[DM-MUG] speed & quiet

[John Kisner]

My main desktop is a dual G4 with roughly 800 mhz processors (I think 
they are 767 or so -- I'm on my laptop now).  The machine is peppy 
enough for my needs, but there are at least 3 minor annoyances:

1) The computer fan is very noisy.  2) The combo drive is noisy and 
sometimes there are "scratches" when I transfer several music CDs to 
iTunes (I assume from heat buildup).  The same disk usually transfers 
"cleanly" after the drive cools down.  3) Startup seems very slow.  Not 
sure why it has slowed down (and I have optimized hard drive, etc.) but 
it might be a harbinger of trouble on the horizon.

Questions for the peanut gallery:

1) Would Mac Mini be slower than this dual-processor machine?  Would a 
G5 desktop be quieter?

2) Are there ways to eliminate noise and other problems via some sort 
of tuneup?  Or do noise and G4 desktops go hand-in-hand?

3) Does buying a G4 at this point make sense, or will I want a G5 when 
the new version of OSX arrives?