I may be absent for a while.

[Spock 272]

I've finally decided I needed a new system, so ordered a new iMac and a new Time Capsule.

 

The new Time Capsule has 3 TB backup storage and automatically and periodically backs up everything connected to it. I am in the process now of copying my old backups over from my old (2TB) to the new ... according to the status bar, it should be finished in about 16 hours!

 

The new computer is supposed to be here by the end of the month. I will set it up in parallel with my current system so I can copy over any necessary documents before wiping the old one to give to my daughter. I have a feeling that's going to take a while as well.

 

The new iMac:

27" iMac with Retina 5K display

4.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz

32GB 1867MHz DDR3 SDRAM

3TB Fusion Drive (incorporates a 128GB fast flash drive as a buffer.)

AMD Radeon R9 M395X with 4GB video memory (would prefer nVidia but they didn't offer it. )

Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad

Apple Trackpad

 

Logitech G900 Wired/Wireless mouse - sorry, Apple just doesn't have decent mice!

 

Yes, I think I'll be happy with it for a while. It's bothered me that the Windoze machine I built was faster than my iMac. Hopefully this will even things out again.

[gogoblender 3,225]

An imac...and yer a gamer? Very pretty machine, I look at them all the time...but for the money...isnt a pc still a better choice for power / money ?

 

 

gogo

[Flix 5,184]

Good god that must've cost thousands.

[gogoblender 3,225]

Good god that must've cost thousands.

Thats what I was thinking... Spock did you get a deal on this or something?

 

gogo

[Spock 272]

It's my business machine. My old iMac has been jealous of the Wintel machine I built for some time now, so I finally gave in and decided to update my iMac as well. The one I'm using is probably over 5 years old by now and, if I can get my business going again, I can deduct it from my taxes. I'm going to refurbish the old one and give it to my daughter who needs a new computer.

 

I have a few games on the Mac but hardly play them anymore, the PC is my game machine.

 

Yes, it was quite expensive and I ran into a problem with part of the purchase that caused me to cancel the order ... until they agreed with me, resolved the problem, and I reinstated the order. It turns out that their Apple Care (extended service warranty) extends the service on the system to 3 years FROM THE TIME OF PURCHASE ... not from the time of receipt of the system! I ordered it on the 18th and it isn't supposed to be delivered until the 28th, so the extended warranty ends on March 18, 2020. I initially questioned this policy this morning and was told there wasn't anything that could be done, so I said "Fine, cancel my order."

 

I called back this afternoon and talked to an Apple Care supervisor and she agreed with me that the warranty should run from the time I took receipt of the system. I reinstated the order. Guess they didn't like the idea of losing almost $4500.00 in sales, not to mention the fact that I probably wouldn't support Apple to my clients in the future. One sale they might be OK with losing, unknown future sales caused them to think twice.

 

I really hate it when I think someone is trying to short my purchase in any way.

 

BTW, it took 24 hours just to transfer the old backup from the old Time Capsule to the new one. It was just less than a Terabyte, so I probably did it wrong but it's done now ...

[lujate 578]

An imac...and yer a gamer? Very pretty machine, I look at them all the time...but for the money...isnt a pc still a better choice for power / money ?

 

 

gogo

Mac is better than it used to be, but I'd say for pc gaming, stick with Windows.

[Spock 272]

Mac is better than it used to be, but I'd say for pc gaming, stick with Windows.

I agree.

[Spock 272]

OK, everything has arrived and I've got the new system up and running. I set it up as a new system because I didn't want to copy any old "junk" from the old system. I was able to transfer all my old emails and accounts as welll as all my old browser links with only minimal fuss.

 

I now realize I will have to purchase another of these Logitech mice. The Logitech G900 is phenomenal! I can use it with it's built in battery and transceiver as a wireless mouse or I can plug in the charging cable and use it as a wired mouse. You can set up to 5 different DPI settings (400, 800, 1600, 3200, and 12000) which are selectable while using the mouse and the side buttons are selectable for none, left only, right only, or both. You can even "Surface Tune" the mouse so it will work better with whatever surface you normally use.

 

I got a wireless, rechargeable track pad with the iMac and have a feeling I won't be using it as much as I'd thought. I like the new Logitech mouse too much.

 

When I went to install my tax software, I found that there is no DVD drive on this computer!! I switched over the external Blu-ray burner from the PC and it worked with no problems though. I guess I will keep the Blu-ray where it is for now.

 

So far, the computer seems to be a lot faster than the old one but I haven't noticed any difference in the display, probably because I haven't found any images that are 5120 x 2880 or larger.

 

Well, back to taxes. I had to take a break and thought I'd let everyone know about the mouse ...

Edited March 29, 2017 by Spock

[Spock 272]

OK, update. It has been somewhat of a nightmare to transfer data from the old system to the new. Fortunately, I have not only a full backup of the old system but multiple backups of all my important documents.

 

The biggest worry was all my saved emails and my Internet links. Since I use Firefox and Thunderbird, I wasn't expecting them to transfer ... and they didn't. Fortunately (again), I knew where to find the data and transfer it manually. I am now going through and re-doing all my "favorites as far as sites I login to. Firefox has this lovely feature that gives a list of icons you can save and click on when you open a new tab. I find it extremely useful for my everyday browsing.

