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I have been a Macintosh all-in-one fan ever since I used my first Macintosh back in the 80's. The all-in-one has been the Macintosh mainstay ever since 1984. The styles have slowly changed over time, but the concept of an economical, tightly integrated computer has remained over the many generations of all-in-one Macs. I must stress the word "Macintosh" in front of all-in-one. Rip-offs like the Gateway Profile do not count for obvious reasons. The convenience of having everything bundled into one great, affordable package has kept me from seriously looking at buying a tower. However, ever since the introduction of the new G5, I find myself wanting one more and more.

Power Macintosh G5

When I think of a Power Macintosh tower, I think of a cluster of wires and cards cloistered on a motherboard surrounded by multiple fans blazing away. It is an entirely different vision than the smiling little all-in-one Mac confidently and quietly going about its business. But the new G5 is a sight to behold. Apple has really changed the tower paradigm. They have functionally changed the way users view the parts of a tower system. Apple has brought order and integration to the tower form factor.

Don't get me wrong; I liked the G3/G4 drawbridge towers. They "seemed" easy to crack open and work on, although opinions about that vary. The design was definitely ahead of its time. It sent PC makers scrambling to come up with easier-to-open boxes. Unfortunately, the drawbridge towers were easier to open but definitely not easier for Apple engineers to cool. The towers were quite noisy and packed with powerful fans. In fact, the MDD G4's were said to be the loudest Macs ever.

Power Macintosh G4

The G3/G4 towers were innovative. The basic flaw in their design was the same thing that made them so innovative in the first place: the hinged, folding side panel. How much time do people really spend opening up a tower anyway? Most drawbridge towers actually get opened up only once or twice a year, not counting the times they get opened to show off to guests. So all that innovation was wasted for most of the time.

This time around, Apple went with function over form and ended up with something far more eloquent. They say that the G5 was designed "from the inside out." From all initial reports, it seems to be a concept that is certain to revolutionize the PC world. We will certainly see some PC rip-offs within the next year as they once again scramble to catch up. The drawbridge is gone, but I don't think it will really be missed all that much.

The new G5 is broken up into four thermal zones, each equipped with its own dedicated low-speed fans. There are a total of nine low-speed fans that Apple says produce minimal acoustic output. Mac OS X constantly monitors component temperatures in each zone, dynamically adjusting individual fan speeds to the appropriate levels for the quietest possible operation. This should definitely make it one quiet tower. Judging from the low-speed fan on my iMac, I can say that Apple's low-speed fans are virtually silent.

Power Macintosh G5 Cooling

Apple claims that they have drastically cut down on unnecessary wiring. They proudly proclaim that there is "a place for everything and everything in its place." Judging from the glamour shots on Apple's web site, it looks like they have done a great job of reducing the clutter.

The case is anodized aluminum similar to the PowerBooks. This is very exciting. I am glad to see Apple moving away from the translucent plastic. The metal casing should wear well. Unlike the plastic used in the iMac or older towers, it shouldn't yellow with age, making this a computer just screaming to constantly be upgraded with accelerators. Get ready for a long-term relationship with this computer.

The new G5 Power Macintosh tower is an entirely new concept. It borrows from the iMac paradigm of tight integration while smartly handling tower issues such as heat and internal cluttering. This computer looks to be insanely great. I can't wait to get my hands on one within the next year. But alas, Apple will have to get its new OS X Panther out and running. I will wait until that issue is settled, having been burned by the Jaguar update because I was excited enough to be an early adapter. At $2,999 for a dual 2 GHz or $2,399 for single 1.8 GHz, the price can't be beat. These computers are a bargain.