Need a new iMac

[MDM]

50 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

 

The 2X16 RAM isn’t here yet. I’m wondering if the chip shortage is affecting that. I would prefer it to be here at the unboxing, so my son-in-law can flip the iMac onto my bed for me, help with adding the RAM, then lifting it onto the desk.

 

 

I would start it up as it is first and finish the initial OS install before adding or exchanging the new RAM. Probably unlikely but If there did happen to be any problems with the new RAM, then you would not want the initial install to fail. 

[Allan Bell]

Agree with Mick.  Not often we seem to agree on the forums but he is still one of my best friends along with everyone I know and have met on here and elsewhere.

 

Allan

 

[MizBrown]

1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said:

My computer was delivered at 9:15 this morning. The FedEx guy actually rang the doorbell which is getting to be a rare thing anymore. I was at the door almost immediately, hoping to ask him to put it just inside the door since it is heavy. He practically was running and stepping into the truck by the time I opened the door, so I spent a few minutes wrestling it over the door sill.

 

It’s here, that's all that counts. I won’t be unboxing it because I have to get my taxes done first. Then I’ll need to get my son-in-law over to bring it into my office and lift it up on the desk for me.

The 2X16 RAM isn’t here yet. I’m wondering if the chip shortage is affecting that. I would prefer it to be here at the unboxing, so my son-in-law can flip the iMac onto my bed for me, help with adding the RAM, then lifting it onto the desk.

I’ll get it figured out, but may be a few days.

As far as B&H goes, I’ve ordered from them off and on for 17 years. This is the first snafu, so I’ll give them a pass. It’s a shame it had to be with the most expensive item I’ve ever ordered from them.

 

 

 

Did they sent the RAM by a different shipping method?   DHL, here at least, dumps some classes of packages into the Nicaraguan postal system (DHL is the German Post Office).  They should have information on how the chips were sent on your invoice on line. 

 

 

[MDM]

19 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 Not often we seem to agree on the forums

 

 

 

I disagree Allan. 😎

[MizBrown]

I agree with MDM on getting it up and running so that if there are any problems, you can know immediately.  Your graphics programs won't be snappy but since you got the high memory graphics card (if I'm remembering the details correctly), they should be reasonably okay.   Thing with computers and their components are either they're dead on arrival, fail with first power on, or last for years.  Fewer variables to start with, the better. 

Edited May 3, 2021 by MizBrown
close paran.

[DerekVallintine]

1 hour ago, Allan Bell said:

 

When I was a very young boy in the north of the country we had a game called "Knocky Nine Doors" were we knock on someones door and run and hide.

 

They call it "Parcel Force" these days.

 

Allan

 

In our neck of the woods, London area we called it Knock down Ginger. Where that came from I don't know. It never happened to us as we didn't have a door knocker on our matchbox that we lived it !!!

[MDM]

26 minutes ago, DerekVallintine said:

In our neck of the woods, London area we called it Knock down Ginger. Where that came from I don't know. It never happened to us as we didn't have a door knocker on our matchbox that we lived it !!!

 

Did you manage to get your MacBook Air working with the old iMac as a monitor?

[DerekVallintine]

I went to my local Mac store and they told me it couldn't be done so I will be looking to buy a new computer based on the wonderful information Betty has received on this forum. 

[Betty LaRue]

Thanks for the advice on getting it up and running before installing RAM. 
MzBrown, my order page at B&H shows computer delivered, Apple Care in force, but the RAM pending. Apparently they don’t have it, thus the wait. That's why I mentioned worrying if it was from the chip shortage.

 

Back in the day, my older sister ran with her best friend to do things. They ignored me, because I was 3 years younger. That is, until night fell and they were up to no good. Then I was included. Really, it was knocking on doors and running, and once throwing pebbles at cars passing by, and one other thing, see below.

One night we were driving our next-door-neighbor crazy. We knocked on the door then dashed across the street to hide and peek at him come out on his porch, look around and go back in.  We’d done it about 3 times.

The fourth time, I decided I was tired from running across the street and decided to hide behind his huge maple tree trunk about 10 feet from the porch. After all, he never left the porch, did he?

My sister and her friend ran across the street. I hid behind the tree. Skinny, the nickname for the neighbor, came off the porch and began slowly walking around the tree.

Thank God, there was gravel all around, so I could hear his footsteps. We both inched around the tree on opposite sides. I sweated blood; my heart pounded out of my chest. He didn’t find me. I never knocked on doors again.

