advertisement


Advice from computer-savvy Fishies please!

Gromit

Gromit

Plasticine Dog
Hi all,

Whilst my Mac's not doing too badly, the time is approaching for me to look at replacing it with something which works faster. Opening up apps is taking longer and longer; for example, Lightroom can take up to 5 mins to become usable/stable. Plus, as it's not possible for me to update OS, LR cannot be updated either.

I often have to shut down other programs too - whilst a mail-check is running, LR slows down or even freezes until the check has completed (I now quit mail if photo-editing). Upon quitting a program, I'll often have to force quit as it that program will just hang otherwise.

Apart from using email/web browsing, my computer is mainly used for photographic stuff.

Have looked into up-speccing by way of using an SSD/increasing RAM but it's a fiddly job on a slimline Mac - dead easy on the older ones but something I'm not really prepared to tackle on this machine. I'd get MacUpgrades to do the work is this is a worthwhile option.

Of course I could go back to the Dark Side and go for a PC (been using a Mac for around 14 years now) which appears more cost-effective, but I really like the Apple UI. I wouldn't discount a PC though.

Other option would be to go for an M1 (the small one) and use my Mac as a monitor if that can be done?

Will be extremely grateful for help - thanks! :)

Current spec:

Screenshot by Boxertrixter, on Flickr
 
I don't think you can use you late 2012 iMac as a slave monitor for a new M1 Mac. You could do this on older Macs, but your iMac is too new for this option.
The new M1 Macs are phenomenally fast. You could buy the base M1 Mac mini with additional RAM (up to 16GB) for £899 and add a third party screen for £200 or so. It would toast your old iMac. You might get £150-200 if you sell your old iMac.
You would need to migrate to an Adobe subscription for LR/PS at £9.98 per month, as the old LR won't run on the new M1 Macs.
I have just done my migration from a late 2012 Mac Pro onto a new M1 Max MacBook Pro. I have just completed moving my 4 Hard drives from my Mac Pro onto a new 10TB external drive plus a 12TB backup. But the move has been well worth it.
 
I’m running a 27” Mac the same age as yours. I have all my images saved on a separate hard drive so there is only os and apps on the Mac hard drive. I am using all Nikon software and capture one with no problems, but I have increased my memory to 24 GB, mine was easy to do as there is a removable cover on the back above the power socket. My files I work on are 14bit raw from a D850 so full frame. 8256x5504; 45.4 M.
O.S. is Catalina 10.15.7
My Flickr site is
https://www.flickr.com/photos/marshandmoor/
 
Thanks everyone for the input. With regard to using an external, I have a spare 250GB SSD (and suitable dock) sat doing nothing at the moment so might use that to try this approach. At the moment it has a cloned back-up of my MacBook's internal SSD but I can always 'time machine' that to another back-up drive.

@boon sadly the 21.5" iMacs didn't come with the accessible memory slots - to get to the RAM on mine, let's say the procedure is a little more 'involved'.

The M1/3rd party screen is quite tempting, although I'd have to do some research on what does/doesn't work e.g. RNI Films/Nik Collection etc. LR won't be an issue as I'm a subscriber. Would also need to check if Capture One 21 Pro will work (I have the stand-alone version).
 
Gromit said:
Thanks everyone for the input. With regard to using an external, I have a spare 250GB SSD (and suitable dock) sat doing nothing at the moment so might use that to try this approach. At the moment it has a cloned back-up of my MacBook's internal SSD but I can always 'time machine' that to another back-up drive.

@boon sadly the 21.5" iMacs didn't come with the accessible memory slots - to get to the RAM on mine, let's say the procedure is a little more 'involved'.

The M1/3rd party screen is quite tempting, although I'd have to do some research on what does/doesn't work e.g. RNI Films/Nik Collection etc. LR won't be an issue as I'm a subscriber. Would also need to check if Capture One 21 Pro will work (I have the stand-alone version).
Click to expand...

Capture Pro 21 is Apple silicone native and will run on a M1 Mac
https://support.captureone.com/hc/e...pture-One-run-on-my-ARM-based-Apple-computer-

Nik Collection
Nik collection 4 will run on Apple M1 using Rosetta
https://support.dxo.com/hc/en-us/ar...ection-by-DxO-compatible-with-Apple-M1-chips-

Newest Nik collection 4.2 is run native on M1 Macs
https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/...-mac-m1-support-and-speeds-up-silver-efex-pro
 
topoxforddoc said:
Capture Pro 21 is Apple silicone native and will run on a M1 Mac
https://support.captureone.com/hc/e...pture-One-run-on-my-ARM-based-Apple-computer-

Nik Collection
Nik collection 4 will run on Apple M1 using Rosetta
https://support.dxo.com/hc/en-us/ar...ection-by-DxO-compatible-with-Apple-M1-chips-

Newest Nik collection 4.2 is run native on M1 Macs
https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/...-mac-m1-support-and-speeds-up-silver-efex-pro
Click to expand...

Many thanks, Charlie - I'll check those out. :)
 
I really would urge you to go for a new M1 system - it's simply not worth trying to get your old iMac up to spec. As others have said, sell it on and upgrade providing all the software you need is compatible (I believe an awful lot is nowadays). The only other route you could take is to look for a 27" Retina iMac secondhand - my i5 one works very well worth an 8GB graphics card in. You'd still probably be looking at more than a Mac Mini/Monitor combo though, but the screen is sublime for photo editing...
 
