Out with the old… Apple drops 20-inch iMac G5 prices - Macenstein

Out with the old… Apple drops 20-inch iMac G5 prices

Posted by Lab Rat

In a move geared to start clearing out the old inventory of PowerPC-based iMacs, Apple has lowered the price of its 20-inch iMac G5 system by $200, bringing it down to $1499. Pricing for the 17-inch model remains the same.

When Apple unveiled its Intel-based iMacs last month, many found it odd that they continued to offer their older PowerPC-based counterparts alongside them at the exact same cost. Both G5 iMac models have been declared “end of life�, and this move suggests that at the $1699 price point, the average customer was becoming wary of spending so much on seemingly obsolete hardware.

Personally, (and at the risk of editorializing) I am surprised ANYONE who was thinking of buying an iMac would have even be considering buying the PowerPC model now that the Intel models have been announced. A recent Anandtech article compares the PPC and Intel iMacs, and their main reservation in suggesting that everyone switch to the Intel machines right away is simply a matter of the number of available applications that are universal binaries. There are very few applications that the average iMac user runs that will not perform well on the Intel iMac, and universal versions of the more popular software will be available in a matter of months. I would rather run Word in Rosetta on an Intel iMac for 6 months waiting for the universal version than be stuck running it on a slower machine forever. It appears if you have enough memory, Rosetta can do a respectable job translating most apps with tolerable performance hits. If saving $200 is enough to make you think twice about buying an Intel iMac over a PowerPC one, I would suggest choosing the 17-inch Intel iMac (at a $400 savings over the 20-inch Intel model) and putting that savings towards more RAM.

Comments
41 Responses to “Out with the old… Apple drops 20-inch iMac G5 prices”
  1. Abraham Lincoln says:

    I don’t get why anyone would buy a G5 iMac, and I certainly don’t get why Apple didin’t cut the price of those G5 iMacs (both of them) the day of the Intel announcemnet. I guess some idiots are still buying them at their over inflated prices, so in that respect I guess Apple is smart, but what consumer thinks the G5 version is a good deal?

    Assuming you are not upgrading from the iMac you bought 2 months ago to the Intel iMac, the speed improvements in all Apps, even using Rosetta, over what your current speed likely are will be the same if not better. I know Photoshop runs better on this than my 1.8 GHz G4 machine.

    these people are shooting themselves in the foot with their limited thinking.

  2. I personally am planning on getting an iMac G5 when I have the money. I, and I’m sure quite a few other people, want a PPC mac now, as they’re the last ones. They will last for 3-4 years. And then I’ll be getting a 2nd or 3rd Rev MacBook Pro, once the Intel macs have been proven

  3. Way Cool Jr. says:

    I don’t get it Martin.
    Why do you want one just because it is the last one?
    The Intel iMac will also last at least 3 or 4 years, and be faster then the G5 for those 4 years. Sure, the next 4 months or so a few apps might rn a little slower than they could, but in the long run these dual core machines are gonna be way faster than the G5s.

    If you are buying a computer because it is the last G5, like a collector’s item, then you must have a lot of extra money, and you would do better buying a G5 quad and 30-inch cinema display.

    Buying a computer for nostalgia’s sake is just stupid. They aren’t exactly like classic cars that are gonna go up in value anytime soon.

  4. Andy Merrett says:

    I think ‘nostalgia’s sake’ is missing the point. It’s about reliability and stability.

    The G5 iMacs are kick-ass machines, on a proven architecture, where applications (particularly pro applications) are known to work without timiing or other issues.

    The Intel Macs are not yet fully known. The first iMac users are early adopters, and I salute them (I’d probably get one if I had the cash right now) – but it’s a new partnership and not everything is in place yet.

    Let’s not throw out everything that’s good about the established Mac technology just because something new’s come along. The G5 is still a darn good processor and a great machine – plus you get 3 more inches of real estate.

    Not everyone needs to have the very latest machines all the time – an iMac G5 will be good for a few years, and then an even faster Intel Mac will be available – of course it will. This is just the beginning.

    So don’t write off everyone’s decisions as stupid just because they’re not jumping on the Intel bandwagon at the very first opportunity.

  5. Bendit says:

    Many developers are probably eating these up as they will continually need to test software to be backwards compatible with the G5 for years to come so they need to buy the latest G5s now.

