DVD R/W and scratch file

[Mainframeguy]

Ok yes I realise maybe this should be two threads....

But anyway this is for my sister. She has a venerable mac and recently invested in an external HD to get it useful again - unfortunately she is not savvy enough to move things around and allocate a big enough scratch file to help elleviate things - could anyone give some notes that may help? Or a link to a guide that shows you how you work the scratch file allocation etc.?

SAecondly she would like to have an external DVD R/W or maybe CD R/W (it was me suggested she may as well go straight for DVD). She would like a few recommendations and maybe some advice. She is moving into a new house soon and can go broadband when she does - I have left an old BT ADSL Voyager Modem with another sister which I am hoping she could use - anyone know where she can pick up Mac drivers for this, or should it run fine out of the box on the USB port so to speak?

All advice gratefully received, printed, and passed on to her..... who knows maybe she'll sign up here if she gets around to broadband and be able to thank you herself!

 

[X-Istence]

What Mac does she have? What OS does it have installed? And external DVD/CDRW writers here in NJ are priced at around $500 - $900 for some of the more high quality ones.

And i doubt the USB modem will work out of the box, get some drivers for it from BT, or get her a proper modem with ethernet connection.

 

[Mainframeguy]

I am no a Mac afficionade and so forget the names etc. Basically it was the standard Mac shipped (she chose Mauve!) When they launched the any colour you like, but blue is cheaper or something, range - I think a Mac nut will know the model now. She does NOT have OS/X so I think that means it is MAC OS 9 or something. I did make a note of her RAM and HD specs somewhere (they were not high end, she had filled her HD at the time).

Those external DVD prices seem insane! There is a budget here and her initial question was for a CD R/W, it was me that said go for the DVD option if you think you will want it in the end. Would the savings or possible redundancy protection benefits make CD a good option?

I appreciate your concern about the modem and will look into drivers, although have a sneaky feeling PC drivers will (as ever) be easier to find. Don't suppose anyone on OSNN uses a BT "Voyager" ADSL modem with a Mac? (Naaah that is waaaay too optimisitic to even have asked it!)

Thanks for the post - hope some more come up with some links - esp. UK pricewise....

 

[Xie]

I'm new to the Mac world but is it possible to use the same external DVD R/W drive as a Windows machine or does it have to be labeled "Mac"? I only ask as external DVD R/W drives for Windows boxes are only like $130-200 ($200 for something like Sony/Plextor).

 

[X-Istence]

I'm new to the Mac world but is it possible to use the same external DVD R/W drive as a Windows machine or does it have to be labeled "Mac"? I only ask as external DVD R/W drives for Windows boxes are only like $130-200 ($200 for something like Sony/Plextor).

Can use the same ones. I was just quoting the ones i have seen around here at Staples, Best Buy and other stores.

At thread starter:

Mac OS 9 does not support a lot of the newer hardware, and i doubt that any new CDRW or DVDRW will work with Mac OS 9.

As for the external media and getting it initialized, i have no clue.

Personally, if she does have a budget, but would not mind spending some money to get up to date, for at least a few years, i suggest she looks into an Mac mini, PC screens are relitvely cheap for a good one ($179 for a Philips), and keyboard and mouse should not be hard to come by.

Get 512 MB ram, and a SuperDrive to burn DVD's and she is set for the next 4 years. If you allready have the external media, then you can use that with Mac OS X no problem.

Mac OS 9 is dated, and there is really no support for it, in newer hardware.

Good luck.

 

[Mainframeguy]

X-istence this is what I was afraid of hearing. Inded her budget will not p[ermit the escape from upgrade hell she seems to be in - how about anyone chipping in on the scratch file (or is it a simple google?).

I am going to HATE giving her this bad news! Anyone else with any more positive opinions? Fact is she has a birthday late in year and much as I would not like to do it I will try to get family to rally around and get her a new Mac - that one sounds about right for her five year old daughter to learn on - ONCE teh scratch is sorted

 

[LordOfLA]

for not very much per month could get a whole pc from dell....

 

[Mainframeguy]

you have to understand - she is in design and suchlike - it MUST be mac I believe if you are any sort of designer....

 

[Xie]

I believe the "scratch file" is kinda like the "page file" or "virtual memory" in the Windows world MFG. :classic:

*edit* - I remember Photoshop having a option named scratch file

 

[X-Istence]

Scratch file is like a partition i believe.

MainFrameGuy: Search google. But believe me, the upgrade is well a good one. Apple does financing, and in general it is a nice update.

LordOfLa: Ugh dell. At my school we just call em "Hells", they cause so much grief.

 

[Xie]

MainFrameGuy: Search google. But believe me, the upgrade is well a good one. Apple does financing, and in general it is a nice update.

Yeah thats how I ordered my Mac mini :classic: I filled in the little bit of info and had a responce in like 20secs (approved).

*edit* - I did a little google looking and doesn't seem the easiest thing to get a definition of. I did find this though making it sound similiar to a page file ...

The scratch disk ideally only comes in to play when all the RAM used by Photoshop is used up and the program then writes to the scratch file but it will never be as good or as fast as RAM.

I also found a couple of post suggesting putting the "scratch file" on a non-OS partition making me believe more that it might be a page file of sorts.

 

[Mainframeguy]

I believe the "scratch file" is kinda like the "page file" or "virtual memory" in the Windows world MFG. :classic:

*edit* - I remember Photoshop having a option named scratch file

this I know - how to make it larger I do not know.... plus it will, I feel certain, involve teaching my sister how to remove stuff to and set defaults for filing stuff to, the external HD (which may be an issue with access times).

And presumably - in event of upgrade - the whole thing becomes irrelevant? I will look into it, but know I need to tread carefully so that she does not get disillusioned or think i am trying to make her get the latest and greatest whenn she does not need it.... any tips there from any female Mac users would be great (are there any here?!)

 

[X-Istence]

Mainframeguy: I worked with Mac OS 9 a few years ago, the school i current go to recently upgraded all it's mac labs to new eMac's with Mac OS X, and there is such a big improvement.

I think the upgrade is well worth it, not only do you get new features, but also better support, newer/better programs, and in general it is just great. I don't mean to sound like a marketer, but Mac OS X is not just an upgrade, it is the latest and greatest, so if you think she does not need it, you are wrong. Mac OS X will be upgrade further (If she does go for it, wait a few months for Tiger to come out), and then it will be usefull for at least 4 years to come.

 

[X-Istence]

Just another thing, a Scratch File is probably needed in Mac OS 9, since it's virtual memory management is horrible. Mac OS X has it's root in the BSD world, which is known to have one of the best, if not the best, Virtual Memory management systems in world.

So that problem will be gone.

 

[LordOfLA]

I know dell desktops suck but if you are on a tight budget they can do you well.

Also macs are being used less and less for design as adobe is trying to pull their high end design apps over to pc exclusively *slowly* I might add. I know I read it somewhere but I cant rememebr ewhere so you'll just have to decide for yourselves if you beileve that "fact".

If you insist on being soley mac centric these days you are shootign yourself in the foot. MAcs ncihe market is shrinking so apple is trying to create itsself a new one (seemingly sucessfully too if you check out itunes, ipod, mac mini, ibook, os x etc). Doesnt stop me thinking mac is still a waste of time and money however.