[Sussex] PPC or Intel

[Steven Dobson]

Dominic

Please note that everything I say below is third hand.  I listen to a
number of podcasts that have talked about the new Intel Macs, and pass
on what I can remember in the hope that it helps.

On Fri, 2006-07-07 at 04:24 -0600, linux at oneandoneis2.org wrote:
> My girlfriend wants an Apple laptop, and in a moment of madness, I  
> offered to buy her one.
> 
> But she can't decide if she should get one of the older ones with a  
> PPC processor, or a newer one with Intel Inside.
> 
> Having seen all the Holy Wars when Apple made the switch, I can't  
> imagine that asking on an Apple forum would get me terribly far :o) So  
> does anybody here have any advice as to how much difference, if any,  
> the different CPU arch's make?

It depends upon what you want.  

Not all of the applications for PPC Apples have (are??) being ported to
the Intel CPU.  So the first questions have to be:

   1). What applications are to be bought (run).

   2). Are said applications available for the Intel version?

Of couse the Intel systems can also run Windows apps too (either by duel
booting [the reports of how to install Windows on an Intel Mac are on
the Net somewhere], or by some kind of virtual machine technology).
This maybe a reason for you to look more to the Intel system.

Another reason maybe that, like for like, the Intel processor appear to
be running the applications quicker than the old PPC - for a simularly
speced CPU that is.

However, on the down side I have heard that a fair number of laptop Macs
run hot (too hot to sit on your lap).  I have also heard of power brick
problems in the US.  IIRC the bricks die and it is so bad that some
stores in the US stopped stocking replacements forcing the unit to be
sent away for repair.

But the thing that would stop me buying any Apple at the moment is the
IPod sweatshop.  IPods (to keep the cost down) are made in a sweatshop
in China that was forcing it's works to do more that the 80 HOURS OF
OVERTIME allowed by Chineese Labour Laws.  

Steve