E Q U Apple G3 I P M Apple’s latest desktop computer has raised plenty of hackles. Brad Watts brings it E all into perspective. N think it’s more than reasonable to suggest that Apple real asset – the Mac Operating System. The hardware T Computers has been one of the most adventurous has evolved and so has the Operating System and the Ihardware and software providers in the history of elec- people running them. The whole Macintosh machine tronic technology. Because of that visionary attitude, there has undergone a plethora of changes to make it faster T are numerous contributions for which we can thank Apple. and more efficient – from a paltry 8MHz clock speed to E Apple has been responsible for popularising the computer- the present day 400MHz. That 400MHz machine is based ‘virtual environment’. You know what I mean – called the G3. S windows, icons, mouse and pointing software (WIMPS) – The G3 processor will possibly be remembered as one T the graphical user interface originally of the great turning points for Apple. After a spell of developed by Xerox for its Star Workstation absence from the company, returned to in 1981. It’s the system we now all use to consolidate Apple’s computer range into three organise the data and marshall the tools distinct lines, all using the same G3 that have been developed within it. And processor. The domestic iMac, the indeed, the system that’s been adapted Powerbook, and the more and mimicked in countless other software expandable and profes- environments. sional G3 can all run the same operating system, On The Jobs swapping applications In 1976 Steve Jobs and Stephen Wozniak, and data freely. The the founders of Apple, began selling their aging floppy disk technol- garage-built Apple I to electron- ogy has been firmly booted ics retailers with an original out the window in favour of order for 25 machines. higher capacity formats and Those first all three computer designs machines went are kitted for 100 baseT out the garage ethernet. No longer will door for $666. owning a lower cost By 1980 they machine preclude the had released owner from attaining very the Apple II and similar functionality to a profes- the company sional unit. To my mind this can only went public with a be beneficial in making computers more accept- market value of 1.2 able and commonplace to the layman. billion dollars. The The machine under review here is the professional Apple II had 8kB of G3. Apple have forsaken the ‘Platinum’ finish and opted RAM – 4kB to load for a tower design in translucent iMac ‘Bondi Blue’. Like BASIC (a text based program- the iMac, the blue and white G3 has no floppy drive or ming language) and 4kB remaining to run programs. Its the customary serial ports that the audio industry has Motorola 6502 CPU could address 65kB of RAM, but, come to be so reliant on. Unlike the iMac, this is the at around $500 for 16kB of RAM, a 24kB application machine which has PCI slots designed to accommodate would inherit power-user status! Storage of data was via third part peripheral cards – cards for transferring audio an optional cassette tape interface. and video, and adding professional grunt such as extra In comparison, the latest machine delivered by Apple DSP processors. has, as standard, 8000 times as much RAM (64MB), can hold 16 times more memory again, and has enough iHate Apple? hard drive storage to bury you in cassette tapes. But There’s been considerable audio industry annoyance technical statistics and quantifying comparisons are with the release of this machine. While everyone seems immaterial when you consider that the machines Apple very impressed with the processing power, the lack of a design are merely pieces of hardware to host Apple’s floppy drive and serial ports has sent many retailers and

82 distributors cowering under their help desks until USB- three or four times as many Waves plug-ins with the based products, such as Midi interfaces and sync 400MHz G3 as my not-so-old ProTools TDM set-up, devices, become available and proven. The issue of (curses!). As for processing or rendering audio material? I floppy-based copy protection was one of the first time-compressed 270 seconds (4.5 minutes) of stereo hurdles to jump. (For a more in-depth look at the hassles audio down to 260 seconds using two of the more popular caused from this change, check out my Mac Notes Midi+Audio packages – Cubase VST24 and Logic Audio column from Issue 5 of AudioTechnology). That Platinum – and both programs completed the chore in problem has been remedied – I’ve authorised several around 60 seconds (one was slightly faster, but I don’t want pieces of software using an Imation USB SuperDisk to add fuel to the sequencer war). A processing time of without a hitch. In keeping with Apple’s philosophy, they less than 25% of the material’s length? Not bad. This type basically raised the stakes again. While the floppy-less of performance is due to the 400MHz machine’s huge Mac did cause a hiccup for the audio fraternity, I feel the 1MB backside cache running at a very slick 200MHz. If hiccup is worth it. I’m sure people will eventually appre- you posed the question, ‘is the new G3 a good Mac for ciate the change to USB and indeed Firewire. I was audio work?’, then this sort of performance makes the sceptical at first, but since working with a few of these answer a resounding ‘yes!’ – the processing efficiency is blue and white Macs I’ve enjoyed the freedom of being really quite staggering. As for audio cards, I had no trouble able to remove a USB device and insert another without with a Digidesign AudioMedia III card, a Sonorus StudI/O, having to re-boot. And I don’t think I’m going out on a and an Emagic AudioWerk8 card. All three flawlessly limb in predicting a USB system to replace Midi. performed all the tricks they were designed for. As for the new shape and look of these G3s, I love it! USB Brews Up As someone who spends a lot of time working on USB offers the ability to connect 127 compatible Macintosh computers, it’s a godsend to be able to easily devices to a single chain or set of hubs, and as such open the side panel and put whatever card I like in the brings the Mac closer to Steve Jobs’ original vision of unit. And, with handles on all corners, the Blue G3 has the computer as a household appliance. Due to Mr Jobs’ become a portable ‘pod’ – like some futuristic personal visionary effort, I can see a G4, 5 or 6 computer effect from a sci-fi movie – that contains all your tools installed in a household with USB connections control- and data. Ready to rock! ling smoke alarms, the entertainment system, the security system, the bread maker, the kettle – yes, I Thinking Differently reckon this is the sort of technology that will make you a There’s been considerable derision aimed at these new cup of tea. A kettle with a USB port? Why not? Then Macs, and in my line of work I get to hear more than my there’s mobile phone chargers that announce when the fair share. People have complained and often got quite phone is ready to go. I don’t know about you but I want passionate about how Apple should have done this or that, this sort of stuff! [Brad, I’ve been to your house, you and how they haven’t remained loyal to the customers that need this sort of stuff – CH] I still haven’t got my hands have remained so loyal to Apple (by their dispensing of on a Firewire hard drive but can you imagine life without the serial ports, SCSI ports, and floppy drives that the SCSI conflicts. audio industry has come to rely on). But that’s the Apple The change from SCSI to Firewire is a contentious way. That’s what Apple has done since their inception. issue for audio folk. There’s a lot of money invested in They point us in the direction of the future and if you’re hard drives out there in Audioland and the Blue G3 has smart, you’ll follow. The people who complain are those no built in SCSI capability. The internal hard drive is an who don’t comprehend what the Mac OS and the IDE device, so to use SCSI devices you need to fill one machines it resides in, brings to the party. I’m only one of of the machine’s three PCI slots with a third party SCSI millions who can see the results of ‘thinking differently’, card. The 400MHz machine Apple supplied for this but I’m pleased that I’m not one of the many million who review has an Ultra2 LVD SCSI card installed as don’t. When the history books of technology are written, standard, but it only leaves two slots for the rest of a pro- the G3, the iMac G3 and the portable G3 will all get a fessional’s kit. To set up a ProTools MIXPlus system large chapter. Mark my words. combined with an older DSP Farm and a SCSI card AT immediately means finding a PCI expansion chassis. Firewire drives will free up a PCI slot, but at the moment Distributed by I can only find one manufacturer building a Firewire • Apple Computer Australia Pty Ltd drive that runs faster than 4200RPM. Again we are Phone: +61 (0)2 9452 8000 waiting for the rest of the pack to take Apple’s lead. Fax: +61 (0)2 9641 8160 Apple Computer on WWW: ‘www.apple.com’ Apple of my Eye On the other side of the coin, its worth noting that more Price audio work can be done without dedicated DSP chips • 350MHz/64MB/6GB/CD/1MB cache: $3295 filling up precious PCI slots. CPU-based processing is now 400MHz/64MB/6GB/DVD/1MB cache: $3295 looking like a feasible option, compared to when I paid an 400MHz/128MB/12GB/CD/ZIP/1MB cache: $5295 arm and a leg for my DSP card system. I found I could run 450MHz/128MB/9GB U2/CD/1MB cache: $5295

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