End of G4 Models Points to Unprecedented Value for Used G4 Macs
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- 2006.06.02
Ted Hodges' recent article on Low End Mac, The Sun Has Set on the G4, brought to light one mostly overlooked facts about the MacBook's introduction - the G4 is now out of Apple's lineup.
This really brings the reality of the Intel transition front and center. At a much faster pace than anyone anticipated, Apple is breaking away from the PowerPC and embracing the x86 architecture. While I'm all for that, it's hard to believe that the G4 - once the gigaflopping supercomputer brain of the Mac - is now yesterday's news and destined for low-end status at a rapid pace.
It won't be long before you'll be picking up G4 towers for less than a $100.
Sounds crazy, doesn't it? But low-end blue and white G3s now sell well south of $100. If you're happy with a beige G3, they can be had for about $25 on eBay and various other places around the Net.
It wasn't that long ago that a G3 was still very speedy in our minds, commanding respect and a good price on the used market. Once the G3 left the Apple lineup (with the introduction of the iBook G4 in late 2003), it wasn't long before its value plummeted.
History tells us that
it won't be long before the G4 occupies the same place in the used
market. In fact, it may make it there even quicker. This can partly
be attributed to technology continuing to evolve at an
exponentially faster pace, "obsoleting" the G4 at a faster pace
than its predecessors. And this is partly because of the
implications on the Intel Macs. Not only do the Intel machines
offer significantly better processor/system bus/memory speed specs
than any G4 Mac, they are considerably more future-proof than a
G4.
Do we know if there will still be Universal Binaries five years down the road? History tells us probably not.
We Mac users have seen "universal applications" before, when the 680x0 to PowerPC transition started in early 1994. Known as "fat binaries", applications could contain both 68K and PowerPC optimized code, taking advantage of whichever processor your Mac had.
But by 1999 - five years after the transition started - there were hardly any fat binaries left, and nearly all new software requiring PowerPC.
The way technology moves in this day and age - and the overwhelming success of the Intel Macs in their first five months on the market - I predict a much quicker demise for PowerPC Mac applications.
In reality, this is only bad news for folks who've made a living on trading and selling G3 and G4 Macs. The boxes that they used to count on being able to move for a good price will now sometimes cost more to ship than they are worth.
...the drop in value of G4 Macs presents an unprecedented value.
For the buyers, though, the drop in value of G4 Macs presents an unprecedented value.
Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" runs quite well on nearly all G4 systems. Some older systems without Quartz Extreme support don't fare as well as those that do have it, but overall Tiger (and also OS X 10.3 "Panther") is highly optimized for PowerPC systems, providing you with a very powerful option.
Let's stop and think about what you do with your Macs every day. Email, Web surfing, instant messaging, and maybe some word processing, spreadsheets, and graphics work. G4s handle this very well right now and will continue to do so with current software for a long time to come.
The nature of the technology companies is to sell you something new every year. But when you can get a G4 for $100, there is going to have to be a very "killer" new app come along that is going to justify the continuous upgrade cycle.
In a nutshell that is the essence of Low End Mac. How much Mac do you need?
I believe we are entering an era where the low end will without question provide you with more than you need. It's a lot different than when Low End Mac first appeared on the Web in 1997, when the low end represented a compact Mac with a black-and-white screen, which were described at the time as "fine for word processing, email, and a few simple games."
Imagine the new low end - "fine for word processing, Web browsing, 3D gaming, digital video editing, Photoshop, and iChat AV."
The march of time can leave you feeling left behind in
technology, but I think this is actually an exciting time to
embrace the low end. The value equation of processing power for the
money has never been better, and it's only going to get better.
Recent Plays Well with Others articles
- End of G4 models points to unprecedented value for used G4 Macs, 06.02. The PowerPC G4 may no longer have a place in Apple's product line, but that's a far cry from saying G4-based Macs are obsolete. If anything, there value is going to increase.
- X11: Your window for using Unix apps on the Mac, 05.17. Mac OS X is a Unix variant. X11 is the tool that lets you access Unix applications using a graphical interface with mouse support.
