|
|
 |
by Charles Gaba
|
Visit Charle Gaba's new System Shootout site for the latest shootouts!
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
STOCK
MODELS from Apple's online store |
PowerMac G4 Tower
|
||
 |
|
|
|
|
PowerMac G4
DUAL 867 MHz w/17" LCD |
PowerMac G4
Dual 1 GHz w/17" LCD |
PowerMac G4
Dual 1.25 GHz w/17" LCD |
|
|
$2,500
|
$3,200
|
$3,900
|
|
 |
|||
|
Design/Styling:
|
"Cyclops" Quicksilver w / Polycarbonate Shell
|
||
|
Mobility:
|
Built-in handles
|
||
|
Weight:
|
46 lbs. total
|
||
|
Component Access:
|
Side drops open for extremely easy expansion
& component access. |
||
|
Cables/Cords:
|
8
|
||
|
Deskspace Used:
|
280 sq. inches total
|
||
|
Noise Volume:
|
Standard Cooling Fan
|
||
|
Energy Use:
|
appx. 340 Watts total (appx. $61 / year)
|
||
 |
|||
|
Processor:
|
 1.7 GHz P4DUAL 867 MHz PowerPC G4 |
2.0 GHz P4 DUAL 1.0 GHz PowerPC G4 |
2.4 GHz P4 DUAL 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 |
|
L1 Cache:
|
64k
|
||
|
L2 Cache:
|
256K on-chip
|
||
|
L3 Cache:
|
1 MB x2 DDR (2 MB total)
|
2 MB x2 DDR (4 MB total)
|
|
|
Memory Type:
|
DDR-SDRAM PC2100
|
DDR-SDRAM PC2700
|
|
|
Frontside Bus:
|
133 MHz bus
|
166 MHz bus
|
|
|
Memory Included:
|
256 MB (1 x 256)
|
512 GB (1 x 512)
|
|
|
Max RAM:
|
2.0 GB (4 slots)
|
||
 |
|||
|
Hard Drive Capacity:
|
60 GB
|
80 GB
|
120 GB
|
|
Hard Drive Speed:
|
Ultra ATA 100
|
||
| 7200 rpm | |||
|
CD Optical Drive:
|
16x10x32x CD-RW
|
8x4x24x CD-RW
|
|
|
DVD Optical Drive:
|
8x DVD-Rom
|
2x1x6x DVD-RW
|
|
|
Zip/Other Drive:
|
(optional external Zip or other drives available)
|
||
 |
|||
|
PCI/AGP Slots:
|
4 PCI slots available + AGP slot (used by graphics card)
|
||
|
Internal Bays:
|
3 available; 4 total
|
||
|
External Bays:
|
1bay available for optional 2nd Optical Drive; 2 total
|
||
 |
|||
|
Mouse Included:
|
Ambidextrous USB Optical Pro Mouse (3rd-party multi-button/scrollwheel mice also available)
|
||
|
Keyboard Included:
|
USB Pro Keyboard w/volume control, mute & CD-Eject buttons + 2 USB ports
|
||
|
USB Ports:
|
2 on CPU back + 2 on keyboard + 2 on LCD display = 6 total; 4 available
|
||
|
FireWire Ports:
|
2 On-board ports (400 Mbps transfer speed); 1 6' 6-pin to 6-pin FireWire Cable
|
||
 |
|||
|
Graphics Card:
|
nVIDIA GeForce4 MX 440
|
ATI Radeon 9000
|
|
|
Video RAM:
|
32 MB DDR SDRAM |
64MB DDR SDRAM
|
|
|
VGA Out:
|
Yes (DVI to VGA Adapter included)
|
||
|
DVI Out:
|
ADC and DVI out ports (TwinView on all video cards; see below)
|
||
|
TV/Composite Out:
|
(optional via 3rd party solution)
|
||
|
TV/S-Video Out:
|
(optional via 3rd party solution)
|
||
|
Dual Display Support?
