Apple PowerBook G4 Aluminum Users Running T3 = Success or Failure?

You don't realy need those features while gigging do you (unless you get bored during your set and want to browse the Internet via an open WiFi access point or someting)?
Just partition your drive and dedicate 5GB to a Traktor install where you turn all this stuff off. Your other partition can be a full featured OS with all the fun extras and eye candy.
By the way, I would do the same on a Windows machine, maybe even more so.

 

I've said this before and I'll say it again, I really think that the root problem is that Traktor just takes way too many resources for what it does. Like I've said, it's just poor programming and optimization...

 

Off course I don't need those features while djing!! But I will be happier if I don't have to be switching everything off or having a dual boot system. Anyways the point is not that, the point is as gmint said T3 consume too many resources for powerbooks i don't know if is a poor programing or that just is not enough power, what i sure know is that performance of T3 is poor in my powerbook.

 

I'm glad everyone with a PB + T3 is chiming in, keep 'em coming!

Question - has anyone with a current PowerBook model run T3 under OS X Panther (10.3.9)? I'm just wondering if the sluggishness some of you are having would be resolved by marrying Panther with T3 vs Tiger?

If I move forward with a 15 or 17" PB 1.67 model, I would have no problem using Panther, as I have an unused copy available. As someone already mentioned, Spotlight, Dashboard and other features specific to Tiger are not necessary when using your machine as a DJing tool. At least it wouldn't be to me. It would be nicieties, but nothing more.

 

I have run a dual boot setup with 10.3.9 for Traktor and 10.4.x for production. I decided to update the 10.3.9 partition to 10.4.4 as it is generally known that Mac OS is still being optimized for speed with every point release.
I did not do any benchmarks or other speed testing. The only thing I can say is that I still use about the same latency with 10.4.4 as I did with 10.3.9 (between 20 and 26ms).

 

Do you need your new laptop tomorrow or next weeKs?

If you don't, I would wait for Macbook Pro. With a Powerbook 1.67 you will run T3 succesfully, without High Quality time stretching when using more than 2 decks BUT if there is an update with new features you will have performance problems as I'm having now.

If you use other audio apps like ableton Live (mactel version already available) you will improve performance a lot!

 

That's good to hear. I guess it kind of shoots a hole in Phil's argument that the slow performance in T3 is due to the scheduler (or some other aspect) in Tiger...

 

@ Loungelover

your signature says you are still running Tiger 10.4.5 which I found to be a particularly irritating instalment of 10.4

After installing 10.4.6 update my machine seemed to be happier all round. maybe you should apply this update ?

I understand your expectation that this app works flawlessly, sometimes though this seems not to be the case. 10.4.6 does seem to have addressed issues with third-party applications. good luck.

 

Thanks for the tip Crucial.

I haven't purchased the T3 upgrade nor the PowerBook G4 as of yet. This is why I started the thread to know if I really need to make the investment, or, if I do, if TDJS 2.6 is going to be what I should stick with vs TDJ3.

I've only used the T3 demo on my dual Power Mac G5 at this point. It works great on it, but that's not a full & true test environment like it would be on a PowerBook G4.

Oh, I've updated to the latest version of Tiger on my PM, 10.4.6.

 

I think that you should NOT buy a Powerbook G4, not necessarilly because T3 works somewhat ok, but it will soon be really obsolete due to the new intel based laptops.

wait a little bit before doing your purchase.

 

Wow, perhaps I'm an oddball because Macs don't become obsolete for years from my experience.

I plan on keeping my dual PM for at least another 2-3 years even though I've only had it 1 year on last month. I have much more room to grow in it as well and haven't come close to maximizing it's potential yet.

I also think the same for their notebooks and honestly, I will not pay over $2000 for ANY laptop, Mac or PC-based. I find the MacBook Pro well overpriced, as I do the new price of a PB G4. I recently have acquired access to an Apple company discount where I can get a hold of a PB 1.67 15" or 17" refurb ranging from $1399-$1750. Or, can find similar deals for the PB on sites like SmallDog, etc.

 

i'm running T3 weekly at a club on an iBook G4 1,42 Ghz 523gb RAM.
So far so good. The slow part of T3 seems to be analysing and loading playlists from iTunes. So I do all of that at home, BEFORE the gig. Leaving T3 only to play music, and nothing else, whilst on the gig, and that goes well (besides the bugs known to T3) Haven't used 4 decks yet, but I can only imagine musical chaos whilst doing so ? Whats the point of mixing 4 tracks ???

It does tend to have a feel of instability, and I blame this on T3 not on my iBook. The reason ? I can do unimaganable things with Logic Express on my iBook that never makes it go stutter or feel instable. NI needs to get it's programming right, is my thought. When I browse through this forum seeing what problems Windows user runnign T3 come acros, I am very happy with my iBooked T3.

Due to all the frustration I have experienced in the past doing audio on a Windows Machine. I will never ever, not in a million years go back to Windows !

 

works for me m8! Besides the known bugs... I am very happy and gigging. Took me a while to figure out the best preferences set-up, like ideal audio latency settings, etc. but for now, everything runnin' smooth!

 

I agree completely with you, as I am always reading about people using PowerBook G4s to record music with using Logic, Cubase, Reason & Live and to even record/edit video. Keep in mind that recording & video editing apps do A LOT of processing.

That's why I'm not running to buy a faster Mac, as I believe NI has more programming homework to do with T3. The answer is not always a faster machine to fix a software issue.

Long live the PowerBook (and iBook)! ;-)