Rating: 
Summary: -
Review: -
Rating: 
Summary: The lost star is in the very minor details...
Review: I have been a Mac user for 14 years. My first experience on a Mac was with an SE that was doctored up to have two floppy drives AND a 20 megabyte hard drive. It was sweet.Save one brief stint at a crappy post-college temp job, I've been lucky to be able to work on Macs my entire computing life. Sure, I now run Windows in a window on my desktop, but given the alternatives (full fledged Dell+XP misery), I'm pretty fortunate. Now, this here machine is a fine, fine computer. As Apple's mid-range professional desktop, it can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it with ease. To take full advantage of the potential of the G4, you really need to be able to work natively in OS X. As the applications I rely on to do my job (Photoshop, QuarkXPress, Illustrator) are released for OS X, I look forward to being able to eliminate the Classic (OS 9.2) environment from my computing life. This is a machine that is designed for graceful using. It is easy to upgrade and maintain (much better than that old SE I once loved), easy on the eyes, and (of course) easy to use. All of that said, this is not the computer to buy and put in your home so that your kids can do their homework and you can watch your stocks. Most people would have more computer than they required with even the entry-level iMac or iBook. This is a computer for serious users (or people who like fancy things on their desks at home) who require/desire the power that's available in this box. Up the RAM (it's cheap and if you need this machine than you need it with more RAM) and go for the at least the 17" Apple Studio Display. It's a shame that the drive writes only at 8x. I know, I know, the cost of producing a Superdrive that burns CD-R at 24x is likely too high to warrant. I still want it...
Rating:
Summary: Got OS 10.1 & above? Look no further for your perfect Mac!
Review: I've had the Dual 800 since early September, and it's amazing how quick it is under 10.1 -- forget just wondering about programs optimized for dual processors, the OS itself will take great advantage of this model's dual PowerPC system. Everything executes quickly, from program opening (most at a single "bounce") to printing (I hardly tap the "enter" key and my printer is reacting). Cram it with RAM (dirt cheap these days) and pair it with an Apple Cinema Display, and you've got the ultimate modern Macintosh. There is no Mac available (as of October 30, 2001) that is better than the Dual 800.
Rating:
Summary: Schwing!
Review: I've had this baby for about 4 months now... what a delight. Adjacent to my G4 is a Dell 1.3ghz Pentium III. The clock speed means nada. I fire them up at the same time each morning and about a full minute after the Mac is busy opening applications for me, the Pentium is just starting to show the icons on the desktp. As chip architecture gets improved, you're going to see the Win-Tel crowd also saying that "clock speed doesn't matter" because newer Intel chips will be rated at 300mhz, but be faster than the 1.3gig P3 chips. To compare a Mac and a Wintel machine is like comparing a pick axe to a chainsaw. Each have their uses, levels of complexity and levels of simplicity. The dual processor won't do you a heck of a lot of good if you never use OS X. Only a couple of OS 9 apps utilize the dual processors.... OS X is all over that bad boy. For now, I still work 90% of the time in Classic mode, but this machine still sings. I haven't had one lock-up or crash since I bought this computer. The standard keyboard has been improved and fits normal human adult hands. The power key on the keyboard has been replaced by an eject key, and next to that are "volume up," "volume down," and "mute" buttons for quick volume access. The CPU is beautiful, stylish and easy to carry. The built-in speaker is classy and delivers decent sound for an internal speaker. If you're a grahic artist, designer or web developer, this is the machine for you. Using programs like Photoshop and Illustrator in a Windows environment is just clumsy and awkward... graphics programs are meant to run on a Mac. This is also the best choice for those wanting to create their own movies, CDs, mp3 collections and DVDs. No extra hardware or software to buy... just plug in your camcorder, CD or mp3 player and go! Easy, trouble free, and Koko the Gorilla could add RAM to this machine... no screwdrivers... just open up the latch and snap in your memory. This is the best computer I've ever used.
Rating:
Summary: Yes! Macs keep getting better!
Review: It seems that these days only hardened Mac users buy the new Macs, and the G4 proves that a huge segment of the population is making a mistake. This machine is by far faster than my daughter's Pentium III PC, and I understand that it even outperforms Pentium IV computers as well. With the advent of CD-ROM's, the software issue is greatly diminished. The Mac operating system is still superior and easier to use than Windows, even as Microsoft attempts to edge closer to the Macintosh model. If you've never used a Mac, you might not understand how this can be, but trust me, nothing can be easier to use than a Mac. The machine comes with both OS 9.2 and OS X. Right now, I'm using 9.2 because of software compatibility issues, and it seems to run smoothly, with even greater ease of use than previous operating systems and more features. Look to other reviews for info on OS X. The G4 comes with Ethernet, USB, and Fire Wire ports (no Local Talk.) The optical mouse is a convenient step up from the old roller ball models. The keyboard has an attached flip up stand so you can choose between having it flat or angled up. The 733-MHz model does not come with a SuperDrive, but only with a CD-RW drive, a mistake Apple may have to pay for in today's competitive market. Because I use my machine primarily for work, I'm not going to miss the DVD drive, but college students and video makers will want the more expensive models. Personally, I wouldn't want to watch movies on my computer; I'd prefer the comfort of my family room. Still, this is a point to consider. The G4 comes with very little bundled software: iTunes (it has its own library of music to get you started), Netscape Communicator (with Composer, a non-HTML person's tool to create web pages), Microsoft Outlook Express, iMovie (only good for SuperDrives), Acrobat Reader, plus the usual cast of smaller and somewhat necessary programs. I'm going to have to buy a new version of Microsoft Office because what I have is somewhat flaky with OS 9.2 (and seemingly unusable with OS X.) Although I highly recommend this computer for any user, this is a must-buy for artistic types: artists, architects, film makers, musicians, desktop publishers, graphic designers, etc. Because of its extraordinary ease of use (and in this, Windows cannot compare), it's a great place for a techno-phobe to find comfort. PC/Windows users will wonder why they didn't switch sooner, and Mac users, who expect this kind of performance, won't be disappointed with the greater power and speed.
