Buckle up - the Power Mac G4 is here. It features the revolutionary PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine, which crunches multimedia data at blazing-fast speeds. The Velocity Engine uses... more
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A review by opinion-maker on Apple Power Mac G4 January 6th, 2001
Author's product rating:
Speed
Average
Design
Excellent
Manufacturer Support
Satisfactory
Ease of use
Very easy
Value For Money
Satisfactory
Advantages:
design construction ease of use
Disadvantages:
lack of velocity engine software, slow surfing
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
For MacUsers upgrading from a non 'G' Mac you will notice a real speed increase, and maybe too for beige G3 owners. But for the later blue and white G3 machines the upgrade is perhaps best left for a G5 as those in the know, - know, the G4 is essentially a tweaked G3 with a 'special instruction set', so any speed gains from this upgrade will not be great, infact speed for speed e.g. G3 400Mhz Vs G4 400Mhz the differential is not that great, the gains perhaps more attributable to the speed tweaks in the motherboard, RAM etc.
Software which takes advantage of this 'special instruction set' the 'velocity engine' part of the G4 chip will show huge gains in speed compared to non velocity engine optimised software. Running Photoshop (which is velocity engine optimised) should make a G4 400Mhz very roughly the same speed as a Pentium III 1.4Ghz! However most software is currently not optimised for velocity engine (seems to be only Photoshop and a handful of others) so in speed terms a 400Mhz G4 is only equalvalent to a PIII 500Mhz running standard software, a PIII computer can be had for around half the price of a G4 computer, PC's come with software, scanner, printer, amplified speakers etc (you've seen those PC deals) and makes a Mac look incredibly poor value for money for the performance.
Contary to popular belief that Macs are fast, PC's are now on zippier 133Mhz RAM, faster motherboards - AMD's use 200Mhz boards and the new Pentium 4 uses an incredibly fast 400 Mhz board, the G4 is still stuck with a 100Mhz board (newer G4's use a 133 Mhz board). While Macs use ATA66 hard disks, PC's utlise the faster ATA100 standard. The G4 has 2X AGP, PC's have 4X AGP. Also PC's are on much faster CPU clock speeds of well over a gigahertz. (Problems stem from production of the G4 processors and reportedly the quick fix solution was to bundle two processors into one machine to make Macs more competitive with their PC counterparts. How many current applications run in dual processor mode? Hardly any except Photoshop. Bottom line if your software isn't velocity engine optimised (should say on the packaging) or designed for dual processors, a 1 gigahertz AMD Athlon machine at about 800 GBP, will blow the poor G4's into the weeds. (Apple's performance figures which toast a PIII's are based on photoshop using the velocity engine NOT standard software).
But having said that, MacUsers will always upgrade to a Mac, another operating system is out of the equation. The tour de force of a Mac is it's styling (- which the rest of the PC industry copy), a more intuitive operating system, hardware reliability, ease of use, and simple to upgrade. Styling of the G4 is 'organic' with sweeping curves, but with a strangely flat front panel. The design always taking your visual and tactile senses for a ride. The play of translucents, semi transparents, plastics and metals, hard and soft, this is not 'just' a computer it has soul. Apple even use holographic stickers for product identification and as warning stickers inside the chassis! Even the power cable is candy coloured and stripped like a rock...and the mouse cables...hmmm tasty. No design aspect has been left, even the back of the machine looks 'handsome' The G4 clearly is a 'designer' machine and has always been, - the main market which Macs are used in.
In everyday use the compact keyboard is a joy to use, the keys offer a perfect tactile feel, but the compact arrow keys are not so clever as they can be hard to find in a hurry, the truncated function keys are just bearable, but the'soap dish' round mouse is an ergonomic nightmare. It has nice tactile 'rubber' on the sides but is hard to control and orientate. It's round so you never know exactly where it is pointing for precision work. Newer purchasers of a G4 will (luckily) not get the round mouse but get the gorgeous transparant optical (no ball) mouse, which ergonically speaking is at the other end of the spectrum..i.e. brillant! The compact keyboard has also been discarded in favour of a full sized 'Pro' transparent keyboard. Visually though I feel it lacks something, as it looks a bit plain but this is a real minor point.
