Powermac G5 Dual Core 2.0 GHZ or Macbook Pro Dual Core 2.0 GHZ

Question

I have a Macbook Pro Dual Core 2.0 GHZ that currently has 1 GB of RAM in it. For the most part it runs fine, but I do come into problems with it sometimes while I'm doing video editing which is my main usage for my computer. I currently run Final Cut Studio 2. Would it be worth it to sell this computer and get a Powermac G5 Dual Core 2.0 GHZ or 2.3 GHZ and upgrade the RAM to 8 GB to help my video editing run smoother? The reason why I am considering this is because I would like a computer that would work better with my video editing at a cost that I can afford. I also would like to have a firewire 800 port for my external hard drives. I rarely use my internal hard drive, so that is no factor in my decision. Currently I cannot afford a new Mac Pro, but will be buying one in about a year. I'm just trying to decide if this would be a good switch for right now. Thanks for your help.
Message was edited by: hb8788
Message was edited by: hb8788

Answer 1

Although I don't own a Mac Pro, rumor has it that they run video chores significantly more efficiently than do the last generation G5's. I bought my 2.3 GHz, w/the 7800 card, for $600, last November on eBay. The case wasn't cosmetically perfect (a rather nasty looking crimp on the front handle) but it has performed well running my video (EyeTV and recording) and academic (I teach math & Mathematica) needs. I picked-up extra memory (it now has 6 Gigs) pretty cheap (around $75, IIRC), from Kingston. I also took the advice of many here and got a WD 640GB HD that made a significant difference in both boot-time and opening applications. However, if you're going to get a new Mac Pro in a year, it's almost like throwing money away - the G5 will probably have its' depreciation rate decrease once the software vendors no longer continue supporting pre-Intel machines. That being said, my G5 is more than sufficient handling my present version of Mathematica - I don't think that paying $3000, or whatever it takes to get a new Mac Pro, would balance the marginal increase of utility I would get using Mathematica. If I were a video guru, I might feel differently. I thought I could give you a definitive yes, buy the G5, because I really love mine. Unless something happens, I plan on having it for at least a few years. At about $250/year, if one figures that I'll have owned it for a total of 3 years, that's less than 70¢/day. But I also value the opinions of many of the posters who have commented on the new machine's speed, compared to the 2.5 GHz Quad, say.