20 Tips for new G5 owners

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This entry was published at least two years ago (originally posted on September 9, 2003). Since that time the information may have become outdated or my beliefs may have changed (in general, assume a more open and liberal current viewpoint). A fuller disclaimer is available.

This one’s mostly just for me — originally from Ken Tidwell and posted on MacInTouch, but as their archives can be difficult to search, I wanted to keep this around. If all goes well, it might come in handy in a couple weeks. ;)

  1. RAM must be added in pairs only…all models. Opinions vary, but 1gb \~ 2gb RAM seems to be a general minimum before these units really shine. […]

  2. Clean the cast aluminum exterior with iKlear from Apple, or a mild dishwashing detergent.

  3. PCI-X (1.8GHz and 2.0GHz G5s only) supports both PCI-X and PCI… but 3.3 volts only… not 5 V.

  4. The case latch can be used as a locking point for a security cable.

  5. Carbon Copy Cloner is a great tool for moving data from another Mac.

  6. Virtual PC (current version…6?) will not yet run on a G5.

  7. The OS shipping with the G5s at this time is an interim OS, and does not yet support the 64-bit capability of this machine. Give it another 2 to 4 months.

  8. FireWire 800 uses a different connector from FireWire 400 (and Sony’s 4-pin connector).

  9. The Sony DVD writer is not capable of handling DVD+R.

  10. The aluminum case inhibits Bluetooth and Airport signals…don’t forget to mount the external antenna(s).

  11. The G5 will automatically reduce processor speed in response to having the side cover(s) removed. There is also a system preference for selective control. From the G5 Developer Note:

    Fan speed control: The speeds of the fans are thermally controlled and are automatically set as low as possible to minimize noise. System performance can be specified by a “high/reduced/automatic” pulldown option provided in the Energy Saver Control pane in System Preferences.

  12. The rear video connector labeled DVI supports both DVI-I and DVI-D.

  13. The rear digital audio connection is a TOSLINK connector…be sure to buy optical cables that use the square (indexed) connector (not round) on at least one end.

  14. The four screws on the interior bulkhead near the drives are spares that are used when installing a second hard disk. [photo]

  15. The analog audio input on the rear can be used for directly connecting a microphone, which must be self-powered. [Apple’s G5 Developer Note, however, says:

    “The audio inputs are designed to accept high-level audio signals: 2.2 Vrms or +8 dbu, which is the standard output level from CD and DVD players. The output level of some consumer audio devices is lower, often 0.316 Vrms or -10 dbV. Sound recordings made on the Power Mac G5 with such low-level devices have more noise than those made with high-level devices.”

    -MacInTouch]

  16. The power supply is auto-ranging, meaning it will switch between two choices of voltages: 100-125V AC or 200-240V AC.

  17. The USB ports on the computer itself are USB 2.0, while the USB ports on the keyboard are USB 1.1.

  18. G5 owners interested or working with ‘High Throughput Computing’ are advised to check out Condor.

  19. G5’ers curious about 64-bit computing can start here: [Ars Technica 64-bit introduction]

  20. A good demo for friends and family is always a movie…stop by the Apple Quicktime site for latest trailers.

5 thoughts on “20 Tips for new G5 owners”

  1. Hello,
    Thank you for the G5 tips. I have just purchased the Dual 1.8Ghz model. In reference to Tip #15: I am having a problem and was hoping you could help or know where I could get this question answered.
    I am trying to record my old cassettes onto the Mac G5 hard drive/ iTunes. I hooked up my cassette player output into the rear analog audio input and I see the audio coming in on the audio line input meter in the sound area of the Systems Preferences. I hear no audio on the speakers or the headphone output yet it is there on the meter. I went to the Audio MIDI Setup in the utilities and set all functions on the Audio Devices side to Line In and Built-In Audio and still I cannot monitor the signal. I have tried all logical processes and I cannot monitor i.e. hear the audio through the speakers or headphones.
    I downloaded Audiocorder v3.9 for OS X and I see the audio coming in there also and did a test record to iTunes. It recorded and played back in iTunes but I was unable to hear the audio as it recorded. Do you know why this simple logical audio signal path cannot be monitored yet is seen on the input meter? I am sure there must be a simple solution. Something missing in the System Profiler? An extension not turned on?

    Thanks for your time,
    doroccas

  3. Oh, ugh, for the new Sony cassette player I was
    using (portable), cranking the volume turned out
    to be the answer. Out the headphone jack.

    Tip #15 above.

  4. In the tips section, there is inaccurate data. The G5 is capable of burning and playing back DVD+R. I but them at Costco. Is says it is a DVD-RW burner but my G5 burns evey DVD I try. Use setting UDF in Toast 6.

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