IF SSD was NOT an option...

[ssledoux]

Would you go 3.0 ghz with a 1TB HDD, or would you go 3.4 ghz with a 1 TB fusion? Both 2017 models, and really, at this point, these are my options. I just cannot deal with a small SSD and having to have something external to start.

With either of these, I can add an external SSD a bit down the road, but to get started, I think I'll have to go with one of these.

I could also do a 2019 base, although IDK if it's worth spending a couple hundred more than a refurb that's basically the same.

 

[redheeler]

Do not get one without an SSD or Fusion drive of some kind. MacOS on a 5400 RPM drive is very slow.

 

[ssledoux]

Do not get one without an SSD or Fusion drive of some kind. MacOS on a 5400 RPM drive is very slow.

Well, between the two, I am leaning toward the fusion because it also has the slightly faster processor. I know the amount of SSD in there isn't gonna make a huge difference for me, but also, I don't do a lot that is gonna require tons of speed. I just don't want to mess with an external out the gate, and I am using a mid-2010 pretty satisfactorily, so I can't imagine I won't be happy with whatever I buy.

 

[redheeler]

Well, between the two, I am leaning toward the fusion because it also has the slightly faster processor. I know the amount of SSD in there isn't gonna make a huge difference for me, but also, I don't do a lot that is gonna require tons of speed. I just don't want to mess with an external out the gate, and I am using a mid-2010 pretty satisfactorily, so I can't imagine I won't be happy with whatever I buy.

The Fusion drive is going to make much more of a difference than the slightly faster processor in day-to-day use.

 

[ssledoux]

The Fusion drive is going to make much more of a difference than the slightly faster processor in day-to-day use.

Well the fusion drive is the one with the slightly faster processor anyway, so I guess I'll get the better of both. ;-p

I realize it isn't the first choice, but my needs are fairly basic, and this is gonna be such a huge improvement over what I'm using that I think it'll be fine.

 

[niteflyr]

Absolutely, go with the Fusion drive. You're going to love the Retina display too!

 

[ssledoux]

Absolutely, go with the Fusion drive. You're going to love the Retina display too!

Did it! Got the 2017 refurb with 3.4 ghz and 1TB fusion. It was only $130 more than the base with the 1TB HDD and only 3.0 ghz (although I know that's not likely to make a huge difference), and I just felt like I could justify that price difference.

So my daughter's mid-2010 and the photos/videos/backups will be her problem, although I'm gonna suggest she get some type of drive and get it taken care of!

 

[curmudgeonette]

So my daughter's mid-2010 and the photos/videos/backups will be her problem, although I'm gonna suggest she get some type of drive and get it taken care of!

I suggest you copy the photos over to your new Mac. That way the new Mac backs up the old one.

To prepare for such a file copy, I suggest you get a short Ethernet cable. The copying could also be done over WiFi (i.e. no extra cable) if that is how you access the 'net. Once your computer arrives, ask again how to enable File Sharing and how to use the built in Finder to copy the photo library.

 

[ssledoux]

I suggest you copy the photos over to your new Mac. That way the new Mac backs up the old one.

To prepare for such a file copy, I suggest you get a short Ethernet cable. The copying could also be done over WiFi (i.e. no extra cable) if that is how you access the 'net. Once your computer arrives, ask again how to enable File Sharing and how to use the built in Finder to copy the photo library.

Honestly, I don't want 300 gb of her pictures and videos on my new computer. What she needs is a backup and then, while they're also still on her computer, to go through them and put whatever she wants to keep on Shutterfly or some sort of organized storage to keep/save/whatever.

What are good options for saving video these days? Like stuff of your kids you want to hold on to?

 

[kohlson]

What are good options for saving video these days?

There are a lot of ways. 5 years ago I had my tapes digitized and put on a drive - it was 15 tapes and about 250GB. This content also lives on a 15-MBP, a drive in a 2009 MP, and in a separate building where they live on a RAID-1 NAS.

Google and other providers offer 10-15 TB free cloud storage. A few hundred GBs is a small percentage of that.

You may also want to consider a small (like 1TB) portable USB drive - copy the whole thing over and then put it someplace cool and safe. Make a calendar note 3-4 years from now to remind you to buy another and copy over.