  6. I think you’re being a bit hard on those still purchasing a G5 iMac. I keep a pristine OS9 machine for some old apps that I still need to run (albeit less frequently all the time). There is also the issue of games: many will not be upgraded and they will not run well or at all in Rosetta. Yes, there might be MacTel versions out at some point, but that can add up. Upgrading to Office is one thing. Upgrading (buying *new* versions, really) a dozen games is another. So if you are a Zoo Tycoon 2 fanatic and the like, having a solid G5 iMac around is a good thing indeed.

    Rich

  7. Tuna Helper says:

    I don’t know.
    Spending $1500 to play a game (no matter how good) is kind of lame.
    I think I agree with Bendit about only developers wanting these systems.
    If the reason you are upgrading is to make the apps you run now run faster, then sure, go ahead. But if the idea is to run all the future apps fast, then why buy the G5 iMac?
    There will always be new games, I am sure Zoo Tycoon 3 will be better than #2, and run on Intel. You NOW some companies are not going to make PowerPC versions of their software pretty soon. Don’t kid yourselves about universal apps being so easy to make. I bet most small companies have 1-2 programmers, and they would rather get their new stuff workingon the current and future hardware.
    It just seems to me this is like poeple buying “old fashioned” 4×3 TVs now. They KNOW in 2 years they’ll wish they had either waited or splurged on a 16×9 set. It is throwing away money.

  8. Bendit says:

    This would be a great buy for a family member, a kid’s computer, or your parents who aren’t litetate. It will still operate the same, and still be very fast, and still is a great computer for regular users who couldn’t care about the performance boost of the intel shift.

    Most people couldn’t care less and applications will be universal binaries for years.

  9. Mark says:

    If you needed to buy a Mac *today* to run (for example) Digidesign Pro Tools, you’d have to either buy something used or go for a new G4/G5 model.

    The number of people running applications like that is considerable…and it’s exactly the sort of thing that happened back in 1994 in the transition from 68K to PPC.

  10. Tuna Helper says:

    Mark, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say the Majority of people buying iMacs ain’t running Pro Tools on it.
    I am not saying the audio/video/graphics pros should stop buying G5 Quads, I am saying Joe Lunchpail who is buying his iMac to use Word, surf the web, edit photos and movies in iLife is much better off long term buying the Intel iMac.
    Sorry. Nothing short of a $500 discount will change my mind.

  11. Tuna Helper says:

    Bendeit, what the hell do you mean “This would be a great buy for a family member, a kid’s computer, or your parents who aren’t litetate”?!?

    It’s only $200 cheaper, and the damn thing is slower!
    On what planet is that a great buy?
    Oh wait, they did just discover a new planet past Pluto, didn’t they?
    http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/02/01/tenth.planet/index.html

  12. Mark says:

    The percentage of Mac users who have their machines for pro-audio/graphics work is *much* higher than is the case with Windows machines, and Apple knows it. They also have a vested interest in not having recent hardware take a sudden plunge in percieved value. And Joe Lunchpail is buying some E-Machines or Dell crap anyway…Apple has never been about the “joe Lunchpail” market.

  13. J. Tyler says:

    All I hear is “the G5 is slower! It’s slower! SOOOO SLOW!!!!”

    Yeah, so what? Pure processor speed is not always the end-all-be-all of a good computer, especially for the casual user. Do you go out and buy the newest model of your new car because they added 50, even 100 hp? Probably not (and yes, I know that’s not equal to the 2x faster claims….. 2x faster at checking my email? bleh…)

    There is an existing software library for these systems that will continue to meet the needs of most….how did you put it, Tuna?…. Joe Lunchpail users. These systems will continue to be supported for their normal usage cycle (3-5 years). ANY problems with the Intel transfer will be solved by the time an upgrade is needed.

    Perhaps the only true downside I see of buying the last G5s is the resale value. If you finance your next computer buy what you profit from selling your current system, this may be something to consider. That is a serious consideration.

    A $500 discount might not be out of the question, either, depending on how fast Apple wants to unload their backstock.

  14. Tuna Helper says:

    You guys are all crazy.
    The average iMac user is actually Joe Lunchpail’s spoiled 14 year old kid. The Intel Mac is going to be fine for them. In fact, you are right in that the G5 would be fine for them too. The mini would be fine. They just like the way the iMac looks, so why not get the faster one that will run your new apps better?

    Mark, the Mac may have a higher ratio of “pros” using it than PCs, but guess what? The “pros” are using the “pro” machines. Sorry to burst your bubble if you think of yourself as a video pro and you are using an iMac.

