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  #1  
Old 08-23-2003, 10:02 PM
progress88 progress88 is offline
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Default Mac G4 versus G5 versus Windows XP

I really need some help with this decision. I recently purchased a digi 002 system with the intention of using a Mac G4 running OSX. Now I'm hearing that the new G5 is the way to go. I'm going to use my system for my own demos, recording my group, and songwriting now. But I'll probably start doing work for other people sometime in the future. I don't anticipate running 20 zillion plug-ins, but after I get into it who knows? I have a friend who runs Pro-Tools with Windows XP and swears by it. The four systems I was considering were:

1> Mac G4 DUAL 1.25GHZ 768MB ram, combodrive, 80GB HD ...............$1700.00
2> Mac G5 Single 1.6GHZ 256MB ram, superdrive, 80GB HD...............$1994.00
3> Mac G5 Dual 2.0 GHZ 512MB ram, superdrive, 120GB HD...............$3000.00
4> PC unspecified running XP 1024 ram,cdrw, 120GB HD.................$1000.00 approx.

I know that the Dual G5 will run faster, but is it worth the money for my applications? Money is definitely an issue hear.

My question is: If YOU were starting from scratch, which system would you go with in this application? Feel free to suggest changes to the above systems.

ps. I know I still need a external Firewire drive

Thanks in advance for the help,

Mike
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  #2  
Old 08-23-2003, 11:24 PM
DigiGeek DigiGeek is offline
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Default Re: Mac G4 versus G5 versus Windows XP

While it is very likely that the dual 2gig G5 will be the best performer, The PC's that are out today are plenty fast for about 1/2 the price if you build it yourself. the real question you need to ask yourself is, what platform do you want to be on long term? If you are a PC person, stick with the PC. If you are a Mac person, you can finally get comparable performance with the G5, enabling you to stay on the Mac platform.

Any way you go, you should be able to get plenty of processing power using either platform.
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  #3  
Old 08-23-2003, 11:25 PM
kmshroom kmshroom is offline
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Default Re: Mac G4 versus G5 versus Windows XP

Quote:
ps. I know I still need a external Firewire drive
why? using two internal HDD is better than using a firewire drive. unless you need the portability, of course.

you need to do more homework on the PC side, coz you can buy a top of the line PC for $400, even (by buying the parts separate and building yourself, as that's the only way to get a desktop PC). "PC unspecified" is ..well, a bit unspecified. you need to be more specific. are you looking at getting a P3 800 mhz or what?!

PCs are better bang for your buck, by miles.

the amount of RTAS plug-ins available for PC are far less than the amount available for Mac, so keep that in mind. most of the companies involved in the Digidesign Partners whatever favor the Mac platform, and this includes Digi.
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  #4  
Old 08-26-2003, 01:21 AM
gerax gerax is offline
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Default Re: Mac G4 versus G5 versus Windows XP

Hi

I think if you have to stay in the lower bucks department you'll be better off with a purpose built PC (think an Athlon XP3000 or PIV 2GHz at least, but check THIS THREAD for all the options on a killer system), as the price/performance ratio is way better in PCs in that sector; if you can go up with the budget then a G5 will allow plenty of power and acces to all of the Mac develped plugins and features; anyway, even in the PC camp things are changing really fast, and plug in availability isn't that poor as newer developers are writing plugins for the PC platform too, so I guess in a year it will be just the same as Macs (the new Digidesign ad in mix magazine splits the page in half and dedicates one to Osx and one to Xp claiming feature parity between platforms: can you belive this? Just a few months back it wasn't even dreamable.

In the end I belive you get plenty of power with both, as this developing will finally bring to a real parity and compatibility between the two, so for the moment it's only a matter of how much you want to spend.
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  #5  
Old 08-26-2003, 08:21 AM
roberts roberts is offline
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Default Re: Mac G4 versus G5 versus Windows XP

