Dennis Peek

Check at Hearst Castle for a night tour. They used to have (in season) a night tour where

docents played "period" characters in costume while you toured through their evening at the

castle. Small groups, reservations required. Early morning at Hearst and you may see the fog

roll in, up the mountain, and enshroud the castle.

I'm stumped but one last try. Use Disk Utility to repair the drive - it may fix a corrupted

directory. You should backup the HD first!

FYI, HDs run better (faster) if they are not maxed out - they need room to work. I keep mine

at 80% or less.

I'm puzzled. I run Aperture on a MacBook Pro (160GB) HD and keep current photos on the

HD referenced, but not managed. I then move the referenced files to a pair of 500GB

external HDs. I have not seen this problem. I first thought it may be Spotlight but that is a

long shot.

Are your images managed or referenced or a combination? Are you importing into iPhoto

- it stores them as part of the libraray and can get very large.

Can you possibly send me a copy or post a screen shot of your What Size window with the

file info? It should indicate the HD size at the bottom - HD name, Capacity XXX GB, Used

XXX GB, Avaliable XX GB. What does that say.

Using Disk Utility, what is the size of the drive? Could it be a drive problem. How about a

scratch disk or disk allocation by some other software?

You might also check out MacFixit website - much good help info there as well.

A little more info will be helpful. If you do not have a drive utility to catalog and size your

drive, go to VersionTracker.com and search for WhatSIze (free) or you can buy Omni

DiskSweeper. Either one will work - run it and it will profile your drive and give you all the

files sizes and locations. If the answer is not apparent, come back and give us an update.

Are you running Microsoft Office 2004 or Entourage by chance? There have been issues with

some hidden database files that can be large.

Tim,

Knowing that HDs have a finite life, I keep two duplicates and replace a drive after 2-3 years

of use. The current cost on 500 GB Hitachi 7200 RPM with 16 MB cache is about $100-120.

External enclosures can be had for $50-100 and will probably oulast the drive.

Check out Apple's QT tutorial on Archiving Images.

http://www.apple.com/aperture/resources/tutorial/

If you keep your images as managed images in the Aperture library, then all the images

and edits will be stored there. Aperture's vault function will create a duplicate of the library

in a vault (usually located on an external or separate HD). Aperture also will run a

comparison of the main library and vault and update only those changes. It automatically

checks the vaults and lets you know if updating is required whenever you launch Aperture.

Very simple. very automatic. You can have multiple vaults so you can easily create a vault

on each of several external HDs for safety.

If you keep your files as references only (not part of the master library), you can use the

vault function to maintain a duplicate library but the main image files will not be there. For

that, you can use other backup programs. I personally use Tri-Backup and this method.

Current working files are stored on my MBP internal HD and then backed up automatically

as needed. All photos are stored on two external 500 GB FW800 HDs connected to the

MacBook Pro.

The platform / hardware does not control the image outcome. Great images can come

from either. So can poor ones.

Computer choice can be very personal and people base their life view and self-esteem on

their choices - too much so. People can become very passionate about their beliefs /

ideas. In this case, there is no right or wrong, just preferences. Advocates' actions are not

always rational but frequently are very emotional.

To me, it is about ease of use, reliability, consistency. How easy or difficult is it to acheive

the results I am after? Depends on the software. And the software includes the operating

system (Mac, Linux, Windows, or others) as well as the application (PhotoShop, Aperture,

Nikon Capture NX, etc.). Software selection will dictate hardware needs.

I work with Macs and PCs with Windows XP plus Windows server products. I prefer one for

photographic work (Macs) but also rely heavily on Windows for my job (I'm an engineer).

Either system can be rewarding or frustrating, depending on the user's experience.

Overall, I find the Mac experience to be less frustrating and much more rewarding than the

Windows/PC experience. That has been my personal experience and what I have observed

of other's experiences.

