Dual G4 or G5 - I'm Dying over here...

[Drive d]

OK - the time has come to dive in deeper.... I am torn between a dual G4 1.25 or a Dual 2.0 G5 - either will go to my 002 and Presonus Octopre.... as an interface. I am thinking 1K of ram for either and loaded with drives. I also have a few firewire drives around. storage is not a big deal. I am seeing issues with a weird noise in the G5 and then the G4 is supposed to be great but for how long? Please help. I will get whichever you guys say is the best - I mean the price difference is not that much - Like $400 or $500. I do about the same amount of Post and Music work. So I am really torn here.
Thanks for all the input from the masters of the DUC.
The world is better place because of all of you!
D-

[toecat]

I am having the same thoughts... the G4 looks really good, alot of bang for the buck, but I am thinking, maybe I should spend the extra money and be ahead of the game.. If I stay with the G4, I won't need to purchase a new interface. If I buy the G5 I will need a new interface, and the 002r and the G5.. questionable..
This is what I am doing.. I am going to wait it out until the new G5s are released.. I want to see what the power increase will be..If it is not a big leap, then I will consider an older G5, or the dual G4. Other facts that I am considering if I stay with the G4, I will have enough money left to get a control surface, then I can update to PT 6x and Logic Pro..

Just my thoughts on the subject...

Toecat

[Drive d]

Bump!

[cwhite771]

If you're thinking G5, I'd definitely wait for the 2nd, if not 3rd rev. IMHO, I don't think the current G5's are all that impressive performance-wise compared to the hype. Also, future versions will be more solid as they'll have worked out the oddities (you'd hope at least).

The second rev are supposedly due out soon (matter of weeks maybe). The 970fx chips which they will be using will top out around 3GHz. The 980 chips (which may end up under the G6 moniker) will run up to 5GHz or faster. THose are supposedlydue by the end of the year or the beginning of next. If you wait for either of these revisions, one thing is for sure-- you'll be able to get the current crop for much cheaper.

So, my advice is wait if you can (at least a month or 2).
---
c

[terrydrums]

How 'bout this: while you're puzzling over this tough problem, you give me all this money that's burning a whole in your pocket, I'll use it to pay off some bills, and then we ALL can get big new 'puters one day?

T.

[mindnoise]

If you're thinking G5, I'd definitely wait for the 2nd, if not 3rd rev. IMHO, I don't think the current G5's are all that impressive performance-wise compared to the hype. Also, future versions will be more solid as they'll have worked out the oddities (you'd hope at least).

So, my advice is wait if you can (at least a month or 2).
---
c

I second that!

G4 is supposed to be great but for how long?

How much power can you tame?

A Dual 1.25 Mac is fine if you get it for a bargain.

best

[madmanmn]

I just got a new G5 dual 2GHz. Although I can't run ProTools at the moment (becasuse Digi does not support OS 10.2.3) it is a smokin machine. As a friend told me, go for what you can afford. The G4 may be good and reliable, but will soon go the way of the G3. If you plan on staying on top and having a system that will be competitive in the future, go with the G5.

[dfusion]

Personally I think the last generation of G4 machines are more than adequate, but if you're looking to buy a machine today then the G5 would be the logical investemnt. The only problem is some of those first generation anoomalies like the Chirp problem. Hold out til the next wave of G5 machines. You've wait this long! You can wait a little bit longer.

[JLMarechal]

I have a G4 DP 1.25 Dual Boot.
If I win at lottery, actually, I'll buy another one.
If I would buy a G5, it would be as a PhotoShop or video machine.

[marcoustic]

If it has to be now, I would go for the G4. The power is more than enough and I find it very useful to be able booting into OS 9.

If I buy it in a year I would think of the G5. Then all the little troubles of the 1st and 2nd generation are gone and you can really work with that thing (especially PT).

Greets

Markus