New iMac questions

[poppi]

I am getting ready to upgrade from a 16 year old iMac to a brand new one and see 3 options at $1300, $1500, and $1700. Let's call them options 1, 2, and 3. The major difference between the first 2 is #1 has 2 Thunderbolt USB 4 ports while #2 also has 2 USB3 ports. I am told that the Thunderbolt ports permit direct internet wiring but I use WiFi internet connection. My question - Could I use the Thumderbolt ports for external hard drives connection or must I move up to #2 for that capability. A related question - I use a EHD to store photos because my antique iMac had inadequate srorage. In that case would I still need an EHD for photos storage or will there still be enough storage in the new iMac?

Thank you
poppi

 

[Rod]

Poppi, I think it would be fair to say that Thunderbolt 4 is better than USB 3. In terms of effeciency Thunderbolt 4 is roughly twice as fast, provides more power and with the USB-C form can connect to all current and previous forms of the same connection.

 

[MacInWin]

I am getting ready to upgrade from a 16 year old iMac to a brand new one and see 3 options at $1300, $1500, and $1700. Let's call them options 1, 2, and 3. The major difference between the first 2 is #1 has 2 Thunderbolt USB 4 ports while #2 also has 2 USB3 ports. I am told that the Thunderbolt ports permit direct internet wiring but I use WiFi internet connection. My question - Could I use the Thumderbolt ports for external hard drives connection or must I move up to #2 for that capability. A related question - I use a EHD to store photos because my antique iMac had inadequate srorage. In that case would I still need an EHD for photos storage or will there still be enough storage in the new iMac?

Thank you
poppi

Thunderbolt ports allow connections to TB devices as well as USB3 devices. They can be used to connect to Ethernet with an adapter, which will allow you to connect to your internet modem if it has an ethernet port.

As for storage, that depends on how much storage you purchase for the iMac. You didn't actually list any specific models, but all iMacs can be upgraded in storage at purchase time (not later).

I also think that on some options there may be an Ethernet port on the power supply "brick" that could be used to connect to your network, but as I don't have an iMac, I'm not sure which offers that option.

 

[RadDave]

I am getting ready to upgrade from a 16 year old iMac to a brand new one and see 3 options at $1300, $1500, and $1700. Let's call them options 1, 2, and 3. The major difference between the first 2 is #1 has 2 Thunderbolt USB 4 ports while #2 also has 2 USB3 ports. I am told that the Thunderbolt ports permit direct internet wiring but I use WiFi internet connection. My question - Could I use the Thumderbolt ports for external hard drives connection or must I move up to #2 for that capability. A related question - I use a EHD to store photos because my antique iMac had inadequate srorage. In that case would I still need an EHD for photos storage or will there still be enough storage in the new iMac?

Hi Poppi - would have liked a better description of which year/model iMacs are under consideration (i.e. the dollar amounts mean little) - e.g. are all of these 2023 24" iMacs w/ different features (e.g. storage, RAM, etc.) - plus, do not know how many photos (i.e. GB size) you have stored? I just bought my wife for the holidays a new M3 iMac (16 GB RAM; 512 GB storage) w/ 4 ports (2 are TB & 2 are USB3) - I've attached a small Anker hub to one of the TB ports. As to wired ethernet, the port is built into the power brick (and not on the back of my computer) - at the moment, she is using just a Wi-Fi connection.

Provide some more specific info as to each of those models - also you might want to tell us which 'ancient' Mac you own and the macOS installed - thinking about how you may want to transfer your apps, date, settings, etc? Dave

 

[Rod]

Sorry Poppi, I didn't answer your other two questions:
You can run EHDs on any of the configurations you mention but regarding your storage question you may not need to dependent on which storage option you choose. Bearing in mind it will add significant $'s to the base model you could have 1TB or more.

 

[poppi]

Hi Poppi - would have liked a better description of which year/model iMacs are under consideration (i.e. the dollar amounts mean little) - e.g. are all of these 2023 24" iMacs w/ different features (e.g. storage, RAM, etc.) - plus, do not know how many photos (i.e. GB size) you have stored? I just bought my wife for the holidays a new M3 iMac (16 GB RAM; 512 GB storage) w/ 4 ports (2 are TB & 2 are USB3) - I've attached a small Anker hub to one of the TB ports. As to wired ethernet, the port is built into the power brick (and not on the back of my computer) - at the moment, she is using just a Wi-Fi connection.

