Get a G5

I have 3 goals that are really the same goal. I am transfering the energy from this goal to: “Get a faster computer”. Additionally, it now seemds that a G5 is not the computer that I will be getting. Instead it will be a MacPro.

I have 3 goals mentioned here that are really the same goal:

Get a G5
Get an x86 Mac
Get a faster computer

What I need is a faster computer. Now that Apple has decided to start using Intel processors and the hype is that they are both cheaper and faster, I will probably get one when they are available.

The current problem is that even if they were available today, the software doesn’t yet exist to solve my issues. The reason I need a faster Mac is for photo post-processing. That is done in Photoshop. The current version of Photoshop is a dog on Intel Macs. The new version won’t be available until early 2007 (maybe).

So if someone wants to make me a screaming deal on a dual 2.5 Ghz G5, I’ll jump on it, but I will probably just wait for the Intel Macs and cough up the cash for a new version of Photoshop.

I still have to transfer everything off the G4, install new software, etc. All of that will be covered in other goals, like “record an album” and “make a short film”.

We went down to the Mac Store in SoHo and bought a monitor. We considered the 23” HD version, but the 20” model better fit our desktop and budget. Our video camera doesn’t shoot in HD anyway.

We ordered the maximum configuration from Mac Mall. I hope that it’s not defective, like the iBooks that we bought.

Our most likely prospects for getting us the G5 as a wedding present opted for other gifts. Now we’ll have to buy it ourselves so it’ll have to wait. Other expenses involving getting the apartment in order are more important.

I have always bought my computer equipment slightly behind the technology curve. It is much cheaper to do so and the extra speed really isn’t missed. That is until you get a digital SLR.

Each photo I take results in a 10mb raw file which can’t even be viewed without routing it through Photoshop. My current machine is a 400mhz G3 which is fine for just about everything, except viewing raw files.

It is agonizing how long it takes to build the preview cache for the browser (no CS2 for me) and any adjustments in camera raw require 10 seconds of think time before translated to the preview. Although that may be fast compared to a chemical dark room, it is out of line with my expectations of what would happen when using a mouse.

As such, I don’t do anything with most of the images I capture. I archive them to DVD and there they sit. I know there are some really excellent ones in there, but I will wait until I get some more computational horsepower to process them.

At the moment, I am torn between picking up a dual 2.5 ghz or waiting for the x86 machines to come out. If I did this for a profession, it would be an easy choice, but as a hobby, it is hard to justify the leap.

Mac Mall doesn’t have bridal registry per se, but if someone calls Sam, our sales rep, she’ll tell them what we want. Obviously the G5 is a big-ticket item, but did you know that you can have up to three people go in on one purchase? Oh yes!

20” of pure viewing pleasure, hooked up to a mean machine!!

My iMac died a couple of days ago. That does not bode well for my G4 which is a year older than the deceased.