I’ve just realised that, come May 2009, my Apple Power Mac G5 will be four years old. This is the longest amount of time I’ve ever gone without buying a new computer. For the previous twenty years (yes really) I’ve been chasing the performance ceiling: upgrading where necessary, but usually buying the newest, fastest, greatest machine that I could (and frequently couldn’t) afford.

Indeed the same was true when I bought the G5 back in 2005. I bought the most powerful variant available at the time. Equipped it with half a terabyte of hard disk and populated all the memory slots. Then I bought the biggest, most-badass display that I could (and installed the high-end graphics card that was needed to drive it).

Why? Because no computer ever seemed to be fast or capable enough for me. Admittedly I have been something of a power-user over the years – programming, managing databases, designing, imaging, gaming and so on. I always needed more power, more disk space, more RAM, a faster GPU…

So what changed? Why haven’t I upgraded my Power Mac to the latest all-singing and dancing multi-core Mac Pro?

Actually nothing’s changed. I’m still crafting code. I’m still designing websites. I’m still manipulating databases. I’m still gaming (although to a much lesser degree) and I’m still running dozens of images through Photoshop and Aperture on a daily basis (in fact I’m doing more photography and image-processing now than I’ve ever done). The simple, unarguable conclusion is that the dual 2.7GHz G5 processors in my Power Mac are sufficient to satisfy all my current personal computing needs.

Don’t get me wrong, Photoshop CS3 can take a few seconds to complete certain tasks and Aperture sometimes makes me wait for, well not very long really, when I’m hammering it. But, for the most part, my G5 keeps up with whatever task(s) I happen to be undertaking. And, believe me, I don’t hold back either - I multitask baby!

It’s mind-blowing to me that Moore’s Law still applies and shows no immediate sign of slowing. I expected miniaturisation or thermal barriers¹ would have slowed processor development somewhat. But no, now we have multi-core with massively parallel processing and computers are still getting faster and cheaper. But I’m not buying any of it, because I don’t need it.

So is this bad news for Apple? Are they going to lose customers because they’ve provided us with machines that are more than sufficient for our needs? No, I don’t think so. Whilst I have no immediate plans to buy a new Mac I know that I will at some point. I will when Apple stops supporting the G5’s. I will when OS X becomes Intel only. I will when I want to use some of the ever-growing range of Macintosh software that relies on the Intel processor. I will when I need to dip into the world of virtualisation.

If nothing else I’ll enjoy the bragging rights of a multi-core Mac Pro and I still get a hard-on for one of those sexy little Apple laptops! I will be buying from Apple again.

For now though, the Power Mac G5 serves me perfectly well and it’s a testament to Apple, her engineers, her designers, her software developers and the plethora of third-party supporting artists that this “antique” is still a viable platform for a power-hungry user.

How about you? Are you getting by perfectly well with an older computer? Have you any plans to upgrade in the near future? Let me know in the comments.

All photos were taken with my Nikon D80 DSLR camera. The lenses used were the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 D and the Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 AF-S DX. I also used the Nikon Speedlight SB-600 flash unit both on-camera and as a remote slave. I shot exclusively in RAW and post-processed all photos with Aperture on my Apple Power Mac G5. A handful of photos were further processed in Photoshop for various effects. Click any photograph to view an enlargement.

We begin with the obligatory portrait of Rachael taken once the hairdresser had finished doing her thing. Doesn’t she look gorgeous?

I absolutely love this shot. A candid portrait of Rachael taken during an unguarded moment. I think she looks stunning here but, of course, I’m biased — she’s my baby sister after all!

Darren and Rachael hired an enormous stretched Hummer limousine for the event. Rachael hit the champagne once we got under way (and I could tell that she really enjoyed it too).

Another portrait of the beautiful bride, an entirely unposed one too.

Rachael walks down the aisle on the arm of her stepfather, Terry. He looked so proud that day!

Darren and Rachael make their vows. The wedding was a civil service but nonetheless this was a special moment and one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Rachael signs the register with Darren by her side. Along with converting this shot to black & white, I also added the vignetting and grain with the Totally Rad! Action Mix in Photoshop.

Another portrait of Rachael and the wedding register. Again I’ve applied some effects with the Totally Rad! Action Mix.

Darren and Rachael are finally man and wife. Here they are walking down the aisle as they make their way to the wedding reception. I converted this shot to black & white and bumped up the contrast for added impact.

The bride and groom look lovingly into each other’s eyes. You only have to spend a short time in Darren and Rachael’s company to see the depth of love they share. For my part, I’m delighted to see my sister so happily married and I will never forget the priviledge of sharing that special day with her and her husband.

I wish you both the very best for your future life together and I look forward to celebrating many happy anniversaries with the two of you.

What follows is a gallery of those workspaces I found most appealing, with a concise commentary on what qualities appealed to me.

1. I love the simplicity and warmth of this workspace. The lighting here looks absolutely perfect for long hours in front of the computer. I think the desk lamps are gorgeous² and the lack of visible cabling is very appealing.

2. The DIY desk made from reclaimed timber looks great and provides a marvellous juxtaposition with the modern iMacs. Click the image to see the original which includes a home-made “http” artwork which is not visible in this crop.

3. Great lighting in a compact space (which pretty much mirrors the size of my workspace). Sweet artwork too.

4. Ultra high-tech computer system, highly polished mahogany and good artwork… all set in a grungy, undecorated basement. Another appealing juxtaposition.

5. Crisp brilliant-white walls and clean hardwood flooring, contrasting beautifully with the dark mahogany. The plants enhance the appeal of this minimalist workspace.

6. The highlight of this set-up has to be the 3 × 20″ Apple Cinema Displays… sweet! I think this user has created a very elegant workstation indeed. I love how the triple displays wrap around the user and the wireless keyboard and mouse greatly contribute to the tidiness of this rig. The user has also made a great effort at cable management — something that’s not easy at all with a clear glass desktop. Outstanding.

7. Oh rapture — an Aeron chair for this compact and discreet workstation. Check out that amazing staircase too!

8. Very homely and non-intrusive. The wallpaper³ is awesome too — can anyone identify the source? I don’t like the blue table-top nor the cable-spaghetti but the overall impression is positive. I’d definitely end up banging my head on that beam though!

9. I adore the orange walls and have always loved Venetian blinds.

10. Guitars as artwork. I like it. I might be tempted to buy a guitar off eBay just so that I can use it for decoration and the “cool” factor.

11. Yes, I can count. I know there’s only supposed to be 10 images, but how could I resist? Any workspace that is equipped with a young lady as beautiful as she is constitutes a “Sexy Workspace” in my book. What’s she doing under the desk?⁴ Anyone know her number or email address?⁵

Do you have a classy Macintosh workspace? Post an image on Flickr (or your preferred image host) and provide a link in the comments. I need all the inspiration I can get.