The fan is quieter than in older non G Macs too, and upgradablility is SO EASY, just release the catch and hey presto, the hinged door just flips down giving easy access to the bits you need to access, no hidden RAM slots, no hard to get to drive bays, everything is all there! The eject of the CD tray is slightly strange as Apple have put a cosmetic flap in front of the drive tray to hide it, but works fine (though slightly obscures the volume and earphone socket). As always on a Mac it's difficult to get your hands on another cosmetic flap should you choose to add say a Jaz/Zip drive..if the drive is beige it will stick out like a sore thumb visually.
Most folks will be using this for design work which this machine is perfectly suited to (after all, most of the design industry is using this) and compared to previous Macs it is good value for money. Though I would say 128Mb of RAM is the bare minimum to operate this machine optimally, go for 256 as RAM is so cheap these days...dabs.com do a strip of 128mb for about 55 quid including delivery! The Mac operating system always has the problem of memory fragmentation, and cannot dynamically assign RAM to applications like a PC can, but this will be addressed in Mac OS X, until then you will benefit from the extra RAM.
So, should a MacUser buy one? Well there is only one manufacturer of Macs and that is Apple so you don't really get a choice...but fortunately they give you a good choice : ), though owners of older Macs have to watch out if they have heavy investment in SCSI / non USB equipment or even dongle protected software (which needs a hardware key attached to the ADB port, the new G4's of course have none!)
So, should a PCuser buy one? Yes if you are using it for design work and particulary if you are a core photoshop user you get the speed of the velocity engine and those dual processors! Go for it! and you will also gain a piece of well crafted equipment both in hardware and operating system (especially when OS X hits the streets..) but if you want it for games then stay on the PC, although more games have been released for Mac, you only have to look on the shelves of Game shops to draw a conclusion, the same is true if you want to use the Mac as an admin or accounting machine, how many accounting packages have you seen for a Mac? How much Mac software can you see in PC World? One solution if you use PC apps very occasionally is to install VirtualPC on your Mac which emulates a Windows machine and the speed of a G4 should produce a adequate performance for standard software, but don't try playing games on it! It won't be very fast in emulation mode.
Lastly for surfing, which is a growing area, Macs are inherently more secure as people don't write that many nasty viruses for it (luckily) and in theory shouldn't pick up as many nasties off the internet, but the downside there are a few sites out there that don't work with Macs e.g. like go2call.com which use PC code and and some streaming audio / video sites which use Windows Media Player technology over Quicktime or RealPlayer. On the minus front the Mac is incredibly slow surfing compared to a PC. I have two IBM PC's - AMD K2 450Mhz and AMD Duron 600Mhz, and a Celeron 366Mhz machine all are miles faster at pulling up webpages than my G4 350Mhz. Personally I think it's the PPP (point to point protocol implementation on the Mac) so slowwwww.
Advantages: Cheap, Runs OS X, Looks nice Disadvantages: Noisy, Not That Fast
Apple are the best makers of computers and OS but if like me you dont have much money then the G4 is probably the one to go for, as it has all the greatness of apple mac at a much lower price.
I got my G4 off of ebay for a very reasonable price about 5-6 months ago and it was a great change from my old dell PC which was painfuly slow and overloaded.
External Issues:
The G4 Quicksilver is a very sexy and nice looking tower computer although some ... ...it look sleek and proffesional, also some people dont like the fact that it is finished in plastic but i think this mackes it look nice and shiny. The clear handles are another nice effect as they distort any thing on the other side of them. One of the bad things about the G4 is that it is by no means silent and if you keep the original hard drive that realy dosnt help the noise issue, music can easily cover te noise but i wouldnt reckomend it for ...
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Advantages: User Friendly, less virus attacks! Disadvantages: Expensive, no floppy
...HD with CD-ROM and an Apple 17" CRT Monitor (the one on tripod feet) over a year ago off E-bay. I love it so much I called him Albert!
I spent 10 years working on computers, starting on a Wang(!), and then progressing to pc 486's, etc. I finally saw the light when I went into Publishing, and used my first Apple Mac, a 6100/66. I've never turned back.
Not only are the G4s stylish to look at, they're practical too! I have never opened up a computer ... ...half use that! If you've seen Windows XP and liked it, you'll find the Apple OS a joy to use (it's my opinion ol' B Gates has been doing some thinking).
