How many users are using G3's? OS 9?

[JimO'Connor]

In order to maximize the effectiveness of our work, I need to know some info about what everyone is running, and how likely you are to buy future products along the lines of MA.

What type of computer do you have? G3 Powerbook, G4 Powerbook, G3 iBook, G4 iBook, G3 iMac, G4 iMac, eMac, G3 PowerMac, G4 PowerMac (single or double CPU).
What OS are you running? 9.x, 10.1.5, 10.2.x, 10.3.x?
What is your CPU speed?
What resolution do you run your display at? Is it normal or wide aspect ratio?
Do you normally run in thousands or millions of colors?
Do you use multiple displays on the same computer?

For those who might know this off the top of their heads...
How much video ram do you have on your video card?
When you turn "limit fps" off, what sort of frame rate do you get with MA with all of the fish in the tank and shimmer set to high?

Thanks for your help.
Jim

[AKcrab]

G4 Powermac (single)
OS X 10.3.2
867 Mhz
1280 x 1024 normal aspect
Millions of colors
One display
32MB video RAM
55 fps with all the fish, shimmer high, full screen mode.

[dsanfili]

G4 Powermac (single)

OS X 10.3.2

933 Mhz

1280 x 1024 normal aspect

Millions of colors

One display

64MB video RAM

125 fps with all the fish, shimmer high, full screen mode

[mrtew]

G4 Powerbook 1GZ TiBook
Jaguar 10.3.2
1GZ CPU
1280x854 between normal & wide aspect
millions of colors
single display only
64mb video ram do you have on your video card?
140 frame rate do you get with MA with all of the fish in the tank and shimmer set to high

I normally keep mine set at 30 or 32 fps but I wonder if I'd get the best picture by setting my MA refresh rate at the same rate as my LCD monitor. That makes sense right? The question is how do I find out my refresh rate on my TiGz Powerbook? Does this sound like a good idea?

[JimO'Connor]

Cool. Please keep this info coming. I need to know if optimizing by moving to G4 will be sufficient, or if I need to tweak for G3 as well, so if you have a G3 speak now.

[gorickey]

G4 Powerbook 667MHz DVI TiBook
Panther 10.3.2
667 MHz CPU
1280x854 between normal & wide aspect
Millions of colors
Single display only
32 MB Video RAM
125 fps

[dole]

G3 iBook
OS X 10.3.2
800 MHz CPU
1024x764 normal aspect
Millions of colors
Single display
32 MB Video RAM
80 fps with all of the fish, fullscreen and shimmer on maximum

G5 PM dual 1.8
10.3.2
1.8 GHz
1600 x 1200, normal aspect
Millions
1 display

64MB Video memory
131 FPS

G4 iMac
OS X 10.3.2
1000 mhz
1400x900 widescreen
millions of colours
single display
64MB video RAM

128 fps with high shimmer but only 3 fishes as I have not yet registered, sorry

12" PowerBook G4
OS X 10.3.2
867 Mhz
1024x768
Millions of Colors
Single Display
32 MB Video RAM

As little as 50 fps when a lot of fish are on the screen and as high as 95 fps when there are only a few of the fish on the screen.

Please Optimize for a G4, it would look so much smoother!

[JimO'Connor]

Unregistered with the 12" display and the 867 MHz PowerBook. MA won't really see a speed improvement because it spends relatively little time in the calculations. I suspect that MA is almost complete limited by video hardware on your machine (I get 90 fps on my 800 MHz 17" Powerbook with 8 fish/millions/shimmer on, etc). I'll bet turning shimmer to full then to off affects your fps only a few frames. However, there are a couple tricks besides Altivec which I'll be playing with, and which should improve performance for you.

The G4 question has to do with some much more demanding animation and geometries I'm working on.

Thanks for the responses and please keep them coming.

When I want to show the real dimensions of the screen on my 17-inch Powerbook, I always load up Marine Aquarium and count the "Wow!"s

Anything that increases the wow factor is always good, in my opinion.

Powerbook 17-inch (Rev. A), 1GHz G4
OS X.3.2
64MB Video memory, 1440x900 resolution

FPS between 95 and 105 in full-screen mode.

dual 2GHz G5
1 GB RAM
Radeon 9800 pro/128 MB VRAM
running at 1600x1200 on a CRT.

235fps with all fish and shimmer on max

Blue & white G3 with a 900MHz G3 (PPC750fx) upgrade.
576MB RAM, Radeon Mac Edition PCI (32MB), MacOS X 10.3.
57.6fps @ 1280x1024 (24-bit, all fish, shimmer max, sound off)

I personally never use OS 9 - strictly an OS X use

Dual 2.0GHz G5
1.5GB RAM
Radeon 9600 Pro (64MB)
MacOS X 10.3.2
22" Cinema Display (1600x1024), 24-bit
164 fps (high shimmer, all fish incl. extra one for widescreen)

How about some G5 optimization, too (as strictly G4 optimizing may not be great on a G5)?!

[JimO'Connor]

Hi Cadaver,

Optimal instruction scheduling for the G4 and G5 are different. However, both G4 and G5 should benefit roughly equally by Altivec instructions.

Thanks.

Quicksilver Powermac G4 (single processor)
OS X 10.3.2
867 Mhz

Two displays (CRT and LCD)
1280 x 1024 / 1280x1024
Millions of colors / Millions of colors
85 Hz / n/a

ATI Radeon 8500 with 64MB video RAM

Multiple Monitors: 62 fps with all the fish, shimmer high, full screen mode.
Main Monitor only: 130 fps with all the fish, shimmer high, full screen mode.

p.s. Starfish isn't allowed on the glass anymore because he kept leaving his fingerprints on my screen

PowerMac G4 Single
OS 10.3.2
1.33 Ghz

17inch CRT
ATI 9000 Pro Mac 64 Mb Vram
1056x792 32 bit at millons of color

fps 160 w/all fish max simmer, full screen

G3 iBook Key Lime
OS 9.1
CPU Speed466
800X600
Thousands and sometimes millions
1 Display

[JimO'Connor]

Thanks. Any others?

I see a very small number of OS 9 users.