New iMac user here (first Mac)

So after owning multiple iOS devices, I finally took the plunge and purchased a 21.5" base model iMac this past weekend. So far I like it and am happy with the purchase. But I do have a couple of questions...

1) Do I need to download/save photos from my iPhone in order to have them saved on the iMacs hd, or does Photostream on the iMac automatically put a copy on the hd? With my PC I use to use the PhotoTransfer app with iOS to get photos from the iphone to the pc.

2) I transfered about 12,000 photos from my PC's external hard drive to the iMac, and now iPhoto insists on uploading them all to photostream. How can I stop this? Everytime I open iPhoto it continues working on the uploads and slows down the app massively. I don't need or want my whole library on photostream or icloud. I attempted to turn off the "photo uploading" in iphoto preferences, but it didn't seem to work.

3) Is there a good app that works for writing a Blogger blog? I currently use Blogger's posting interface, but I don't really like it and would prefer to work on the iMac (not online) before posting. I'm hoping the iMac helps me be more efficient, creative and productive with my blog/website (Sail Far Live Free)

kwaltersmi said:

1) Do I need to download/save photos from my iPhone in order to have them saved on the iMacs hd, or does Photostream on the iMac automatically put a copy on the hd? With my PC I use to use the PhotoTransfer app with iOS to get photos from the iphone to the pc.

Click to expand...

You need to import the photos you want from PhotoStream. iPhoto is the standard option. I use the other Apple alternative: Aperture.

2) I transfered about 12,000 photos from my PC's external hard drive to the iMac, and now iPhoto insists on uploading them all to photostream. How can I stop this? Everytime I open iPhoto it continues working on the uploads and slows down the app massively. I don't need or want my whole library on photostream or icloud. I attempted to turn off the "photo uploading" in iphoto preferences, but it didn't seem to work.

Click to expand...

There is a setting to prevent auto import and I thought it was iPhoto Preferences. Sorry, I'd have to do some googling to recall the steps.

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iphoto_08_getting_started.pdf
Apple - Support - iPhoto

I found this in my notes: "Photos I import to Aperture on my iMac from any source are automatically copied to the Stream unless I turn off the Stream in Aperture first SO CAUTION!!!!! Could lead to giant unintended uploads."

I can't check the exact sequence right now, but the way I have photostream set up is that photos taken on my iPhone *automatically* become part of PhotoStream, but photos imported into iPhoto have to be *manually* copied into the "PhotoStream" album before they go into PhotoStream. I did this for exactly the reasons you outline, and I'm certain it was a simple checkbox (no "automatic import to PhotoStream") somewhere in iPhoto's prefs.

Yes, I can see PhotoStream in Aperture, but nothing is flowing from Aperture to PhotoStream so obviously there are some switches I had found to prevent auto import/export. I only want my iPhone and iPad sending photos to PhotoStream, not my Mac, which is how I got it working.

Update: After I got out of bed, off the iPad and onto my Mac, I checked my Aperture Preferences settings (below). Presumably iPhoto allows a similar combination of settings to prevent uploads to PhotoStream from iPhoto.

Yep, exactly the same.