    A REAL video pro needs expansion cards not found in an iMac.
    A REAL audio pro needs a better audio card than the iMac has
    A REAL Graphics pro needs a better graphics card, more RAM, and at least a dual processor system.

    None of these things can be found in a G5 iMac.
    I can ALMOST see using the Intel iMac for graphics, as its graphics card (the 256 MB version) is pretty nice, and it has 2 cores, so it can likely match the old dual G5 towers in performance tasks.

    But PLEASE be realistic and admit the G5 iMac is a mac mini with a 17 or 20-inch screen slapped on.

    CONSUMER CONSUMER CONSUMER.

  15. Anonymous says:

    I disagree Tuna, iMacs are also used by Pros. Not so sure about video and audio, but I’ve known and met quite a bit of Pro Photographers who use the iMac on a day-to-day basis.

  16. Roland says:

    Hey, Tuna: Why don’t you grow up and take your infantile generalizations elsewhere?

    First:

    iMacs are not for the spoiled children of people with too much money. This statement is really offensive. Realize that you reveal your juvenile, single-minded, naive adolescent mind-set with crap like this.

    Second:

    You seem to assume that an Intel iMac purchased today has more potential for the future than an iMac G5. How so? Have I missed something? Is Apple promising free upgrades to iMac Core Duo purchasers in two years? Are the processors suddenly get 50% faster on the 1st of January each year? Please explain where this ‘future potential’ comes from?

    Third:

    Remember that not all people are as interested in technology as you are. Having the latest-and-greatest so that you can brag to your teenaged friends may motivate you, but many others will use a machine in its purchased configuration (including software) until replacement. Having something that runs what they want (or already own) now is far more important than what may or may not happen 6 months down the road.

    Fourth:

    Wow, I love the obnoxious “You guys are all crazy” and “Sorry to burst your bubble if you think of yourself as a video pro and you are using an iMac” comments. You have condescension off to a fine art. Now, let me prove that I can do it even better…

    Fifth:

    “A REAL audio pro needs a better audio card than the iMac has”

    You obviously have absolutely no idea about pro audio interfaces. Many, many audio interfaces are FireWire based and would work just as well with an iMac. Do you have the first idea how much production and post-production work is done on PowerBooks? No, I didn’t think you did.

    You have to admit. From where I’m sitting you look woefully out of your depth, so please, stop mouthing off. You’re just making yourself look stupid.

  17. Tuna Helper says:

    Gosh Roland, sorry I sound like such a tool.

    Hey speaking of tools, let’s look at Pro Tools systems requirements… hmm PCI or PCI Express card needed…
    Ok…I’ll just put that in my iMac and… oh wait!

    Anyway, as for your other points

    First: I just said it was for spoiled children, not spoiled children of people with too much money.

    Look at the iMac page on Apple.com. You will see what? iLife, video chat, Front Row, PhotoBooth, all gimmicky crap designed for consumers. (I use the term crap lovingly, as iTunes and iPhoto rock). The word “fun� is used.

    Now, look at the PowerMac page. It’s all about speed and power and running pro apps.

    Second: Yes, in a way I DO think the Intel iMac will get 50% faster next year. As soon as Universal versions of Photoshop (and others) are released, next year you will see they will gain about a 50% increase or more because they will have twice the amount of processors to throw at a task over the G5 iMac. Now, my earlier statement that iMac users in general are not even running Photoshop makes the argument even stronger, as the iApps most will be using all run faster on the Intel iMac.

    Third: I am sure some people are worried about running their current software at it’s fastest possible speed for the next 6 months, but logically in most cases it makes no sense to buy a new computer now that will not be as fast 6 months from now as another computer that is available for the same price. Most people can either slug through 6 months of pokier performance and wait for universal apps. And again, I honestly DO think the majority of iMac users are using the iApps, surfing the web, and using word, which runs fine under rosetta.

    Fourth: Thank you

    Fifth: See above. I am not saying that all pro audio apps NEED a card, but many do, and most work better with additional options.

    As for whether I have any idea how much post production is done on PowerBooks, yes, I do.
    I do not consider DV quality video to be “professional�. In most cases you can load in footage into a PowerBook, and edit it, but will have to re-digitize your Final Cut RT projects back on a more robust system to edit real HD or even SD and output back to Beta.

    Sure, I generalized a bit, but for the most part everything I said is true and I rule.

    Thanks

  18. Tuna Helper…

    You’re a genius.

  19. eliotw says:

    If I were buying a Mac today I’d have to think long and hard before going the Intel route because I need Virtual PC for a few apps and there is no MS timeline for Mactel support 🙁

  20. Audio Guy. says:

    Roland.