I run a Virtual Assistant business from home, and I use my Mac for work and for play. ...
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Advantages: Fast processor, DVD-R, superb sleek design, stable operating system Disadvantages: RAM only upgradeable feature, rising prices and delayed delivery times.
...in modem and Ethernet. Unfortunately Apple did not include the new extra fast USB2. Apple has just announced that within two months they will be releasing a USB device to give Macs bluetooth capability, bluetooth allows wireless communication between enabled devices up to thirty feet apart. This device is currently priced at £35 at the Apple Online Store.
I have previously only used Windows software but have found the transition to Mac enjoyable ... ...in mastering a new operating system. The new iMac comes with Mac OS X, it is simple to use without being simplistic inside; the stable UNIX base is evident in the fact that since I purchased the computer it has only crashed once, and that was when I was using a PC emulator. Although I am still making some mistakes and missing the right mouse button, I would recommend the iMac over a Windows PC due to its' superior hardware and software.
I brought ...
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Advantages: Slick, Stylish, un machine like Disadvantages: can take a while to get used to
...buy my own. The apple power mac G4 is as powerful as any PC and can be used in exactly the same way yet the small differences make the computer feel nicer and more personal. DESIGN
Apple put alot of time and effort into making their computers look awesome and they certainly do. The apple power mac G4 as you can see by the picture looks great and definatly has an edge over a standard PC tower, the smooth curves, the light grey shimer and the apple ... ...1.25 processor speed
CD/MP3 reader/burner
Apple OSX software
3 USB ports
2 Firewire ports
The above gives you some idea of the basics and will give you a basic guide as what to expect.
USABILITY
At first I found the concept of the mac system very difficult to get to grips with but after a while I started to understand it, basically it is all the reverse of a PC, you open programmes and then select them by clicking the icon on the top menu ...
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Advantages: Fast, Beautiful, Excellent Ease of Use Disadvantages: Screen is a seperate purchase
The Apple G4 is an extremely capable computer. Contrary to many beliefs the Apple operating system or (OS) which it runs is able to provide nearly all the features that competing Windows based systems offer and many more beside.
As a personal owner of one of the first Power Mac G4 models I can speak from experience on the quality a product like this displays. It is a highly reliable computer that has given me very few problems to speak of whatsoever ... ...two considerably newer computers the Apple G4 is still a very quick and remarkably "undated" computer and still serves as the primary platform for my Webdesign company. This is because of its stability, ease of use, power and reliabilty. The statistics for the G4 are impressive also. As an owner of one of the 1st models my computers specification is outlined below:
Speed : 350Mhz G4
Ram : 192mb with capacity for 1.5GB
Storage Space: 40GB
Today's ...
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Advantages: speed, efficiency, quietness, aesthetically pleasing Disadvantages: touch sensitive buttons too easy to turn on accidentally, top loading CD can't be forcibly ejected
...I never understood (until now) how a computer could be described as sexy. But here it is, 8 inches of the most attractive bit of plastic I think I have ever had the pleasure of fondling.
I upgraded from a PowerMac 4400, mainly to handle the heavy use of Photoshop that the poor old thing was having to cope with. The first advantage I found in using the Cube was that instead of waiting up to 3 or 4 minutes for filter commands to complete, I now do not even get a progress bar. It's that quick. Sheer delight.
Of course, the size of the Cube is another bonus, it only takes a small portion of desk space. I was a little disappointed that it comes with a power-pack, therefore occupying 6x4 inches more, but this tucks neatly behind the 17" flat LCD display I also bought.
The Harman speakers are way more powerful than the internal...
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Advantages: Superb Piece Of Engineering Disadvantages: hot hot hot
...Not only does apple produce the fastest mass production laptop on this planet, it now has in its range a laptop that is better than a sub-note.
If you are wondering what a sub-note is, an example would be the SONY VIAO. The sub-note range of computers are a trade-off, this means that the subnote are inferior to laptops in order to gain in areas such as weight and size.
However, Apple has now bucked the trend.
The Apple Powerbook G4 Titanium, announced at Macworld San Francisco in January 2001 is an amazing feat of engineering.
