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[GodsTyro]

Entry level desktop competition...

X-Technology
------
AMD Athlon XP 3000+ cpu and heavyduty heatsink/cooling fan
L7S7A2 Socket A Motherboard
512mb PC3200 DDR400 SDRAM memory (single stick!)
120GB 7200rpm ULTRA 100 Hard Drive
52x/32x/52x CDRW drive
16x/48x DVD ROM drive
128mb GEFORCE4 MX440 3D AGP8X Graphics Card w/TV OUT!
Intel AC97 2.2 Spec Digital Audio
10/100 Networking (LAN)
56k V.92 Fax/Modem
1.44mb 3.5" Floppy Drive
Mid Tower ATX Case w/400 WATT Power Supply
(4x5"+ 2x3" External Drive Bays)
Multimedia Speaker Set 200W
Internet Mouse w/Scroll
Windows PS2 Keyboard
====================
$549

VERSUS

Apple Power Mac G4
----
Processor Speed: 400MHz
Processor Type: PowerPC G4
RAM Technology: SDRAM
Chassis Style: Tower
Integrated Display: No
Cache Size: 1048kb
Modem Speed: 56.0kbps
Sound Support: Digital Audio (16-bit)
Bus Speed: 100 MHz
Input Devices: Keyboard, Mouse
PCI Slots: 3
External 3.5 Bays: 3
Network Support: Ethernet (10/100 Mbps)
Height: 17.0in
Width: 8.9in
Depth: 18.4in
Max. Memory: 1536 MB
==================
$600

...which is it (considering ONLY these two deals)? The desktop will be used for 3d and design/authoring software as well as games.

 

[Bregor]

Unless something has changed radically since I last looked into it, a Mac would be a very poor choice if you want to use it for gaming.

 

[Buggy Loop]

...which is it (considering ONLY these two deals)? The desktop will be used for 3d and design/authoring software as well as games.

Which leaves you with the only obvious choice, i think you can guess.

 

[Shogmaster]

God bless thee! A loaded Mac v PC thread!!!!!

Go gang go!

 

[StrikerObi]

That 400Mhz G4 is too slow for Apple gaming anyway.

Though if you only wanted to play the occasional huge computer gaming release an Apple would be fine. All the really huge games make it to the Apple platform in decent time (Blizzard's are avaliable the same time as the PC version). But you'd need a better Apple.

God bless thee! A Mac v PC thread!!!!!

Go gang go!

The design on Apple's are too cartoony, it makes no sense in today's world of modern design.

 

[gofreak]

Apple Power Mac G4
----
Processor Speed: 400MHz

o_0

What would be the rough performance equivalent of this in PC land? It seems very low (i know clock speed is not the be all and end all, but..).

 

[Prospero]

I say this as a Mac owner--Macs do not make optimum gaming rigs. I thinks Macs beat PCs on all other counts (including design), but not gaming. So if your primary use is for work and productivity and you just want to play Diablo II now and again, get the Mac. If your primary use is gaming, get the PC.

That said, I'll also say that $600 for a 400 MHz G4 tower is way overpriced. Apple's cheapest computer is a 1.25 GHz G4 eMac, and that's $800 for the whole shebang--monitor and everything.

 

[Shogmaster]

That 400Mhz G4 is too slow for Apple gaming anyway.

Though if you only wanted to play the occasional huge computer gaming release an Apple would be fine. All the really huge games make it to the Apple platform in decent time (Blizzard's are avaliable the same time as the PC version). But you'd need a better Apple.

Dude, that $600 PC shat a fat steaming dump on that $600 Mac. This thread was obviously a cushy set up for me! I'm having writer's block from glee though... *bangs head on desk*

 

[Prospero]

o_0

What would be the rough performance equivalent of this in PC land? It seems very low (i know clock speed is not the be all and end all, but..).

IIRC, conventional wisdom is that you multiply the clock speed by 2-2.5 to compare it to a PC. Don't know if that's still true, though.

 

[Prospero]

Dude, that $600 PC shat a fat steaming dump on that $600 Mac.

Well, yeah, considering that the Mac is a used model from no later than 2000, I'd guess.

 

[Shogmaster]

IIRC, conventional wisdom is that you multiply the clock speed by 2-2.5 to compare it to a PC. Don't know if that's still true, though.

That conventional wisdom is neither conventional nor wise. Discuss.

 

[Fowler]

Dude, that $600 PC shat a fat steaming dump on that $600 Mac. This thread was obviously a cushy set up for me! I'm having writer's block from glee though... *bangs head on desk*

Seriously -- I don't know where the hell those specs came from, but that Mac is just... wow. No mention how much RAM/HD for good reason, I bet it's like 64MB and 30GB, max

 

[Phoenix]

Even upgraded the Mac would be a poor choice for you - and I like macs. In this instance I would absolutely go with the Windows box.

