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The new Apple Power Mac G5 is a hot machine. It actually raises the room temperature in my office.
The $8,022 G5 I tested also could melt your bank account, though the G5 can start at a more modest $1,999. I don't recommend the less expensive models because they don't give you as much flexibility in upgrading.
Apple's offerings for the holidays include the G5, a recently released upgrade of the Mac operating system and new G4-based iBook notebooks. Apple also heads into the gift-shopping season with newly upgraded gear, from its consumer line of iBooks and iMacs to its professional line of PowerBooks and Power Macs.
It also has cut the price on its entry-level eMac for schools and homes. The CRT-based all-in-one computer starts at $799.
Apple's upgraded operating system, code-named Panther but technically known as Mac OS X 10.3, has many neat new features, including speedier functions and improved organizing capabilities.
It also has had some problems in the early going, not unusual for a new version of an operating system. Some people have reported losing data when using a FileVault setting to encrypt their files, for example, and some iBook users had their computers crash during the upgrade. Before you upgrade, make sure you have backed up all your data.
Back to my G5 plaything, whose specs blow away most desktops: It has two 2-gigahertz processors, while common machines have only one chip - that really did make my office warmer. That may be good up North, but it's not so good for Florida in July. So keep the machine well-ventilated and near an air-conditioning vent.
It has 4 gigabytes of random access memory, when mere mortal machines get by with 256 megabytes, or a sixteenth of that total. Of course, in a few years, you may be wringing your hands if you don't have 6 gigabytes.
A 23-inch flat-panel display is gorgeous, and Apple manages to make the G5 quieter than previous PowerMacs. Gone are the wind tunnel sounds.
Because 64-bit computing is so new to the desktop, there are a few teething problems. The first is that Mac OS X 10.3 does not fully utilize the processor. Future versions of the operating system promise full compatibility. Some software doesn't run at all, such as Microsoft's Virtual PC.
But my test drive was fun. It's a well-designed, visually pleasing, very fast computer. It would make a worthy upgrade or switch from any other desktop computer system.
If you're rich and sick of waiting a few seconds for applications to load, or if you're a graphics professional with money in this year's hardware budget, this is the machine for you.
- Jules Allen writes the weekly Site Seeing column in Personal Tech.