NOT ONLY is it slimmer and lighter than at least the SONY VIAO, which is the best selling sub-ote on the market by the way, BUT IT ALSO has the power, capability and resources of a laptop, but with a screen size about 50% larger than the SONY VIAO.
From Apple's Web Site:
"Just 1 inch thick...
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...The cube is the latest product from Apple. It is a G4 supper computer in a 8inch cube. There are two models, one with a G4 450, 64MB RAM and 20GB HD and one with G4 500, 128MB RAM and 30GB HD. Both have DVD, USB, Firewire, 16MB ATI Rage 128 pro and 10/100 BaseT ethernet. They also ship with the new optical mouse, new keyboard and Harmon Kardon USB speakers. This machine looks fantastic (see the apple web site for pics) it is a white cube suspended in a clear case. on the top is a slot load DVD drive and an air vent. There is no fan so it is silent (apple claim only 19 decibels). The insides are easy to acsess by flipping the machine over and lifting them out. You can install 1.5 GB of RAM (if you have £3000). It also has the new monitor connector which carries signal power and USB in one lead, but is only compatibly with the new apple...
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Speaker(s): 1 x mixed channel, 2, 1 x right / left channel, amplifier
Compliant Standards: Sound Blaster 16/Pro
Manufacturer's product description
Buckle up - the Power Mac G4 is here. It features the revolutionary PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine, which crunches multimedia data at blazing-fast speeds. The Velocity Engine uses true independent vector processing - a technology originally developed for use in scientific supercomputers. It gives you the power you need to create and manipulate even the most complex graphics files. The result is unprecedented productivity for creative professionals - in the arts as well as the sciences. Apple designed the Power Mac G4 for creative professionals who use computers as the pivotal tool of their trade, setting the pace of their work, their productivity, even their success. With its blazing-fast speed and convention-crushing design, the Power Mac G4 picks up where the best-selling Power Macintosh G3 left off. The Power Mac G4 is so powerful that its speed is measured in gigaflops, or billions of floating-point operations per second, just like supercomputers. At the heart of this system is the PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine. Using vector processing, the PowerPC G4 brings supercomputer performance to the desktop for the first time. The Velocity Engine moves vector and multimedia data at super efficient speeds - it can process data in 128-bit chunks, instead of the smaller 32-bit or 64-bit chunks used in traditional processors. For all those who consider their desktop system a tool for expressing their creative abilities, there's a computer that can keep up with everything their minds can imagine - as quickly as they can only imagine. It's Power Mac G4.
Operating system / software
OS Provided: Apple MacOS X 10.1 / MacOS 9.2 / preinstalled, Apple MacOS X 10.2, Apple MacOS X 10.2 / MacOS 9.2 / preinstalled, Apple MacOS 9 / preinstalled, Apple MacOS 9.1 / preinstalled, Apple MacOS X / MacOS 9 / CD-ROM, Apple MacOS X / preinstalled, Apple MacOS 9 / CD-ROM, Apple MacOS 8.6 / preinstalled, Apple MacOS X 10.2 / MacOS 9, Apple MacOS X 10.3, Apple MacOS X 10.2 / MacOS 9.2, Apple MacOS 9.0.4 / preinstalled
Software: Drivers & Utilities, Microsoft Internet Explorer, FAXstf, EarthLink, Apple QuickTime, Apple iMovie 2, Apple Hardware Test, Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0, Apple iTunes 2, PCalc, Apple iDVD 2, Apple Mac OS X Mail, Apple iPhoto, GraphicConverter, Art Directors Toolkit for OS X, OmniOutliner, OmniGraffle, PixelNhance, Snapz Pro X, FileMaker Pro 5.5 Trial, Drivers & Utilities, Drivers & Utilities, Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Drivers & Utilities, Netscape Navigator, Drivers & Utilities, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Communicator, Drivers & Utilities, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Communicator, FAXstf
OS Certified: Apple MacOS 9, Apple MacOS X, Apple MacOS X / MacOS 9.2, Apple MacOS 9.1
Environmental standards
EPA Energy Star Compliant: Yes
Storage removable
Capacity: 250 MB, 100 MB
Type: 1 x ZIP - internal, 1 x ZIP - internal - IDE
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19.08.2001
