I understand, read this and feel better - I hope!

Question

Alright, I have to admit that buying my new G5 2.1 20" on SUNDAY right before the announcement on TUESDAY wasn't the best. HOWEVER, I have to remember why I did this.
We all KNEW there were Intel Macs coming - it was all over the mainstream media. What we didn't know is that the iMac would be here in January. I thought maybe June/July. Based on that, I chose to buy this week and I really didn't want to be a test subject for the new Intel.
When the announcement was made, I was upset at first! I mean, 2-3x faster?!? That blew me away. I thought it may get a little bump but that was it. Now with the x1600 and dual monitor support I was mad. I mean HOW could they do that? I just bought it? Arhg!
Then I read all the message boards on the net, read articles at Tom's Hardware about the Intel processor roadmap and calmed down a little. Here is what I discovered, maybe it will help you all feel better - which ever way you go.
1) The G5 versions are proven and reliable (there are always the rare exceptions).
2) The G5 is a true 64bit processor
3) The G5 supports ALL current apps natively
4) It may be "months" before pro apps are native for the Intel Mac. Ex. Photoshop CS, Aperture, etc.
5) You CAN get iLife '06 for the G5...for a small price.
6) My 4 day old G5 is just as powerful and great as it was on Sunday 1/8/06 when I bought it!
7) A G5 with at least 1.5G RAM rocks compared to my PC (AMD 64 3000+ socket 939, 2GB DDR400, ATI 9800 Pro). Sure the Intel may have better numbers, but I never really touched ALL the power of the AMD - the Mac? Maybe someday down the road with newer and more power hungry software like a new version of Aperture.
8) The Intel is Core-Duo (Yonah)...sure it's new and runs fast but it is 32 bit. Apple really wanted the Merom chip that will be available late 2006 / early 2007. This clearly didn't fit Apple's timeline. Thus they jumped on the Yonah/duo core for the first steps with Intel.
9) The Merom is slated to be the chip for the towers down the road and most likely be put into the iMac's as well - like the G5 is now on both platforms. At that time, the iMac's will probably be the dual core Merom 64bit and the high end tower might sport the quad version in a year or two. The Merom is also capable (right now in testing) of 4MB L2 vs DuoCore at 2MB, it also has the potential (reported) of up to 16MB...wow! That't the stuff that's coming down the road in a few years. By that time both the G5 and the current Intel will look wimpy.
9) The newer versions of iMac will probably use the ATI x1800 graphics card...much better, the x1600 has so-so reviews. A prediction? Mac will stick with the x1600 for now. When the iMac comes with a Merom chip (2007?) they will upgrade to ATI's latest and best card - maybe even SLI if they are serious about multimedia and compteting with games.
CONCLUSION:
Okay, yes I am CAN return it. Pay about $165 10% fee and get the new Intel or keep my G5 and put more RAM in it. What do I suggest?
1) IF you are eligible to return it, it's a coin-toss. Keep a reliable powerful G5 or test out the great new Intel. It's your 10% fee.
2) If you can't return, why sell it on Ebay or elsewhere and take a $200-500 loss? Is the Intel really that much better? Why not save it for Intel iMac rev B or C?
3) If you are new to Mac or haven't bought one yet, see #1. I don't think you can go wrong either way.
4) If you are a "gamer" - go witht the Intel.
OH! And if you buy a "qualifying system" on or after 1/10/06, you can get the iLife '06 upgrade for $10.
I HOPE THIS HELPS!
iMac G5 2.1 20"   Mac OS X (10.4.4)  

Answer 1

good. to b safe n sure, always wait after Jan n June, n see what new products r introducd. then do research n juggle ur desicion b4 any purchase. u guys in the usa enjoy more supports. the applecare ppl in my country are known for their reckless service.
to b productive, having the fastest machine doesnt always win u business. if ppl try to play catch up with technology, then they would have to upgrade their machines on a daily basis. being quite an xperiencd mac user, i dont get upset at every upgrades, i enjoy my set up as long as it works. i still use imovie4, i think its more reliable for my sd video n since i dont do anamorphic video work yet. i also have some old crt imac in the office, running pagemaker n photoshop 6, yeah, they r dinasors, but as long as theres a demand in the market n u can still make money from it, then enjoy the set up.
one graphic design student said hes upset bcos he spent so much money on the imac g5 n felt cheated. i was once a college student n i wanted everything new. almost 10 years later, ive used many diff computers n still i can produce good design. imagine urself being a graphic designer in the mid 90s, 5gb for a storage is godsent.
if u involve in a big budget prod company, prhaps u can upgrade ur machines quarterly a year, n u probably dont start with an imac. the imac is not the powermac. when i bought my emac, i fully understood tht its not the fastest machine on earth. its going to b replaced soon n i predicted tht the next emac upgrade would enjoy a bigger storage at 160g, i was right. but it didnt upset me bcos with the cheap emac, i could do my freelance jobs that brings me money, enuff for me to get a powermacg5 a year ago, n turnd my video hobby into part-time videography business.
no need to panic at evry upgrades, relax, stay cool, enjoy your machines wisely. me, ill wait n see the evolution of these intel machines, when they r ripe, i will upgrade.