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#1 2009-02-07 4:50 pm
- Bat
- Flawless Cowboy
- Royal Wombat
- From: Björk, Björk
- Registered: 2001-05-14
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Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
G5s soon enough, perhaps.
Apple banishes Macs to old folks home
Power G4s and the age of obsolescence
By Rik Myslewski in San Francisco
Apple has quietly declared that Power Mac G4s, Xserve G4s, and the PowerBook G4 are now either "vintage" or "obsolete."
These designations make once top-of-the-line but now elderly Macs ineligible for repair at the company's service centers. Also, Apple will no longer provide their users with either parts or documentation.
According to an Apple support bulletin picked up by MacMerc.com, the order will take effect on March 17 and will downgrade thus:
Vintage:
Xserve RAID
Xserve (Slot Load)
Xserve (Cluster Node)
Obsolete:
PowerBook G4
Power Mac G4 (Digital Audio)
Power Mac G4 (Quicksilver)
Macintosh Server G4 (Digital Audio)
Macintosh Server G4 (Quicksilver)
Apple defines vintage products as those that have been "discontinued more than five and less than seven years ago" and obsolete products as "discontinued more than seven years ago."
For most users, the difference is academic. For folks who bought their Macs in California, however, state law requires that vintage Macs remain serviceable until they graduate to obsolete status.
..
Although the time-honored law of "If it works for you, it's not obsolete" remains in effect, more and more software won't run on Power Mac G4s. Apple new iMovie '09, for example, requires an Intel-based or PowerPC G5-equpped Mac, and although Final Cut Studio is listed by Apple as being able to run on a 1.25GHz or faster PowerPC G4, "run" is a relative term - "crawl" would be more appropriate.
And although Apple has yet to release official system requirements for its upcoming Mac OS 10.6, aka Snow Leopard, rumors abound that not only will it shut out Power Mac G4s, but Power Mac G5s need not apply either.
The moving finger, as they say, writes and moves on. And it appears to have just scrawled "vintage" and "obsolete" on the last of the Power Mac G4s - and Power Mac G5s may not be far behind. ®
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion - George Bernard Shaw
"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."
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#2 2009-02-07 5:33 pm
- wellfleation
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
See ya later.
Streamline Snow Leopard code to make it as efficient and responsive as possible.
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#3 2009-02-07 8:04 pm
- Macskeeball
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
I still say they're going to switch back to 68k one of these days. Just you wait.
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#4 2009-02-07 10:56 pm
- bratboy
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
I don't get it. The powerbook G4 wasn't discontinued "more than seven years ago."
"One thing we've learned is there's a difference between being disappointed and having madmen in authority."
--Paul Krugman
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#5 2009-02-07 11:53 pm
- Bat
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
bratboy wrote:
I don't get it. The powerbook G4 wasn't discontinued "more than seven years ago."
If it's between 5 and 7 years, it's "Vintage."
No reall diff between the two except in California.
Last edited by Bat (2009-02-08 1:32 am)
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion - George Bernard Shaw
"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."
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#6 2009-02-07 11:55 pm
- Mr. T
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
I'm counting the days 'till my Mac mini becomes a square frisbee.
while (1) {fork();}
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#7 2009-02-08 1:02 am
Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
I have a PPC Mac mini that just came off of Apple Care a couple months ago, is that obsolete now 2 since it's served by a PPC G4?
MacBook Pro 17|2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo|4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3|320 HD @ 7200 RPM|NVIDIA GeForce 9600 M GT 512 MB
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#8 2009-02-08 1:37 am
- Bat
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- Posts: 28541
Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
Aaron_R wrote:
I have a PPC Mac mini that just came off of Apple Care a couple months ago, is that obsolete now 2 since it's served by a PPC G4?
It's not on the list (and AFAIK was introed at MWSF '05), so it should still have spare parts, docs & be eligible for repairs. 5 years after the model discontinue date, that'll go away, and anyway it can't be upgraded to run anything much recent very well, let alone 10.6.
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion - George Bernard Shaw
"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."
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#9 2009-02-08 4:52 am
Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
Bat wrote:
bratboy wrote:
I don't get it. The powerbook G4 wasn't discontinued "more than seven years ago."
If it's between 5 and 7 years, it's "Vintage."
I am typing this on one that's only three years old.
There is no "The" PowerBook G4.
.tsooJ
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#10 2009-02-08 9:25 am
- Tetrachloride
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
Xserves were first shipped Xserves in July 2002 with dual G4 cpus at 1 ghz. Geez, has it been that long ?
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#11 2009-02-08 9:26 am
- Graphic Autist
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
Although my Mac Pro runs circles around it, my MDD G4 was the best Mac I ever bought. I bought it right before starting University and I ran that thing through the ringer doing 4 years of video, 3D and motion graphics classes. It was also the easiest to upgrade Mac I ever owned. Just open the side door and you have immediate access to everything. You can do pretty much the same with the Mac Pro line, but it's innards aren't nearly as accessible.
I still use my MDD G4 as a file server.
Mac Pro 2.66 ghz Quad Core - 9 GB RAM - Mac OS X 10.6.2 & 10.5.8
MacBook Pro 2.4 ghz Intel Core 2 Duo - 4 GB RAM - Mac OS X 10.6.2
G4 MDD Dual 1.25 ghz - 2 GB RAM - Mac OS X 10.5.8
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#12 2009-02-08 10:24 am
- Chickenhawk
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
so does this mean that I can't get my 4 year old Powerbook repaired now?
