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Retirement Choices for the Time of Your Life
Gateway Books
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Customer Reviews
for Retirement Choices for the Time of Your Life --- Gateway Books
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Killer Machine but Video Limited
I love this computer. I ordered a custom one with 512MB memory and dual 2.5 GHz G5. For the most part, I find the platform to be stable, without any crashes or constant freezes as reported by other users.
Now given that, there is one slight problem in regards to 3D graphics. The latest graphics cards on the market are not available for the Mac platform, which is 6 to 12 months behind. I drool over PC users with latest from NVidia or Radeon.
With the limited graphics card that I have, there are still problems with 3D shader functionlity. The performance for games like World of Warcraft is just far better on PCs than Macs unfortuantely, despite having these ungodly powerful processors.
Other than the graphics situation, this is a powerful computer. It is great for graphics applications like Photoshop or even producivity applications like Office 2004.
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Take the negative reviews with a large grain of salt.
It's easy to see Windows users trying to "bomb" the review of this amazing computer. Pay no attention. You see, unlike Windows, OS X never freezes. Ever. I have four Macs at home, a PowerBook, and an iMac G5 at the office, all running OS 10.3, and none of them -- none, including a dual G5 just like this one -- have ever crashed or frozen. Reviews that say different are complete fabrications. Why? Because the underpinning of OS X is UNIX, which keeps the OS running even if an individual program crashes -- which might happen on rare occasions. What do you do then? Simply relaunch the program and no problems at all.
This is terrific computer and a terrific value. It comes with Apple's unparalleled "video lifestyle" applications, too. And do invest in more RAM. It's cheap and super easy to install. In fact, the G5 is designed from the ground up for easy access and easy upgrades. Even a computer novice can install a new hard drive, updated DVD drive, memory, or a wireless card -- even the new Radeon X-800 for Mac installs like a breeze (and doesn't require it's own power supply cord like the PC version).
But don't just read this review, zip down to the nearest Apple Store and take a test drive. This is what a computer is meant to be.
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I wanted a computer, not a freezer
Sadly, I bought a brand new PowerMac G5, not knowing that this computer has a severe problem - it freezes, and it freezes alot.
You'll be surfing the net, editing a photo or just watching a dvd, when out of the blue, it all freezes up. The screen is frozen, and all you can do is restart. Same thing when it freezes again, a couple hours later. After restarting 10 times a day you really start to hate the thing.
Was it just me? Was I stuck with a lemon? Not willing to quit, I checked Apple's discussion forums. There I found hundreds posting about the very same problems.
The first major thread was over 1,000 posts long, before Apple closed it, since it became "unmanageable".
To see how common this problem is, go to Apple's G5 discussions (under support). You'll find these threads filled with owners of a freezing G5.
Read the forums, or do a search for "G5 freezing" and see what many found out after spending good money only to be disappointed.
I spent the money, and I'd give it 0 stars if I only could.
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Mid-Low end PowerMac with crippling
Let me say first that I love Macintosh. I do not always appreciate the antics of the marketing department at Apple Computer.
As a content creator, I frequently need PCI slots for the specialized cards that allow high quality audio and video i/o, so I am looking only at Power Macintosh computers (not iBook, Powerbook, iMac, eMac, etc.).
I find myself greedy for speed and lacking in cash. So, there must be a compromise between cost and speed, not just ordering up the latest and fastest CPU with all of the options. The most important speed in a media computer is disk i/o. Without the ability to read and write fast, video (HD) and audio (DAW) will glitch. The CPU has only a small effect on disk i/o. The controler and bus have a HUGE effect on disk i/o speed. With a dedicated disk controller card in a PCI-X slot, SATA or Ultra-SCSI (SCSI320) RAID arrays perform very well. They are not as fast in a PCI slot.
In the 2003 version of the Power Macintosh G5 1.8GHz single CPU tower, the motherboard has EIGHT RAM SLOTS and PCI-X slots. The 2004 version of this tower has FOUR RAM SLOTS and PCI (not PCI-X). To get the extra RAM slots and PCI-X, a buyer must upgrade to the 2.0 GHz DUAL CPU model, at considerable extra expense.
