Ronstar
Moderator Emeritus
I'm having issues with my 2013 iMac. (3.2 ghz, 16gb ram, 1TB drive, 27" screen) Slowing down. I've reviewed activity monitor and cpu usage is not out of line.
I use it for email, surfing online, runs our IP camera software 24/7, and I use it for downloading/processing photos. Not uncommon to download a hundred photos or so at 50 mb each. Downloading to 2 TB external drive.
Also use it to create videos from GoPro files. Video files up to 5gb each. It does process photos and videos faster when no other apps are running, but I don't want to shut down the ip cameras any time that I want to upload photos or videos.
I also have a 2018 MacBook pro. (2.6 ghz, 16gb ram, 500 gb drive, 15" screen). It is faster at photo and video than the iMac. Sometimes a lot faster. Bought it to use at our snowbird place. Sold the snowbird place, so the Macbook doesn't see much work.
I've run "clean my mac" and loaded Catalina os on the iMac. It is running a lot better than before, but still not as fast as the Mac Book.
I'm thinking about making the Macbook my main computer. And keeping the iMac just to operate the ip camera software, maybe the scanner. I'll need a bigger monitor (32"), and a bluetooth keyboard for the Macbook setup.
As an aside, I'm running Time Machine for backup, where the iMac HD and external HD are backed up to another external drive (2 TB). Macbook pro backs up to yet another external HD.
Questions:
1. Do you folks use a laptop as your primary computer?
2. If so, do you leave it on 24/7?
3. What is your experience as to life expectancy of a laptop with regular use?
4. Will my iMac last longer if running ip camera software 24/7 is the only thing it does? (Does less interaction extend its life?)
5. Macbook related - I only have USB-C ports on the MacBook. Do you run your peripherals through a hub/port or straight out of the laptop?
6. Do you know of a way to back up the iMac and Macbook pro to the same external HD via time machine as separate partitions? Do you use a cloud based backup for safe offsite storage?
I use it for email, surfing online, runs our IP camera software 24/7, and I use it for downloading/processing photos. Not uncommon to download a hundred photos or so at 50 mb each. Downloading to 2 TB external drive.
Also use it to create videos from GoPro files. Video files up to 5gb each. It does process photos and videos faster when no other apps are running, but I don't want to shut down the ip cameras any time that I want to upload photos or videos.
I also have a 2018 MacBook pro. (2.6 ghz, 16gb ram, 500 gb drive, 15" screen). It is faster at photo and video than the iMac. Sometimes a lot faster. Bought it to use at our snowbird place. Sold the snowbird place, so the Macbook doesn't see much work.
I've run "clean my mac" and loaded Catalina os on the iMac. It is running a lot better than before, but still not as fast as the Mac Book.
I'm thinking about making the Macbook my main computer. And keeping the iMac just to operate the ip camera software, maybe the scanner. I'll need a bigger monitor (32"), and a bluetooth keyboard for the Macbook setup.
As an aside, I'm running Time Machine for backup, where the iMac HD and external HD are backed up to another external drive (2 TB). Macbook pro backs up to yet another external HD.
Questions:
1. Do you folks use a laptop as your primary computer?
2. If so, do you leave it on 24/7?
3. What is your experience as to life expectancy of a laptop with regular use?
4. Will my iMac last longer if running ip camera software 24/7 is the only thing it does? (Does less interaction extend its life?)
5. Macbook related - I only have USB-C ports on the MacBook. Do you run your peripherals through a hub/port or straight out of the laptop?
6. Do you know of a way to back up the iMac and Macbook pro to the same external HD via time machine as separate partitions? Do you use a cloud based backup for safe offsite storage?