The G5 was the ultimate expression of the Motorola processor that defined Apple for decades. The switch to the Intel processor was predicated on power-issues particularly in the move to miniaturization, as well as confidence Intel could provide the goods, which the did.
As a result, the G5 was left in the dust as Apple had such success with using Intel processors that they dropped support for that kind of code in software in hardware. OSX 10.7 dropped it, and new Mac’s left it behind too.
Daniel Taylor is right - I’ll throw my 2 cents in. In the music industry which I work, there are still plenty of studios that use G5’s with older audio interfaces and outboard gear. The point that it still “works” still has tons of uses. The dirty secret is that sometimes technology delivers something at some point of time in complete, and the idea that “there’s always further advancement” isn’t always true. I’m not saying that the technology industry is in some type of intentional conspiracy to always sell us something, and actually in many areas there is plenty of advancement to be done. But it doesn’t mean that old sucks. Consider…
I use a 4 computer setup, using one keyboard/mouse/27" monitor under KVM control. Two are main Mac and Windows computers. The Mac is a competitively old MBP that runs 10.6 most of the time but I have USB drives that run 10.7/8/9/10/11/12 in separate partitions. Although increasingly I’m using Mavericks or Sierra, OSX 10.6 is so elegant and so less obnoxious I like using that most of the time. The Windows computer runs Win7 - Win8 and 10 are more obnoxious like OSX 10.7+ seems.
Again, just because it’s new doesn’t mean it makes you more productive.
More to the point, the other 2 computers are a Intel Core Duo Macmini running 10.5 (runs iTunes, Toast 5, and many software music programs written around that era) and a desktop XP 32-bit Windows computer that runs ACT! and has a floppy drive which enters into the music biz more frequently than you would think.
It’s not just “running old software” like it’s for fun, but really some old software is plain superior to newer ones. ACT1 2000 is faster than newer ACT!'s and the import features in the new ACT!'s do a unacceptable job on the older db;s, leaving behind lots of data. My 2004 Macmini I use for utilitarian things, like burning CD’s and running iTunes in infinite loop, so my main computers don’t have to do it and since run this handy 4 computer setup, my workflow isn’t broken and I can do many things concurrently without waiting. Often it seems that people are brainwashed and obsessed that they have to do all things with ONE SINGLE COMPUTER. No! Having a multiple computer setup makes me ultra-productive and able to handle anything that my diverse clientele throws at me. The KVM solution enables me to sit in front of one monitor and flip between all four constantly, it’s a very uncomplicated simple setup yet with tons of power.
So, glad you like your G5! But really, it’s pre-Intel and really only suited for sub-use. But I’m sure you can find a sub-use that really works for you. Don’t, don’t except it to run software that was designed to go along with the times, like Xojo. Don’t pretend it’s modern - instead, make it work best in the contexts it was designed for.
