SimpleMarkPPC just got updated

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Welcome to the new SimpleMarkPPC, kind of similar but a lot better than the old SimpleMarkPPC.

new simple mark opening screen

From the moment you fire it up, you’ll be greeted with some changes that are sure to get you excited for the world’s only PowerPC-exclusive-Mac-OS MarkDown app. Not just the updated welcome screen above, you’ll notice a full screen mode sure to draw your attention away from boring blog posts. A feature also included is a user desired manual save command, so you can be sure your document saved and updated before you retreat to other tasks. A rudimentary Preferences pane features nothing less than a way to change your font and font size (with a couple of caveats). Unbelievable! Most important, the Leopard-like engine beneath the hood purrs with serious efficiency. I made a few modifications myself.

And if that doesn’t sell you, there is even a Help menu!

Best of all, it’s free, and it lets you enjoy the deliciousness that is MarkDown.

Check out a new screenshot and download the app from SimpleMarkPPC’s website.

This latest version is 1.0.2.

Happy writing, blogging, coding, or whatever.

— Nathan

Video Editing on Your G5

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I still have a few holes in my exploration of software options for Power Mac G5s. One of those is actually glaring – video editing. It’s glaring partly because lots of G5s were probably used for video production over the years.

On the consumer side, iMovie HD in iLfe ’09 is not a bad option for the home video or the beginner’s project. I was always impressed by what Apple did with the iLife suite. They brought some great tools to the masses.

Final Cut Express 4 was intended as an in between option. It’s more powerful than iMovie but not as extensive as Final Cut Pro. (Keep in mind that the current version of these is simply Final Cut, which kind of makes it all confusing.)

Final Cut Pro is the more robust option direct from Apple. Version 6 is the last one to run on Power Mac G5s. If you can find it, it’s great software. I’m sure there are some video shops that might even still use it for production.

Adobe Premiere 6.5 was the last version of Premiere to run on our Power PC machines. It is not available in Adobe Creative Suite 4 either. You’ll have to dig around for a separate or earlier copy, although After Effects in CS4 will work on your G5. A little confusing.

A final option is Avid Media Composer. Evidently, any version before 3.5 will run on our G5s.

We’ve got options, and it really depends on what you are comfortable and familiar with.

— Nathan

Adobe CS4 Questions

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In the last few weeks, I’ve gotten a few emails from readers with great questions, feedback, and encouragement. Thanks for the support!

One common question is about Adobe Creative Suite. As I mention over on the Office page, Adobe CS 4 is the last version to run on our Power Mac G5s. If you are interested in the actual system requirements, head over to the Adobe help site.

What you will notice missing is this – only “Design Premium and Standard” and “Web Premium and Standard” will run on G5s. “Production Premium” and “Master Collection” will not. This is likely because they include software like Premiere, Adobe’s film editing app, and After Effects, a visual effects app, which both moved to Intel only with CS4. The last version of Adobe Premiere to work on G5s is 6.5, which was released back in 2002. The last version of After Effects to work on G5s was included in CS3.

Confusing? I suppose. Navigating old system requirement pages is a skill to be acquired for those of us running old computers.

By the way, I also get asked where to find these old software packages. I’d recommend going legal routes, even though you can’t necessarily buy older versions quite easily. Ebay is an option. Sometimes, I see Mac retailers like Megamacssporting good deals. If you are just wanting to grab Photoshop or InDesign, don’t be afraid to go a little bit older. I’ve done a lot of web design and graphic design using CS2 in the past, and they remain really capable tools for G5s.

– Nathan

New SSD Recommendations

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I love getting feedback from readers that can help expand the information on the site.

One reader, xz, wrote in to share experiences with a couple of other SSDs. Consider them a review or confirmation, as individual results might vary in our particular G5s and their different specs. Read more:

I was browsing your site a while back when adding new life to this g5 powermac7,3 that I have; and I found the SSD section most helpful. Even purchased an Intel 320 (80GB) SSD. Also, wanted to let you know that I have an OCZ VERTEX2 120GB disk and it is working as my “Macintosh HD”, with no problems at all. Didn’t know if you’ve tested one with any hardware configurations in the past. Wanted to let you know that it does work, and works well! Thanks again for your site; one of my favs! Very helpful as well! Thanks and have a great day!

Thanks for the feedback! I hope this saves someone time or money as they scour the internet for deals to upgrade their G5.

— Nathan

OS Alternative: MorphOS

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I heartily recommend Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard for your G5, though a lot of my readers get a ton of use out of Debian Linux or some other variant. That’s great. But there is one more option off the beaten path – MorphOS.

MorphOS is not an open source operating system. In fact, I initially thought it had some connections to AEROS, which is an attempt to use Linux underpinings to recreate the Amiga OS, but I was wrong. Amiga OS was never super popular, but it had its uses and was great for media editing workstations. In fact, that was my first experience working with any version of Amigo OS, way back in high school in a video production class.

I can’t say I have a love for Amiga OS or enough experience as to extoll its virtues, but MorphOS has emerged in recent years as a viable alternate for PowerPC machines. Again, it’s not open source, and you do have to pay for it. But you get a slick, capable enough operating system that continues to evolve and runs super fast on older machines, especially our Power Mac G5s (with some caveats).

Check out the video below, which mirrors my experience of giving MorphOS a test run on my Mac Mini G4. It boots and loads quick and is pretty damn responsive.

MorphOS continues to add support for PPC machines. Check to see if your G5 (or other older Mac) is compatible. It appears you can only use certain Mac models, but you also need a Radeon video card (meaning my G5 won’t run MorphOS). The base system comes with a small package of apps to get you started, including a decently updated Webkit browser. The GUI leaves something to be desired – I would like it to be a bit more clean, but it might work for you. I gave it a good run through on my Mini, and I really enjoyed the responsive and appearance of stability. Maybe when TenFourFox dies out, could this OS be an another option to keep these old Macs purring?

If you want to try it out, you can download a CD image and run a 30 minute demo. I’d recommend it if you want to burn an afternoon. You will have to pay around $79 Euros to get your own copy, but updates are free after that.

— Nathan