    Believe it or not there are people in the world who do not use ProTools for the Audio software. MOTU, Logic, SX2 – All of these are also Pro Audio Applications that use firewire audio interfaces.

    For the record I actually do use ‘tools and I use a 2.7G5 with 4GB of RAM, HD3 and lots of external drives. A professional spec machine for a professional spec studio.

    However I have many clients who want a machine to do songwriting demo’s at home, maybe even some basic pre-production and then come and track and mix at our facility. They do this because qs a rule, most record companies wisely don’t want to spend over $1k per day demoing song ideas !

    For this type of client we invaribaly specify a ProTools LE system ( Firewire ) and a couple of external Lacie firewire drives. We shipped out such a system yesterday, for one of our pro clients. iMac 20″, 1.5GB Ram, 2 x Lacie Porsche 160GB, 1 x Lacie 300GB Porsche for Backup, 002, and some basic Mics, Monitoring, Cables, and an Auralex kit. We obviously chose the G5 because
    PROTOOLS DOESN’T RUN ON INTEL YET, and not everyone needs a DP. In fact, for a lot of our clients, they like the iMac as it is less intimidating than a huge G5. You may laugh, and say well this is not a professional system, but many of our clients are platium selling artists. If having a Platinum selling record doesn’t make you professional, I would sure like to know what does !

    Oh and just as an aside, I just purchased a machine for a good friend of mine who is a professional graphic designer and the editor of a Financial trading magazine. Professional Designer, Editor of a successfull magazine – and she is happy working on an iMac. She has used my G5’s and admits they are very fast, but she has always been happy on iMacs. So when we brought her a new machine, what did we buy her? Well we bought her the fastest iMac available today for running CS2 – and that happens to be a G5. We will definatly buy an intel when CS3 Universal comes out, but today she is happy with the G5.

    You need to remember that the intel is only theoretically much faster, but practically today, for many applications, the G5 is actually the faster machine.
    You are correct that in an ideal world, all Pro Applcations would be ideally run, on the Pro Machines, but for a number of reasons this doesn’t necessarily happen. Oh and by the way, my Apooge AD/DA Firewire converters, kick the crap out of the standard digidesign HD converters, which I no longer use, but that is for an entirely different post.

  21. Audio Guy. says:

    Apologies to Roland, above post should have actally been addressed to Mr Helper.

  22. Tuna Helper says:

    Ok Audio Guy, I will certainly admit you know more about audio on a Mac than I.

    However, the point I am REPEATEDLY bringing up is that the AVERAGE iMac user will see no performance hits using an Intel Mac now on their day to day software, and will see performance BENEFITS in the near future.

    If you are using platinum selling artists as examples of people who should buy a G5 iMac, then I think maybe you just made my argument for me.

    I will go out on a limb (with no actual facts to back me up) and say that 87% of iMac owners are consumers, not platinum selling artist.
    I will go further on to submit that out of those 87%, 70% are people under the age of 21, and out of those 90% did not buy the iMac with their own money, and out of those 79% are girls who just IM all day.

    There, I have said what we are all thinking.

  23. Audio Guy. says:

    Hi Tuna,

    I think we are probably arguing the same point, just from a different angle.

    For the record, I completly agree that for the average home user, you would be mad not to buy an intel iMac. If you are going to be MSN-ing, emailig, iLife, and typing up the odd letter, just get yourself an intel.

    I just think that there are specific, albeit limited, circumstances that would definately warrant users purchasing G5 and not intel based machines. Admittedly you are probably correct in staing that these users should be using the Power machines but some of them just don’t want to. Far be it from me to question the mighty Apple, but I think it may have been wise to extend the time that the G5 was available, in a way that they did when the Quad 2.5/pci express came out, they made the 2.7/PCI-X available for those who were reliant on it.

    Funninly enough, I spend enough time now trying to convince my OS 9 ( ! )users to upgrade to OS X, now I have to keep my G5 clients from going to intel – for the time being, for their Pro apps, and then in another 6-18 months I will have to switch around to encouraging people to change to intel.

    Personally I will be getting a MacBook Pro as soon as it arrives, but more than likely be running both platforms simultaneously for the next 3 years for client compatibility sake.

    Oh, and Kudo’s to you for the passionate argument.

    Have a great friday night.

  24. Roland says:

    Tuna: Your iMac statistics are really off-base, especially regarding the average age of user.

