Great MAC 32mb AGP Radeon deal

[dakels]

Radeon Mac Edition 32mb DDR, 2x AGP, new w/1 year warranty for $79.99.
For us Mac users, there are not many video cards out there and they cost a fortune. This is a great deal on what is normally around $120-140 video card. This one's for you folks with an older model G4 that came with the junky ATI Rage 128mb card. G4 450mhz and up only. The oldest model G4 350 and 400's have a PCI slot so this card won't work. This card (a mac tailored 9000 I believe) is a nice step up from the 16mb Rage Pro card that many early G4 have.

btw the shipping is reasonable at around $6-9 continental U.S. and shipped via FedEx ground.

First post so lemme know if I made a faux pas

 

[colonblow]

This card is *not* a mac tailored 9000, it is much slower than a radeon 9000. It is the original radeon chipset, which is basically a slower version of the radeon 7500. it was the next chip ATI released after the rage pro i believe.

can't comment on the deal b/c i haven't priced mac vid cards lately, but just thought i'd clear that up.

 

[laugh]

why everything about Mac is expensive? Any trick? It costs same to produce the peripherals.

 

[jasonja]

probably just a matter of volume.. they sell more PC products so they can make more and lower the cost, they won't sell as many Mac products so they have to recoup the development costs with fewer sales. That equals higher price.

 

[BeauJangles]

Wait. is there a differnce between a mac and pc AGP-based graphics card?

 

[Bagger]

I think usually it's just a difference in the BIOS.

 

[Superman9534]

yea, PC video cards can have the BIOS flashed to work in a mac (only if one exists).

 

[dakels]

yea thanks colonblow, You are right. The mac 9000's are the new dual monitor 64mb cards that go for about $180. This may be a 7000 AGP or 7500, not sure. Either way its a good deal as far as Mac users are concerned.

@laugh I have been trying to figure that out myself for a long time. I can't understand why a Radeon 8500LE for a PC is a $90 street price and yet the same card for a Mac is $190! Its rediculous. They are a special production but the hardware is essentially the same in most cases. The only major difference is software, mainly the ROM on the card. In fact I have a "PC-only" voodoo 4500 that I flashed the ROM and installed a Mac compatible ROM. It now runs on my G3. You can only do this with a very few video cards though. I don't really understand why. Some other major factors must be involved, possibly hardware differences.

I do know that most mac hardware was and still probably has to be approved by Apple. This extra work and testing and programming combined with the proprietary nature and limited martket is what makes prices so high. Sucks IMO

anyways this card is still a steal for $80. It may be mistake though. The clearance section lists the price for $79.99 yet the same card, also new, is in the normal video card section for $139.99. I will be ordering it within a few hours and see. I'll report back here when I do.

 

[unclebud]

maybe it's like greedy president dude said at the anime convention about the price of subtitled vhs vs dubbed: "because the fans will pay it!"

 

[kami333]

There is a hack for Radeon 8500 where you flash the PC version with the firmware from th mac version.

 

[dakels]

BTW my order for this went thru and should be here within a few business days. I also got it for the listed $79.99. Very nice deal considering the cheapest I have seen it anywhere else is $130. Great DVI solution for Mac users.