I mean come on, do you really need someone to help you with THIS decision?

 

[Shogmaster]

Even upgraded the Mac would be a poor choice for you - and I like macs. In this instance I would absolutely go with the Windows box.

I mean come on, do you really need someone to help you with THIS decision?

I'm beginning to think this thread was some elaborate set up to get my poor ass banned.
It's..... just.... too.... good..........

 

[Lyte Edge]

Is that a used G4 or something? They don't sell machines that are that slow anymore IIRC. The iMac G4 I got at the beginning of this year was 1ghz, and while it ran Halo just fine (as a matter of fact, the minimum requirement was an 800mhz G4), I must say that my 3.2ghz PC laptop runs it a hell of a lot better. If you want to play games, get a PC...my old G3 mac was close to 400mhz, and it couldn't even run Diablo II very well.

 

[Wolfy]

The design on Apple's are too cartoony, it makes no sense in today's world of modern design.

D'buh!? D'buh?! You've got to be kidding me, if Apple has just one thing going for it, it's the construction of their hardware. Apple is the Frank Lloyd Wright of the computer world.

 

[Pochacco]

wtf? worst comparison ever.
My advice would be to get neither.

 

[SickBoy]

That's the worst comparison ever.

EDIT: lol.. I actually started typing well before Pochacco posted, but I was so flabbergasted by the whole thing that the above post is all I could muster in the end.

-SB

 

[Phoenix]

I'm beginning to think this thread was some elaborate set up to get my poor ass banned.
It's..... just.... too.... good..........

Hehe... you or me This just feels like a setup - comparing those two particular systems just doesn't make any sense. None at all

 

[GodsTyro]

You guys are right. I just wanted sure about the mhz equivalency on a mac. Someone told me 400mhz on a mac is really 800mhz on a PC. I dunno. Anyway, there's not much of a battle between those two deals. Heres what I'm getting (after upgrades)...

AMD Athlon XP 3000+ cpu and heavyduty heatsink/cooling fan
L7S7A2 Socket A Motherboard
512mb PC3200 DDR400 SDRAM memory (single stick!)
120GB 7200rpm ULTRA 100 Hard Drive
52x/32x/52x CDRW drive
16x/48x DVD ROM drive
128mb RADEON 9200SE DDR w/TV-OUT+DVI
Intel AC97 2.2 Spec Digital Audio
10/100 Networking (LAN)
56k V.92 Fax/Modem
SIIG 3 IEEE 1394 FireWire ports
1.44mb 3.5" Floppy Drive
Mid Tower ATX Case w/400 WATT Power Supply
(4x5"+ 2x3" External Drive Bays)
480W speaker set with a powered subwoofer
Internet Mouse w/Scroll
Windows PS2 Keyboard

Tower/Case Upgrade: Your floppy drive, keyboard, speakers (Harmon Kardons!), and mouse (optical w/scroll!) will be exchanged for black ones, and your CD/DVD/CDRW drives will also be exchanged for black one's. ($20)

Total: $695.00 (including shipping)

..not bad at all for someone who WILL not be constructing their own PC, eh?

 

[GodsTyro]

wtf? worst comparison ever.
My advice would be to get neither.

the first pc is good..as you will notice above..especially for the price i really dont have the money to go into anything more than that.

 

[Timbuktu]

just out of curiousity, where did that $600 price for the 400 mhz Mac come from? You can probably find the same used computer for a lot lot less. I mean, that is too old even for the refurb store.

 

[GodsTyro]

just out of curiousity, where did that $600 price for the 400 mhz Mac come from? You can probably find the same used computer for a lot lot less. I mean, that is too old even for the refurb store.

half.com

 

[Phoenix]

half.com

Just a heads up that you could do better for an older mac on ebay than buying one in ANY store. Apple still has some hand in retail pricing and they heavily price protect their products. No such controls on ebay. Things tend to sell for closer to their "true market value" there. I was bidding on a dual G4/400 (server usage) last weekend that sold for less than $600 bucks

 

[Shogmaster]

Just a heads up that you could do better for an older mac on ebay than buying one in ANY store. Apple still has some hand in retail pricing and they heavily price protect their products. No such controls on ebay. Things tend to sell for closer to their "true market value" there. I was bidding on a dual G4/400 (server usage) last weekend that sold for less than $600 bucks

No kidding. I was like "no way people are paying this much for used Macs" and headed over to ebay. Sure enough, half.com was charging at least half again as more.