Users keep their minitowers longer than any other kind of Macintosh, because of the larger RAM capacity and upgrade sockets, so wouldn't you want to get the most future-proof versions of those sockets, that being PCI-X? I do.
I give this tower 3 stars of 5, because it's basically a good machine, that is intentionally crippled. It will run OSX just fine, and will do things that a G5 iMac will also do, at a considerable price premium. Nice aluminum tower!
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The best computer hands down!
Even though its the "baseline" G5 system, featuring only one of Apples powerPC G5 chips, it flies! Compared to my previous Athlon XP 3200+ machine, I am computing at least twice as fast, OS X is amazing, so easy to use with photoshop and after effects! I love my new PowerMac G5 single 1.8GHz
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Extremely Fast
This now has become my all-time favorite system. It has dual 2.5GHz processor which adds up to 5.0GHz which no other Intel computer can compete with. 512 MB of RAM and up to 8GB which is the most I have ever seen! 160GB and up to 2x250GB which is 500GB which can save so many things. It has a DVD-R Drive which can of course burn DVDs. I love the applications on the Mac OS X v10.3 Panther and I think it beats Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition. Here are the specifications for the Apple Power Mac G5
Processor | PowerPC G5 Dual
Optical Disc Drive | DVD-RW / CDRW Combo
Hard Drive (GB) | 160
Memory - Processing RAM included | 512MB
Memory - Processing RAM Maximum | 8GB
Memory - Video RAM | 128MB Dedicated
Connection - USB Front | 3
Connection - USB Rear | 2
Connection - IEEE1394 Firewire Front | 1
Connection - IEEE1394 Firewire Rear | 2
Connection - DVI HDMI Digital Display | 1
Connection - Sound | In/Out
Expansion - PCI | 3 Available
Connection - RJ11 | Yes
Connection - RJ45 | Yes
Connection - Video | Out
Expansion - Drive Bay Internal | 1 Available
Operating System | Apple Macintosh OS X
Ethernet Capable | Included
Software | Pre-Installed by Manufacturer
Wireless Capable | Optional
Manufacturer's Warranty - Hardware | 1 Year
Manufacturer's Warranty - Software | 1 Year
Source: www.jr.com
You should no doubt look into this computer system but if you don't want so much power (5.0GHz of it) you can go with the dual 1.8GHz processor which might suite you well.
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Powerful and quiet
I love this machine. It is supremely powerful, but what makes me love it is its good manners: elegant and silent. If i have a window open in my office (on a very quiet street), I cannot even tell when the computer is on, it is that quiet. Turning it on and off at the monitor is simple and calming, the whole experience of working with it and OSX can enhance your serenity. This is especially valuable when using programs like DVD Studio Pro and FCP, not to mention photoshop. I am very pleased with this computer, and recommend it to anyone.
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Desktop supercomputer.
Apple is, quite simply, the best and most innovative computer manufacturer. A recent user survey in PC magazine identified Apple computers as the most reliable and easiest to use computers currently available and and for two years in a row PC magazine has picked Apple's Macintosh G5 as the best multimedia desktop computer. When PC people and PC magazine pick Apple computers as the best maybe potential PC buyers should rethink and seriously consider Apple computers. Now Apple has an even more powerful Macintosh G5 computer with dual 2.5 GHz processors.
Yes, most people use Windows-based PCs, but do you want to be just another member of the PC herd -- with all of the problems and frustrations presented by Windows-based PCs -- or are you looking for a computer which is user friendly, seldom crashes, and is virtually impervious to virus attacks? If these virtues are more important to you than being one of the crowd, please seriously consider buying an Apple computer. The Power Mac G5 is Apple's top-of-the-line computer series and this is the most powerful G5 ever -- essentially a desktop supercomputer. Like all Power Mac G5s this computer is more than twice as fast as a Pentium 4 with the same clock speed and has dual 64-bit processors. All computers will have 64-bit processors some day but very few PCs, except for Mac G5s, have them at this time. If you're looking for a super fast, versatile, easy to use computer (and want to stop worrying abut virus attacks) and are willing to try something off the beaten path, you'll love this new Power Mac G5. If you want the virtues of Apple computers and G5 power at a lower price consider the Power Mac G5s with dual 1.8 GHz or dual 2.0 GHz processors or the new G5 iMacs.
