Macopinion

The Road Warrior Mailbag - March 24, 2008

Pismo: G4/550 vs G3/900
Praise For Penryn MacBook Pro
Power Mac G5 vs. Intel Mac mini - my two cents

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Pismo: G4/550 vs G3/900

From Steve;

Hi Charles,

I'd be interested in your macopinion on this dilemma:

I just saw a PowerLogix G3/900 upgrade card for the Pismo for auction on eBay, the first time I've seen one for sale anywhere in years. It looks like it will sell for over $400 when all is said and done. I've been thinking about giving my old Pismo a power boost for a while, and I had been looking at the G4/550 that Wegener Media sells for about $200.

My gut feeling is that this is the better deal by far, but there's something alluring about an elusive find like the PowerLogix card. But, I seem to recall that there were overheating issues with it for the brief time it was available. Perhaps your memory is clearer on this. If you have a free moment, I'd enjoy reading your thoughts.

Thanks,
Steve

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Hi Steve;

With the caveat that I have no first-hand experience with the PowerLogix product, there is no way in God's green earth that I would pay 400 bucks for one when 550 MHz G4 solutions are available for as little as $200.

I have extensive experience with Daystar, FastMac, and Wegener Media Pismo 550 G4 upgrades and all For more information, visit: them work superbly, and run cooler (most of the time) than the original 500 MHz G3.

I too recall that there were complaints about heat generated by the PowerLogix card, and, at the end of the day, it's still a G3. I have a 700 MHz G3 iBook, and the 550 MHz G4 Pismo definitely outperforms it, especially of course running Altivec-optimized software.

My 2 cents.

Charles

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Praise For Penryn MacBook Pro

From Derek

Hi Charles,

I recently upgraded my 5 year old 1GHz 17" Powerbook to Leopard and it was doing fine, but was slightly slower. When my daughter's friend asked if I could help her create a movie and burn a DVD movie for her to use to apply to grad school, my Powerbook just wasn't up to the task (it could do that when it had Tiger) and iDVD slowed to a crawl and then stopped. So I switched the project to my sons 2.2 Ghz MacBook and it chewed through the tasks like an angry dog.... Hmm, time to think about updating.

At the same time, my employer had a new mandate that we enter our hours in a Windows based time sheet program. Our IT guy could not get the program to work in Virtual PC on my old 17", so I resolved to get a Mac with a big enough hard drive so that I could have a Boot Camp partition big enough to run Microsoft Project and the time sheet program.

I thought a last generation refurbished 2.2 Ghz 15" MacBook Pro would be perfect except the refurbished models were only offered with 120 GB drives. So I decided to wait for the Penryn model in the hope that it would run cooler, have a longer lasting battery and have a bigger drive. When the 2.5 Ghz models were announced with 200 GB drives, I bought one.

This is one great machine. I immediately bought 4GB of RAM from OWC and according to Activity Monitor, I usually have about half of it free. It runs very cool, and the fan has never come on to my knowledge. I've read that it may be running very slowly but to me it sounds just like a quiet hard drive. As one who dislikes noisy computers, this Mac is unbelievable. Compared to my old 17", the matte screen is brilliant and visible even outside on a sunny day. The keyboard lighting is far, far brighter than the old 17". I think Apple has finally licked the heat problem with the new Penryn. processor.

After working with Virtual PC for seven years dating back to my Lombard, working with Windows XP in Boot Camp and with VMWare's Fusion is amazing. Though no fan of Windows, I really like Microsoft Project and it flies on this Mac.

My son is home on his college break and I did a Time Machine backup on his MacBook. It is a great computer, it's bright and quick, but it's no MacBook Pro. For a guy like me who goes into a purchase expecting to get five or more years out of a computer, the MacBook Pro is worth the additional dollars. I know you are in the market for a new 'book. I hope you get a chance to try out both models before making your decision.

By the way, last year, OWC got in a batch of 700 Mhz 12 G3 iBooks. Knowing how satisfied you were with yours, and knowing that the model did have issues with the motherboards, I took a chance and got one for my wife. What a great little computer for email, surfing, and the occasional letter. The screen is bright, the wifi range is great, the battery lasts forever. Running Panther with 384 MB, it really is a fast little machine and my wife adores it.

Derek

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Hi Derek;

Thank you for the great and very encouraging report, confirming my fondest hope that the heat problem with the MacIntel notebooks would finally be licked. Sounds (of silence) that it has been.

