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- Apr 29, 2006
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- Mac Studio, M1 Max, 32 GB RAM, 2 TB SSD
Just a quick observation I have made, now that I have both an older PowerMac G5, with a dual 2.3 GHz PPC processor, and a new MBP with a Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz Intel processor. Given that as a general rule, a G5 GHz and a C2D GHz are roughly the same, and given the nearly insignificant GHz rating differential, I rather expected the MBP to either mildly outperform the older G5 or at least run at par with it.
This has not been the case, at least in all things. Of course, there is also the OS difference. My G5 runs Tiger while my MBP runs Leopard. Both are at the most current releases of their respective OS. Clearly there are significant architecture differences between these machines, but everything seems a little slower on the MBP.
What is worse, I find the MBP's performance in some things to be far more "jerky" than the G5's. The Dock is a good case in point. On my G5/Tiger, the icons expand and contract with a fluid grace as I run the mouse pointer along the Dock. On my MBP/Leopard, the icons of the Dock noticeably "jerk" from one size to another as they increase and decrease. It all lacks the amazing fluid smoothness of the G5/Tiger that so impressed me when I first looked at buying one (and still does impress me!).
All of this leaves me thinking that Apple's older G5 architecture was a really good thing. Those PPC chips were amazingly capable. In some ways, it is a shame that Apple had to move on to the Intel chips. I understand the reasons - I simply regret that the PPC line could not have carried on. Quite the machines these G5s are!
...of course, it could all be simply a Tiger/Leopard issue, given the OS differences. Can anyone who is running Leopard on a G5 comment on this?
This has not been the case, at least in all things. Of course, there is also the OS difference. My G5 runs Tiger while my MBP runs Leopard. Both are at the most current releases of their respective OS. Clearly there are significant architecture differences between these machines, but everything seems a little slower on the MBP.
What is worse, I find the MBP's performance in some things to be far more "jerky" than the G5's. The Dock is a good case in point. On my G5/Tiger, the icons expand and contract with a fluid grace as I run the mouse pointer along the Dock. On my MBP/Leopard, the icons of the Dock noticeably "jerk" from one size to another as they increase and decrease. It all lacks the amazing fluid smoothness of the G5/Tiger that so impressed me when I first looked at buying one (and still does impress me!).
All of this leaves me thinking that Apple's older G5 architecture was a really good thing. Those PPC chips were amazingly capable. In some ways, it is a shame that Apple had to move on to the Intel chips. I understand the reasons - I simply regret that the PPC line could not have carried on. Quite the machines these G5s are!
...of course, it could all be simply a Tiger/Leopard issue, given the OS differences. Can anyone who is running Leopard on a G5 comment on this?