd hand mac or a brand new one from let's say ebay or craigslist or this board etc.... unless we have an invoice, can we claim anything the first year?
While we wait for advice from the tax expert :^) I thought I'd post a couple of interesting possibilities from the external world.
You could put a used Sonnet card in this and get some real horsepower (but the box needs a PS):
http://www.usedottawa.com/classified-ad/2668780&category=mac-desktops-laptops
Here's another:
http://www.usedottawa.com/classified-ad/2667813&category=mac-desktops-laptops
Now, what I'm saying is that if you ~feel~ like noodling and bargain hunting, you can find performance and savings. But Z-Mac's Law Of Wasted Time (i.e. You Will Never Get It Back) is harsh to computer twiddlers.
If you go and buy the best Mac you can right now, you'll be using it as of right now. Your money is important to you, but we all forget that nothing buys time.
Quote from: z-mac on March 02, 2007, 10:05:45 PM
While we wait for advice from the tax expert :^) I thought I'd post a couple of interesting possibilities from the external world.
You could put a used Sonnet card in this and get some real horsepower (but the box needs a PS):
http://www.usedottawa.com/classified-ad/2668780&category=mac-desktops-laptops
Here's another:
http://www.usedottawa.com/classified-ad/2667813&category=mac-desktops-laptops
Now, what I'm saying is that if you ~feel~ like noodling and bargain hunting, you can find performance and savings. But Z-Mac's Law Of Wasted Time (i.e. You Will Never Get It Back) is harsh to computer twiddlers.
If you go and buy the best Mac you can right now, you'll be using it as of right now. Your money is important to you, but we all forget that nothing buys time.
z-mac.....you said it perfectly - time is money. i love that 'law of wasted time'. i'm going to start using that alot :)
Agreed. I have wasted time and effort into this. It is worth it to save some money on used. Its not worth it to lease. You end up paying more and you have to buy it back when the lease is done. The tax write-off is not that impressive when you're out of pocket is double or more.
I am probably going to bite the bullet and save time and buy a G5 for $2000. I wanted to get one for around $1500 but that is next to impossible.
A lot has been covered here, and I quote " But Z-Mac's Law Of Wasted Time (i.e. You Will Never Get It Back) ".
I think your making a big mistake macsnstuff in spending 2 g's on a G5, and trying to cover the next tree years.
But, since we are covering the G4 and G5 in this thread, here is something to consider if anyone is thinking of buying into older technology.
I tested my G4 - 867 DP / 2 gig ram side by side with a G5 - 1.6 single processor, and my Mac was considerably faster than the G5 in processing Photoshop files, it was tested with several other software that puts a demand on the processor ( or processors ), and my G4 came out ahead of the game every time.
The test was run by a friend of mine, a hard core PC guy of all things who's to cheap to buy a Mac, I wanted an unbias opinion on this one.
I made it a point to write this tid-bit, just in case macsnstuff gets an urge to go for a deal ( I don't think so ) on a used G5 single processor.
My last 2 cents on the matter.
I never said I was going for a single processor. I've been talk duals the whole time. Either G4 or G5.
Quote from: macsnstuff on March 03, 2007, 03:28:19 PM
Agreed. I have wasted time and effort into this. It is worth it to save some money on used. Its not worth it to lease. You end up paying more and you have to buy it back when the lease is done. The tax write-off is not that impressive when you're out of pocket is double or more.
I am probably going to bite the bullet and save time and buy a G5 for $2000. I wanted to get one for around $1500 but that is next to impossible.
good luck macnstuff. hope you don't think that we think you wasted time b/c i don't. just trying to help guide you on your way.
only you can decide what is worth it for your biz b/c only you know the exact ins and outs of what you are buying,spending and preparing to do. and if you do find someone or a store that has a few extra g5 duals, keep me posted. i may add another to the mix for the right price.
best of luck.
Cool. MacDoc seems to have a few but he pushes the lease thing pretty hard. Later.
Here is something to wet your taste buds and consider seriously.
Date posted : March 2, 2007
MacPro Core Two 2.0GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon
2 gigs of apple memory, 160 HD, nvidia 7300 and standard warranty.
Purchase in October 06, he's switching to a lap top ( I e-mailed him )
Local pick up in Toronto
" Asking " price $2500.oo
Apple Canada sells it for $2,704.00 ( with tax $3082.oo ) plus shipping I think.
Send him an e-mail and tell him your coming, drive down with a friend ( or take the train, bus ) to see it with " cash in hand ", check it out, take out the wad of cash so he sees your doing it right there and then, and make him an offer of $2300.oo !
http://www.ehmac.ca/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=11488&sort=1&cat=2&page=1
Coolidea. I am actually looking on craigs list in Montreal. CLoser to me than TO and there are a few more options out there for me in terms of Dual G5s or MacPros.