I've got slow and/or choppy video playback on online video sites like YouTube. Quicktimes play fine. I've got an older G4 Quicksilver 2002 800mz with original 32mb dual display vid card. DSL modem. Even after entire Youtube vid is loaded, it still plays crappy. What's the deal?

What's your Flash version? 32mb video card is woefully inadequate. How much RAM in the machine?

Try it as the only window open. If you have a few tabs or pages open and they have animated flash ads it will cause a hit in the video.

Flash is CPU hogging, if you have other things going on it may slow up flash video, not necessarily internet related stuff either.

OK my mistake, I've got a 64mb GeForce4 MX video card, Flash 10.0.42.34, OS 10.4.11, 1.5g ram, only one window, one tab open during play. Anything else? These vids should play smoothly, right?

And 1.5gb ram...

My old iMac G4 800MHz (same OS version, etc) plays Flash movies choppy also. I don't think the processor can handle it...

Can he run Safari 4+?

Then he could try the YouTube HTML 5 Beta..
http://www.youtube.com/html5

Just to put a tombstone on my gripe, I tried YouTube HTML 5 Beta and it's actually worse. So, either I upgrade my processor to g5 or get the $600 mac mini and lose my scsi perifs like scanner and 1g jaz(Ha! I know!). Which is smarter, upgrade or mini

I don't know of any G5 upgrade cards for a G4 so I assume you were talking about getting a used G5 computer. Paying money for a G5 that is almost 4 year old technology is not a wise move IMO.

I'd say mini. Dump the Jaz, flash drives and DVD-RW are cheaper than Jaz cartridges. If you have room to keep the G4, with a kvm switch you can share the keyboard and mouse and monitor for the mini and the old dinosaur. What kind of monitor, DVI inputs? You'd still probably spend much less on a mini and a switch than a used G5.

Many monitors have DVI and VGA inputs, use VGA for the G4, and the DVI for the mini and have a separate keyboard and mouse for each and you wouldn't have to buy a kvm.

The latest version for this generation iMac (800 MHz) seems to be version 4.0.4.
So there shouldn't be a problem there...

Doh! I meant to write "G4" processor upgrade, not "G5" - Newer Technology 1.8Ghz upgrade. With the upgrade I wouldn't have to get latest gen software, can keep using PowerMac versions, if I understand that situation correctly. Reviews say the single 1.8Ghz in a Quicksilver handles Flash video just fine, and Photoshop is almost 3 times faster than with my 800mz processor.

The money is very, very tight so Mac Mini + the software + memory upgrade + the adapter is over $1200. The single 1.8Ghz processor upgrade is $350 + shipping. That's it. I might not be state of the art, but I can eat lunch. If it handles Hulu.com, I'm happy. I think I've talked myself into it, unless I've not considered something crucial...

I had a 1.2 GHz CPU upgrade in my 450-G4. Worked great until the G4 died.

Thanks MacBozo (Michael), you're saying Flash played fine on the 1.2GHz? That's my only real gripe with my Quicksilver g4. I check emails, do some Quark Xpress layouts, and create art in Photoshop at 12"x 16" max, so I'm not a power user. If this G4 doesn't crap out in 1-2 years, I'm ok. The school that I bought it from used it once a week to update files and do clerical work. Lightly used. Like I said before, Hulu.com is my objective. Comedy Central, Family Guy and anyone getting kicked in the nuts...

It worked fairly well. I did have a Radeon 8500Pro vid card installed, too.

OK, I appreciate the input. Have I mentioned that I just picked up this G4 this past summer because my previous unit, a 1996 PowerComputing 180 PowerBase couldn't handle OS 10.4, but was working fine. 13 years I had it and laugh at the idea of trading up every 2-3 years. Anyway, if my G4 conks in less than a year I can probably sell the upgrade card to another cheapskate nut.
Thanks again, Ed

LOL, understand.

Is that .2 Ghz worth the $140 though, the 1.6 is cheaper, and it's a dual also.

