On Jul 25, 2010, at 8:44 AM, Austin Leeds wrote: > Yeah, I know PPC is dead-in-the-water—all of my Macs (except for a 68k > PowerBook 180) are PPC. Nonetheless, I'm not too worried about it—if > it can word process, print, connect to our wireless hotspot, watch TV, > and possibly turn our VHS and HI8 tapes into DVDs, it's all good. > > Actually, the PC isn't going to be a hack. It'll be running Ubuntu— > next best OS after Mac and iOS—with MythTV. Trouble is, it doesn't > exactly go with the decor, and it doesn't have much room for upgrades. > Also, I am a little nervous about unleashing Linux upon a very PC and > Mac household. > > Thanks for the info about the coolant—I'll have to let someone know > about that so they can turn it back on (it's been shutdown for the > summer). > I have to echo what everyone else has already said about avoiding the water-cooled models. Water + electricity = bad. I don't care what the situation is, a computer used in the home or as a workstation should never have to be cooled with fluid!
Back on topic though, I run an early 2005 model 2x2.0 Ghz G5 (BOL model) as my HTPC/File Server. It sits out in my living room tucked away behind my entertainment center where it quietly hums away doing it's job flawlessly. I've got it hooked up to a 720P HDTV via a DVI-HDMI cable and it runs everything I throw at it with ease, including 720P HD video files. It does choke on 1080P files, but plays 1080i files smooth as silk. Because it's air-cooled, I don't even give it a second thought, it just sits out there and does it's job, getting vacuumed out every 4 months or so. In the last 2 years that it's been installed, it's only been down once, and that was due to a tree taking out my utility mast! In all seriousness though, you need to remember that the end of the line for PPC machines is Leopard, or if you're feeling adventurous: Linux (which I personally dislike). For me it's not a problem since all the machine does is host files, display movies, play music, and surf the web. For everything I want it to do, the G5 does a fantastic job, and it does it totally reliably. What's interesting is that even though it lacks the processing power of modern computers, it still "feels" faster when using it. The machine seems to be more responsive than my new MBP and even my high-spec desktop PC. I guess that's why I've always had sort of a soft spot for the G5's, they're just so peppy! -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