Jason P said:
I really would urge you to go for a new M1 system - it's simply not worth trying to get your old iMac up to spec. As others have said, sell it on and upgrade providing all the software you need is compatible (I believe an awful lot is nowadays). The only other route you could take is to look for a 27" Retina iMac secondhand - my i5 one works very well worth an 8GB graphics card in. You'd still probably be looking at more than a Mac Mini/Monitor combo though, but the screen is sublime for photo editing...
Click to expand...

Thanks Jason - what you're saying does make sense. Of course, my primary reason for wanting (needing, tbh) an upgrade is purely down to the speed of my Mac when doing photo-related stuff. A 27" retina would be lovely, so I will have a good look round at re-furbed units. I know they're not cheap though.

Head is saying M1 Mini though, 256/16, with a decent 1TB external SSD such as Samsung T7. The 1TB upgrade for the M1 is a wee bit pricey, to put it mildly. Seems like HP monitors get good reviews and a 4k V28 comes in at around £200.
 
For future-proofing alone I'd be inclined to go with the head... you can get good monitors aplenty now. My BenQ PD2700 is extremely accurate and not too expensive for a 27' IPS 10 bit panel.
 
Jason P said:
For future-proofing alone I'd be inclined to go with the head... you can get good monitors aplenty now. My BenQ PD2700 is extremely accurate and not too expensive for a 27' IPS 10 bit panel.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip re the BenQ screen, it does get some superb reviews. Reckon that'll be a go-to if I plump for the M1 Mini. With the spec I'm after, it would be around £1.5k for M1 Mini/screen/thunderbolt-capable external SSD.

Other option is a refurb iMac from MacFinder: 2015 27"/i7/32RAM/1TB Flash SSD. Approx £1.1k
 
chartz said:
Good choice. I’m very happy with my M1.
Click to expand...

That's good to know - the M1 (in all its forms) seems to be gaining very positive reviews from many quarters. Been following Mark Willis on YouTube who's been a useful source of info, especially regarding extra storage and accessories for the Mini. My M1's just the 256GB version (decided on more RAM as opposed to more storage) so looking at adding something like a 1TB T7 to host my LR catalogues.

I have a spare Samsung 256GB 850 Evo SSD so - just to try - have put Mojave on that to see what difference it would make. Even though it's sat in a dock, connected by USB to my Mac (as opposed to being fitted internally), its speed is like night & day c/w the HDD.
 
Spent yetserday evening setting it all up (the screen arrived about 3 hours after the Mini). Works great, the screen is excellent (thanks Jason!) - not quite 'Retina' but the colours are beautiful and good to know it's set up at the factory to be correct out of the box.

Lightroom would take upwards of 5 mins to start on my old Mac, on this it's around 7 seconds. The Satechi hub/stand thing has been well worth buying, increasing the number - and options - of inputs.

Downside - I can't for the life of me get my RNI Films 5 presets into LR. It should work but it keeps coming up with 'presets already imported' but they're nowhere to be seen. Any ideas folks?
 
Gromit said:
Hi all,

Whilst my Mac's not doing too badly, the time is approaching for me to look at replacing it with something which works faster. Opening up apps is taking longer and longer; for example, Lightroom can take up to 5 mins to become usable/stable. Plus, as it's not possible for me to update OS, LR cannot be updated either.

I often have to shut down other programs too - whilst a mail-check is running, LR slows down or even freezes until the check has completed (I now quit mail if photo-editing). Upon quitting a program, I'll often have to force quit as it that program will just hang otherwise.

Apart from using email/web browsing, my computer is mainly used for photographic stuff.

Have looked into up-speccing by way of using an SSD/increasing RAM but it's a fiddly job on a slimline Mac - dead easy on the older ones but something I'm not really prepared to tackle on this machine. I'd get MacUpgrades to do the work is this is a worthwhile option.

Of course I could go back to the Dark Side and go for a PC (been using a Mac for around 14 years now) which appears more cost-effective, but I really like the Apple UI. I wouldn't discount a PC though.

Other option would be to go for an M1 (the small one) and use my Mac as a monitor if that can be done?

Will be extremely grateful for help - thanks! :)

Current spec:

Screenshot by Boxertrixter, on Flickr
Click to expand...
I am having the same problem with my 2013 iMac, OS version after High Sierra have been making it slower, painfully slow.
Apparently it could be sorted by replacing the HDD with a SSD but as you say it’s not an easy task as you have to unglue and peel of the display then remover half the components before you get to the storage caddy...

It is possible to use some iMacs as a display but the computer will be working and probably using energy and the fan will be noisily spinning too.

I have a mini that I use for audio, maybe I will try connecting it to the iMac as display just to see how it works...

Edit: I see that I’m late to the party and missed the last post. Good to know that the OS on external SSD works, I may try that
 
@tuga - for a couple of days (whilst waiting for the M1 to arrive) I tried running a Samsung Evo SSD in a dock, using it as the boot drive and host for the Mojave OS.

Once I got my head round the recovery disk/OS install thing, it worked surprisingly well. Of course it won't be as quick as an internally-mounted SSD but the difference compared to the tired old 1TB HDD inside the Mac, it was like night & day. This was just using a USB connection, but as a stopgap I'd have been more than happy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top