In a way, you're preaching to the converted. After mulling it over (and over and over), I'm convinced that the MacBook Pro suits my taste better than the MacBook. Unfortunately not my wallet so much.

Here in Canada, the base MacBook sells for $CAN1.149, and the base MacBook Pro for CAN$2,099, or CAN$960 more - almost double. The conundrum for me is can I justify the substantial cost difference on a rational basis, especially in respect of a recent major setback in my earning status. THe answer, unfortunately, is probably not. I'll be stretching the budget even by buying the 2.1 GHz base MacBook plus a 4 GB RAM upgrade from OWC.

On the positive side, logic dictates that the Penyn-based MAcBooks will also run cooler than the previous models, and stil have more than enough speed to meet my needs. On the downside, no LED backlight and I'm definitely more partial to the conventional keyboard in the MacBook Pro than the embedded "chiclet" jobbie in the MacBook, not just for tactile/ergonomic reasons.

Check out this sad tale of woe.
http://www.powerpage.org/2008/03/the_dumbest_thing_ive_ever_done_corona_meets_macbook.html

Anyway, I'm delighted to hear that the MacBook Pro is so satisfactory.

As for the 700 MHz iBook, my wife has inherited mine, and is using it running OS 10.4.11 Tiger with the RAM maxed out at 640 MB. Well into its sixth year of service, still no problems. It's in daily use, and just had its first system reboot today since early January.

Charles

Re: Praise For Penryn MacBook Pro

From Derek

Hi Charles,

I also have managed to spill liquid into my computer equipment, but fortunately it was into the keyboard of my Quicksilver G4. Not once, but three times over the years. I can tell you from first-hand knowledge that there are a great many screws holding that keyboard together. But every time, it is as good as new after a thorough cleaning.

I think it is interesting that when I last went through these purchasing decision machinations back in 2003, computers were still at a point where if you didn't buy the high end, there was a definite penalty in performance and useful longevity. That was the deciding factor in my getting the high-end 1 Ghz 17" machine back then. But nowadays, we seem to have reached a point where a couple of 100 Mhz difference in processor speed (2.4 Ghz vs. 2.5 Ghz vs. 2.6 Ghz) really doesn't make a difference in productivity and user experience.

As I said, my last laptop was my 17" Powerbook which has been a stellar machine for me. My only complaints with it were its screen brightness which wasn't great when it was new and it grew dimmer with age, and an obnoxious fan that slowly revved up to speed with an oscillating pitch (I never did get used to that in five years).

I really wanted to replace my 17" with another 17", but I wanted LED backlighting, and you could only get that in the new 17" Penryn machines by upgrading the machine to the high resolution screen. As money is tight on this end too (two kids in college), I couldn't rationalize/justify getting the 17", and if I couldn't justify that, then I couldn't justify the high-end 15" either, as it wasn't that much less than the 17".

So then I thought I would maybe get a base refurbished machine, but as I wrote in my last email, I needed a bigger hard drive for a Boot Camp partition. So after more deliberation, I decided to wait to see what the new line of MacBook Pros would offer. When they were released, the base model had a 200 GB hard drive, so that's what I got.

I was able to rationalize the purchase by thinking I'd help offset the cost by selling the old 17". Sounds logical, right? Oddly enough, now that a couple of weeks have passed, I'm not sure I want to sell it! I like the larger type on the 17" with these aging eyes of mine, and it's nice having extra screen real estate when I have numerous documents open. And with everyone in my family owning a Mac, it might be good to have a reserve machine in case one of their hard drives goes kaput. Unfortunately, its that kind of logic that results in my having a Mac Plus, Mac IIVX, an 8500, a Quicksilver G4, a Powerbook 1400, a 1999 Lombard and now a 17" Powerbook all still in the house, only a few of which still doing active duty.

So, in the end, I think I'll sell my old 17. Maybe that logic works for you too?

Out with the old, in with the new.

For right now, I think I made a sound decision. I have a Mac whose screen won't progressively get dimmer over the years like my eyesight seems to be doing. It's very fast, quiet and cool (right now the processors are at 105 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit after hours of use and multiple programs open, much cooler than my old PowerPC Powerbook) and the keyboard lighting is incredibly bright. Assuming it has all good parts, I see no reason why I won't get five or six years out of this Mac, too.

So for now, good luck with whichever Mac you get, and thanks for all the great articles over the years!

