PowerPC G5

If my car was knackered, I wouldn't ask the people who made the car to give me a new engine.

But if I bought a car and then all the people who made car parts stopped making parts for that particular type of car I would the people who made the car to give me a new engine.

I was dull/trusting enough in Macintosh to purchase a 2.1 GHz PowerPC G5 Imac.

I'm now having real trouble purchasing and downloading software for it.

Does anyone know of any plans by Macintosh to swap these machine with INtel chips for us unlucky few?

Or is it possible to make this Mac an Intel chipped mac?

Any any advice or help or news I'd be grateful

Best advice I'd give is to sell and upgrade. Not the funnest thing to do, but it's an option.

Est. Current Retail: US$925US$1150 (give or take)
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/stats/imac_g5_2.1_20.html

Found a similar one on Ebay, already at $820 and over a day left. Not too bad.
http://cgi.ebay.com/IMAC-G5-2-0-GHz...yZ111418QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I doubt that Apple plans on exchanging Intel Macs for PPCs for free, if that's what you mean. As far as converting your PPC into an Intel Mac, I suppose it is theoretically possible to change the logic board. But I have a feeling that a conversion would involve a lot more than just that. I haven't heard of anyone who actually has done such a conversion.

Unfortunately, virtualization software such as VMware and VirtualBox (that would allow you to install a virtual OS X on your machine) also requires an Intel CPU to run on. So it looks like you're pretty much stuck with the operating system you've got. When Apple introduced the Intel Macs, they provided software to convert older applications to run on the newer machines. AFAIK, there is no conversion software that will allow newer applications to run on older machines.

The only other thing I can offer is this: Ubuntu has released a PPC version of its Linux operating system. Although you obviously won't be able to run any Macintosh applications on Ubuntu, there are thousands of Linux applications that do everything from soup to nuts. So this option could let you get some more use out of your machine.

I don't understand

I have a G4 (non intel) and have no problems with software availability

What software are you after?

I can even run ubuntu on this thing

Hello all

Juan, cheers for replying, but I really don't fancy turning my 1300 pounds worth of investment into a machine I can run ubuntu on. I can buy that type of machine for roughly 140 pounds. I do like ubuntu, I use it as Gutsy Gibbon on a number of servers.

Soulwar, that might well be the best option

Louishen, if you have G4 PowerPC then there are a large number of software titles out there for you already. But it's going to decline if you want to keep up to date. Other software developers are not building software installs for powerpc macs any more, well definately not for G5 macs anyway.

Thanks for all your replies, the hammer option is coming second now to sell it to someone else. Although I find it hard to believe anyone would want one, if they knew all the cons of having one.

I'm going to have to agree with louishen. I also have a G4 Mac and I haven't had an issue yet. I think there are more Leopard only apps out there than there are intel only ones. Certainly your G5 can handle Leopard if it's not on there already.

I'm not saying this computer will last you the rest of your life, but I think it'll have a couple more years left in her.

Just going to throw this out there in case you aren't aware, but if an app is labeled "Universal" that means it will run on both intel and ppc macs.

Hi AlyciaAnimation

I'm going to try to sell it as soulwar suggested, but just to clear this up a little I'm not disagreeing with Louishen about the G4 PowerPC scenario, and thanks for explaining what Universal means

I am running Leopard G5, I like to keep all my systems bang up to date, and therein lies the problem.

Here's an example.

If you have a G5 PowerPC running Leopard, go and try get an install for MySQL, an up to date one I mean.

Thanks for all your replies, I'm not bagging G4's, I'm bagging G5 PowerPC's.

A G4 is a Power PC just like the G5, just slower. I have your machine, Power PC G5 2.1 GHZ iMac with 10.5.2 Leopard. Works just fine.

Was MySQL ever available for the Power PC?

I know down the road more and more software will be made Intel only, but right now it's very rare.

PowerPC describes the chip architecture

You can get G5 PowerPC's, and G5 Intel Chips.

You can't get G4's with Intel Chips.

Software companies have stopped writing software titles for G5 PowerPCs, probably because Mac have stopped making G5 PowerPC's, making them useless if you want to keep your machine up to date.

That's all I'm saying, you can't possibly disagree with that.

That's why I'm selling my G5 PowerPC. Anyone want to buy it off me?

Any offers?

No, a G5 is a Power PC. There is no G5 Intel.

Good luck selling off your iMac! Hope you get a decent price.

dtravis7

If I click on about this Mac, and then go to More info, my system tells me I've got an iMac G5 with a PowerPC chip at home.

In work I've got an iMac G5 with an Intel Chip

You've got an Imac G5, what chip have you got?