gener202002

I think when it is talking about lack of memory, it is talking about RAM. not external memory. When using Photoshop and Lightroom, it is necessary for best performance to have a minimum of 12 gig. It is really better to have 16, and more would be better yet. Some functions in Photoshop do require 16 gig. I use 16 gig, but more would be even better yet, for the highest performance and speed.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

You really don't want to make that argument. I used a Mac and a PC on my desk from 1986 to 2012. I was the Mac support guy for my site, but I also had over 70 PCs to help the IT manager support with software upgrades and other simple maintenance tasks. At one point, I developed a lot of databases for deployment on Windows boxes. So I know there's more to the story.

Windows hardware cost is probably about half the equation. Most of the rest of TCO (total cost of ownership) is tied up in unexpected add-ons like anti-everything software, repairs, user training, and technical support. Back when we bought 50 of the cheapest Gateway machines our specs would allow, we got screwed... We had 11 drive failures on the same day, and the rest of them failed soon after. Gateway had to ship us a box of new drives (different brand!). It took quite a while to bring everything back to normal! Next time, we bought a big batch of Dells. Fortunately, all but one of those were fine.

Don't get me wrong, Windows 10 is quite decent, and I even use it from time to time. But every time I switch back to the Mac OS, it feels better, as if the tool is transparent to the task.

It really isn't about the looks. It's about the total ecosystem experience. I'll gladly pay a little more to get something that won't get in my way, and plays nice with my iPhone. I typically keep my Macs well beyond their stated support life, by upgrading them and adding peripherals. Most have worked at least ten years. One of them is 20 this year. It still works on the odd occasion I need to edit a very old PageMaker file.

johneccles Loc: Leyland UK

I don't quite understand your post, I can open up my PC and either add to or replace a RAM stick in a few seconds or is it different on a MAC?

JeffDavidson Loc: Originally Detroit Now Los Angeles

our hard drive does not have memory, it has storage/ If you have an average file size of 50MB, that means 20 files per GB and 20,000 per Terabyte.

16GB but better, 32GB RAM is recommended for working with large photo files and something like Lightroom or Photoshop.

lschiz Loc: Elgin, IL

You do NOT have to store any photos on your computer. This frees up all computer HD space for operations.
I use, you can alos, use only an external HD for original and all procesed images.
This external HD must be backed up with each job or as I do, use a RAID1 device (two complete mirrored drives) then back up the RAID drive every job or two to another Backup.

A complete backup managemnt system would take that second drive and store out of you home or office, ie off site. A good file management and back up system is critical but non of your images need to be on your computer.
RE LR CC catalogs, I save keep that on my computer HD and back up with every exit of LL to Dropbox.
This backup location can be selected. In LR go to edit, Catolog Settings and in the General tab, the options under Backup, select "Everytime Lightroom Exits". Then next time you exit LR you click the "Choose" button and select where you want the LR Catolog to back up. EVEN if its on the same external drive as images, thats better than a back up of your Catolog to your computer HD.
Then, Every month back up that Catolog folder on the computer drive to the RAID working drive.
As with each of us that reply, we all will have different systems so this is not the best. The best system is to have a good well maintained file managment system. That is what is important.

ernman111

you can get adapters that attach sata to a mac...

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Sure you can, and if you choose a SATA HD, the external case will need a 6Gb SATA to USB-3 or Thunderbolt-2 protocol converter, BUT if you by an external SSD, just buy one of the many SSDs intended for external use that have a USB-3 attachment as standard, so no external protocol conversion necessary.

ernman111

usb 3.0 is a cludge for drive attachments. rarely do 3.0 adapters perform at optimal speed. in any even native sata III is almost twice as fast as 3.0 so when working with large files. there is a noticeable difference.

gener202002

How many people watch this website?

paul77e

Memory Clean app on my MacBook seems to help

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

C:\ and F:\ are Windows (DOS) concepts.

Mac drives are known by whatever the user names them. The ACTUAL drive names are kept hidden unless you run a techie utility.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

If you read the original post, you’ll note that the OP has a MacBook Air. It has no SATA ports - it has two USB 3.0 5Gb ports and one Thunderbolt-2 20Gbit port, so those are the connection options for an external drive. USB is not the ideal drive interface (first, it is 5Gb vs SATAIII’s 6Gb, and there is always a latency inherent in protocol conversion), but that and Thunderbolt is what we have to work with. There are a few Thunderbolt interface external SSD drives, but they tend to be substantially more expensive than a USB-3 SSD external. In any event, if ultimate data transfer speed is the goal, then the OP will need to find actual benchmarks for each type AND decide what brand of SSD he is willing to trust his data to. For example, if I had that choice, I would choose a USB-3 connected Samsung or Intel SSD rather than a Thunderbolt connected Transcend or (God fobid) a LaCie. And we don’t know if the OP will opt for an SSD at all. If he chooses a conventional HD, it won’t matter, because the USB-3 interface is at least 2x the speed of a conventional SATA drive.

ialvarez50

You should be able to do editing in your MacBook with 8GB of RAM, just don't try to upload all 1000 of your RAW photos to Lightroom or Photoshop at one time. Try to buy a large storage HD to store all your photos 4TB at least, and transfer all your photos there first. When you are ready to edit your files close all programs and clean your computer of garbage from the internet and open 50 to 100 photos at one time only, the computer will do okay in small batches.

ggab Loc: ?

Yes, back in 1981
Programs are not written as efficiently now.
More user interface = easier to use = less efficiency.

ernman111

ya know what? thanks for trying to show me how technical you are. if you want to get into the sheldon cooper discussion, happy to oblige. I have been teaching computer science for 25 years. I taught IBM-ers how X86 systems work, from binary to I/O to programming languages. i hold a bsee and bscs.

point is i was simply trying to give him some options with a bit of comparison. so I'm done here! knock ur technical ass out!