 

But...sis & friend decided to throw gravel at the door of a young man who lived in a small apartment house (I think there were 4 apartments total) not far from our house. I tagged along, of course. All of these events were when I was 8 years old.

After several times of the guy coming out of his apartment in the dark to look around while we giggled from the bushes, we did it again.

This time, I guess the guy had crawled out of a side window we couldn’t see. He hid back there until we threw the gravel, then came tearing around the corner in hot pursuit. Of course, little shorter legs (me) couldn’t run as fast, so he was breathing down my neck while the other partners-instigators-in-crime were gone.  I streaked across one yard and across the street; his hand inches from my shirt collar. I ran across our neighbor-across-the street’s large side yard and under their clothesline. You can guess the rest. I heard a loud twang, and an OOOFF and a thud as I scooted underneath an old pickup truck. I was breathing so hard, so terrified he’d hear my gasps. He had other concerns.

From the complete darkness where I hid, I watched him roll around on the grass for awhile, then slowly get up and hobble back to his apartment holding his neck.

I never once thought up these shenanigans but always seemed to be the scapegoat. In retrospect, I think that's probably why I was allowed to tag along.

Edited May 3, 2021 by Betty LaRue

[M.Chapman]

22 minutes ago, DerekVallintine said:

I went to my local Mac store and they told me it couldn't be done so I will be looking to buy a new computer based on the wonderful information Betty has received on this forum. 

This maybe useful.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3HD_Hg490c

 

Mark

[MDM]

35 minutes ago, DerekVallintine said:

I went to my local Mac store and they told me it couldn't be done so I will be looking to buy a new computer based on the wonderful information Betty has received on this forum. 

You can run an external monitor very easily from your M1 MacBook Air. You don’t need a new computer to have a big screen. 

[Ed Rooney]

 

Can we use a smart TV as monitor?

[MDM]

39 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Can we use a smart TV as monitor?

I don’t know anything about smart TVs but I think the idea is that it is a TV that can be connected to the internet so that would be most TVs nowadays. While some (most?) TVs can be used as monitors with the right connection (HDMI), they are far from ideal in terms of colour. An external monitor on the other hand could be used as a TV for streaming (a HDMI adapter might be required for the computer if it doesn’t have a HDMI port). I think both TV or computer would need decent speed internet (smart TV for smartness and computer for streaming). 

Edited May 4, 2021 by MDM

[Betty LaRue]

Just got the notice that my RAM has shipped. 🙌.

Edited to add...got my tax stuff to the CPA late this afternoon, and cleaned up my email. I’m studying how to copy Mail and Preferences.

MDM, I think I can cop my KeyChain. I know the way to get there, and to take the same way in the new Mac. I think the secret, from what I read, is to do it right after the setup but before using the computer otherwise.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Betty LaRue

[Betty LaRue]

See this article.

https://www.lifewire.com/transfer-apple-mail-to-new-mac-2260915

[MDM]

30 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

See this article.

https://www.lifewire.com/transfer-apple-mail-to-new-mac-2260915

 

A long article. To cut to the chase, the simplest way is to do it manually. Three simple questions..

 

Are you a gmail user?

Are you using the Apple Mail app on your current Mac? 

Do you use iCloud? 

[Betty LaRue]

27 minutes ago, MDM said:

 

A long article. To cut to the chase, the simplest way is to do it manually. Three simple questions..

 

Are you a gmail user?

Are you using the Apple Mail app on your current Mac? 

Do you use iCloud? 

I have two accounts, Apple Mail and gmail. I don’t use iCloud for mail at all. 
The article gave a very distinct path to the Library to find what I need to copy. I’ve written it down, so all I would need to do is follow that same path on the new Mac to copy to. I’m a note taker and trust nothing to memory. I assume I could copy it to iCloud, but I would feel more comfortable copying to a CD or a flash drive. Although I inserted a flash drive that I came across the other day to see what was on it, and couldn’t find it on my computer. Always before, it would pop up on my desktop, I think.  It’s been ages since I messed with it, so I’m a bit fuzzy.

Edit. I take that back. I just checked iCloud and see I have mail, contacts, calendars, notes and messages turned on, among a few others.

I just looked under iCloud in the mailbox list, and it appears there were two pieces of mail I sent, and one from someone else. 2015 and 2017. I never consciously used iCloud mail, so a bit confused.

