new imac g5 or powermac g5 help!

[Pjam2003]

ok guys Im savin to get a new mac. Im torn between the imac g5 or the dual 2ghz powermac g5. I know theres a big jump in price and power but question is do I really need it?

Pretty much the main uses are using photoshop, final cut pro, motion, after effects stuff like that. if I go for the imac I plan to max out the ram to 2 gigs newayz I know the imac comes wit little ram to start.

So which one shall it be?

Phil.

[MasterPlan]

both will run all the apps, but the question is how well do you want them to run

if you want ok performance, imac, if you want smooth as a babies buttocks performance, dual g5...

-Rich

[muddy]

Pretty much the main uses are using photoshop, final cut pro, motion, after effects stuff like that.

Dual G5 it is then.

mud

[Firsty]

For motion and final cut I'd suggest a powermac.
They're REALLY fast. They're also really big though.
Make sure you have enough room.

[Wild_Cat]

I recommend a Power Mac. iMacs are good for people who want "just a computer that works". Aside from being a tad overpriced for their performance, they have /very/ limited upgrade capabilities (you can change the HDD, boost the RAM and add an Airport Extreme module -- nothing else).

Actually, I wouldn't recommend the iMac to anyone unless storage space (as in mass and volume) is an issue. If you want a cheap machine, buy an eMac. If you want something powerful, then the Power Mac is the way to go. Especially since you're a Photoshop (et al.) user, which means you'll probably want to go multi-screen at some point in time. IIRC the iMac has a VGA out, so you'll be able to use a second screen via VGA, but its video card is a bit wimpy by today's standards.
Power Macs come with dual DVI outs as default, and a video card that's both more powerful and upgradeable. Besides, the rest of the computer is upgradeable too. You can add as much RAM as you want, multiple hard drives, optical drives (dual layer DVD burners are coming out...), replace the processors and the screen(s).

Short version: get a Power Mac. More bang for your buck, and it's a better long-term investment.

[chojin]

missed info..

the new iMac G5 is pretty reasonable I think, i'm considering one for home for gaming and any jobs I do and considering its a G5 ?ber sexy and takes up minimal space i'd say its a bargain... obviously if you wanted to upgrade you're fcuked!

But if you're gonna shell out for a Mac to use photoshop etc. then there's no point in scrimping, get the mutha of all macs!!... my G5 Dual 2ghz with 4gb of RAM [which is what I use in work] is more than upto most jobs I throw at it.. as well as kicking the **** out of the few mac games available.. Halo, Unreal 2004 etc...

[Valken]

IIRC the iMac has a VGA out, so you'll be able to use a second screen via VGA,

Video mirroring only I believe!

[Wild_Cat]

Really? Well, it's a no-brainer then. Power Mac all the way.

(although there's probably a driver hack that enables true dual display, like on the iBooks)

[Valken]

Well, I'm sure there will be a driver hack eventually. One exists for the G4 iMacs too.

The dual display hack on the iBooks works really well too!

[Firsty]

Video mirroring yes....but it can be hacked for screen spanning using the same tool as for iBooks and the older macs.

AFAIK atm some apps become unstable with over 2GB ram.

I'd love a G5 powermac, but I really value small computers. So my next machine will def be an iMac. eMacs are just too big.