I Mac Smack

Got a new Mac!

This is my first post on my new iMac, which is Apple's desktop  computer.  Here are my observations, reasons (and hopes) for this new platform and how it will effect studio life and this blog.

1. I was impressed with the way Photoshop opens right now!  I am considering updating to CS 6 (Creative Cloud) because I've been capable of completely locking up my pse and use the program constantly for workshop flyers, image manipulation, image filing, and blogging.

2. The kids and family can use the 27" screen for movies, and I for art movies and You Tubes.  When HD TV became mandatory  we left trad TV behind and only use computers for our moving picture entertainment.

3. It lacks the 10 key pad, but I can buy one down the road if I miss it that badly.

4. My otherwise slow internet speed (we get our feed terrestrially and it is as good as we can get living in the country) is a bit faster now, as are most functions with this computer.  My understanding is that background froof doesn't compete for time like it did on my old PC.

5. I can visit other art blogs more frequently, which has been lagging for me as my PC's performance slowly ebbed over time.

6. A fixed-station desktop (iMac) will yield back the time that I have been spending powering-down my Toshiba, packing it up, taking it out to the studio and setting it up for my music (I use Pandora).  A lot of time has been wasted waiting for that elusive broadcast wave to seep out to the studio from the house.  I will try to leave my old laptop there all of the time and play music that way.  If all else fails, I may get Sirius.  Anyone out there use satellite radio in their studio?

7. Another benefit of the desktop is that I can eat and drink here without the fear of spilling on the laptop!  I survived 2 Toshiba laptops, both at about 4 years apiece, without a mishap.  Also, I am poor at backing up my data, and I did dodge that bullet and retain my data from that time.  

8. Solid State Drive technology.  Boot times will be significantly reduced.  Lifehacker says this about SSD:

Launching applications will occur in a near-instant. Saving and opening documents won't lag. File copying and duplication speeds will improve. Overall, your system will feel much snappier. 

Nice Knowin' ya, old computer!

What all this means for you.

1.  More consistent blogging as far as frequency.  More entertainment, more info, and more fun!

2. I will not become a Mac-vangel.  It isn't that important to me, and I have a skepticism of the big claims that Apple makes about it's products   I enjoyed the joke somebody made about Macs being "sprinkled with unicorn tears."  

3. I hope the greater speed and efficiency of this system will yield more time for the studio!

4. More You Tubes/ vlogs from The Colorist.