Consider YouTube (private).

 

[AlaskaMoose]

I would get a 1TB USB-3 hard drive for your daughter, and a 2TB USB-3 for you. Do a time Machine, or CCC, or SuperDuper back-up of her computer, and once you have installed all the apps you want on your computer, back up yours on the 2 TB hard drive.

 

[velocityg4]

There are a lot of ways. 5 years ago I had my tapes digitized and put on a drive - it was 15 tapes and about 250GB. This content also lives on a 15-MBP, a drive in a 2009 MP, and in a separate building where they live on a RAID-1 NAS.

Google and other providers offer 10-15 TB free cloud storage. A few hundred GBs is a small percentage of that.

You may also want to consider a small (like 1TB) portable USB drive - copy the whole thing over and then put it someplace cool and safe. Make a calendar note 3-4 years from now to remind you to buy another and copy over.

Consider YouTube (private).

Unless things have changed drastically and I'm not finding it. Google offers 15GB free storage.

 

[ssledoux]

I would get a 1TB USB-3 hard drive for your daughter, and a 2TB USB-3 for you. Do a time Machine, or CCC, or SuperDuper back-up of her computer, and once you have installed all the apps you want on your computer, back up yours on the 2 TB hard drive.

Can I plug a USB-3 straight into both the old iMac and a new iMac, or will I need an accessory? Just wanna be sure I get everything I need when I get it.
[doublepost=1557198625][/doublepost]

There are a lot of ways. 5 years ago I had my tapes digitized and put on a drive - it was 15 tapes and about 250GB. This content also lives on a 15-MBP, a drive in a 2009 MP, and in a separate building where they live on a RAID-1 NAS.

Google and other providers offer 10-15 TB free cloud storage. A few hundred GBs is a small percentage of that.

You may also want to consider a small (like 1TB) portable USB drive - copy the whole thing over and then put it someplace cool and safe. Make a calendar note 3-4 years from now to remind you to buy another and copy over.

Consider YouTube (private).

I desperately need to do this with my videos of my kids from when they were little. I know it’s gonna cost me but I need to do it.

Of course most everything of my grandkids is digital and just needs to be copied and stored, or made into longer movies, or whatever.

 

[kohlson]

USB connectors for things like drives are typically USB-B connectors. I wouldn't call it "universal" but it's closer than anything else - looks like a ~ 1/4-inch x 1/2-inch rectangle. It will certainly work in the "old" iMac, and in the new. An emerging USB connector type, USB-C, looks like a very small/skinny oval. Inexpensive adapters are available.

I know it’s gonna cost me but I need to do it.

Several years ago, when my tapes were 10+ years old, I set out to digitize myself. My camera no longer played them back. I called a friend and asked if I could borrow one. "Worked the last time I used it." It no longer worked. This repeated itself 3 more times. I finally took it to a place that did it. Brought them a 500GB drive (big at the time). Keep in mund that data doesn't last forever, or even decades, on any media. You need to keep multiple copies, and rotate in new devices every 3-5 years. Or the cloud.

 

[Fishrrman]

Do not, DO NOT, DO NOT buy an iMac that has only a platter-based hard drive in it.

Have I made myself clear?

Buy fusion drive if you must, but again, DO NOT buy an iMac with a platter-based hard drive in it.
If you do, you are gonna be a very sorry gal in a very short time.

Want to be a happy gal?
Then buy an iMac that has an SSD inside -- even if it's only 256gb.
Even that will make you VERY happy.

 

[CheesePuff]

Just get a Samsung T5 external SSD and use it as your boot drive. It's small enough to plug in and tape it up on the back.

 

[Zandros]

I would get a 1TB USB-3 hard drive for your daughter, and a 2TB USB-3 for you. Do a time Machine, or CCC, or SuperDuper back-up of her computer, and once you have installed all the apps you want on your computer, back up yours on the 2 TB hard drive.