Derek

P.S. One other observation will be of interest to you. Ever since I was a kid, I loved the smell of new electronics. I have to say that I really didn't notice that very strong smell after opening up the box for this new machine. I know that people with multiple chemical sensitivities can often detect and react to levels of VOCs much lower that I might react to, but if "smell" is any indication, the new 'books might be less troublesome.

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Hi Derek;

I've drowned a keyboard twice, happily (?!) the same 'board, incidents about a week or so apart, and both with dilute Grapefruit Seed Extract, which is extremely acidic. The first time I was able to dry the 'board (a MacAlly iceKey) out and get it working again. The second time it was a goner. We took it apart, and discovered that the acid GSE had attacked the printed circuits.

I've tended to buy either new low-end or used/refurbished high-end 'Books. The latter have definitely been the most pleasureable to own and use, but I've gotten excellent service from the base machines as well, and as you say, the performance gap is narrower than it's ever been in practical terms, at leasr unless on is a really demanding power-user.

I've been delighted with my 17" PowerBook, and I'll miss the big display screen if I go MacBook especially, but I still use my Pismos a lot and know I can get along happily with less screen real-estate.

I still have every Mac I've ever owned, all of them in working condition. I'll definitely be keeping my 17-incher when I go MacIntel. Either it or one of the Pismos will eventually get handed off to my wife, although she's very happy right now with the 700 MHz iBook, which is a very likeable little computer.

Lessee; 105° F converts to 40.555° C. My BigAl G4 has been ranging between 47.5° and 58.5° (fan-screaming territory) for the past hour or so, and that's with the processor at "Reduced" speed. Penryn sounds like the cure!

There is irony (perhaps not entirely coincidental) in that I used to like the smell of electronics too, as well as gasoline, even some paints (I was once a marine paint and chemical sales specialist), all verboten to me now. Your observation "I know that people with multiple chemical sensitivities can often detect and react to levels of VOCs much lower that I might react to" is probably the understatement of the century ( ). I can smell an orange being peeled at 50 feet in calm air. I'm not sure whether my sense of smell is more acute (my wife's is a lot more sensitive than mine), or just a consequence of being obliged to live in a scent free environment so one's olfactories don't get jaded. Anyway the relative unsmelliness you report is encouraging, although I'm resigned to having to run any new 'Book I get in an isolation case for several months at best before I can share air space with it.

Charles

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Power Mac G5 vs. Intel Mac mini - my two cents

From James

Hi

I have a painting and modest recording studio 40 miles from Nashville based around a Mac Mini G4 with an external 7200 rpm drive. I love the small form factor, ultra-quiet operation and a la cart cost. Unfortunately, my Mini's lone firewire port was damaged in an electrical storm last year, compromising my external 24bit audio/midi interface. This, in combination with higher system demands for new sessions forced me to put together a budget shopping list.

I narrowed my search to the G5 iMac, Intel Imac and Mini. My total budget was 750.00 including shipping.

The G5's were very attractive and priced right but reliability reports scared me off. I saw limited opportunities to buy an Intel Core Duo within my budget - finding only one 1.83 iMac for 699.00 and waving it off after realizing it was one of the stripped down education models. Most of the Intel iMacs start in the 850.00 range for the combo drive model. The market for used and refurbished Mini's is limited but some excellent values can be found. I narrowly missed an Apple store special for a Core Duo 1.83 SD at 497.

Ultimately, I bought a Mini Core 2 Duo with Superdrive and a gig of ram from Macofalltrades for 595.00. I upgraded the ram to 2 gigs from OWC and purchased an additional 17" LCD from ebay coming in way under my budget. In the future, I can upgrade the monitor up to 1900 pixels wide. If I'm real ambitious, I can even upgrade the cpu.

It's hard to argue with the continued value of the Mini format. I was shocked to see the Primate Labs overall performance scores double from my G4 1.25 (727) to the Intel Core Solo (1459) and triple to the Core Duo 1.66 (2157)! By comparison, the same money would only buy a G5 iMac with a performance in the 1100 range. My new 1.83 Core 2 Mini has a score of 2473. For the money, I'm convinced the Mini is the smarter choice.

Take care,
James Pearson
http://www.pearsonart.com

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Hi James;

I agree; in that price range it's impossible to argue with the mini, at least if you alredy have a monitor and input devices.

Charles

*** cmoore@macopinion.com

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