If you're talking about the 1.6 GHz Newer Tech card, it's got a 7447A chip whereas the the 1.8 GHz has a newer generation 7448 chip that is perhaps 30% faster. The 1.8 has 1MB L2 1:1 on-chip cache, the 1.6 has 512K. Apparently improved cache makes throughput much faster, so I'm assuming that's what I need for Flash video performance. Other posters on other sites have claimed their 1.2 or 1.4 GHZ upgrades, with smaller L2 caches, worked OK, but that was a while ago and it seems Flash keeps getting more demanding. The duo 1.6 GHZ upgrade costs $460. The single 1.6 is $210. I can't get a direct answer on this question from Newer Technology, or Other World Computing who owns them. Maybe a meeting with my chiropractor...

My G4 ran for nearly 10 years.

That gives me approx. 2 more years on mine, if your solemn, professional, rock solid promise holds. Ha! I paid $75 for the tower with a nice Apple 17" flat screen, and a couple 80g drives. If I complain about not getting even 6 more months, I'm just greedy. I got tech help online from Newer Tech, OWC, and was told the 1.6 Ghz single for $210 should solve Flash problem. Should. He wasn't positive. I can return it, and try the $350 1.8 GHz single that has double the on chip cache, at 1mb. So that solves that for now.
Thanks Again.

Let us know how it turns out, hope the cheaper card works.

OK, I received serious counsel on another tech site - yes, I strayed. I was given a compelling lecture on the futility of investing any further in my G4 as online services are only getting more and more demanding of the cpu and bus system. I was advised, and I now wisely agree, to wait till I can afford the mini, preferably the 2.53 duo with 4g ram, and invest in the future as opposed to subsidizing the past. Sounds fancy, eloquent, and patriotic to me. I was regaling myself with notions of frugality and ingenuity. Probably just delusional miserliness. If my current software works on Intel with 10.6, and some have told me there's no reason it shouldn't, than that's my plan. (Photoshop 8, Quark Xpress 8, Illustrator 11) Thanks again to for all the input, see you some time soon in Intel Land.

As Howard Cossell used to say . . . the future's ahead of you! Live long and prosper.

Yeah.. sell the G4 and use those subsidies to subsidize the future Mac Mini.

Edit: I take it back.. I see they sell on Ebay for $100.00
For that price I would just keep it as a back up and to do basic stuff...iTunes server, PS batches, burning...whatever.

Glad you came to that conclusion. There is NO comparison to any G4 and an Intel Mac. I know a lot of people get towers so they can upgrade them later, but that is definitely not the case with recent Macs.

That I came to what conclusion? I was just saying that 100 smackers for any G4 tower isn't worth it. I think a Mac Mini is fine if that's what the budget allows. Personally... I would opt for a used, under warranty, tower before a Mini.

I'm not a high demand user, so my Minis are more than sufficient for what I ask of them.

There you go.
Different strokes for different folks...

All I was saying is he could use the sale of one to finance the other if money is an issue.

I believe Zach was referring to the OP.

That's always an option. There was a time that one needed a tower just to be productive, but these days, even the least powerful machine is 100s of times more capable than those "old" towers.

Yeah I have to say when I was flying back and forth between the islands the mini was a perfect fit . Well I did have monitors at both locations , so I just threw the mini in my carry on , way to easy .

You may still need a tower if your doing more than the average home user.
These machines much more powerful.. but apps require more to run and file sizes are getting bigger all the time. I was in a studio the other day and they were batching out 200+ photos from a 39 MP camera.

What the hell was that from the Hubble? 39MP? At what point will it be enough.

Well, there you go. The average home user isn't going to be doing that, though.

LOL.. they are up to 60 now.....
P-65

Yes, I was replying to the OP. Quick reply fail.

Very few people need a tower these days. Just like very few people need a 60 MP camera.

True dat.. which is why I initially said he should sell his old tower for a Mini. But then $100.00 for a tower isn't that much... better to keep it and come up with the extra 100.
Not to mention avoiding packing/shipping that sucker.

I agree …you are better off keeping it than selling it for $100