I tend to recommend Macs with their higher reliability, easier use, and fewer problems to

newbys. I hate to see someone just starting out run into the brick wall of computer

problems and lousy support that I see and experience so commonly in the PC world. It can

sour them on a very rewarding hobby or profession - photography.

Apple has been very smart in setting up their stores where help is readily available and

free classes abound. I encounter dumbfounded PC users frequently and hear their horror

stories. I usually help coworkers and employees with free tech support on their PCs.

I believe the purpose of photo.net is to share knowledge and experience and help each

other. I have learned a lot here over the years and believe that sharing my skills and

knowledge is important. As a professional engineer, that is one our goals - to share

engineering knowledge and experience.

In the end, I don't care what someone uses. It is their time, money, and energy. But I hate

to see someone new go through the pain many experience in using their computers when

there may be a less painful alternative they are unaware of.

I move betweem Mac and Windows. The best solution I found is to install MacDrive software

on the Windows machine to enable it to read and write Mac drive formats. Format the HD in

Mac OS X extended. I have not seen any problems with this setup.

Checkout barefeats.com. It has some side-by-side compariosn of various HDs in laptops.

There are two new HDs you did not mention (both SATA) the Hitcahi 200GB 7200 RPM and

the 250GB 5400 RPM.

You can always swap out the stock HD for an aftermarket unit but there may be warranty

issues. These HDs can also be installed in an external case or bought that way for portable

use.

MacBook Pro 15.4, 2.33 GHZ, 3 GB RAM, 160GB HD. Run Aperture and Nikon Capture NX.

CS2 ocassionally. CS3 is native on Intel - should be better. Awesome machine. Use 23"

external display at desk.

RAM is for processing. Hard drives are for data storage, operating systems, and software.

Mac and PC, notebook or desktop, are the same in this regard.

I run a MBP 15.4 with 3 GB RAM and an internal 160 GB HD. I started out with 2 GB and

found 3 GB to be better. Newer MBP can use 4 GB (Apple memory is pricey, buy upgrade

elsewhere like OWC).

All files are downloaded from CF cards via reader to the internal drive. I use Aperture in my

workflow so the files are stored as reference files, not as master. The Aperture library is

stored on this drive.

All files are duplictaed to two external 500 GB HDs, FW 400 or 800 are OK. USB is slow on

a Mac.

Copies of the Aperture library are stored as vaults on these two external HDs.

For travel, I use a 160GB 5400 RPM, 2.5" HD in a FW case (no external power needed) and

baclup to this HD.

DVDs and CDs are used for archiving.

Most of us run multiple HDs because HDs WILL fail. I assume an average life of about 3

years on a hard drive. Notebook drives seem to fail more frequently than desktop drives.

The Dell 2007 Wide screen for photography? Not much. At least on XP. We have several of

these and they are OK for general use but not photography. Just finished calibrating my Dell

2007 on XP this AM with the Eye-One and I think the iMac G5 20" is better. The Dell is

brighter than the older G5 iMacs. Newer iMacs are brighter. I can do photos on XP but use the

Mac instead. The Apple 23" Cinema Display vx. the Dell 2007 Wide - no comparison.

I have been very pleased with my new setup (March 07) using a MacBookPro 15.4, 2.33 GhZ,

3 GB RAM with an Apple 23" Display. I primarily use Aperture and limited PhotoShop CS2. I

also use Nikon Capture NX. The Pantone/gretagmacbeth Eye-one Display 2 does a nice

calibration job on the Apple 23".

The compatibility of any monitor you buy now depends on the specs of your Vaio. Specifics?

Model number? Someone else here may have more info. Suggest you check out the

discussions section of Apple online support and search for Sony Vaio under "Displays".

The 24" iMac is an awesome image processor. It has a choice of nVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT

graphics processor with 128MB of GDDR3 SDRAM using PCI Express or the optional NVIDIA

GeForce 7600 GT graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM using PCI Express. It

also has a FW800 port so external drives and connection speed should be a non-issue.

Internal drive options are 250, 500, or 750 GB SATA.

