G5 or G4 MDD?

Question

G5 or G4 MDD?

Hi all,

My G4 DA, 533Mhz is getting long in the tooth for some of the things I am using it for. I'm considering buying a newer model. Unfortunately, with my current finances, I can't swing a brand new machine.

I am looking at two models:
G4 MDD, 1.42 Ghz, DP
G5 1.8 Ghz, DP

Obviously I'd prefer the most bang for the buck, but I've heard that the G4 MDDs were more stable than the first gen G5s. Can anyone verify that?

I've searched Apple's Support for the s/n of the G5 I'm looking at and checked out the tech specs. There are 5 sets of specs listed: G5, June 2004, Late 2004, Early 2005, and Late 2005. How can I tell which set would apply to this computer?

I'm planning on installing Leopard on whichever machine I end up buying. Any caveats on either of those models I should be aware of?

TIA!

Paul.

G4 DA(10.3.9), MBP(10.4.10)

Posted on Mar 11, 2009 6:15 AM

Reply

Answer 1

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Mar 11, 2009 6:40 AM in response to Paul Baughman

Obviously I'd prefer the most bang for the buck, but I've heard that the G4 MDDs were more stable than the first gen G5s. Can anyone verify that?

Well, that's not necessarily true. Those G4s had horrible fan noise by comparison. They have been nicknamed windtunnel. And there are really only these real advantages to the G4s:

1. A second internal optical drive.

2. Original PCI card compatibility, which exists also for the G5 1.6 Ghz.

3. More built-in hardware for support Parallel ATA hard drives. Though the G5s support SATA hard drives which are able to come in higher capacity and faster speed.

Unless you have specific software that requires a G4 over a G5, or the graphics card that comes with that G4, I would go ahead and get the G5.

Regardless, the G4 you are looking at does NOT support Mac OS 9 booting, anymore than the G5. It only supports Classic. If you have any software which does not run in the Classic environment and must boot into Mac OS 9, you should consider the 1.25 Ghz PowerMac G4 MDD with NO Firewire 800. The model with Firewire 800 of the same speed does not support Mac OS 9 booting either.

And make sure you get the original discs, and follow these tips for buying used and refurbished Macs*:

http://www.macmaps.com/usedrefurbished.html

- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

Reply

Answer 2

The hatter

Level 9

61,031 points

Mar 11, 2009 6:55 AM in response to Paul Baughman

Mac Mini might serve you needs and budget better.

Reply

Answer 3

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Mar 11, 2009 6:59 AM in response to The hatter

That's if of course you don't need to boot into Mac OS 9.
The G4 Mac Mini is much like the G4 MDD 1.42 in terms of processing power, though it can only be upgraded to 2 GB of RAM, and frequently only comes with 256 MB of RAM. Upgrading the RAM is no easy chore, so it would be best to get one with at least 512 MB of RAM.

The Intel Mac Mini can't boot into Mac OS 9 and can't use Classic either.

The Intel Mac Mini you also will need to consider these issues when migrating to it:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=435350&tstart=0

The Migration Assistant may not always work.

Reply

Answer 4

japamac

Level 7

24,400 points

Mar 11, 2009 7:02 AM in response to Paul Baughman

Hi-

If it were a single processor G5, then the dual 1.42 MDD would be faster.
However, the dual 1.8 G5 is more powerful, has 8x AGP graphics (compared to 4x) and supports more memory.
http://www.primatelabs.ca/blog/2009/01/mac-performance-january-2009/#pro_desktop

Reliability is a question, but, it applies to either machine in this case.
Not only is the MDD noisy, as mentioned, but heat is also a major concern with them.

BTW, the DP 1.8GHz G5 (PCI) machine, is a June 2004 model:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermacg5/stats/powermac_g5_1.8_dp2.html

Reply

Answer 5

Mar 11, 2009 7:54 AM in response to a brody

Hatter & A Brody:

Thanks for your comments. I Haven't booted OS9 for years, or even used Classic, so I think we can ignore part of the equation.

What I have started doing recently is converting my vinyl albums to digital (with an ION USB turntable), and camcorder tapes to DVDs using FW, iMovie, & iDVD. I also have some analogue audiotapes that I want to convert to CDs, but I haven't looked for a connection solution yet. I don't do high-end photographic or video editing so Aperture & Final Cut aren't necessary, just consumer-level tweaking.

Does that additional information change any of your recommendations? Should I consider an iMac instead?

Your suggestions are much appreciated.

TIA!
Paul.

Reply

Answer 6

Mar 11, 2009 7:57 AM in response to japamac

Ahh, a June 2004. Thanks.

Reply

Answer 7

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Mar 11, 2009 8:05 AM in response to Paul Baughman

All the Macs in question are quite capable of the Ion turntable work. Even your original G4 can too. Maybe we can determine why your G4 is getting long in the tooth. Is your hard disc too full? See this FAQ*:

http://www.macmaps.com/diskfull.html

Has the clock battery been replaced in the last 4 years?

As for iMovie and iDVD, I would get an Intel Core2Duo Mini minimum.
I will not say how to do the camcorder tapes unless I know you have license for those videos, and would recommend once you get those versions of iMovie and iDVD to post in the appropriate forum. Or you can ask in those forums which are best at importing that kind of video.

Here's a user tip on importing audio:
http://discussions.apple.com/click.jspa?searchID=-1&messageID=2379847

- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

Message was edited by: a brody

Reply

Answer 8

Mar 11, 2009 8:40 AM in response to a brody

I tried creating a DVD from camcorder tape and it estimated 8 hours to convert and burn the DVD, using the One Touch DVD feature of iDVD. I assumed that was because the CPU was too slow. That's the main reason I'm looking for a faster machine.

I can't tell you the state of the hard drive. I'll check tonight.

The clock battery has never been replaced since I purchased the machine new.

I know how to convert the tapes. The videos I am converting are home movies, no copyright issues involved. Some of the audio tapes I will eventually get to are also home-recorded -- memories of my father-in-law that my wife wants in a more accessible format.

The remainder of the audiotapes are, like the vinyl, purchased. My understanding of the current state of legal interpretation of copyright law, is that I can legally media-shift as long as I keep the original commercial media.

Perhaps this should move to the iMovie/iDVD forums. I'll repost it there.

Thanks for your assistance.

Paul.

Reply