iMac G5 computers -- anyone here using one?

[winchman]

Is anyone here using an iMac G5? It's time for a new computer at our house, and it's high on the list. Before I take the plunge, I'd like opinion(s) from the users or other knowledgeable folks here.

Two specific questions I have are:

How quiet are they? I've got my Dell CPU in the laundry room because I got tired of listening to it close up. We drove to Tallahassee to see them at CompUSA, but the store was too way noisy to tell anything about the sound level.

Are there any good low-cost (or free) design programs that will run on the Mac OS?

Any opinions would be appreciated.

Roger

[Evan]

It is very quiet I am told. It runs OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or higher which is a customized version of BSD UNIX with the Aqua user interface. There is a ton of software that will run on it but not all the usual Windows apps. If you are used to the usual Wintel machine then it will be quite a change, although not necessarially a bad one. Just be aware that you cannot just truck on down to the store and buy software that will run on the machine.

[psomero]

hope you don't like doing too much cad/cam stuff. there's virtually zero software for macs...

[Wtom]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by winchman:
Is anyone here using an iMac G5? It's time for a new computer at our house, and it's high on the list. Before I take the plunge, I'd like opinion(s) from the users or other knowledgeable folks here.

Two specific questions I have are:

How quiet are they? I've got my Dell CPU in the laundry room because I got tired of listening to it close up. We drove to Tallahassee to see them at CompUSA, but the store was too way noisy to tell anything about the sound level.

Are there any good low-cost (or free) design programs that will run on the Mac OS?

Any opinions would be appreciated.

Roger</font>

iMac G5 is a great computer. Very quiet (my ceiling fan on lox makes a lot more noise.) For software try Version Tracker: http://versiontracker.com/ . If you need MS Office, the Mac version works just fine, other wise just use what comes with the Mac. You will likely want more that the base memory, but get it 3rd party, less expensive. Would I buy again, YES!!

Tom W

[hammerhead74000]

&gt;&gt; hope you don't like doing too much cad/cam stuff. there's virtually zero software for macs...

For the record - winchman has already gotten this answer over on the PM board - that's only partially true. There is CAD software, but so far I've only found one CAM program, and it's really basic.

Off of the top of my head... Ashlar Velum, VectorWorks, Form-Z, ArchiCAD, Design Intuition, MacDraft, SketchUp, etc... are all good packages (albeit targeted at different audiences).

[hammerhead74000]

Oh, yeah - and about the RAM:

Don't buy bargain-basement no-name RAM; get the good stuff (lifetime warranty, Crucial, Kingston, Micron, etc)... Bad RAM is now-days one of the leading causes of system instability (think about it: 1GB is 1 billion microscopic capacitors and associated stuff, that all has to work flawlessly, and at radio-frequencies, too! one flaky cell, in the wrong spot, and BOOM! your app just died...)