The list that shows is gmail, Cox mail (my provider) iCloud (no current mail) and my email address which is a Cox email address. What is Apple mail? I don’t see it.

Edited May 5, 2021 by Betty LaRue

[MDM]

Do you mean you use the Mail app on your Mac for gmail? I don't know anything about Apple Mail accounts. I think that is something to do with iPhones and iPads. There is an iCloud mail but I don't use it.

 

You don't need to copy anything from your library. You just need to export your mailboxes and reimport them on the new computer. I can explain how to do that. The only complication with gmail is if you are using POP or IMAP on the mail server but they have made it really easy to set up on a new Mac. You just enter your email and password and it does the rest. Then you import the mailboxes you have exported from the old Mac. 

 

But if you want to do as you say go ahead. It is a beyond me I'm afraid. You shouldn't lose any mail in any case but it is safer to back it up on the old Mac before doing anything. Exporting your mailboxes creates a backup. Please keep in mind that while you have the old computer you can just refer to that. You don't need to use a CD or USB stick to transfer files. Just use one of the external drives that contain your images. Mail files are small.

[MDM]

31 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

I have two accounts, Apple Mail and gmail. I don’t use iCloud for mail at all. 
The article gave a very distinct path to the Library to find what I need to copy. I’ve written it down, so all I would need to do is follow that same path on the new Mac to copy to. I’m a note taker and trust nothing to memory. I assume I could copy it to iCloud, but I would feel more comfortable copying to a CD or a flash drive. Although I inserted a flash drive that I came across the other day to see what was on it, and couldn’t find it on my computer. Always before, it would pop up on my desktop, I think.  It’s been ages since I messed with it, so I’m a bit fuzzy.

Edit. I take that back. I just checked iCloud and see I have mail, contacts, calendars, notes and messages turned on, among a few others.

I just looked under iCloud in the mailbox list, and it appears there were two pieces of mail I sent, and one from someone else. 2015 and 2017. I never consciously used iCloud mail, so a bit confused.

The list that shows is gmail, Cox mail (my provider) iCloud (no current mail) and my email address which is a Cox email address. What is Apple mail? I don’t see it.

 

You wrote that when I was typing. It might be best if you follow what you said. Having iCloud is fine as it will automatically transfer your contacts, calendars, notes etc to the new Mac. You don't have to do anything. I am not sure about the mail though as I have that iCloud mail off and have never used it. Cox mail means nothing to me. I can help you with gmail though if you want although doing what you said about copying library files should work as well. The really important thing is not to worry about it. Just make sure you back up your mailboxes one way or another before setting it up on the new machine. It's 2AM here now so I am signing off. 💤

Edited May 5, 2021 by MDM

[MizBrown]

17 hours ago, MDM said:

I don’t know anything about smart TVs but I think the idea is that it is a TV that can be connected to the internet so that would be most TVs nowadays. While some (most?) TVs can be used as monitors with the right connection (HDMI), they are far from ideal in terms of colour. An external monitor on the other hand could be used as a TV for streaming (a HDMI adapter might be required for the computer if it doesn’t have a HDMI port). I think both TV or computer would need decent speed internet (smart TV for smartness and computer for streaming). 

 

I've connected my Windows laptop to my smart TV with HDMI and it works for playing videos, but I'm also not sure I'd use it for editing photos though I've seen some YouTube videos where people did use smart TVs for monitors.  I'd take a close look at both the computer (bring a laptop to the store) and the smart TV and pick a smart TV model that does match the monitor closely.   Mostly useful for watching downloaded or created videos on a 4/5K larger screen system.   Updates to my video card and calibrating the laptop seem  to have gotten me closer to useful than the laptop was initially.   But it's basically my bug-out laptop, not a machine I do serious work on. 

[MDM]

4 minutes ago, MizBrown said:

 

I've connected my Windows laptop to my smart TV with HDMI and it works for playing videos, but I'm also not sure I'd use it for editing photos though I've seen some YouTube videos where people did use smart TVs for monitors.  I'd take a close look at both the computer (bring a laptop to the store) and the smart TV and pick a smart TV model that does match the monitor closely.   Mostly useful for watching downloaded or created videos on a 4/5K larger screen system.   Updates to my video card and calibrating the laptop seem  to have gotten me closer to useful than the laptop was initially.   But it's basically my bug-out laptop, not a machine I do serious work on. 

