Buy now or wait for Mac Intel???

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
ze2be
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Post by ze2be » Fri Nov 25, 2005 8:17 am

dirtystudios wrote:I would say get one now.

When the new Mac are released, the amount of third party apps available will be miniscule due to the new chip architecture. You're selection of software will still be very limited for a long time as developers recode their applications, and as a development base is built for the new platform. Think of the freeware plugs that you may use.

It's very similar to when OSX was first released. I waited until 10.2 before I switched, and I'm glad I did, as I was greeted with a platform that was well supported by third party developers.

Apple's release strategy is based on this. We'll see the iBooks first, then the iMacs and Mac mini's. The last machines to be released will be the PowerBooks and Power Macs. The people who use iBooks and iMacs tend to be more consumer users, and less relient upon third party software, while the PowerBooks and Power Macs are more for the "Pro" crowd, and rely much more on third party apps.

Plus, there's always the pitfalls of becoming an early adapter; bugs.

If you buy a machine now, by the time you begin to feel the need for a new machine, the Intel Macs will be well developed.

k
Agree! But also remember that Steve Jobs said the change will be a lot eazier and faster then the os9 to osx trancition. Meaning it will (hopefully!!) be much more trancparent (the word Steve used). They have released a tool already that makes it realy eazy to port, for developers.

That said, im getting a G5 now. I just wrote this in another thread, but steve jobs himself said that intel desktops will start popping up around summer 2006, and the intel powerbooks summer 2007. Ofcource it could be delayd, alot. But I dont think theyl show up any time soon! They have still a few G5 products coming up! Anyway, if you sell your G5 in about a year or two, youl get a decent price for it! One of the good things with macs.

Most important is that your work is not delayed. Get a G5 now!

musick
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Post by musick » Fri Nov 25, 2005 9:57 am

edlloyd wrote:well...the software I want is Abelton Live 5, Reason 3, Bias Peak and Rane Scratch Live.

What do you reckon?

Cheers

Elliot
I expect Rane/Serato Scratch Live will be available on the Intel Macs not far after they are introduced...

detroitechno
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Post by detroitechno » Fri Nov 25, 2005 10:14 am

I've been an avid 'osx86' user for a while now. So I'm just posting to clear some things up:

The 'transition' period, like some have noted as being 'long'. Wont be. They have been working on osx for standard x86 hardware for almost 5 years now. Steve Jobs was aware of this 'speed, power and heat' issue in the G_ processors and had to plan a roadmap LONG before it was actually needed. It was just a matter of time until the change needed to be made.
(a little off topic, a few years ago he *joked* about osx being extremely easy to port to x86 and that it would just take a small amount of coding, although he laughed it off as if he'd never do it.)


Programs that are PowerPC processor programed will still run fine with the new OSX86. They just released an 'altivec' patch to support all standard osx apps on intel based macs. The new developer build has already included this and I'm testing it out as we speak.

It's a tough decision as to wait or buy. This is NOT flaming, or intended as any attack at specific users... but mac's are extremely slooooooow. Even the fastest G5 towers are matched in speed by centrino based pc laptops. When you really think about that, you have to wonder...

I would buy a pc that will do you over until the macintel's come out. You may hate windows and pc's but there's no denying that it's a good decision 'for now at least'. In the future this will all change.

Although this IS illegal, you can run osx on MANY pc laptops and desktops. I accidentally mentioned this on this forum once before, and got a bunch of PM's about how to do it, and get logic running. DO NOT PM ME ASKING HOW TO USE LOGIC OR OSX86 ON PC'S PLEASE!!!
That is also an option. An 'intelmac' is just a intel 915 chipset motherboard and any cpu with sse3 extensions. the built in video card on 915 chipsets are fully supported also. ATI cards just got drivers also. If you buy a laptop based around that, you CAN run osx.

That is the best of both worlds. Get a Intel 915 chipset notebook, and install osx and xp. dual boot, use whatever you want. they both work fine.
A bunch of gear, cords, and a computer...

exper
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Post by exper » Fri Nov 25, 2005 10:22 am

What I'd like to know is, if I have a powerbook and imac now, am I not going to be able to buy software for them soon? Or will new apps/updates be backward compatable?

amo
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Post by amo » Fri Nov 25, 2005 11:54 am

a bit OT and just for info, ZDnet made a test:
http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/software/os/ ... 916,00.htm

Best,
amo
Live 5.0.3 - IBM Thinkpad R51 1.5ghz Centrino - 1,5 Go RAM - 7200 RPM 2nd HDD intern - RME Multiface - Windows XP Pro SP2

noisetonepause
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Post by noisetonepause » Fri Nov 25, 2005 12:40 pm

You'll be fine.

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