good FCP option

I've recently found an ad in a london paper for the following system. I've been editing on Premiere pro on a pc for a few years now but am looking for a change. I used FCP at art school last year and loved it. my budget is tight and this 2nd hand system is a good deal cheaper than the stuff at my nearest apple dealer being ten months old though apparently virtually unused. I'm hoping to go and have a look at it this weekend and see what i think. bearing in mind its about a third of the price of a new G5 in the uk, does it look like a good deal?
If so, what other specs do i need to take into account before i buy?
My PC friends tell me Mac's are not upgradeable. Is this true?
Sorry to sound like an idiot but i'm new to these beautiful machines but eager to learn fast so i can get to work with my favouirte cutting software.
best wishes
Dom

Suite hardware outline is as follows:
Mac G5 Dual Processor - 2GHz
RAM: 2GB (DDR SDRAM configured as: 4 X 250MB plus 2 X 512MB + two empty slots)
System Hard Drive: 80GB (SATA)
Second Hard Drive: 250GB (SATA)
Graphics card: ATI - their ATY RV350
Apple Keyboard
Microsoft Cordless Optical Mouse

MAIN SOFTWARE:
Tiger OS - version 10.4.3

looks just about exactly like the box im using.

Mac's are not upgradeable??? Your PC friend wasn't a smarmy looking fellow with glasses and big ears who answers to "Gates" was he?

Andy

Your PC friends aren't COMPLETELY wrong. G5s like the one you are looking at are upgradable. But iMacs, Mac Minis and eMacs are not. Powerbooks and MacBook Pros have expansion slots, so they are.

Depends on what you get. The one you are looking at is very upgradable. you cannot swap out the processor like you can with many PCs, but you can add a lot to it.

Looks like a good system that will take you a while to out grow. The only issue you might have is the optical mouse. A friend of mine used one on his system and some of the keyboard short cuts were strange.

Kevin



"A problem can never be solved by the same consciousness that created it"
Einstein

Make sure you "future-proof" to Intel's by getting a machine with PCI-Express-- NOT PCI-X. At least you'll be able to move the cards over to an Intle unit when they arrive.

With PCI-X, an intermediate protocol only briefly supported, you're sort of painted into a corner, host-adapter-wise.

If it's PCI-X, you have a valid bargaining chip.

- Loren
Today's FCP 5 keytip:
Set a Level keyframe with Command-Option K !

The FCP 5 KeyGuide?: a professional placemat.
Now available at KeyGuide Central:
www.neotrondesign.com

Thanks for that folks. So Loren, if the machine does have a PCI-X how expensive would it be to get the express version? I'd definitely want to move up to the intel macs at a later date.
Thanks for your time
Dom

According to Apple, looking on the Refurb (Special deals) page, I see only one model with PCI-X-- a Dual 2.5. You should check of course, but I think your dual 2GB model is PCI-Express.

- Loren
Today's FCP 5 keytip:
Set a Level keyframe with Command-Option K !

The FCP 5 KeyGuide?: a professional placemat.
Now available at KeyGuide Central:
www.neotrondesign.com

haha Andy as smarmy and big eared the guy is he's still filthy frickin rich but anyways on a side note how funny would it be if Gates had a network of Macs instead of PC'c in his house

man all that money and running PC's. what a shame all that wasted money haha

whoa i don't know why but what you said was just funny to me thanks for the laugh andy


Sean