express2100

Memory and Storage

Recommended Posts

What size do you guys have in your Macs? What is the minimum you would go with for sign design and running a cutter? I know some of you are at 16 GB Mem and 4 Tera Storage but I don't think I need to go that big for the cutter and some minimal casual use. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ditch the mac for starters...lol.

Im running a Dell D610..with WinXp, 40Gig Hd and i back up all my files to USB flashdrives and my networked 500GB HD.

Backup, then more backups...u can never have enuff backups!

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

cutters require very little processing power - designing can require more but like gc  a lot of us have dedicated cutting computers not hooked to the net with lots less power and they work great every time!  now I can't specifically speak on the mac end - I bought one a year ago to play with (older one) and it hasn't been powered up for at least 5 months . . . .   I am to pc engrained I guess

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have two laptops...one is strictly for cutting and is rarely used for designing unless im at a show or event.

The other laptop is a spare, used for backing stuff up. Both laptops are the exact same model and setup.

I do 90% of my designing from my desktop pc, also a Dell.

I have a nice 24" flat screen monitor that works great for designing.

This Dell is a Dimension 8300, ive had it since 2003. Still works great.

Ive got 2 internal hard drives, 120Gb and a 250Gb, plus two external drives, a 500gb and a 1Tb.

Everything is networked together so i can access my files from any device and anywhere anytime (thru the internet and cloud).

I can even log in thru my phone anywere and access them

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

nice set up - I just went one step further and the cutting computer is no longer on my network - everything goes thru a thumbdrive now (printing computer is another story) when on the rare occasion the design computer is taken out by a malady the cutting computer carries on.    on the printing computer after having a mb die I now built a second one with identical components and everything mirrored for the most part so a quick swap keeps the printer humming along.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I purchased a Macbook Pro Retina 2.6GHz i5, 8GB memory, 512GB Flash storage & Intel Iris Graphics. Much more than I need but it will be used for more than just the cutter and will allow me to design at my cabin etc. I have been saving for one of these for quite a while. Also picked up the usb superdrive.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have a custom built, 12gb RAM, 3.2ghz quad core, 1TB HDD, 22" flat panel monitor.

and some of my own tweaks to the system.  

Works real well except for 32bit software has some issues with a 64bit system.  had to find some work arounds for that.

I'm connected to the internet on all computers i just firewall real well.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I purchased a Macbook Pro Retina 2.6GHz i5, 8GB memory, 512GB Flash storage & Intel Iris Graphics. Much more than I need but it will be used for more than just the cutter and will allow me to design at my cabin etc. I have been saving for one of these for quite a while. Also picked up the usb superdrive.

That sounds like a fun new toy. i have been thinking of upgrading my laptop to a Macbook Pro one of these days, I'll try to keep an eye on you to see how it preforms. I run an iMac desktop and just went with the standard 21 model and there have been times when crunching a 3D rendering that I wish I had went ahead and gotten the bigger processor. 

 

All you yahoos hard timing the mac need to pay attention that this was posted in the mac users forum. :rolleyes:  Mac rules! 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
All you yahoos hard timing the mac need to pay attention that this was posted in the mac users forum. :rolleyes:  Mac rules! 

wow, i can't believe I didn't catch that, 

oh well, MACS SUCK!!! 

 

:)

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have been converted from windows. Unless you have experienced it then you have no idea. The ONLY thing that I can see that would be a perk to windows is if you are a major computer geek who likes to modify stuff all the time and are capable of dealing with the crashes and don't mind an unstable system. I am not a computer geek/guru and get real frustrated when they start screwing up. All those issues pretty much went away with the purchase of my first mac which is still running three years later without any issues and it gets full time use as my design computer and full time use by 7 other people of varying ages and I can tell you from personal experience that those 7 other users have been the quick death of every other computer I have owned which typically was 12-18 months so don't be knocking my mac in the mac forum thats poor form buddy. 

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think there is a lot of truth or fact to what you just said Goose. It seems the larger portion of users who strongly support Windows PC's are those smart enough to rebuild and modify them and enjoy doing it. They don't feel the stress and cost impact when their PC won't function. I am not one of these users. I want my computer to work that's it. Which is why I went to Mac 7 years ago. They just work.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Just a "for instance"I have a decent quality laptop with windows 7 that I have had to shut down the auto update because if I let it update every tuesday it will crash completely. Blue screen. dead. I have not a clue how to deal with this. The only options I have are to con one of my more computer savvy friends into donating their time to help out or go pay the geek squad to figure it out. I ended up doing a startup in safe mode and doing a restore to get it to even open up again. This happened 4 or 5 weeks in a row until I finally figured out how to turn off the auto update. Why should an update crash my system? PIA

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Since I've never owned a mac I don't feel qualified to make a judgement so I have to wonder with all the bashing how many ever had a mac to compare to a pc?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was just giving you crap goose, in all honesty macs do perform better out of the box when it comes to any kind of graphics.

Personally though I like to be able to make my own tweaks, and that is my only major problem with anything apple.

Also they cost twice as much!! 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I was just giving you crap goose, in all honesty macs do perform better out of the box when it comes to any kind of graphics.

Personally though I like to be able to make my own tweaks, and that is my only major problem with anything apple.

Also they cost twice as much!! 

Were cool. You are right they cost at least twice as much. I wish I had skills to deal with computers but it has never been my strong point. I have a nephew who lives in a nearby town that is a freak and if I get in real trouble I call in the calvary but I hate to bug him. My older brother is a computer programmer for some software company that writes specific programs for Boeing and he is the one that finally told me to just go spend the $$ on a mac and it was great advice. They are a little quirky with drivers but once you get everything hooked up I love them. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm a PC  Guy my son is a MA(nia)C, my only problem is with a MAC I feel claustrophobic! It's like I'm in a glove, some people feel comfort with that, but I feel I can't breath. The only times my PC fails is when it's under-powered for the software I'm using. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Most of my designing is on a custom built AMD hex core 3.8ghz OC to 4.1ghz with 16gb of memory, Nvidia 550ti OC video card using a 22" HP flat screen monitor, and a Samsung quad core with 8gb of memory. Everything Is backed up on thumb drives, and external hard drives.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now