General Mac hardware discussions: Should I wait......Or buy now

None of us "outsiders" know

The move to a Mac based Intel chip machine is eagerly awaited by some and mourned by others. In theory, changing out the Motorola chips for Intel chips shouldn't decrease performance, as the technology for Intel and Motorola ought to be competitive.

And if Intel chips can run OS X, it won't be like you're buying a Windows box which performs like a Windows box (or trading in your Cadillac Mac for a Pinto Macintel, as some would say). The ultimate answer is most of us Mac enthusiasts -- and I am pretty hardcore -- don't know what the future will bring.

The theory I subscribe to is the wait plus one model before buying. Here's what I mean: The first boxes to come out are bound to be "glitchy" (do any of you guys remember the constant freezes and HD problems of the first blue and white G3 USB Macs?) as the new hardware and software work out the glitches in their young marriage.

The next model (NOTE, the SECOND generation release) should boast improvements and enough stability to merit making the buy, though you'll want to watch the reviews to see what happens.

Apple went to Intel to get a cheaper chip and to bring costs down learning something from what happened with the Mac Mini (We have one at work and it's an impressive little bugger for the dough). By waiting for an Intel Mac, you'll probably be saving some cash.

Now is any of this absolutely assured to happen? Well, of course not. These are computers in all their glitchy and techno-driven glory. So in concluding, I'd say wait a year if your current unit will hold out that long. If not, take the plunge now and look at upgrading in 24-36 months to the Macintel unit. Hey, even if Macintels suck, they are bound to be better than Wintel machines if for no other reason than the Unix core OS and the fact that hackers don't seem as intent on manufacturing Mac viruses and worms.

You never know but ......

Well a mac that is 3 ghz would be nice, the g5s out now are as good as it will get for macs right now. Even the Intel macs will have some bugs to work out and it will take them a while to get the machines as reliable as the g5s are now. If your might think about getting a laptop, the same is preety much true. While the g4 isn't the best chip, the new powerbooks will be able to keep up for a long while, and even if IBM manages to get a mobile g5 chip, it won't be for a long time, and even then it won't be much more powerful than the g4's.

So buying now isn't a bad idea, or at least not one that you will regret. I even just ordered a 15-in. Powerbook which has a better preformance than the old power mac g4 I'm typing on right now.

your point being ?

Sky
I don't know of any computer companies out there that aren't in the business of making money.

Apple performs because each machine is optimized to get the most out of its native architecture and loaded OS at the given time. Apple sticks to a price point to make money... smaller company needs a higher profit per machine to stay afloat. Apple has been slower to adopt some features as "standard" opting to make them an add on upgrade instead, to boost their profits.

Apple tries to put out the best product they can for a profit margin that keeps them afloat and allows Jobs to vacation where ever he wants, when ever he wants. This is true. I wish I could build a mac from off the shelf parts like a pc but you can't.

As for Macintel... I'll wait for the bugs to be worked out but thats just because I'm still waiting on my fortune to come in.

grim

from "the mac observer" Dec 2004

In reply to: Jobs and vacations by mrmacfixit 

"""Many people have held up Mr. Jobs as the poster child for such corporate governance excess based on his stock grant, though the full picture is slightly different. While Mr. Jobs did receive that massive grant, and he also was given a jet worth some $84 million, this is the only compensation Mr. Jobs has received from Apple since returning to the helm of the company in 1997.

In addition, Mr. Jobs' grant vests over three years, meaning that they do not become fully his until March of 2006. That moves his total compensation for 10 years of service to Apple to approximately $158.8 million, or $15.9 million per year."""

http://www.macobserver.com/article/2004/12/28.2.shtml

A little bit more than $1.00... I like the way you spell though Peter. lol

grim

(NT) He's not a tyco exec by any means ! LOL

In reply to: Agreed by mrmacfixit