- 6 extensions to make Firefox even better, 03.29. Improve Firefox with everything from web developer tools to nuking unwanted ads, from faster page loads to knowing the weather.
- More in the Plays Well with Others index.
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Apple's eMate still a great tool in the classroom, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 05.09. How one teacher equipped his classroom with eMates with his own money - and plans to keep using them as long as possible.
- $199 iPhone coming?, iPod not a Walkman, crosswalk danger, iPods taking over cars, and more, iNews Review, 05.09. Also the iPhone is a second-rate phone, iPhone 2.0 may introduce handwriting recognition, Kensington battery pack and chargers, new iPhone apps, and more.
- Best Power Mac G4 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.09. Used Cube, $479; 400 MHz PCI, $70; 450 AGP, $105; 733 DA, $150; 867 QS, $200; 1 GHz, $250; 450 dual, $295; 1 GHz dual, $400; 1.42, $600; more.
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- MacBook sales explode, MacBook Air reviews, several new hard drives, and more, The 'Book Review, 05.09. Also silver-zinc batteries may outlast lithium-ion, Bell Aliant bundling MacBook with Internet access, notebook drives benchmarked, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
- Best iPod touch deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.09. Refurb 8 GB '08, $249; 16 GB '07, $329; '08, $349; new 8 GB '07. $269; '08, $280; 16 GB '07, $330; '08, $369; 32 GB, $475.
- More G4 upgrade advice, secure disk wipes, 500 MHz iMacs with Tiger in action, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 05.09. The importance of securely clearing your hard drive before you pass on your Mac, Pismo and closed lid mode, G3 iMacs in the classroom, and more thoughts on upgrading G4 Power Macs.
- Apple tops in tech support, Penryn iMacs and Psystar Open Computer reviewed, and more, Mac News Review, 05.09. Also the iMac philosophy, OpenOffice 3.0 going Mac, MozyHome backup comes to Macs, weather in the Dock, and more.
- 140 million copies of Vista sold (yawn), Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 05.09. It sounds like a lot, but over 85% of Windows users are staying away from Vista. 20% of Mac users have embraced Leopard in one-third the time.
- Mac of the Day: 12" PowerBook G4/867 Jan. 2003 - The PowerBook gets smaller and lighter, adopts an alumimum case and AirPort Extreme.
- List of the Day: MacBooks covers Apple's new Intel-based 'Books such as the MacBook Pro.
- May 12 in LEM history: 99: Is Apple missing the boat? - 00: PowerBook history - Frankenstein Power Mac - 03: Beige Power Mac G3 - Is a 5400 worth buying? - Upgrades for the tray-loading iMac - Quiet computing - 04: Windows stability: Nothing changes - Broadband Internet access: Picking the right speed - 06: The future of PowerPC Macs in the Intel era - Setting up a 68040-based Mac media center - Mac mini Core Duo upgrades
- Why one Mac user chose BlackBerry over iPhone, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 05.08. The advantages of OS X, Safari, Mail, and iSync don't outweigh the familiarity of BlackBerry, its excellent software, easily replaceable batteries, and a camera-free option.
- 500 MHz iMac with Panther great for Internet, watching video, and more, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 05.08. At $65 with upgraded RAM and a bigger hard drive, it was too good to pass up, and it works very nicely with Mac OS X 10.3.
- Boomerang: The Blue and White Power Mac G3 that kept coming back, Charles Webb, The Webb Chronicles, 05.08. Over its nine-year lifespan, this Power Mac had at least five owners before it finally gave up the ghost.
- Best Intel iMac deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.08. Used 17" 1.83 GHz, $699; 20" 2.16 Core2, $885; refurb 20" 2.16, $949; 2.4, $1,099; 24" 2.16, $1,199; 2.4, $1,399; 2.8, $1,599; Penryn from $1,049 after rebate.
- Best 17" PowerBook G4 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.08. Used 17" 1 GHz, $790; 1.33 GHz, $850; 1.5 GHz, $859; 1.67 GHz, $889.
- Best Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.08. Mac OS X 10.5.1 single user, $99; 5 users, $139; 10.5 Server, 10 users, $450; unlimited, $899.
- More links in our archive.
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