Apple Power Mac Desktop M8359LL/A (733-MHz PowerPC G4, 128 MB RAM, 40 GB hard drive)
Average Customer Review:
Personal Computers
-- our price: $1,299.00
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Power Mac desktops are an expensive choice if you're looking for a mainstream system--we'd recommend an iMac to most consumer buyers--but if you need a graphics or multimedia powerhouse, they're hard to beat. This model offers a 733 MHz PowerPC G4 processor, 128 MB of memory (expandable to 1.5 GB), and a sizable 40 GB hard disk drive. The graphics card is a speedy nVidia GeForce2 MX. The system's CD-RW drive can write at speeds up to 12x, and like all Power Macs, this one comes with 1-Gbps Ethernet, USB, and FireWire ports. There's a 56K modem, too. Both the classic Mac OS 9 and the newer Mac OS X are installed, so you can try both and choose the one that works best for you. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Schwing!
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 The power key on the keyboard has been replaced by an eject key, and next to that are "volume up," "volume down," and "mute" buttons for quick volume access.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.

The lost star is in the very minor details...
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...

Works great
We have 3 of these that we use for our college newspaper. They work great because each one has zip drives in them and we don't have to worry about the format of the disk. We can just take the disk from computer to computer, which makes sharing and transferring graphics much easier.

One problem that I seem to have is, being used to my HP Pavilion, I will click on the X on the left, but I forget to close the program. After crashing the computer a few times, I learn my lesson. ... Read more

Asin: B00005NK37
Subjects:  1. Power Mac    2. (PowerMac)    3. Apple    4. (Mac)    5. (Macintosh)   

Viking MG4/512M 512MB PC133 DIMM Memory for Apple Computers
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $190.77 -- our price: $136.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Features

• Specifically designed and engineered for Apple / Macintosh products
• Enables you to run multiple programs simultaneously
• Enables you to open files and programs faster
• Premiere components guarantee flawless operation, even under the harshest conditions
• Installation is easy with Viking's comprehensive install guide or toll free tech support

Reviews (1)

double check what you need
I usually have great luck with viking! But I used the configurator to get the correct memory for my ibook- and this memory would not be it. I did not know I got the wrong memory until after it arrived-- good memory usually- but please double check what you need- and do not trust the configurator. ... Read more

Asin: B000059GTV
Sales Rank: 2,580
Subjects:  1. CPU Upgrade Card (Cards, Upgrades)    2. Mac Macintosh Machintosh Apple    3. 512MB    4. 512 MB    5. Megabyte    6. Macintosh    7. Memory    8. Computer