 

BTW, this new computer is much faster than the old one. I won't know exactly how much faster until I've wiped the old one and restored it to "like new" condition. There may be a lot of apps loaded that are slowing it down.

 

All-in-all, I'm very happy with the new system ... especially the mouse!

 

[Added]

Finished with taxes and ended up getting a small refund. Much better than having to pay them.

Edited April 6, 2017 by Spock

[Timotheus 430]

Good job Spock! Getting a new system set-up is always a little bit of a clusterF no matter how well you're organised.

When I got a new PC a little while ago I was going through similar issues.

[gogoblender 3,225]

Spock, glad the project has come to fruition...but pix pls or it didnt happen

 

gogo

 

OK, everything has arrived and I've got the new system up and running. I set it up as a new system because I didn't want to copy any old "junk" from the old system. I was able to transfer all my old emails and accounts as welll as all my old browser links with only minimal fuss.

 

I now realize I will have to purchase another of these Logitech mice. The Logitech G900 is phenomenal! I can use it with it's built in battery and transceiver as a wireless mouse or I can plug in the charging cable and use it as a wired mouse. You can set up to 5 different DPI settings (400, 800, 1600, 3200, and 12000) which are selectable while using the mouse and the side buttons are selectable for none, left only, right only, or both. You can even "Surface Tune" the mouse so it will work better with whatever surface you normally use.

 

I got a wireless, rechargeable track pad with the iMac and have a feeling I won't be using it as much as I'd thought. I like the new Logitech mouse too much.

 

When I went to install my tax software, I found that there is no DVD drive on this computer! I switched over the external Blu-ray burner from the PC and it worked with no problems though. I guess I will keep the Blu-ray where it is for now.

 

So far, the computer seems to be a lot faster than the old one but I haven't noticed any difference in the display, probably because I haven't found any images that are 5120 x 2880 or larger.

 

Well, back to taxes. I had to take a break and thought I'd let everyone know about the mouse ...

I still have one I paid 19.99 for few years ago when Diablo 3 came out...

I almost want to purposely break it myself it's lasted so long and doesn't show signs of wearing out... got a new mouse craving from you now!

 

gogo

[Spock 272]

OK, I just took some photos of my new computer on it's messy desk as well as a photo of just the mouse ... now to see if I can attach them.

 

Hmm, seems I need a URL to attach an image, so I will need to upload them somewhere first. Hmm, perhaps I can attach them instead. Let me try that.

 

 

This is the new 27" iMac and surrounding area with it's second monitor on the left (turned off right now and my iPad Pro on the right. I didn't realize until I needed to install a program from disk that this computer has no optical drive! If you look under the left bottom corner, you can see the external Blu-ray writer I stole from my PC.

 

 

 

 

This is the mouse. You can see a much better image of it on the Logitech site though. I'm seriously thinking of getting another for my PC and possibly one for my wife to use with her MacBook Pro. The wicked looking cable end seen at the top center of the photo is what I plug into the mouse to recharge its internal battery when needed. So far, I've been able to use it for more than 24 hours on a single charge. It's supposed to got for about 32 ...

Edited April 8, 2017 by Spock

[gogoblender 3,225]

Exciting purchases spock ... I keep looking at imacs, the concept is sharp and the screen beautiful. You must love working at the station

 

 

gogo

[Spock 272]

I have noticed that everything seems just that little bit sharper and more in focus than with the old one. It's also a LOT faster!

 

The worst part was reconnecting everything. I only have one website now but I've had it for years and my FTP program was set to login automatically to make changes any time I started it. It took me a while to remember the proper settings to be able to access my website in order to make changes.

 

Speaking of changes, are you guys at a point where you can take over the Sacred2 websites I'm currently hosting? You guys are a lot younger than I and I'm sure your site will be around a lot longer than mine ...

Edited April 12, 2017 by Spock

[Spock 272]

Grrrr, my wireless mouse quit working!

 

... then I remembered all I had to do was plug it in and keep going.

[Spock 272]

This is a pretty handy topic to post to when there has been or is pending a change in my life.

 

<Rant>

I have been almost caught 3 times now by an "Apple Repair" phishing scam on Facebook and have finally decided that enough is enough.

 

If anyone is in contact with me via Facebook, I will no longer be using it after the end of this month. I value my hardware more than I value the backbiting artificial "community" that Facebook has become, so will stop using it. I haven't decided if I want to delete my account or just stop using it.

 

Either way, after the end of the month Facebook and I are parting ways. If it weren't for the constant proliferation of scams, cons, and phishing attempts, I might put up with some of it but I now have actual work to perform with my computer and will not allow that to be compromised. I will still pop in here periodically but don't look for me on Facebook or any related application.

</Rant>

 

Ah, that felt good, even if I'm the only one who ever sees it!

Edited June 16, 2017 by Spock

[gogoblender 3,225]

This is a pretty handy topic to post to when there has been or is pending a change in my life.