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I love it!
I've had the new PowerMac Dual 2 Ghz. G-5 with the 20" Apple Display for about 5 weeks now.
I've found MY computer! This rascal is just a joy to use. So fast - so quiet! All the tech details are written about these Dual G-5s by many others. All I can add is that the whole package is so smooth that I can't see how I could ever tire of it.
No more trading computers every few years for this child........
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Disregard bad reviews, the future is now and this is it!!!
first off I would like to say this to Dean Keller whom gave this computer 1 star. You sir are an idiot. Chances are that Mr. Keller doesn't know how to use his computer at all, is running tons of pirated software, doesn't have enough RAM to drive his Buggy!!! of course this computer is going to crash with only 256mb of RAM when you are trying to edit a photo or a video, of course the computer will freeze when you have 10 porn sites open at the same time, the fact is is that you need HorsePower to drive a Ferrari, othewise it is just a Fiat! Dean Keller, you spent at least $1500 for the computer it wouldn't hurt to spend $160 on 1GB of RAM, www.crucial.com !!!
With that said i would like to actually review this product. I use both windows and macs at work (EDITING)and our macs never have problems, oh, and no Blaster WORM that will kill your computer and steal all of your vital info. With a mac your identity is yours to keep if you are smart or just turn on the built in firewall.
I bought this computer a couple of weeks ago, but have used it for a while at different job sites. With minimally 1GB of RAM this thing will turn a PC into RoadKill. I have had a few issues in the first couple of days, being a PROFFESIONAL, I actually have an answer to some of the freezing problems. When you get your computer out of the box the Operating System is already installed, the directory is heavily fragmented, your permissions are damaged and so on. This is due to the fact that somewhere in Asia, where the PM is asembeled and tested, it is not optimized before being shipped off to the good ol US of A! My suggestion to resolve this issue out of the box is to run a couple of diagnostics utilities right away. 1) Diskwarrior forr the G5. 2) Tech Tools Pro 4. 3) DiskUtitlity. And by GOD whatever you do, do not install any products from NORTON, this will gaurantee the demise of your new thousand dollar baby and you will have to start from scratch, clean install to really get rid of it.
Some specs from my machine (dual 2GHZ G5, 1.5GB RAM)
burn full DVD, menus, languages, audio - 25 minutes
render 10 minutes of Hi-Resolution video with motion effects - 5 minutes
Import full CD to iTunes - 3.5 minutes
Life like gameplay at Hi-Resolution for all games
Great wireless conectivity, there is a way to install the bluetooth module after you have bought this, try smalldog.com, service parts, you need module, antenna and screws, all these are separate items.
Get an Airport Extreme card, well worth it!!! Instead of getting an Airport Extreme basestation, get an Airport Express or 2 for the same price.
Get a printer, any one from epson or canon with a good rating from amazon.com is fine. or HP makes a bluetooth printer which works well with the Sony Ericsson P910. This phone kicks buttocks... Yes I have all of this!!!!
And last, if you stuck with me and read this crappy review, it took 5 minutes to write and i was doing other stuff, really just a response to that idiot that gave this great machine 1 star, idiot!
The special treat is this, if you get a display, do not get the 23-inch apple display, it is bad, when i say it is bad, there are technical issues with the color where it has hotspots, this is a manufacturing defect. INSTEAD go with the 20-inch Cinema Display from APPLE, I got this with my computer and it is the greatest device or add-on that i have ever paid for. The colors are perfect, you can stare at it straight for hours and not get a headache, just make sure you drink lots of water. And I have note read or noticed one bad thing about it. Thank you Steve Jobs and the great employees of Apple Computers whom made this wonderful product. And you consumers out there, don't be cheap and pay less for a monitor, there is a reason why those monitor cost less out there, they are bad for you, in every sense of the phrase. Your eyes, headaches, cramps. Pay the extra buck, you wont regret it, EVER. Oh, LCDs last longer than Plasma displays and give off less radiation than CRTs!!!!!!