    I am not going to generalize or make up dodgy statistics to pretend that I am some sort of expert, but the fact that the average age of the 5 people with iMacs that I know is well over 40 (I kid you not) leads me to believe that either 1) I spend too little time in college dorms or 2) there is an entire section of the Mac-purchasing public that you are blissfully unaware of.

    Why do you think that under-20s are the only consumers which might see value in an attractive, quiet, slimline desktop? Is it because you just don’t happen to know anybody personally over the age of 20 with an iMac?

    Or maybe you don’t know anybody over the age of 20 outside of your family at all…

    Imagine all those over-50s out there that would see the value of said computer which they can use to stay in contact with their children/grandchildren and who have no need for a laptop (claiming quite rightly that the keyboards are too small and unergonomic).

    I’m guessing your parents/grandparents do not have an iMac, or your wouldn’t arrive at the generalizations you have made, but I guarantee you that these more senior iMac owners are out there. And in droves. They may not be in the majority, and probably don’t hang out on these forums, but do not reduce them to a minority of the iMac purchasing public just because you don’t come in to contact with them.

    And don’t forget that these users couldn’t give a monkey’s about the processor inside. And they couldn’t care less about whether Photoshop is currently available on an Intel Mac or not, and even less about potential speed improvements in native applications 6 months or a year down the line.

    At $200 cheaper than the comparable Intel model the G5s are even more attractive. I certainly wouldn’t blame them for snapping up one of the last PowerPC models, would you?

    And I doubt that they were bought for them by their parents.

    > There, I have said what we are all thinking.

    There you go generalizing again, conceitedly believing that you speak for all of us. You don’t.

  25. Tuna Helper says:

    I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees for the trees cannot speak.

    Sorry to upset you Grandpa Roland.
    Maybe around your assisted living complex the G5 is all the rage, but so are “talkies” and horseless carriages I suspect.

    Now, (at the risk of more generalizing) the average Grandpa is not using a computer at all, much less a Mac.

    Old people fall into 2 categories:

    1) old poor grandpas
    2) old rich grandpas

    The old poor ones ain’t buying Macs, they are buying $299 Dells.

    The rich ones might buy a Mac, but they are rich because they are smarter then the poor grandpas and got further in life. Therefore they understand that a newer, faster computer is a better buy than a slower one. The know how to read and everything. Just like young people!

    And, more to the point, they would see no benefit (other than $200 savings that they likely can afford if they are considering a MAc) in getting a G5 over an Intel.

    It makes no sense to buy a G5 iMac, even for old people.

  26. jed17 says:

    hi tuna, keep it cool dude! no need to start flinging this childish shit around.
    everyones entiteld to there opinion man! keep the respect!

  27. MacDude says:

    hi tuna

    im with jed17 >> lay off Roland. He may not have youre attitude but your not doing you any favors with the mudslinging.

    im with audio guy on the kudos for the passion and all but lets keep this forum out of the mud pit. no need to be calling names and all.

  28. Jerome Stringer says:

    I’ll second the Dude With The Low IQ: Tuna Helper, your are an absolute genius

  29. Tuna Helper says:

    why do i get the feeling Jed and MacDude are firends of Roland coming to the rescue?
    Just admit you are out-gunned and out of ammo.

  30. Papa Smurf says:

    Tuna,you rock.
    Roland’s an idiot.
    His argument of saving $200 for a slower machine makes no sense.
    I have a feeling he either :
    a) just bought a G5 iMac before they the Intels were released and feels like an idiot
    or
    B) owns a company that sells computers, and he just bought a huge supply of “hot-selling” G5 iMacs on January 9th, right before Macworld. Now he is trying to unload them, and is trying to convince SOMEONE, ANYONE that the G5 iMac is a smart buy.

    My moto is and always will be “Do not buy anything marked ‘END OF LIFE'”.

    I wouldn’t buy expired meat, and I wouldn’t buy a computer that wasn’t the best long-term investment for my money.

    You are indeed the Lorax, and you speak for me!

  31. Jelly Bean says:

    yeah tuna, yo kick ass

  32. sorrel says:

    My motto is and always will be “never use words you can’t spell”

  33. Roland says:

    I can’t stand those whiners that criticize other people’s spelling mistakes in forums like that. Sorrel: give the guy a break – it could have been a typo, no?

    And Tuna Helper, I’ve thought about the whole thing regarding old people and you are right, old people who use old computers are generally stupid anyway so who gives a crap, right?!