To me, the stability of OS X is worth $$ over a PC with XP.

I use both but much prefer Apple. I particularly like Aperture, which is Mac only, and have

started to shift away from PhotoShop. But that is me.

This topic has been discussed much in the past year on photo.net. I suggest you search

the forums and read those posts first. You may be able to then ask more focused

questions. For eaxample, you can do a license switch from to WIndows to Mac with Adobe

products. Nikon software licenses work on both platforms. So did the iView Media Pro

licenses. Others may have similar arrangements. So software may not be an issue if you

consider switching.

I have bought about 6-8 Dell Latitudes for business (D6xx and D8xx series - need

Windows XP) in the past six months and remain unimpressed with their use of technology

when compared to the MacBook Pro. You spend about the same amount of money ($2000

+) but the Dell's are heavier, bulkier, have less battery life and offer no performance

improvement. Reliability is less than the Macs. We considered HPs but ruled them out

because of poorer warranty and tech support. And Dell support is nothing to brag about.

Consumer Reports did a good review by brand in June 07 that rated Apple tech support

the best (by a huge margin) and Apple, Lenovo, and Toshiba as good selections. Repair

frequency was about the same on all brands (Sony was slightly better but their support

was among the lowest). Some of their info is free online.

I find my MacBook Pro is up to the task for imaging processing for my needs. Today's

higher end laptops can easily match the performance of 2-year old desktops.

Only you can answer: What is your pain threshold and what level of fault tolerance can you

stand. Business' does tend to be conservtaive - because we cannot stand to waste valuable

resources on incompatibilities and cannot tolerate data loss. We want reliability, stability,

economy, and usability. What do you want? How much can you stand to lose (time, money,

data).

There is always a risk with new MS systems, upgrades, and software. We tend to let

the dust settle. New is not the same is improved. We do not use IE7 because of some

serious issues - still cannot handle FTP correctly months after release.

When Dell rolled out Vista, they quit shipping XP on the business machines (probably

forced by Microsoft). HUGE backlash and complaints. Dell relented and now XP is an

option again.

We used iView MediaPro for years (Mac and Windows versions). Great program. Bought by

MS and changed to Expressions Media. Free upgrade to new MS software to registered

users. Many complaints of broken features, loss of functionality, etc., by early adopters.

I'd wait for SP1 or 2 before deploying any MS operating system or major software. Life is

too short and I avoid unnecessary pain. To me, a computer is a tool, not a project to make

work.

Good luck! My IT expert has business clients in networked environments that have

mothballed Vista machines and reverted because of fatal issues. Depends on the use I guess.

Check the display driver on the MBP - I know it will support the 23" but a video upgrade or

the 17" MBP may be required for th3 30" display.

I recommend the internal HD upgrade. 160GB is not that much if you have very many

images. WIth Aperture, you can keep your main image library external of the program

and on external drives. Aperture also lets you keep vaults where all your edit info and

previews can be stored. I keep my images on the internal drive and backup images and a

second backup vault to external HDs. A portable external HD can be part of that mix so

perhaps a desktop external and a portable external would suffice. If budget is a problem,

start with one HD and supplement by backup to DVDs. Most D200 images are 9-10MB or

less.

Life is a compromise. Do you want max drive speed? Max graphics speed? Portability? High

speed RAID? You must decide what is important. A laptop is a trade of speed and internal

storage for portability. External drives and monitors offset that.

OS - hands down, fewer problems with OS X than WIndows XP. And I would not consider

VISTA for another six months.

PS

You can try Aperture and Lightroom demos before you buy.

I tried both and picked Aperture and it serves 95% of my needs. Doubt I'll upgrade to PS3 -

not worth the cost to me. Capture NX has some unique features if you shoot Nikon RAW.

I come from a wet darkroom background and found the workflows and editing more

intuitive in Aperture than those in Lightroom. For me, PS is a counter-intuitive struggle.

You have to find what works best for you.