Have a good one!~
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Zoom zoom zoom!
Okay so it may not be the fastest (2.5Ghz) but given the urgency I had then to get a new computer, I settled for the 2GHZ and not the 2.5 which I have to wait about 3 weeks more for it. After spending 4 years with a 500Mhz G4, upgrading to a dual 2.0GHZ is a MAJOR step forward for me. You start to notice the subtle differences in performance immediately. iTunes rip way faster, iMovie is simply a joy to use now versus the snail crawl I lived with previously... Photoshop filters zzpped through... and all of this amazing Herculean tasks are done with a barely audible whisper from the fans cooling the processors within.
I had mine customed configured by Apple- internal bluetooth, 128MB graphics card, 2.00 GB RAM... and a 23" cinema display. The only thing I got different was the Phillipe S+arck mouse from MS. i think it looks cooler than the white button mouse and more in sync with the whole aluminium silver look. Now I wish they would make the keyboards ala the PowerBooks- glow in the dark.
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Sony RB34G - MCE
Interesting "Box" , right off the shelf ! Hell to pay in getting it setup. Three (3) separate vendor firewalls activated all at the same time. Once you got on to that , setup went well.Windows XP MCE 2005 pre-installed and NO Microsoft MCE CDs. ON-Line support (Weak answers) and Telephone support EXTREMELY Bad ; more interested in telling you what they do not support; No real HELP;YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN! Make sure to update Windows MCE first thing and all security patches. Adding additional Memory (it only has 256) , and adding additional hard drives (Video "eats up" Storage) VOIDS the warranty and service! Best get a Windows XP OEM MCE "Box" at Gateway, HP or other. Still it was FUN to set up and start using. Nothing like "offsetting" basketball games for later viewing in high Defination.
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Huge Improvement!
This new Apple iMac G5 17" Desktop has improved from those iMac G3. Don't you remember those Apple iMac G3's with all those colors. I loved that PC because it looked so cool and sleek but back then I would have never bought a Apple. I love Apple now and I think this is one of Apple's best desktops. 17" of pure beauty and if you want even better beauty go with the 20". 1.80GHz is okay speed (nothing special). 80 gigabytes is not enough and you should upgrade to like 250GB. DVD-RW drive is nice and you can burn tons of movies. I heard that Apple designed this from the Apple iPod and it looks kind of like it. I just love how Apple designs their computers. Mac OS X is the best operating system on the market right now and it's on this PC. Check out the specifications.
Processor | PowerPC G5
Optical Disc Drive | DVD-RW / CDRW Combo
Hard Drive (GB) | 80
Memory - Processing RAM included | 256MB
Memory - Processing RAM Maximum | 2GB
Memory - Video RAM | 64MB Dedicated
Connection - USB Front | 2
Connection - USB Rear | 3
Connection - IEEE1394 Firewire Rear | 2
Connection - VGA DB15 Analog Display | 1
Connection - TV Display | Yes
Connection - Sound | In/Out
Connection - RJ11 | Yes
Connection - RJ45 | Yes
Connection - Video | Out
Operating System | Apple Macintosh OS X
Ethernet Capable | Included
Software | Pre-Installed by Manufacturer
Unit Dimensions - High | 17
Wireless Capable | Optional
Unit Dimensions - Long / Wide | 17
Unit Dimensions - Deep | 7
Manufacturer's Warranty - Hardware | 1 Year
Manufacturer's Warranty - Software | 1 Year
Source: www.jr.com
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Apples make me dream of Californication
I bought this computer the other day, and let me tell you
I sure love apple computers, The instruction manual is more exciting than the Da Vinci Code, at least buy that. ITs cheaper to buy the computer and the manual as a set, rather than just buy the manual outright. Great computer, never shuts down, which is a problem cuz I can't turn it off. It's also very durable, and has so far tested well against 9mm, .38 caliber, and .40 rounds. With my kids pulling chords out all the time, it has surprisingly given them only mild shocks, resulting in only 3, count it 3, visits to the emergency room. It has survived falls from my counter along with my great waffle maker. My wife says I only love three things, my Apple instruction manual, moose hunting, and vintage refridgerator restoration. But this computer is the fourth just ahead of my kids. If I was trapped on a deserted island, I would NOT take this computer, cuz were am I going to plug it in?? But if it worked on, you know, magic, I would not mind having it with me. A great computer, simply marvelous.
