intel macs

[msett]

Ok. Now I am confused and dont know what to do. I have been talking to mac nut online about getting a computer. Planning on buying a G5 Imac in the next few weeks. So now he keeps trying to convince to wait until next summer and get intel mac then. He said I will save lots of money and they wont be making programs for PPC after next year. But I think they will but still will PowerPc programs and stuff be phased out really quick? I mean how early will we see Intel Macs? What's first updated? Would we even see a Imac or Mini with intel soon next year? I guess I just dont want to wait to buy a MAC. But I dont want to spend money on something only supported short term. I dont need the mac for any given thing so waiting isnt the end of the world but a whole year is a long time.

Matt(confused)

 

[0098386]

if you had the money id recommend getting a cheap mac to tide you over till the mactels. maybe a Mac Mini or an iBook?

and no, PPC apps will not be phased out quickly. i think they said in 2007. but i dunno. it wont be quick thats for sure. they wont simply put a stop to the pre-Intel mac users.

 

[Ashapalan]

yeh, getting a cheap mac would perhaps be the best option right now.

 

[za9ra22]

Ok. Now I am confused and dont know what to do. I have been talking to mac nut online about getting a computer. Planning on buying a G5 Imac in the next few weeks. So now he keeps trying to convince to wait until next summer and get intel mac then. He said I will save lots of money and they wont be making programs for PPC after next year. But I think they will but still will PowerPc programs and stuff be phased out really quick? I mean how early will we see Intel Macs? What's first updated? Would we even see a Imac or Mini with intel soon next year? I guess I just dont want to wait to buy a MAC. But I dont want to spend money on something only supported short term. I dont need the mac for any given thing so waiting isnt the end of the world but a whole year is a long time.

Matt(confused)

Your Mac Nut has missed a rather salient point: that developers who drop support and ongoing software development for PPC Macs after the Intel switch will effectively be chopping off a market with millions of customers in favor of a market with very few (at first). They really can't afford to do that, and I can't see any that have any business sense making that sort of decision.

Nor would I expect that Intel Macs will be any significant amount cheaper than the present systems. They don't have to be because Apple compete on their terms regardless of the platform - it's not as if MacOS is going to run on anything other than Apple hardware, so they can hold prices up pretty well if they wish.

Ultimately, the roll out of new Intel Macs will take 18 months or so - the question of whether to buy a Mac now or wait until your preffered model comes out with an Intel inside is more to do with what you need and whether you need it now or can wait that long. If you need it now, it would be prudent to buy it now rather than be put off by assumptions and expectations that no-one outside Apple actually know. If you don't need a Mac yet, wait, and buy whichever suits your needs at the time you need it!

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

I'd go ahead and buy now. At the earliest, we'll see iMacs with Intel chips in about a year...at the latest, a year and a half or two years. I believe Steve said that the switch would be complete by WWDC in 2007. That means it could be then before they announce and begin shipping Intel based iMacs. Furthermore, I personally wouldn't want to get a revision A intel-mac.

I would go ahead and get a Revision B iMac right now. If the processing power is enough for you right now, and you're ready and able to buy now, then, by all means, buy now. The iMacs are a great value and will be suitable computers for YEARS to come. By the time you notice that your iMac can no longer keep up with existing technologies will be the time to upgrade anyways. You'll EASILY get 3-4 years out of your machine, and probably even longer than that.

After that, I imagine you'd be looking to upgrade anyway. You'll only waste money by buying a lesser computer in the short-term.

 

[XNine]

Yeah, this "mac nut" you're talking to needs to get a bat to the head. What a dumbass. PowerPC will not suffer from lack of support, hence the creation of UNIVERSAL BINARIES.

You tell this friend of yours to learn how to READ before he goes around talking this kind of psycho-babble.

Get a Mac mini and wait it out until the revision B's come around. They'll be worth is when we have 2.5 GHz Powerbooks.

 

[eXan]

get iMac now and dont bother with those mysty Intel processors. iMac Rev.B is a great computer!

 

[Eric5h5]

He said I will save lots of money and they wont be making programs for PPC after next year.

Your Mac nut is...nutty. And wrong. It's unlikely you will save much money, it will quite possibly take longer than a year to get an Intel Mac (depending on the model), and developers will be making PPC software for a long time. There's a reason why Xcode generates fat binaries...that's x86 and PPC binaries in the same package. It will take at least as long for PPC support to disappear as it took for 68K support to dry up back in the day, probably longer.

Basically, no reason to wait.

--Eric

 

[link92]

I expect Apple will support PPC until the computers simply aren't powerful enough.

 

[robcts]

I'm the opposite. I want to get a PowerMac G5 in December but hope they don't come out with a Intel PM G5 before that

 

[Euan]

I expect Apple will support PPC until the computers simply aren't powerful enough.

I agree.

As much as I would like to get an Intel Mac... I want to switch sometime this year and I think that the last revision of PB (be it the current or post expo) will last me several years and past the initial Intel Revs.

I also believe that developers will support PPC for years given the vast % of Macs are PPC!

