G4 733 busted.....Buy a PC??

[Shixapatrol]

Hey everyone, the processor on my G4 733 just went out and will be $500 to fix and upgrade the processor to a G4 1.3. I only use this computer for recording and I've been a MAC user since I've owned a computer. I am wary to try DP on a PC.....however I am told I can buy a kick ass PC for around 600 dollars. I've also done some research and found used single processor G5's(1. for around $900, and I saw a Dual G5 (2.3) for $1500. (which seems like a good deal). What are your thoughts on switching platforms. Is running DP on a PC much different....or will I barely notice. Can I justify buying a used Mac for more than twice that of a new PC....or is it worth in to stay on the Mac platform. Thanx for the e-pinions.

Jay Shields
Broken G4 733 , 1 Gig Ram
MOTU 2408
DP 3 on OS 9(old school)

[westla]

Unless things have changed in the last day or so, I don't think DP runs on PC's.

Also, after buying PC's for use as GigaStudio and Kontakt computers, the initial low price looks good. But by the time you get a decent processor and add the nessessary memory and extra hard drives, all of a sudden it's not the $600 bargan you thought it initally was.

[hollywood]

Hi Jay,

DP is mac only, so you cannot run it on a pc.

[Frodo]

True-- DP is for Mac only.

Your price is almost a wash if you go with the PC solution because you will have to get a PC-compatible app and whatever plugins and hardware which cannot be ported over from your 733. One down side is that you have to learn a new app and get your DP projects (perhaps) converted to work on the PC, if that's important to you.

If you don't want to switch DAWs, stick with Mac.

[James Steele]

Is running DP on a PC much different....or will I barely notice.

Running DP on a PC is much different. Tremendously low noise floor... virtually non-existent. And it never crashes or has any problems because the DP for PC users never post here about how it sucks and they're going to move to Sonar instead.

[gearboy]

Thanx for the e-pinions.

I see a Mac Mini in your future.

[Shixapatrol]

Thanx everyone...I'm suprised DP is Mac only...I thought all the major Recording programs were supported on both platforms....I guess I'll be sticking with the Mac... Is $1500 a good deal on a Dual G5 (2.0)??

[Timeline]

Stick with MAC and don't go back...

Buy a MAC dual 2.7 and discover how music suddenly makes sense again.

[sdemott]

Thanx everyone...I'm suprised DP is Mac only...I thought all the major Recording programs were supported on both platforms....I guess I'll be sticking with the Mac... Is $1500 a good deal on a Dual G5 (2.0)??

DP = Mac only

Logic = Mac only

PT used to be Mac only, but then Avid bought Digidesign and Microsoft owns a controlling % of Avid - so suddenly there was a Windoze version. Take that to mean whatever you want.

Nuendo is Mac & PC

Radar is a proprietary system

[Aramis]

Thanx everyone...I'm suprised DP is Mac only...I thought all the major Recording programs were supported on both platforms....I guess I'll be sticking with the Mac... Is $1500 a good deal on a Dual G5 (2.0)??

DP = Mac only

Logic = Mac only

PT used to be Mac only, but then Avid bought Digidesign and Microsoft owns a controlling % of Avid - so suddenly there was a Windoze version. Take that to mean whatever you want.

Nuendo is Mac & PC

Radar is a proprietary system

Cakewalk Sonar and such is PC only !!!!

Aramis

[emulatorloo]

Thanx everyone...I'm suprised DP is Mac only...I thought all the major Recording programs were supported on both platforms....I guess I'll be sticking with the Mac... Is $1500 a good deal on a Dual G5 (2.0)??

If you are starting over, I would look at the Apple Mac intel machines. I am hearing that the intel dual core mac mini or the imac dual core will give you near Dual g5 performance for less money.

If you have PCI cards that you need to bring along, then you will need to look at a G5 that has PCI or PCI-X cards. That being said, there are some cards that have trouble with the G5s with PCI slots -- I guess that M-Audio cards will not run in them (you need to have the PCI-X machines) and TC Powercore can only run one card in the PCI machines, where as you can run two or more Powercores in the PCI-X machines.

---
Good comparison between g5's
http://www.barefeats.com/g527.html

Pricetracker g5's
http://www.lowendmac.com/ppc/g5deals.html
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OTOH, I have seen processor replacements for your g4 WAY CHEAPER than 500.00

Here is a link to what is availble for that machine at one vendor -- there are upgrades from $175 and up:

http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/Upgrade ... ia=&sort=a

Note also that a number of them have 30mbg -- so you are safe trying them out. In my experience (and I have been thru several upgrades w a similar machine) they are real compatible with DP and OS X.

[cyborg haines]

What about that??

http://www.gigadesigns.com/

http://www.sonnettech.com/product/encore_st_duet.html





Haines

[porieux]

Who would buy a PC when you can buy an Intel Mac that you can boot into Windows if you happen to need to for some obscure reason.....

[Shixapatrol]

Because they are way cheaper to build...especially when your roomate builds them for a living....

Also....it's not the processor thats 500.... the processor is around 250....it's another 200 to configure the machine for the sonnet 1.6 processor... according to the Mac store in LA.

Also... My friend at Apple....says that DP 5.1 is for both platforms.


Is this true?????

[bralston]

Because they are way cheaper to build...especially when your roomate builds them for a living....

Also....it's not the processor thats 500.... the processor is around 250....it's another 200 to configure the machine for the sonnet 1.6 processor... according to the Mac store in LA.

Also... My friend at Apple....says that DP 5.1 is for both platforms.


Is this true?????

Your friend is wrong and slightly mistaken on what DP 5.1 is written for. DP 5.1 is for both PPC chip MACs (G4, G5) running OSX and for Intel chip MACs running OSX. But just because DP 5.1 is a universal binary application that will run on Intel chip MACs...that is not the same thing as them being able to run on a PC. It is still writen for the MAC OSX operating system only and OSX is locked to MAC hardware at the moment with no foreseable change at Apple allowing it to be installed on PC computers.