 

I wouldn't do that at all. I would just buy a monitor and stream the TV. Here you have to buy a TV licence but you get all the former terrestrial channels such as BBC. You can subscribe to other ones such as Amazon Prime and Netflix etc. Buenas noches.

[Betty LaRue]

Good night, Michael. 😴

[MizBrown]

1 minute ago, MDM said:

 

I wouldn't do that at all. I would just buy a monitor and stream the TV. Here you have to buy a TV licence but you get all the former terrestrial channels such as BBC. You can subscribe to other ones such as Amazon Prime and Netflix etc. Buenas noches.

 

I have Claro Cable and can watch YouTube and Netflix subscriptions over the TV, but don't watch Amazon Prime as the application wasn't working last time I tried.   Amazon Prime is fine on the Apple machines (iMac and iPad).   Claro Cable has a few English language channels (BBC, CNN, Fox, and some English language entertainment channels) and a Chinese one in Spanish, and a German, French, and Italian ones, and a lot of Spanish language ones, and I could pay extra for HBO.  The cost of Claro Cable is less than $10 as part of Hogar Claro (cable t.v. and internet and landline phone).   Cell phone is a different bill.  The TV has a function button for getting translations in English for most of the dubbed programs.

 

Not sure how I'd stream the TV to the iPad in my bedroom, but that's about the only thing I kinda like to be able to do, but I can get YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Netflix on the iPad.

[Betty LaRue]

On 23/04/2021 at 16:43, MDM said:

 

Seeing as Mark was reluctant to take the bait, I decided to run a little experiment in the background while watching footie on the TV. I copied around 18,000 full size JPEG images in 35 folders from an external drive onto the desktop of my Mac keeping them in the folders and used Activity Monitor to check RAM usage by the Finder. Here are the results (of the experiment, not the footie). 

 

1. If the images are in the folders and the folders are not opened then no RAM is used. (That answers Betty's question for once and for all). 

 

2. If a folder is opened then the RAM usage by the FInder instantly increases. Closing the folder does not release the RAM. However, the amount used is very small (about 20-30MB).

 

3. Opening all 35 folders at once led to a jump in RAM usage of about 400MB which is not released when the folders are closed. Opening one file in Photoshop and doing nothing uses about 1250MB of RAM. Doing a few operations increases Photoshop RAM usage significantly as Photoshop keeps everything in RAM. 

 

4. Keeping image files straight on the desktop not in folders uses RAM just the same as opening folders.

 

5. Keeping the big pile of images into the Documents folder is the same as keeping them in folders on the desktop. Opening them uses RAM but leaving them closed uses none.

 

6. Restarting the computer releases the RAM and the same increases in RAM usage are seen when opening folders, implying that nothing is cached and it is all held in RAM.

 

To reiterate, the key point is that if the images are in folders and the folders are not opened then no RAM is used. 

 

Presumably the MacWorld article mentioned by Mark is referring to keeping  images outside of folders on the desktop. You would have to have hundreds of thousands of loose images on the desktop to make any significant difference to RAM usage but that would be some messy computer.

I had time to think about this further.

Ok, I had 30-40 folders on my desktop. When deciding to process images for an upload, often I would open different folders, look, close one and open another, deciding which folder to work on.  I might look in a half-dozen. Or I might be thinking of finding a certain image, and open different folders to find it. I open one folder, close it, open another, etc.

You said here that the RAM isn’t released from all that opening until one shuts off the computer and restarts it.  Very likely, that could have been what was happening when I’d have images taking so long to save.
It makes perfect sense. If I’d shut down and restarted, my saves would have been speedier.

[MDM]

1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said:

I had time to think about this further.

Ok, I had 30-40 folders on my desktop. When deciding to process images for an upload, often I would open different folders, look, close one and open another, deciding which folder to work on.  I might look in a half-dozen. Or I might be thinking of finding a certain image, and open different folders to find it. I open one folder, close it, open another, etc.

You said here that the RAM isn’t released from all that opening until one shuts off the computer and restarts it.  Very likely, that could have been what was happening when I’d have images taking so long to save.
It makes perfect sense. If I’d shut down and restarted, my saves would have been speedier.

 

I am not so sure. You would probably need to be doing this on really vast numbers of images as I did with the experiment as the effect is small but maybe I guess if you never shut down your computer for a long time and kept opening folders. You can keep an eye on it yourself by opening Activity Monitor app which lives in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder, clicking on the Memory tab and see how much memory Finder is using.

 

Is that new Mac still in its box or have you got it up and running on your own? 🤔