I run Aperture and Capture NX (and PS2 rarely) on a MacBook Pro 15.4", 2.33 GHz, 3 GB

RAM with external 23" Cinema Display and it is good for my still photography. HD is a

160GB, 5400 RPM and is OK. Look at Barefeats.com for comparisons. The new Hitachi

200GB, 7200 RPM is about 80% faster, but uses more power (shorter battery life?). Third

party RAM is cheaper than Apple - look at OWC. I backup using FW400 to a pair of

external drives. FW800 is better but I ahd the enclosures and the backups run in the

background so I do not care about speed. For portable use, I have the same 2.5" HD in a

FW800 case. For backup software, look at Tri-Backup - great program.

You cannot mod the graphics in a MBP - part of the mother board - so get what you want

now. Aperture is very dependent on the graphics processor so more speed and memory

will help. If you can, go to an Apple Store and try out the MBP with Apertue on a large

display. That is what I did and it sold me.

Shop around for external hard drives. Many complete units are overpriced for what you

get. Many firms buy the same enclosure, relabel it, and insert an OEM drive. If you can

wield a screwdriver, you can do that too. Look at OWC, Transintl.com, coolgear.com,

cooldrives.com, CalOptic, and others for enclosures or finished units before you decide.

The LaCie, Wiebetech, G-Technology units are also good sources but look at MacWorld.

com for HD reviews. You will find that more money does not buy a better drive in many

cases.

Kelly,

Sorry about the experiences you mention. We live in Florida (13 feet above sea level) and

understand the hurricane experiences - our HO insurance has doubled and and the

deductibles quadrupled over the past 5 years.

On cameras, I have had only a minor claim and State Farm paid for it. I slipped on wet

bricks in Denmark, with my F100 and lens landing first. State Farm said file the claim and

send them the receipt for repairs. Sent lens and body to Nikon - body OK but they

replaced lens mount, focus ring, and other lens parts. SF paid in less than a month after

receipt of claim. No questions. I can't complain.

As others have mentioned, there are other issues, especially liability, that you must

consider and business insurance is quite different (think loss of income, temporary

replacement, and depreciated value) than the personal insurance most have discussed

here.

State Farm offers a personal articles policy as a rider to my Homeowners Insurance. I provide

them with a list of items and serial numbers and they quote me a price. I adjust every year

depending on equipment and include D200, lenses, Apple laptop, etc. Fully covered - lost,

damaged, or stolen. If I drop it off the Eiffel Tower or in teh Siene, it is coverd. ABout $100 -

150 per year. Check with you agent.

Justin,

FW400 or 800 would be fine for a quick backup. You can mirror the drives in OS X or run a

RAID array. Good enclosures can be $60-100 each. Check out DAT Optic, OWC, FireWire

Depot for a start. Look at the drives in Apple System Profiler - you may get a drive model

number. Check the manufacturer's website and it should tell you the interface. My bet is

PATA as SATA is the new standard and manufacturers are starting to drop/dump PATA

drives. Hence, the good deal. Cost per GB has also been dropping, especially on 3.5"

drives.

I run my photo work on a MBP 15.4" 2.33 GHz with a 160 GB HD. All work is backed up to

a 500GB HD in a Newer Tech Ministack V2 (http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ministack/)

enclosure for PATA drives (offers powered USB and FW400 hubs). <Their new V3 offers

FW800 and eSATA connections and SATA interface.> I then back up all work to a second

500 GB HD in a DAT Optic enclosure (http://www.datoptic.com/cgi-bin/web.cgi?

product=EFU3&detail=yes). For travel, I carry an external FW400/800/USB2 bus powered

(on FW) enclosure with a 160 GB 5400 RPM HD.

FW400 write speeds on a MacBook Pro are in the 22 MB/s range (128MB file, cache off).

Internal drive speeds are in the 40 MB/s range. Both HDs are Hitachi 160 GB, 5400 RPM with

8 MB cache. External drive is PATA, internal drive is SATA.