PC Mag Compares G5 to Xeon

zpok writes "PC Magazine did a comparison between a dual 2.0-GHz Power Mac G5 and an equally expensive Dell Precision 650 Workstation running dual 3.06-GHz Xeon processors. Their conclusion: 'we see that indeed the G5 is generally as fast as the best Intel-based workstations currently available.' But of course 'our cousin Ned can build you a better'un at half the dough.'"

Comments

I am pretty sure that you have to

[maccw]

run windows on that Dell too.

Re:I am pretty sure that you have to

[Llywelyn]

Yeah, something everyone seems to forget when they price out that PC for the comparison is the cost of porting MacOS X :)

Yes, but

[McAddress]

What I want to know is how long it takes to copy a 17 MB file from folder to another.

Re:Yes, but

[godawful]

perhaps this should be included in their benchmarks from now on, along with installing a copy of acrobat (i hear it's upwards of 20 minutes!)

My favorite quote from the article

[Lumpish Scholar]

"We started [Photoshop testing] with a 59.5 MB test image, but many operations completed too quickly to time...."

Re:speed no longer matters

[YouHaveSnail]

It's due mostly to microphallus economics, I suspect.

What Went Wrong: A Trolling Analysis

[Anonymous Coward]

1. Your troll was too long winded. This is usually a dead giveaway to the bots that they're reading a troll. Things like footnotes need to be left out. If it's worth including, it's worth including in the main body. If it's relegated to footnotes or parentheses, it should probably be cut. This is a troll, not a research paper.
2. Apple fans are jaded to this argument. As hard as it is to believe, Slashdot is not MacTeens, so saying "Apple sucks," no matter how curtly or longwindedly, is not going to garner the response it might on other sites. Slashdot is good for Linux zealots. Slashdot's Apple fans tend be a little more mellow than, say, those on MacSlash.
3. Your post smells like a cut-and-paste of Dvorak's tripe: Too much like a magazine article (see #1).

Remember to keep it simple. With every bit of information you want to add to the piece, ask if it's relevant. Is it acting as filler that you need? Is it making a point or setting up a mark for a kneejerk reaction? Or are you just impressing yourself by seeing your wordcount grow every time you check it? Impact, impact, impact. This is something the British trolls never got and why you could spot them a mile away.

Better luck next time, make sure to keep trying!

Professional Journalism at its finest!

[tb3]

And by outperforming top-specked Windows machines on some tests ...
Top-specked? What the hell is that? The same kind of paint specks on both machines?

Re:Mac Trolls

[geoffspear]

Yes, it's certainly trolling to suggest that waiting a minute for a menu to pop up could hurt productivity. I just love double-clicking "My Computer" on a PC and going off to make a pot of tea while it loads.

The only way to solve this...

[Zugok]

is by Celebrity Deathmatch. Nothing like a good fist fight. What they're computers? I guess we'll have to settle for a game of chess then.

Re:icon update needed

[ruprechtjones]

Shouldn't the slashdot topic icon say G5 on it by now

Slashdot's still waiting for the initial shipment from apple. Should be any day now.

What gives!?!

[PasteEater]

Talk about a tragedy! Dude, my P4 takes like four seconds to install spyware, where my Mac, won't even let me install it at all!

And does anyone realize that Macs don't even run Windows natively? What's the deal with that? What am I supposed to do with that software that I bought at the checkout line in Walgreens?

I mean benchmarks are cool and all, but let's focus on the important thing here: will it be able to run crippled software made by monopolistic theives who want to take over the world?

You crazy Slashdot people sure know how to blow things out of proportion.

Re:I HATE MAC'S

[soulnet]

Hmm, lucky thing I got a 12" powerbook then. Don't think it took more than 5 minutes to pop the battery out and slide my Airport Extreme card in. Perhaps I didn't do it correctly though. Probably should have pryed the battery out instead of using the release, eh?

To:I HATE MAC'S..because I'm a moron...

[z-kungfu]

Stay away from my computers. If it took you anything over 30 minutes to complete that task you are a moron. When you get your airport card there are these little things called instructions. If you simply follow them it is as easy as 1,2,3... But he way how long have you had your MCSE?

Re:Do I hear a goalpost moving?

[Triumph The Insult C]

yea, well my dell came with a mouse with more than 1 button.

beat that!

Re:I HATE MAC'S

[Anonymous Coward]

Dood, I totally understand man!!

I like, totally feel you. I had to install some RAM today which meant I had to open the case. No problem with my old G4 - the side just popped down. But strangely enough on my PC, there were these little metal things with "+" marks on top of them. I have no clue what the hell Dell was thinking when they put them in, but it caused my case to not want to come apart. So I took a hammer to the case, and it came apart.

After I got the case open, I called Dell to tell them how "rediculous" it was to have the average user go thru all that work, just to install RAM. They told me I should have just read the instructions and slid the outer door next time. I think I detected a hint of sarcasm in his voice, so I told him off, and went back to installing my RAM.

I look at the motherboard and see the RAM slots. But, when I tried to install the RAM, these little metal hooks were in the way. I tried pushing the RAM into it, but nothing! Freakin' Dell! What the hell are they doing?!
So I take a file and start filing off the metal things, careful not to break the mother-bored.

I call Dell again, and tell them they are morons and their machines are designed really badly.

They told me that the metal things were what held the RAM modules in place. I think those sons of bitches were just lying to me to cover their asses.

Next time I'll get an a600, like you have, unless it's a Dell.