Unless you're getting an SSD, the price difference between 1 TB and 2 TB is negligible.
[doublepost=1557241597][/doublepost]

USB connectors for things like drives are typically USB-B connectors. I wouldn't call it "universal" but it's closer than anything else - looks like a ~ 1/4-inch x 1/2-inch rectangle. It will certainly work in the "old" iMac, and in the new. An emerging USB connector type, USB-C, looks like a very small/skinny oval. Inexpensive adapters are available.

Most drives nowadays use the Micro-B USB connector on the drive side. It's very flat and long-ish with a notch close to the centre. It sounds like you're describing the computer side USB-A connector.

However, this is mostly academical. Any USB drive you purchase today will include the correct cable to attach it to any iMac ever made.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Unless you're getting an SSD, the price difference between 1 TB and 2 TB is negligible.
[doublepost=1557241597][/doublepost]

Most drives nowadays use the Micro-B USB connector on the drive side. It's very flat and long-ish with a notch close to the centre. It sounds like you're describing the computer side USB-A connector.

However, this is mostly academical. Any USB drive you purchase today will include the correct cable to attach it to any iMac ever made.

I was talking about an external USB hard drive to save photos and things like that.

Agree with this: the USB-3 or UAB-2 cable that comes with the drive will work with a new iMac. I am using a USB-2 Lacie CD-DVD burner connected to my 2019 iMac (the OP bought a 2017 iMac, I believe). That will be fine with USB-3 and USB-2, also.

 

[ssledoux]

I was talking about an external USB hard drive to save photos and things like that.

Agree with this: the USB-3 or UAB-2 cable that comes with the drive will work with a new iMac. I am using a USB-2 Lacie CD-DVD burner connected to my 2019 iMac (the OP bought a 2017 iMac, I believe). That will be fine with USB-3 and USB-2, also.

Thanks all! Replying from my new iMac!! I ordered it yesterday afternoon, and it had a supposed delivery date of tomorrow (Wednesday). It delivered at 9:50 a.m. this morning - about 30 minutes after I left for work. How the heck did they get that thing here in way under 24 hours?

I was having some second thoughts last night, and wondering if I really needed to even do this at all. In fact, I had contemplated not even opening it, and just returning it, but I opened it, and oh my is it nice!

 

[Zandros]

I was talking about an external USB hard drive to save photos and things like that.

I was too. I looked at the WD My Passport 2.5" portable drive on Amazon. 1 TB was $53 and 2 TB was $60, the small price difference makes me feel 1 TB is not good value.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

I was too. I looked at the WD My Passport 2.5" portable drive on Amazon. 1 TB was $53 and 2 TB was $60, the small price difference makes me feel 1 TB is not good value.

You are right; that makes sense.

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

If you can’t get a SSD and it must be Fusion I get the 2TB minimum. The SSD part on the 1TB is so tiny 32GB compared to 128GB on the 2 or 3TB Fusions

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Did it! Got the 2017 refurb with 3.4 ghz and 1TB fusion. It was only $130 more than the base with the 1TB HDD and only 3.0 ghz (although I know that's not likely to make a huge difference), and I just felt like I could justify that price difference.

So my daughter's mid-2010 and the photos/videos/backups will be her problem, although I'm gonna suggest she get some type of drive and get it taken care of!

Keep in mind that you have another option other than hard drives and SSDs for saving your daughter's photos and files. You can always move the photos to a UAB-3 flashcard, or maybe 2 flashcards of the right size (large enough) if you want a duplicate. For example, I just purchased a USB-3 256GB SanDisk "Cruzer Glide" at Costco, for $32.00, and plan to use it to save copies of photos and files to use when traveling (physically much smaller than hard drives). The transfer rate of this flashcard is up to 90MB/second²

However, most flashcards are formatted as MS-DOS FAT-32 format, which is not a problem with Mac and PC, except that FAT-32 has limits relating to file size. What I did with mine was to format it to Ex-FAT using the my Mac's Disk Utility. Ex-FAT does not have a file-size limit. Before I "erased" it, I named the flashcard, the name ending with (example: Joe256GB). That's not my name, just an example

PC and Mac instructions on how and why to format flashcards:
https://www.anysoftwaretools.com/format-usb-for-os-compatibility/

 

[kazmac]

Yay! Enjoy it.