|
Yes
|
||
|
Max. Resolution Supported:
|
1920x1200
|
||
|
Display Included:
|
17" viewable LCD; 100% digital (ADC)
|
||
|
Max. included-display resolution:
|
1280x1024
|
||
|
Viewable Angle:
|
160° V / 160° H
|
||
|
Brightness:
|
200 cd/m
|
||
|
Contrast:
|
350:1 (17" LCD)
|
||
|
Microphone/
Line in: |
Audio in port; digital-audio-in ready
|
||
|
Headphone/
Line out: |
2 Audio-out (headphone) jacks (1 in front); Audio out (speaker) jack, Digital-audio-outready | ||
|
Speakers Included:
|
Internal Harmon Kardon Speaker; (optional analog or digital speakers available)
|
||
 |
|||
|
10/100 Ethernet:
|
10/100 Base-T Ethernet built-in
|
||
|
Gigabit Ethernet:
|
Gigabit Ethernet built-in
|
||
|
56k Internal Modem:
|
|
||
|
802.11b Wireless Networking?
|
integrated 802.11b (Airport) card slot; integrated antennae; Built-in 802.11b Base Station software (requires optional Airport card)
|
||
 |
|||
|
Included OS:
|
Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar), Mac OS 9.2 (dual-boot system), BSD Unix (full Unix core under OS X;
also includes FULL Apache Web Server; OS X fully Java 2 compliant) |
||
|
OS Compatibility:
|
Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000 & XP (via Virtual PC); Mac OS (any); Asstd. builds of Linux; BSD Unix, A/UX Unix
|
||
 |
|||
|
Database Software Included:
|
FileMaker Pro 5.5 Trial
|
||
|
Drawing/Painting Software Included:
|
Graphic Converter, Art Directors Toolkit, PixelNhance, OmniGraffle
|
||
|
Planning/Project Software Included:
|
OmniOutliner | ||
|
Web Browser Included:
|
Internet Explorer 5.2, Netscape 4.7
|
||
|
E-Mail/Address Book Software Included:
|
OS X Mail, Address Book, iCal, iSync | ||
|
Media Player Included:
|
Quicktime 6, DVD Player (Media Player 7 & RealOne Player available as free downloads) | ||
|
Digital Image/Graphics Management Software Included:
|
iPhoto 1.1, Graphic Converter, Snapx Pro X
|
||
|
Digital Video Editing Software Included:
|
iMovie 2
|
||
|
Music Software/CD Burning Software Included:
|
iTunes 3; Disc Burner
|
||
|
DVD Burning Software Included:
|
Disc Burner
|
iDVD 2, Disc Burner
|
|
|
Games Included:
|
Chess
|
||
|
Additional Software Included:
|
FaxSTF, EarthLink, AOL, Acrobat Reader 5.0, PCalc; Apple Hardware Test CD; other assorted additional software bundled w/OS
|
||
 |
|||
|
Free ISP/Other Services:
|
1 month free EarthLink
|
||
|
Virus Susceptibility/
Security Issues: |
only 45 known viruses (as opposed to well over 50,000 for Windows!); built-in firewall (OS X);
not vulnerable to IIS DDoS attacks. BUILT-IN FIREWALL. |
||
|
Quality of Products & Service:
|
Received an exemplary "Good Guys" rating from ConsumerAffairs.com
(other 5 major PC makers all received negative "Rogues Gallery" rating) |
||
|
Warranty Included:
|
1 yr. ltd.hardware, 90 days phone support (3 year AppleCare Protection Plan available for $249)
|
||
|
Total Price:
|
$2,498 (after rebate)
|
$3,198 (after rebate)
|
$3,898 (after rebate)
|
|
The information above is as accurate as I could make it based on a reasonable time studying the respective companies' Web sites. There is no guarantee that these configurations, prices, and features are the best that one could come up with; assorted bundles, free internet access, free extra memory, and so on can most likely be found for any of the above systems. The point of this chart is to demonstrate that Apple's lineup holds its own against any brand-name computer, even in areas in which it has traditionally had resistance. In short, do not base your purchasing decisions solely on this chart or information. Neither I, nor The Mac Observer will be held responsible or liable for any purchase decisions you make based on this presentation. Charles Gaba started the AAPLTalk System Shootouts at AAPLTalk.com, and has brought them to TMO. Charles is the creative talent behind Brainwrap Web Design. AAPLTalk System Shootouts Archives Back to The Mac Observer For More Mac News! |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
© All information presented on this site is copyrighted by The Mac Observer except where otherwise noted. No portion of this site may be copied without express written consent. Other sites are invited to link to any aspect of this site provided that all content is presented in its original form and is not placed within another . |
 |