The recent medical controversy over whether vaccinations cause autism reveals a habit of human cognition—thinking anecdotally comes naturally, whereas thinking scientifically does not. -- Michael Shermer
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#13 2009-02-08 1:05 pm
- bratboy
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
Bat wrote:
If it's between 5 and 7 years, it's "Vintage."
No reall diff between the two except in California.
Right, but the article you linked to identifies it as "obsolete." I bought my powerbook in 2004, but I'm fairly certain they kept making them for awhile after that.
"One thing we've learned is there's a difference between being disappointed and having madmen in authority."
--Paul Krugman
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#14 2009-02-08 1:30 pm
- Macskeeball
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
bratboy wrote:
Bat wrote:
If it's between 5 and 7 years, it's "Vintage."
No reall diff between the two except in California.Right, but the article you linked to identifies it as "obsolete." I bought my powerbook in 2004, but I'm fairly certain they kept making them for awhile after that.
Yeah, the Intel switch started in January 2006 with the iMac and the MacBook Pro. Even after the MacBook Pros became available (which may or may not have been the day of the announcement), there were still left over PowerBooks and and refurb PowerBooks to be sold. So as Alien indicated, there are PowerBook G4s that are only three years old yet are about to be classified as vintage. Mine is four years old like Chickenhawk's.
Last edited by Macskeeball (2009-02-08 1:30 pm)
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#15 2009-02-09 4:55 am
- Bat
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
Alien wrote:
Bat wrote:
bratboy wrote:
I don't get it. The powerbook G4 wasn't discontinued "more than seven years ago."
If it's between 5 and 7 years, it's "Vintage."
I am typing this on one that's only three years old.
There is no "The" PowerBook G4.
.tsooJ
I trust our former MacAddict EIC has his facts straight, so that the confusion lies somewhere in the wording. I was citing Apple's definition of the terms as I understand them, nothing more, and you've IDed the issue.
bratboy wrote:
Bat wrote:
If it's between 5 and 7 years, it's "Vintage."
No real diff between the two except in California.Right, but the article you linked to identifies it as "obsolete." I bought my powerbook in 2004, but I'm fairly certain they kept making them for awhile after that.
I'm thinking the likeliest way this is all consistent is as Alien referred to, and it breaks down by specific model. Someone can check if need be when the earliest PB G4s were discontinued, and determine which models fall into what category.
I just spotted this and passed it along, guys. I remember there are places you can check exact specs, dates and such on the old machines, but I didn't vett all this for accuracy.
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion - George Bernard Shaw
"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."
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#16 2009-02-09 9:23 am
- user
- Your plastic pal who's fun to be with
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
My B/W G3 still gets daily use (but GF has begun to talk about getting her own Intel iMac because it's slow and is not reliable on web videos). I just got another B/W G3 given to me, not sure what I'll do with it, maybe swap in a 6 gig drive that I have and let my sister use it.
Aw, he's no fun, he fell right over.
Unless you become as little children, there's no way you will believe this crap.
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#17 2009-02-09 11:14 am
- bratboy
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
Bat wrote:
I just spotted this and passed it along, guys. I remember there are places you can check exact specs, dates and such on the old machines, but I didn't vett all this for accuracy.
No one's blaming you, we're just saying the article you linked to doesn't make sense!
"One thing we've learned is there's a difference between being disappointed and having madmen in authority."
--Paul Krugman
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#18 2009-02-09 1:02 pm
- nayrk
- User Error
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
My old quicksilver won't like this news.
Still, its the only machine I still have w/a ZIP drive, that counts for something though right?
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#19 2009-02-09 1:13 pm
- dv
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
nayrk wrote:
My old quicksilver won't like this news.
Still, its the only machine I still have w/a ZIP drive, that counts for something though right?
About half the people I run into refer to their USB Flash Drives as "Zip" drives.
So, no.
"Now commences the process of cutting off the head, which generally takes from an hour to an hour and a half by an expert workman with a sharp blade." -Reuben Delano, Wanderings and Adventures
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#20 2009-02-09 1:23 pm
- Chickenhawk
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
I might replace my powerbook with an eee 1000HE.
Last edited by Chickenhawk (2009-02-09 1:23 pm)
The recent medical controversy over whether vaccinations cause autism reveals a habit of human cognition—thinking anecdotally comes naturally, whereas thinking scientifically does not. -- Michael Shermer
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#21 2009-02-10 3:01 pm
Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
Wow. It's hard to believe the G4 is already "obsolete" or "classic". G5's will follow. I still remember the day they announced the Intel switch. Seems like only yesterday.
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#22 2009-02-10 9:02 pm
Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
Bah! It shouldn't come as a surprise but I don't like it.
Based on the findings of the report, my conclusion was that this idea was not a practical deterrent for reasons which at this moment must be all too obvious.
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#23 2009-02-10 10:11 pm
- wellfleation
- High on Life
- From: Metheun, Mass.
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Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
Jasoco wrote:
Wow. It's hard to believe the G4 is already "obsolete" or "classic". G5's will follow. I still remember the day they announced the Intel switch. Seems like only yesterday.
My 1GHz 12" is 5 years old!
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#24 2009-02-10 11:04 pm
Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
My Mac mini is 4.
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#25 2009-02-10 11:36 pm
Re: Apple puts G4s out to pasture - 3/17
It's possible someone is misinterpreting something Apple said. There are G4s that obsolete under those terms but I think someone is attributing all of the models when its really some of them. Rik's imprecise way of wording the opening it isn't helping.
All Quicksilver G4s (which are the newer tower models listed) are seven years old and only one is capable of running Leopard. The Gigabit Powerbook G4s will be 7 years old in a couple months & the DVI ones will be that way in November and none are capable of running Leopard..
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