 

<Rant>

I have been almost caught 3 times now by an "Apple Repair" phishing scam on Facebook and have finally decided that enough is enough.

 

If anyone is in contact with me via Facebook, I will no longer be using it after the end of this month. I value my hardware more than I value the backbiting artificial "community" that Facebook has become, so will stop using it. I haven't decided if I want to delete my account or just stop using it.

 

Either way, after the end of the month Facebook and I are parting ways. If it weren't for the constant proliferation of scams, cons, and phishing attempts, I might put up with some of it but I now have actual work to perform with my computer and will not allow that to be compromised. I will still pop in here periodically but don't look for me on Facebook or any related application.

</Rant>

 

Ah, that felt good, even if I'm the only one who ever sees it!

 

 

I see it!

And I can relate a bit regarding face book. I can see how it an become bothersome always being"on"... Facebooks' the closest that we have to "telepathy"...albeit a manufactured one. Taking a break from 24/7 connectivity is a healthy thing. Your fb account has probably been going for a while... did you know that you can just turn it off and vacay yourself this way? A lot of peeps use this functionality for a kind of self therapy...

An option

 

gogo

[Spock 272]

Trouble is, I've never been on there 24/7. My participation has been spotty at best, so quitting cold turkey wouldn't be that hard for me. The biggest problem is that my daughter got me playing a game where we can help each other and it uses Facebook to allow us to connect.

 

As much as I want to maintain contact with my daughter, I think we will just have to find another way.

 

The IDEA of Facebook isn't the problem, it's the fact that they have become overrun by intolerant people, fear mongers, and rabid religious fanatics ... of all religions! I wonder what Facebook would do if everyone just up and quit?

[gogoblender 3,225]

Trouble is, I've never been on there 24/7. My participation has been spotty at best, so quitting cold turkey wouldn't be that hard for me. The biggest problem is that my daughter got me playing a game where we can help each other and it uses Facebook to allow us to connect.

 

As much as I want to maintain contact with my daughter, I think we will just have to find another way.

 

The IDEA of Facebook isn't the problem, it's the fact that they have become overrun by intolerant people, fear mongers, and rabid religious fanatics ... of all religions! I wonder what Facebook would do if everyone just up and quit?

I havent fuond a better way of keeping in touch with my family unfortunately My family's spread out a lot, I see photos popping up, and get delighted often with pics of children and cousins growing up, and getting occasional messages from other family... in fact, since my mom lives in the states we used to findi it cheaper to just use facebook mesenger to call or message each other...since the app was always open this became wonderfully convenient.

You can of course us emails and sms and I think some SMS's have decent options?

RE garding your reports of mongers...there's always been mongers right? I remember my mom talking to me about living on her street on Sri Lanka by the beach and growing up... Fishmongers, laundry mongers, meat mongers, etc... when they got their first fridge the advent of tech changed them and no more mongers in their life...

course these days...they're talking about having tech in fridges so you can FaceBook while getting your eggs and milk

 

 

gogo

 

p.s. Anf if its the game thats getting in the way, maybe just play less or turn it off and say it doesn't work anymore ?

[Spock 272]

The mongers I would have been referring to would be the hate mongers and war mongers and you-name-it mongers.

 

The game isn't getting in the way, I'm writing (or trying to write) a book and spend less and less time elsewhere.

[Spock 272]

I've got 18 of ~25 pages done for Chapter 6. Wish I could find someone to help bounce plot ideas off of. My wife has finally finished the first three books and she just keeps saying 'Harry is different'.

 

I need to know how he's different (as well as any of the other characters) and what I need to do to bring them back in line.

 

Ah well, back to writing.

[Spock 272]

For anyone who may be interested, I just finished Chapter 8 of ~30 for my HP + Dragonriders of Pern crossover. I now have to read it myself to catch all those annoying keyboard misses, spelling, grammar, and syntax mistakes. Then I will post it for my editing team to tear into. I never knew writing a book could take so long!

[gogoblender 3,225]

For anyone who may be interested, I just finished Chapter 8 of ~30 for my HP + Dragonriders of Pern crossover. I now have to read it myself to catch all those annoying keyboard misses, spelling, grammar, and syntax mistakes. Then I will post it for my editing team to tear into. I never knew writing a book could take so long!

does a built in spell editor for your browser help catch spelling errors? I love the one built into Chrome

 

 

gogo

[Spock 272]

 

For anyone who may be interested, I just finished Chapter 8 of ~30 for my HP + Dragonriders of Pern crossover. I now have to read it myself to catch all those annoying keyboard misses, spelling, grammar, and syntax mistakes. Then I will post it for my editing team to tear into. I never knew writing a book could take so long!

does a built in spell editor for your browser help catch spelling errors? I love the one built into Chrome

 

 

gogo

I create the chapters using OpenOffice and then transfer them to Google Docs. OpenOffice catches most of my spelling mistakes but Google Docs catches more as well as seeming to know when structure is wrong, I.e., there is an 'an' in the text and it knows it should be 'and'.

[gogoblender 3,225]

A little off topic... but what kind of phone are you using.. Iphone?

 

 

gogo