IS it really worth it in the end???

[Trev the great]

i have a pc (yes, i know, im the scum of the earth, ive heard it all b4...) and i really would like to buy an imac, but i was really dissappointed when i read that apple were switching to intel chips... i understand the reasoning cos intel chips are faster, but should i buy a substantionally expensive (well, for poor deprived little me, anyway) piece of equip[ment that is going to be obsolete in 2 years??? :mac:

 

[rman]

Please tell what PC is not obsolete in 2 years? All PCs lose their value after they leave the store just like cars.

 

[mynameis]

If your current PC can do everything you need it to do, then don't waste money on anything PC or Apple. I bought my PC(2.6Ghz P4) on October 6th of 2003 and it can still do everything that I need it to.

 

[mraya]

1. I wouldn't say any Mac will only works for 2 years. Its true we might have the new Macs with Intel inside in 2006, but applications and OS will still support the G(insert the number of your choice). Also if you check the specs of a lot of members of this forums and you will see they are still using G3s and similar. Also the specs for most of the software are really wide, Photoshop only asks for a G3 with 384mb of RAM. In short, Macs have a longer useful live.
2. Just because Macs will have Intel CPUs that doesn't mean they will be just like anyother x86 computer or like the dev kits.
3. As mynameis said, if your PC is still doing all you want from it, wait. IMHO this is not a good time buy a computer, unless you are really sure of what you want. We are only 4 months from 2006, so i'm sure new things will start to show up soon, both in Mac world and PC world.

 

[Murlyn]

The mac community is going to be using PowerPC processors for a long time to come, so I really do not think you should worry about that part of things. Im going to be buying another PowerPC Mac at the end of the year.. and I will probably wait a good 2 years or so until I go with the new Intel Macs..

 

[Ex_PC_Puke]

You're missing the point ------ its all about the OS ! The harware is just the delivery system -- having a stable advanced + secure OS is why I'm now an Apple fan.

 

[macguy.nielsen]

The switch to the Intel chips is not as big a deal as many people are making it out to be. Yes it will make Apple processor speeds faster and it will change a bit of the program architecture but it will not make previous PowerPC processor Macs obsolete. If you want to learn more about the switch you should read an article in the August 2005 issue of Macworld. It gives a good explanation of what is going to happen and what to expect.

 

[rs2sensen]

A lot of people consider my 366Mhz iBook Clamshell w/ 128MB ram. Compared to my 17" 1.67Ghz Powerbook, I guess it is. But, it still does everything I need it to. It runs OS X, can connect to wireless networks, can run MS Office, and even Photoshop. This is an old computer, but it does it's job. I won't be buying any special software for it or anything, but I will use it for as long as it still runs. I will do the same with my Powerbook.

Sure, the current Macs will have lost some value after the Intel switch, but that will take a long time too. All Macs won't suddenly use Intel. And, Macs hold there value well. When can see a Powermac G3 in the newspaper for $300, it still amazes me. I could get a new PC for that. Maybe not a great one, but I could get one.

Developers are also most likely going to continue to develop for both chip platforms for a long time. There are simply too many PowerPC based macs out there to completely drop the platform.

 

[Aptmunich]

Agreed.

For the end-user the change won't be that significant at all really.
The OS will look, feel and act the same as before and the apps will be the same. Speeds won't be much different either, so basically the only thing that is different is that you can run x86 based apps easier on a mactel.

 

[Trev the great]

yes, i know that apple comuters hold thier value for way longer than most pcs, but im just worried that all the programs that will be made for the new intel macs will not be available to me in the future, like new games and office apps... because IF i should get an imac, it will have to do me for at LEAST the next 5 years and by that time, apple will have long since stopped the entire powerpc range

 

[rs2sensen]

yes, i know that apple comuters hold thier value for way longer than most pcs, but im just worried that all the programs that will be made for the new intel macs will not be available to me in the future, like new games and office apps... because IF i should get an imac, it will have to do me for at LEAST the next 5 years and by that time, apple will have long since stopped the entire powerpc range

Many, many, many people have computers for at least five years. And Developers know this. They want to make money, and for the next five years, PowerPC users are going to hold a large percentage of Mac owners. Developers would be nuts to ignore this percentage.

 

[mynameis]

Based on the keynote by Jobs when he made the Intel switch annoucement, making a Universal Binary that will run on both systems isn't terribly difficult so long as you are using Xcode. Because of this, I believe that the PowerPC platform will continue to be supported for many years.