There are about 12 Plug-ins that I use that are not available on PC. The endless Mac VS PC debate is really silly. Most Protools users use Macs they are easier to set up and fix if there are any problems. All the otions are built in, Gigabit Ethernet, Firewire 800, Serial ATA, Ultra Quite case design, heavy duty power supply, 64 bit OS (when Panther comes out soon). I have got an HD 7 rig and 4 - 192's and extra 1500 or 2000 for a good CPU is really nothing in the big picture.
I had a client come in with hi Digi 002 on a PC when we transfered the tracks to the HD system to mix he lost 3 songs to a virus. I have never had a virus on my Mac (that I know about anyway).
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Old 08-29-2003, 08:04 AM
Charles D. Ballard Charles D. Ballard is offline
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Default Re: Mac G4 versus G5 versus Windows XP

Quote:

I had a client come in with hi Digi 002 on a PC when we transfered the tracks to the HD system to mix he lost 3 songs to a virus. I have never had a virus on my Mac (that I know about anyway).
This is a silly reason to go with one platform or another. My macs once got a virus and my PCs never have... What does that prove? absolutely NOTHING! If you use anti-virus software and keep proper backups the chances of loosing significant data from a virus is minimal on both platforms.

ANYWAY to the question: If you know and use XP, go with that machine. If you like Macs better go with a low-cost G4. Spend the money you save in plug-ins. You don't need a lot of beef under the hood of your computer. For most people a modest CPU and fair amount of memory will do you just fine.


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  #7  
Old 08-29-2003, 02:45 PM
Bender Bender is offline
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Default Re: Mac G4 versus G5 versus Windows XP

I use both all the time and have had little to no issues with both.

If you do not know how to get around on a pc ( fixing things) get a mac it is easier.

That said I hear so many guys bash pc's and when I ask the last os the worked they respond win 95

Then I tell them they do not know what a pc can do.

Everybody likes to defend what they already purchase and like almost everything it is subjective.

Before the pc vs mac it was what 2 inch tape machine was better.

Buy what you want it is about the music not the tool anyway.

Good Luck

Jimi
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  #8  
Old 08-29-2003, 02:51 PM
zoolooloo zoolooloo is offline
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Default Re: Mac G4 versus G5 versus Windows XP

I'd definitely go with a Mac. If money is an issue, you should be able to get a good deal on a used dual processor 867 or 1Ghz MDD. Just for simplicity and compatibility, it is worth to use the platform that most protools systems run on.
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  #9  
Old 08-29-2003, 03:43 PM
Duardo Duardo is offline
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Default Re: Mac G4 versus G5 versus Windows XP

Quote:
most of the companies involved in the Digidesign Partners whatever favor the Mac platform, and this includes Digi.

Most of those companies favor the Mac platform because that's still what most users are running. As has been mentioned, though, more and more people are running Pro Tools on PC. Kind of a chicken-and-egg scenario going on...more plugins will be written for PC if more people use PC, but more people won't use PC until more plugins are available...

-Duardo
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  #10  
Old 08-29-2003, 05:27 PM
froyo froyo is offline
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Default Re: Mac G4 versus G5 versus Windows XP

Hello. Duardo I would add this little bit to your chicken and egg scenario. The big balance shifter on that equation is TDM or LE. As was pointed out by several plug in manufacturers in the RTAS petition thread created on the Windows LE forum by Carl Fuehrer, market research and customer history has shown them time and time and time again that TDM customers will definitely buy more plug ins than LE users. That's just a fact no one can dispute. Another fact no one can dispute is that almost 100% of Windows XP Pro Tools sales are LE. This can be disputed as I don't know this for a fact, but I would venture to say that if you factor all LE systems currently out there as well as new sales, there would almost be a 2 to 1 ratio of PC to Mac ( 2 PC LE systems for every Mac). So I would actually say that in the LE market, PC is a bigger market than Mac. It is at least the same size. Why wouldn't they want a piece of that pie?

Most of the plug ins that are Mac only that anyone really cares about happen to also be plug ins whose biggest clientele are TDM systems. Cycling '74 would be about the only cost effective bundle that I can think of that's not PC, and that's in the works. In my opinion, until PC TDM systems start to sell significantly more, most of these developers will have a hard time spending the time and money to port over to RTAS or TDM PC.

Because another factor that plays in here, that goes hand in hand, and in which we could spend an entire thread on, is that these same developers are Mac only people, through and through. The time and money that it would take for them to offer a PC product is not worth it to them right now, because they don't see a PC TDM market. I don't blame them one bit, and if I was in their shoes, I would probably do the same.
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