Rating:
Summary: Yes! Macs keep getting better!
Review: It seems that these days only hardened Mac users buy the new Macs, and the G4 proves that a huge segment of the population is making a mistake. This machine is by far faster than my daughter's Pentium III PC, and I understand that it even outperforms Pentium IV computers as well. With the advent of CD-ROM's, the software issue is greatly diminished. The Mac operating system is still superior and easier to use than Windows, even as Microsoft attempts to edge closer to the Macintosh model. If you've never used a Mac, you might not understand how this can be, but trust me, nothing can be easier to use than a Mac. The machine comes with both OS 9.2 and OS X. Right now, I'm using 9.2 because of software compatibility issues, and it seems to run smoothly, with even greater ease of use than previous operating systems and more features. Look to other reviews for info on OS X. The G4 comes with Ethernet, USB, and Fire Wire ports (no Local Talk.) The optical mouse is a convenient step up from the old roller ball models. The keyboard has an attached flip up stand so you can choose between having it flat or angled up. The 733-MHz model does not come with a SuperDrive, but only with a CD-RW drive, a mistake Apple may have to pay for in today's competitive market. Because I use my machine primarily for work, I'm not going to miss the DVD drive, but college students and video makers will want the more expensive models. Personally, I wouldn't want to watch movies on my computer; I'd prefer the comfort of my family room. Still, this is a point to consider. The G4 comes with very little bundled software: iTunes (it has its own library of music to get you started), Netscape Communicator (with Composer, a non-HTML person's tool to create web pages), Microsoft Outlook Express, iMovie (only good for SuperDrives), Acrobat Reader, plus the usual cast of smaller and somewhat necessary programs. I'm going to have to buy a new version of Microsoft Office because what I have is somewhat flaky with OS 9.2 (and seemingly unusable with OS X.) Although I highly recommend this computer for any user, this is a must-buy for artistic types: artists, architects, film makers, musicians, desktop publishers, graphic designers, etc. Because of its extraordinary ease of use (and in this, Windows cannot compare), it's a great place for a techno-phobe to find comfort. PC/Windows users will wonder why they didn't switch sooner, and Mac users, who expect this kind of performance, won't be disappointed with the greater power and speed.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad Computers
Review: Mac user for 6 years bought 2 dual 800 end of Sept. and within in a month both machines had processors replaced. Started to work on them again and the logic board went out. Apples respones to this was give me 2 more 800, NO THANK YOU! After a couple of weeks delay were not going to chance it and Apple says to bad. Guess the attorney is going to make some money.
Rating:
Summary: Bad Computers
Review: Mac user for 6 years bought 2 dual 800 end of Sept. and within in a month both machines had processors replaced. Started to work on them again and the logic board went out. Apples respones to this was give me 2 more 800, NO THANK YOU! After a couple of weeks delay were not going to chance it and Apple says to bad. Guess the attorney is going to make some money.
Rating:
Summary: Quick and Silver
Review: Not only does the outer case design make this a work of art, the sheer power of this computer is astounding. I have had one since the initial release this summer, and I am constantly surprised by the performance of this computer is applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Director - not to mention blistering frame rates in Quake III and Unreal Tournament.
The onboard superdrive makes burning any DVD/CD very easy, although you might want to pick up Titanium Toast 5 if you are planning on creating end-market cross-platform multimedia. Spend the extra money and get one of the Apple LCD displays. The screen image is simply amazing.
I would not hesitate to recommend this computer to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Quick and Silver
Review: Not only does the outer case design make this a work of art, the sheer power of this computer is astounding. I have had one since the initial release this summer, and I am constantly surprised by the performance of this computer is applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Director - not to mention blistering frame rates in Quake III and Unreal Tournament.
The onboard superdrive makes burning any DVD/CD very easy, although you might want to pick up Titanium Toast 5 if you are planning on creating end-market cross-platform multimedia. Spend the extra money and get one of the Apple LCD displays. The screen image is simply amazing.
I would not hesitate to recommend this computer to anyone.
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