Mac G5 Trouble

[Ira]

One bad Mac thread and ten for bad PCs.

I'll take those numbers, ya' know?

Ten PCs in use for every Mac....Same numbers.

TWENTY.

So Macs are at LEAST twice as good.

[Nitetimes]

One bad Mac thread and ten for bad PCs.

I'll take those numbers, ya' know?

Ten PCs in use for every Mac....Same numbers.

TWENTY.

So Macs are at LEAST twice as good.

If that were really true most people would be happy to pony up the money for something that was really that good and had an operating system that would work with everything.

I really don't believe that's as true as younse used to believe it once was any more. With the myriad of available parts now you can build a really good PC for less than half the price of a Mac and it will run as well or better and be just as dependable.
I think you'll find that those who build their own PC's have very little trouble with them that isn't self inflicted. I would never buy a branded computer cause they are usually bottom of the barrel parts and their own bios files and drivers that generally cause more trouble than they are worth.
Now Windoze is another matter in itself. I think it has caused more computer damage than a person possibly could with a hammer.

[robfisher]

After pulling and checking, pushing and poking, rechecking, I'm going for a new motherboard. Everything else checked out OK.
Should have it back later today.
Rob

[Ira]

Look, us Mac users know that we'll have to take the abuse forever.

We acknowledge Macs have been outrageously expensive.

We acknowledge that we can't convert many people to Macs because you've always worked on PCs and as a general rule, people simply don't change their habits.

We acknowledge that at this stage, there's tons more software available for the PC side.

But we REFUSE to acknowledge that that excuse for an OS you PC users have to deal with is superior to the Mac. And with the new generation of Intel Macs that will also run Windows, Apple has once again raised the bar.

What has Gates given you lately? VISTA???

[Laredo]

Okay, so I lost 3 days on the intertubes because the video card crapped out.
It's a PC built at home running Linux (ubuntu) that will also boot up in FreeBSD, and the browser is Firefox.
Problems are few, far between, and nearly always hardware related.

[Ira]

Problems are few, far between, and nearly always hardware related.

Earl, I'll give you an opportunity to retract that statement because I love you.

Not in a gay sense, but in a TD buddy kind of way.

99% of the time, all computers, PC and Macs alike, have OS problems—and the hardware is fine.

[caseydog]

I have owned or used every generation of mac, and the G5 was not the best. The G5 is the reason Apple switched to Intel. Steve Jobs was pretty ticked at Motorola over the dissapointing G5.

I have a G5 PowerMac at the magazine, and do not like it at all. It is not up to Apple's usual standards, IMO. Lot's of compatibility issues that I don't have on my G4 or a Core Duo Macs.

So, if I were looking at $750 to fix a G5, I would probably just bite the bullet and get a new Core Duo Mac.

[caseydog]

Thanks for all the advice. Not in any order but...

Ira, we tried rebooting, unsuccessfully.
The G5 is three years old.

I'm in Idaho, we don't really have a Mac store so I took it to the authorized dealer, CompUSA. I assume if they are authorized they are supposed to know.

On restarting all I get is the start button flashing three times, pause, three times, pause....

Mark, More Machine?!!! Is there more machine? Certianly not within my budget. It's got enough Ram to run several small countries.

15 Pound anchor? You probably have never picked up a G5 Have you, Bobgorilla?

Chell, thanks for the heads up on the reset. I missed it. I'll see if that works but I wouldn't think two different Mac techs would miss that.

Thanks again for the advice

1. CompUSA sells Macs. That's all. They don't know didly about them.

2. I replaced my old PowerMac with a 24-inch iMac, with a wireless keyboard and mouse, and LOVE IT. Cut way down on the wires -- no more rat's nest.

Unless you do heavy-duty video editing, you don't need the big PowerMac. The iMac has plenty of power and a strong video card. I do pro photography and design work on mine.

Also, I always buy AppleCare on my Macs. It is rare that I need support, but when I do, it is nice to have. Plus it adds two years to your warranty. It also covers support for things connected to the covered mac, like your AirPort wireless network.

3. Also look up how to reset the PMU at the Apple Support site. If that get's messed up, the Mac will not boot.


Bottom line, though, is that the G5 was not Apple's finest hour.

[caseydog]

Three flashes is a memory error. Usually means your ram is loose or bad. Try pulling your ram and reinstalling it. If that doesn't work replace that before you replace anything else. Not sure about your Compusa but ours in Michigan is horrible and I wouldn't take anything to "ours" but then they closed "ours" too so we don't have one anymore. Let me know if that works or not.

Ahh, I forgot, G5s are known for memory compatibility problems. I had to retun the first RAM upgrade I bought and go with another brand that Apple recommended.

Yes, try removing, blowing out the dust, and replacing your RAM first.

[caseydog]

What has Gates given you lately? VISTA???

[nikwax]

I had a mac motherboard repaired by DT&T Computer Services in Fremont California. Apple had quoted me $800, DT&T did it for $250 and turned it around very quickly. A number of people I work with have used DT&T and been very happy.

Check out their price on the G5 logic board here

[asianflava]

What has Gates given you lately? VISTA???

That's OK since Vista is a joke even with PC users.

[pgwilli]

I’ve never figured out why MAC guys go Jesuit over a consumable piece of technology.
Just take care of your data and buy new hardware every couple years…

[Ira]

I’ve never figured out why MAC guys go Jesuit over a consumable piece of technology.
Just take care of your data and buy new hardware every couple years…

It's because most of us don't know what Jesuit means, and because Macs are so expensive, we can't AFFORD to buy one every couple of years.

And Casey, last week, I finally got my G-5 Intel Duo in the office up and running (it was sitting in the box for like 6 months), so now I can run Windows.

WHOOPEE!!!!

And putting the new Duo native applications aside, I don't see ANY difference in performance between this brand-new G5 and my old one, which was first generation.

I swear--it just wasn't worth the hassle.

[caseydog]

I’ve never figured out why MAC guys go Jesuit over a consumable piece of technology.
Just take care of your data and buy new hardware every couple years…

It's because most of us don't know what Jesuit means, and because Macs are so expensive, we can't AFFORD to buy one every couple of years.

And Casey, last week, I finally got my G-5 Intel Duo in the office up and running (it was sitting in the box for like 6 months), so now I can run Windows.

WHOOPEE!!!!

And putting the new Duo native applications aside, I don't see ANY difference in performance between this brand-new G5 and my old one, which was first generation.

I swear--it just wasn't worth the hassle.

You're mixing your generations there. The G5 was the previous generation processor, made by Motorola. The Core Duo is the new generation, with the Intel processor.

There was a Dual Processor G5, but that is different than a Core Duo.

When I upgraded to Core Duo, I noticed the typical, and expected speed increase you get with any new generation. I don't have the new, Universal versions of the Adobe trio yet, so can't comment on that.

The processor is not what makes a Mac a Mac, anyway. It is the standardization of the hardware, and the slick OS that make the difference.

I replace my Macs every three to four years. That is usually when I find that speeds and tchnology changes are significant enough to make the investment in new hardware worthwhile.