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Best desktop computer available today
I've got a Pentium IV 3.0 GHz box running Windows XP Pro, and a Pentium IV 2.4 GHz laptop running SuSE Linux Pro 9.2. Until I got my 20" iMac G5, I used the Windows computer about 10% of the time and the Linux laptop the other 90% of the time throughout my day.
Since I got my iMac the last week of February, I've barely even turned the other computers on.
The problem is, I can't exactly point out anything specific because Mac OS X is all about the entire experience. "Everything just works" is dead on. It's a joy to use, it looks beautiful, it's fast (mine has 512MB RAM; I'm upgrading to 1GB), and OS X is easy to use.
I can honestly say that, in my opinion, Macs are the best desktop computer available on the market today. I would say SuSE Pro is second.
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I have my desk back and the wiring maze is gone!
I purchased my 20" iMac with the Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. After a small glitch at startup that Apple Tech support was able to correct over the phone, I was up and running. I was able to easily import the files from my PC since I had backed them up to CD's. My HP printer and Dymo LabelWriter connected easily. The cables hook up to the back of the computer, snaking through a hole cleverly placed in the stand. Result - no wires showing and no wires on my desk. Much improved appearance - this makes the wife happy, and a totally free desktop for projects that are not computer based. That makes me happy.
Others have covered well the beauty and ease of use of this machine. I can only add that the display is not to be believed until you see it. Do upgrade your ram. I put in a gigabyte. It can make a serious difference in performance. Do not believe you are immune to viruses because you have a mac. Go to .mac and buy your virex protection and get auto upgrade. Viruses may be rare for the mac, but they are not unknown. Do not, like one of my friends who bought a mac mini, try to load your PC programs on the mac. They will not work. Do play with your mac and its software. Iphtoto is an amazingly versatile program. If you have a digital camera, learn and use it. It will be rewarding. Do join your local mac users group. There you will find a group of people that will help you through any problems you may encounter. Plus, mac users as a group are used to thinking outside the box and you may well meet some interesting and fun people.
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Maybe - but No
I think the computer would be nice
but as you are buying it says the computer will ship in a couple days
after you type in all your info and go to checkout it gives you an estimated ship date of a week. That's weak!
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buy apple care!
We have always have had a Mac, from a "performa" to a G5 powermac, we love the operating system and the design, but our imac has been in for repairs twice {in 6 months}we still recomend apples , but are not always happy with the Apple Store- And that is another story.
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Fantastic product
Really nice product and worth every cent. I own a Garmin StreetPilot and have used a Palm PDA so I found this really easy to use. The ability to drag maps around to find places is amazing.
The integrated PDA functionality really adds value. A must for anyone in sales that travels (you could actually know where your taxi is going and where to find dinner in any city).
If you are just doing navigation for your car you could just go with a StreetPilot - a bit easier to use. My third great GPS from Garmin.
PS. Some of my kids first words in the car "turn right daddy" - copying my nav systems audio - Dad's car talks!
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User for 9 months
My 3600 GPS did not work the first time and was returned. After a new one was sent, it started working well. There are two detailed manuals which you should study (I downloaded and studied while I was waiting for delivery). For clarification on their 'too detailed instructions' I had to call their service about 5 times each spending 20 minutes on hold. Now that I have had it I can't do without. It is accurate 9 out of 10 new addresses I enter so don't trust it 100%. I use it everywhere (East coast and West coast). I use it to get to any new address and very valuable even trying to get out of a large parking lot after I arrive. After 3 months I started to use it to find shops and eatery while on the road. If you don't remember exactly a specific address, you can get there if you remember a store close by. The unit requires a soft reset every few weeks. The biggest plus is that you never lose your addresses because you sync it up with your home computer. There is a selection of 'fastest path or shortest distance' which could be confusing if selected wrong. I realize there are other GPS which are more costly, longer battery life with larger fonts but for the money it is the greatest product since the PC.
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