 

[lopresmb]

I'm the opposite. I want to get a PowerMac G5 in December but hope they don't come out with a Intel PM G5 before that

I kinda agree, cause until they "complete the transition", the intel machines are going to be the computers with campatability issues. Sure it'll run rosetta, but it will be a bit slower until native software comes out.

P.S. I have a feeling that there won't be Intel machines until late '06

 

[Euan]

P.S. I have a feeling that there won't be Intel machines until late '06

They may release some mid-2006 but as always with Apple - very hard to tell how far they are on with the switch

 

[Bern]

Well I (as does millions of people around the world) have a ppc Mac. I have Adobe CS2, Macromedia Suite, MS Office and a few more apps that I use. Given the Mactel will be out sometime next year I don't think the apps I have installed will suddenly cease to work. They run fine on my Mac, apart from a few patches earlier for some of the apps there are no new ones around. So I wouldn't really be concerned with this whole Mactel vs available software routine. Don't get caught up in the marketing hype.

 

[Euan]

Well I (as does millions of people around the world) have a ppc Mac. I have Adobe CS2, Macromedia Suite, MS Office and a few more apps that I use. Given the Mactel will be out sometime next year I don't think the apps I have installed will suddenly cease to work. They run fine on my Mac, apart from a few patches earlier for some of the apps there are no new ones around. So I wouldn't really be concerned with this whole Mactel vs available software routine. Don't get caught up in the marketing hype.

Totally agree. Software will not cease to work on PPC - the vast majority of Mac users will still use PPC and for software developers would lose vast users if they stopped developing for PPC and only Intel Macs.

In addition, as with most Macs (from what I've heard/read) the first versions generally have a few teething problems and it'll be RevB before most issues are ironed out.

 

[msett]

Seems even from some of the post I am getting differing opinions or just not an exact opinion. lol! See I will need never a MAC. I have an awesome Gateway Laptop and awesome Dell desktop. I have a powerbook I dont use a ton anymore because its not as fast as I like it and I want something with power I can toy around with more. Truthfully I will never only use PC or MAC just because I like both but right now use PC the most but that could change in the future. I use both. lol Anyways I sorta at a loss. Mac mini would be awesome I am still spending a lot of money. Dont really know if its worth waiting with so many unknowns. Mac Mini seems like it might make more sense because I would spend less and start saving for a eventual intel mac. But Mini has bad graphics card and even more limited expandibility then Imac. Just dont know. Will I be considered behind after new Mactels come out. I need to more help making a choice if its worth spending over 1000 for it. I dont know. help me.

 

[msett]

But the truth is I still will be buying a really powerful computer that should less me a good amount of time. Correct?

Matt

 

[Bern]

Seems even from some of the post I am getting differing opinions or just not an exact opinion. lol! See I will need never a MAC. I have an awesome Gateway Laptop and awesome Dell desktop. I have a powerbook I dont use a ton anymore because its not as fast as I like it and I want something with power I can toy around with more. Truthfully I will never only use PC or MAC just because I like both but right now use PC the most but that could change in the future. I use both. lol Anyways I sorta at a loss. Mac mini would be awesome I am still spending a lot of money. Dont really know if its worth waiting with so many unknowns. Mac Mini seems like it might make more sense because I would spend less and start saving for a eventual intel mac. But Mini has bad graphics card and even more limited expandibility then Imac. Just dont know. Will I be considered behind after new Mactels come out. I need to more help making a choice if its worth spending over 1000 for it. I dont know. help me.

Well then stick with your virus prone, crashing pc and don't worry about it.

This whole my pc is much faster than a Mac is boring, so what? My Powerbook still handles Photoshop better than most pc's out there.

 

[MacAficionado]

Plus, I hope they come out with some sort of backwards Rosetta, where Intel apps would run on the PPC, on an emulation layer.

That would make sense, wouldn't it?

 

[IndyGopher]

Plus, I hope they come out with some sort of backwards Rosetta, where Intel apps would run on the PPC, on an emulation layer.

That would make sense, wouldn't it?

Um... no.

By the time the Universal Binaries become Intel-only binaries, (Around 2011 is my guess) no PPC mac will be able to run the OS, let alone any applications. What you are asking is somewhat analogous to whether you could run OS X on a Mac Plus if only someone wrote a PPC emulator for the 68000's.

 

[msett]

I dont want to stick with my crashing, virus prone pc. I want a mac to use also when not using PC. I am just trying to decide if its best to spend 1200 dollars to order one at this time. But buying a powermac will still be spending 50% of the imac's price. Ultimately I probably will end up getting the Imac rather the spending 600 to replace a mini later. Will have to wait and see I guess what I decide.

Matt

 

[Jimmery]

I'm waiting for the new iMac. If the computer is supposed to last, say, 4 years, I wouldn't want the last three of those years to seem like I'm working on a retired era of computers (PPC). Even more important, I'm hoping/expecting the new iMacs will have even bigger screens and include a TV tuner. That would make it not only a very nice computer, but also a nice-looking HDTV.

 

[msett]

I think I am buying a the Imac. I can always wait for something new right. Who knows when we will see new intel macs anyways. I just hope I am making a good decision.

Matt