Digital BW, The Print

> thinking that way you would not have to give up stepping into the Mac
world.
> maybe someone not willing to spend so much money could go to a used G3/G4,
> great computers to get some use to the Mac OS stuff. In the case that
person
> feels fine s/he could upgrade to the ultimate Mac available. Say the G5
when
> it comes out to light.
> Julian, I'd go for a used one. Some time later you'll have a very good
idea
> on what Mac can deliver to you.
> And used Mac computers do have a fine reselling value.

Not stepping into the Mac world is not necessarily giving anything up, nor
by choosing the Mac is it going "up". It is simply another platform. These
days, most major software programs work on either Mac or PC, and a person
could make a strong case for either side.

I don't think it's a good idea to recommend that someone buy a used
computer, especially a G3. You'd probably need to spend a decent chunk on
ram and disk storgage to get it up to speed, and you're still stuck with
relatively slow system throughput. These days with image files of several
hundred megabytes, CPU speed and bus throughput can make a huge difference
in productivity. For well under $1,000, you could buy an Athalon system with
1.5gb of fast ram, which will be many times faster than a G3, and probably
faster than any G4 as well.

The G5 looks interesting, but it's not here yet, and no one knows for sure
exactly when it will ship. The best advice is to buy a system when it's
needed.