Opinions needed: Upgrade to OSX.3 on older G4?

[popps]

Hey all,

Wanted to get your feelings about whether or not I should install OSX Panther on my older G4 to run my
HD system. We've been running it with little problem on OS9.2.2 on a G4 450 AGP model. But, I just got a new
Emac for personal use (which I freaking love!) ... and I'm blown away by OSX. I was a hard head about switching
over, as I loved OS9 ... but I can't believe how improved it is.
Obviously, it would allow me to move to PT6, as well... which I still have sitting in the box.

So, my question is.. should I hang on with my system as is.... don't fix it if it ain't broke?

Or, should I upgrade to OSX and get started with the cool new features in PT6 and OSX?

Thanks in advance for any answers...

Popps

[jimlongo]

Although it would probably work, and I am a big proponent of OSX over 9 - your computer is a little on the weak side for this task. Sorry.

[popps]

You mean on the weak side to run OSX? Does OSX require that much more processing power? Or do you just mean weak in general?

A new computer is in the plans for the near future, but like I said.. it runs our HDII system flawlessly right
now. Just wondering what everyone thought about moving to OSX?

[bassmac]

Although it would probably work, and I am a big proponent of OSX over 9 - your computer is a little on the weak side for this task. Sorry.

What do you mean by that?

OSX is backward compatible to the Blue & White G3 - which I have in my office, and am thinking of installing it on before I try tackling my G4-500/PT system.

Explain?

[sdelsolray]

Hey all,

Wanted to get your feelings about whether or not I should install OSX Panther on my older G4 to run my
HD system. We've been running it with little problem on OS9.2.2 on a G4 450 AGP model. But, I just got a new
Emac for personal use (which I freaking love!) ... and I'm blown away by OSX. I was a hard head about switching
over, as I loved OS9 ... but I can't believe how improved it is.
Obviously, it would allow me to move to PT6, as well... which I still have sitting in the box.

So, my question is.. should I hang on with my system as is.... don't fix it if it ain't broke?

Or, should I upgrade to OSX and get started with the cool new features in PT6 and OSX?

Thanks in advance for any answers...

Popps

I did almost the same thing. However, I upgraded my AGP 450 G4 with a SOnnett 1 Ghz processor swap and I'm using a Digi001. Now running Panther 10.3.2, PTLE 6.2.2. Slightly better performance than the 450 did under OS 9.2.2 and PTLE 5.1.1.

[Noiz2]

What do you mean by that?

OSX is backward compatible to the Blue & White G3 - which I have in my office, and am thinking of installing it on before I try tackling my G4-500/PT system.

Explain?

I have 10.2.8 running on an older G3 and it's slugish. Most folks that I have read on the DUC that have moved to OS X on med speed G4's have been unhappy by "slugishness". So you can probably change and it will probably run but you probably wont be happy with the "feel" of it. Like the other poster mentioned a proscesor upgrade would be highly recomended.

[bassmac]

I have 10.2.8 running on an older G3 and it's slugish. Most folks that I have read on the DUC that have moved to OS X on med speed G4's have been unhappy by "slugishness". So you can probably change and it will probably run but you probably wont be happy with the "feel" of it. Like the other poster mentioned a proscesor upgrade would be highly recomended.

Interesting - thanks.

That is of course a good reason to justify a new Mac.

[gives]

Sounds from some of the discussions that you may have made up your mind before you even posted this question about your machine but...


I have installed a half a dozen OSX Panther systems on various macs including a Blue and White G3. It works fine, but with ProTools I would in my studios, I only use OS 10.2.8 and that's it for now. I will upgrade to 10.3.2 or better when it's really fixed. I know it's approved, but I am solid with 10.2.8 and it's fine. I have it on a couple of G4's in the room including a G4 17" laptop and it runs great! I would caution you to be careful with a large upgrade from a slower machine.

Good Luck, and move forward!

G

[popps]

Sounds from some of the discussions that you may have made up your mind before you even posted this question about your machine but...


I have installed a half a dozen OSX Panther systems on various macs including a Blue and White G3. It works fine, but with ProTools I would in my studios, I only use OS 10.2.8 and that's it for now. I will upgrade to 10.3.2 or better when it's really fixed. I know it's approved, but I am solid with 10.2.8 and it's fine. I have it on a couple of G4's in the room including a G4 17" laptop and it runs great! I would caution you to be careful with a large upgrade from a slower machine.

Good Luck, and move forward!

G

haha! Actually, no.. I really haven't made up my mind. But, I do like the idea of a processor upgrade. That might be the immediate ticket until I get the G5. (probably 6-10 months) I've got a ton of RAM in the machine already, so that sounds like a good plan.

Someone mentioned Sonnet. Is there a standard for upgrade chips that anyone knows of? Are they the best?

--

Thanks to everyone for the input!

[tvent]

I have, for years, tried to beat the system on CPU purchases vs. upgrades.
The one thing I have learned is, that on the MAC side, it ususally isn't worth it.

As one user pointed out, it looks like it takes about a 1GHz G4 in OSX to offer similar performance as your exsiting 450Mhz in OS9. You would have to spend over $300 in a processor to get there.

The particular model computer you are speaking of was released in 1999 which makes it 5 years old now in 2004. It does not make good economic sense to spend $300 on a 5 year old computer. It IS a MAC so the rules are a bit different as opposed to a PC, but the rules aren't so different that you should waste money. Take that same $300 and put it towards the $1600 purchase of a new G5 that will run OSX very well. You will be much happier in the long run. Heck, your nearly 5-year old G4 will still probably bring about $600 or so on eBay so if you look at it that way - by not upgrading you are already $900 closer to the new computer. Add another $129 in your favor because you won't need to buy a fresh copy of Panther because it will already be on the new computer.

Economics aside, OSX runs like crap on any low-end G4 or G3. It pretty much takes all of the resources just to operate the OS. Now, it is a beautiful OS, but it is resource hungry - it just is. I am writing this on a 1GHz G4 laptop running panther and I could not imagine trying to do audio on this machine (although it would probably be snappier if it had more RAM - 256MB is NOT enough, but that is another story and you probably have plenty of RAM if you were already doing audio work. Otherwise, try to run 512 as a bare minimum and 768 or 1Gig if you can swing it (512 sticks to go in the 1.6GHz G5 should cost you around $85 or so - not sure if it needs memory installed in pairs like it's bigger brothers do, bet it does due to the 64-bit processor)

Another argument for a new machine - PT6.2.x, which is the version of protools you would have to run on panther - is NOT qualified to run on any G4 less than a 733MHz. That doesn't mean it won't work, but it is meaning that you are asking for trouble.

I'm glad you are enjoying your eMac and OSX. Those are pretty cool machines, but for your audio work, if you are planning to move to OSX - go get yourself a new G5. You don't really think they write new commercial OS's to run good on legacy hardware do you? The idea is to write software that makes you legacy investment so painful that you go out and spend more money on new hardware to run it, then a year later you go buy new software to run on your new hardware, only to discover your new hardware isn't so new and fast anymore, so you have to go buy more new hardware...

hth