    You rok man cause Intel kicks serious butt or at least will do once all those Univeral Binaries are out. I’m gagging for my new MacBook Pro (ordered last week) to arrive (1.8GHz, 2GB, gonna be friggin A!)

    Sorry for all the lame shit before. I’d been having a piss-poor day here at work surrounded by Windoze boxes. Wouldn’t that just break you too?

    Game over for me, man. You ARE the Lorax.

  34. paulo.volantini@tivoli.it says:

    you have to be stupid guy to by g5 or intel today.

    g5 is end of live and intel is not proving. here in milano we have saying witch is means “get rev 1 is same as sucking jobs eggs”. but me no by g5 – this is sucking bad eggs gone bad in siciliano sun. me wait when for rev 2 or 3 or even 4 and all my pro apps are hear and battary live still improve

    please excuse spelling. only learn english for six months. i love apple. g5 or intel! (i have quicksilver powermac)

    what is lorax? i c it on forum! sounding firm!

  35. Tuna Helper says:

    Hmm…
    “It’s a trick. Get an Ax” comes to mind…

    What have you guys done with MY Roland?
    The one with fire in his belly?

    Oh well.
    I may have won this round, but we will meet again.

  36. Tuna Helper says:

    Just to keep it going…

    Roland, I never said Old people who use computers are stupid.
    what I said was there are rich and poor old people.

    In fact, I said the rich ones are often as smart as young folks, and actually read up on computers before they spend $1700. Those people might indeed think twice about buying legacy technology.

    and Paulo, that is the WORST fake Italian accent I have ever read.

  37. Dude With Low IQ says:

    Hello, I’m the Dude With Low IQ.

    To prove that, I will tell you a true story.

    On the day of “THE KEYNOTE”… Jan 10th… At 10am…

    I was in an Apple Retail store.

    I bought myself a BRAND NEW iMac G5.

    I felt so proud of myself. I went home and opened the box.

    It was beautiful.

    I reinstalled the system and installed all my favorite apps.

    Then, I opened Safari to visit Apple.com with my BRAND NEW iMac G5.

    … and I watched THE KEYNOTE.

    I smashed my BRAND NEW iMac G5 on the spot.

  38. Tuna Helper says:

    Dude With Low IQ , you seem to be the smartest person here.
    Thanks for admitting to that true story.
    I have a feeling though, that you and Roland are the same bi-polar/ schizophrenic person.

    The Roland half of you cannot admit you guys threw away money, and the Dude With Low IQ part knows the score.

    However, I in no way would make fun of anyone who bought a G5 iMac BEFORE Macworld (although, who the hell would buy anything the day before a Macworld?!?).

    My point is, now that both systems are available, it would take someone with a VERY low IQ, not just regular Low like you, to choose the G5.

  39. Audio Guy. says:

    … Unless they needed to run a Pro App on it, and coudln’t use a Powermac for whatever reason ( possibilities include power consumption, space, etc ) and need the fastest performance available TODAY….

  40. Dude With Low IQ says:

    I’m sorry.

    I forgot to mention something that is critically important……

    I’m rich. ^^

  41. Ozzie says:

    I had been planning to get a replacement for my ageing g4 powermac and was stoked to hear about the intel macs at macworld. I decided on an imac over a new powermac because a) its quiet b) the form factor and c) the cost. I used a friends g5 iMac and loaded with 2 gig of RAM theres nothing non-pro about these machines (the intel boxes even have dual processors, for christs sake!) I received my Core Duo iMac last monday and it is a thing of beauty to behold.

    Overall, I’ve been really happy with the performance. Safari, especially is unexpectedly quick (I see little reason for this, but hey, I’m not knocking it). I was slightly disappointed to see that Aperture won’t be available till March, but hey, that’s the price of progress, right.

    I’m slightly more concerned about Photoshop though. As a graphic design pro, I NEED this app and the performance is pretty sluggish under Rosetta when developing RAWs from my 5D. Opening the files is kinda the same as on my powermac and Bridge is OK, but some of the filters I use regularly (unsharp mask, for one) are dog slow. I must admit that I hedged my bets a bit with this one and assumed that adobe would ship UBs for CS in the next couple of months. Now I understand its going to be 2007.

    I wanted to be stoked when I got this machine, I really did. I believe that Apple’s decision to go with intel is a good one and that users will profit in the end. But in the meantime, I gotta admit to being less than happy with the current situation and feel that being an early adopter may not have paid this time. Maybe I should’ve got a g5 imac now, used it for a year and then upgraded when the dust settles on the intel transition.

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