What do you use to create PDF files?

[quoghmyre]

Disclaimer: I sell Apple products, but only in the Southern Realms:-) I have 2 G5 iMacs, G4 iMac, 2 G4 Towers and a G3 iMac. My G4 server is currently at 250 days Uptime (the number of days since it's last restart)

We can't get iMac G5s, now. So down here there's no choice:-)

The current timing makes that question hard to answer but don't let price dictate. It all comes down to software, a month earlier I would have said the G5, but now there's a lot of 3rd party software with universal binaries. So it's balanced on your requirements. If you're going to be mainly using Apple's software, and most people do, then go Core Duo. It's only going to get better. But we're waiting on Microsoft and Adobe to update their apps. So if PhotoShop or Excel is a must have NOW then go G5.

If you want the best Mac there is, get the Quad Tower, it's going to be months, maybe even a year before there's an Intel Mac that's better. I hope to grab one in the next couple of months to replace my ageing G4.

--fixed spelling:-)

[Hogscape]

Thanks for the tip Quog. I have Office 2004 and will pretty much be using Word exclusively (though I might get iWork 06 if Pages can save in Word format for file sharing). I've been told that Office works okay with Rosetta. Is that your understanding?

[quoghmyre]

yeah but it's a little sluggish.

I use TextEdit, which is a nice little editor which comes with the Mac for all my writing. Saves as RTF, reads Word. OSX has a system wide spellcheck, yeah. Even here in the browser. Pages is cool if you need more than just a word-processor and need to save in .doc format. There's lots of options on the Mac, I also use a niffty little program call Create.
www.stone.com/

It's interesting to note that the MicroSoft Mac Business Unit is very independent of the rest of MS. Office for Mac has more features, is nicer and runs well. I just have a MS free system, because I can.

[Hogscape]

Thanks Quog, I had no idea you could save TextEdit as RTF! That's fantastic!!!!

[WSmith]

I happen to have Word for Mac at home cause we use MS Word for XP at work. While the files interchange with no trouble, Mac Office does seem much better than its Windows brother. It is kind of ironic that the best thing MS makes is for someone else's operating system.

Also, I tried Virtual PC 7. UGH!!! If you really have to use Windows based software, just go buy one of those cheapo $200-300 specials. Even with all added memory, the Mac runs so slow that it is frustrating.