best practices in setting up new mac

[Michelledeg]

Hi! I am currently working off a late 2013 27" mac running on Yosemite and PS CS6.  I bit the bullet and purchased your recommended desktop setup and ordered the extra 64gb of ram.  

Photography is a hobby and I will use the computer for basic use other than editing.  I am thinking of just using a Sandisk 1TB ssd external.  I realize I will need new PS software.  Do you have any advice or best practices in getting this new computer up and running?   (Slightly computer savvy but this task seems daunting!)

[Brian]

I haven't gotten around to writing my article titled, "So I bought a new Mac. Now what?" LOL!!

First things first. Your beloved CS6 will not install on the new iMac. Period. So don't even bother trying to get that installed. The newest versions of the MacOS are 64-bit only. The usual response is, but CS6 is 64-bit, right? Well...it technically is, but it's not encoded in the programming language that a modern MacOS can read.

Surprise!!

So what do you do? You will need the Photoshop CC Plan that will run you $9.99 plus applicable taxes. For example, I pay $10.59 each month after local taxes to have the latest versions of PS CC, Bridge and Lightroom. 

Do NOT get suckered into paying more than $9.99!!! Adobe makes it confusing on purpose and will try to up-sell you to a higher monthly payment if they can. Again, this is the plan that you want / need:

Second, I honestly wouldn't bother with a external 1TB SSD drive. If you are looking for photo storage and have the ability to work off the EHD, I would highly recommend getting an external Thunderbolt 3 drive, about 6TB or more. For example, I have a 12TB G-Drive Thunderbolt 3 external, in addition to to my other HD, which is used for Time Machine.

 

Why TB3? The answer is simple: SPEED. The Thunderbolt 3 interface is WAY faster than USB 3.0. I can comfortably work off my external and wouldn't attempt doing this unless I was forced to use USB 3.0.

Third, when you get your new iMac, I want you to follow the setup instructions in Part 2 of this document:
 

What Card Reader do you Recommend?

Part 2 covers on how to make your External Devices and things like a Thumb-Drive appear on your Mac Desktop when mounted. You should be able to do this now. Speaking of Desktop, you will want to make sure going forward to keep your Mac Desktop as clean as possible. Why? Because the more crap you have on your Mac Desktop, the slower the damn thing runs. Give this article a read:

I've been saving on my Mac Desktop

Finally, when you get signed up for Photoshop CC and go to install it, here are the instructions on how to setup ACR / Photoshop CC:

Setting up Photoshop

Just follow that article from Top-to-Bottom and it will cover all of the major things. I might have to update that document since Adobe has made a few minor changes, but it should get you going for now.

So what do you do now? Start hunting for stuff. Maybe buy that EHD now and I will walk you through on setting it up properly. Actually, I take that back. G-Drives should come pre-formatted for use on the Mac, but if you do buy that drive, I want to be sure that it still does before you go using it. You do not want a External HD formatted to the ExFAT type of Partition. Yes, this is the way manufactuers cheat; ExFAT allows a EHD to be used on both a Mac and Windows Computer. BUT!!! IT IS NOT BULLET-PROOF!!! ExFAT will burn you without warning so I never recommend using it for the average person. So we need to check that before you put anything on a new EHD.

I'd also take the time to go house-cleaning, backing up actions, getting your passwords, license keys, websites that you use together. This way it won't be as painful when you swap computers. I will be around to help if needed, it's why I'm here.

[Michelledeg]

Wow! Thank you for the very thorough reply!  I did already buy the 1Tb ssd but perhaps I could use that just for time machine back ups.  I will make sure to ask for help before putting it on.  I will also try to get a G-drive.  My mac should be in next week, I'll reach out then. Thanks again!

[Brian]

4 hours ago, Michelledeg said:

I did already buy the 1Tb ssd but perhaps I could use that just for time machine back ups.

You could use that drive for Time Machine only. Personally, I like my TM drives to be 1.5 or twice the size of my internal Macintosh HD drive, this way there is a little wiggle-room. That said, it should work fine.

[Michelledeg]

Hi Brian! I have had my G-drive for almost a year now😬 and am finally ready to set it up.  Would you mind walking me through how to check that it is not formatted to the ExFAT?

Thanks! Michelle

Edited September 19, 2022 by Michelledeg

[Brian]

First, head to the Finder and open it.

 

Then once it's opened, click the Finder Menu and select "Preferences."

Once the Preferences is opened, make sure "External Disks" is checked. (Or just set it up the way I have mine.)

Click the Red Circle when completed. Now your Macintosh HD, and any External Hard Drive (and DVD, and Memory Card, etc) should appear on the desktop. 

Now simply plug-in the G-Drive, if it's a Thunderbolt Model, use the Thunderbolt Port on the PC. Likewise, if it's a USB Model, use a USB 3.0 Port. Basically we want to utilize the fastest port available on your computer. Chances are it's a 7200RPM Model, so you will have to plug it in as well. I'd hook the drive up to the computer, plug the power in, then flip the switch. Wait about 10 or so seconds and the drive should appear on the desktop.

Select the EHD by left-clicking once, then right-click and select "Get Info." Post a screenshot of the results here in this thread. Or if  you don't want to go through that trouble, what I'm really interested in, is the "Format" type of that drive.

We want it to say "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)"

If yours is setup that way, give the G-Drive a Name, I called mine "G-Drive 12TB," you can name yours to whatever you want, just make things easy and keep the name simple. If it says "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)," you are good-to-go. If ANYTHING else is there, like exFAT...then we need to do stuff. But I'm 99% sure you won't have to do anything.

[Michelledeg]

Mine says Mac OS Extended (Journaled).  Thanks for your help!

[Brian]

Perfect!!!

The only thing you need to do at this point, is to create a file-structure / directory tree / hierarchy that makes sense to you. Take this time to organize your folders so your files have a place to go to. The worst thing you could do right now is do a data dump and have crap all over the place. A file should take no more than 2-3 Minutes TOPS to find.

Enjoy your purchase!