Provide some more specific info as to each of those models - also you might want to tell us which 'ancient' Mac you own and the macOS installed - thinking about how you may want to transfer your apps, date, settings, etc? Dave

Thank you RedDave. The iMacs I am considering are now featured on the Apple site and are all labeled M3. All 3 have 2 Thunderbolt ports but only the upper two have two USB 3 ports, the ;lowest one has no USB ports and no "Gigabit internet " (the top two do have that feature).The lower two have 256 GB storage the top one has 512 GB. All 3 have 8 GB "unified memory"??

My present iMac is a 20" early 2008 with 2.4 GHz Intel core 2 duo, Memory 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 DDRAM, Graphics ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT 128 MB (none of this makes any sense to me). I am at OS 10.11.6 El Capitan (highest available for this antique).

Several years ago my Mac became very slow so I put all my photos on a 4TB EHD. It has 4TD capacity with 11,000 photos consuming 65 GB space which is why I am wonering if they could be stored directly in the 256 or 512 GB memory options.

Hope this helps to clarify my confusion. If you need further in fo please ask

Thanks again
Ignorant poppi

 

[MacInWin]

Poppi, it's important to use computer terms correctly to communicate accurately. So, a quick lexicon for you:

Memory - generally refers to working memory used by the computer to run the applications the user wants, and to temporarily hold the data on which the program is working. So, for example, your photo editor will take up memory while running and will hold the image being edited in memory as it is working on it.

Storage - generally refers to long-term storage, as a disk drive, or thumb drive, or external drive. These kinds of drives are used to hold application code when it is installed to the computer, and from which is it read into Memory to run. Similarly, files are kept on storage while waiting to be worked on, so your pictures are on storage, then read into Memory to be edited, and saved back to storage when the edits are complete.

Ok, so with that in place, your current machine has 4 GB of MEMORY, that is, 4GB of workiing space for your applications. You did not say how large the internal storage drive is in your description.

As for the Apple options, you have described the three base systems, but all three are customizable. When you go to Apple.com and click on Mac, then iMac and Buy, you get those three base options on the screen. But if you select any of them, the options appear. First you pick the color, before you click on Select below the iMac you want to configure. Then you click on Select and you get to a page that shows you what you have selected. For example, choosing the blue color on the first screen and then "Select" gets to a screen that shows what that machine has by default, which is 256GB Storage, 8GB Memory, ports and ethernet, plus a magic mouse and keyboard with touch ID. Just below that you can increase the memory, storage, change the accesories, add software, etc, at various costs.

OK, now for your questions:

My question - Could I use the Thumderbolt ports for external hard drives connection or must I move up to #2 for that capability. A related question - I use a EHD to store photos because my antique iMac had inadequate srorage. In that case would I still need an EHD for photos storage or will there still be enough storage in the new iMac?

Yes, you can use the TB ports for EHD, although you may need an adapter to connect the drive if it doesn't have a USB-c connector. Apple has that connector here: USB-C to USB Adapter

Whether or not the default 256GB will be sufficient for storing the 65GB of picture files depends on how much else you may have to store. As I said, you didn't give us your current drive size, but you can do the math for yourself. Look at the drive size in the old machine and then look at how much is used. Add the 65GB to that number and that will be about how much you'll need to store on the new system, if you put the images on the internal storage. Generally, it's best to keep about 35-50% of the storage free, so if that total is above 128GB or so, the default 256GB may not be sufficient and you may need to move up in size.

Also, be aware that on that old beast of yours you have software written for Intel processors and the new system will not have an Intel processor, but Apple's own Apple Silicon. There is a free emulator from Apple called Rosetta2 that will install as soon as you try to launch that old software, but not everything may be able to run. So do some research on the compatibility of that old software to be prepared for what is going to happen. There is a website, whose name I have forgotten, sorry, that has tables of software compatibility for you. I'm sure someone who know it will provide it here shortly.

 

[RadDave]

Thank you RedDave. The iMacs I am considering are now featured on the Apple site and are all labeled M3. All 3 have 2 Thunderbolt ports but only the upper two have two USB 3 ports, the ;lowest one has no USB ports and no "Gigabit internet " (the top two do have that feature).The lower two have 256 GB storage the top one has 512 GB. All 3 have 8 GB "unified memory"??

My present iMac is a 20" early 2008 with 2.4 GHz Intel core 2 duo, Memory 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 DDRAM, Graphics ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT 128 MB (none of this makes any sense to me). I am at OS 10.11.6 El Capitan (highest available for this antique).

Several years ago my Mac became very slow so I put all my photos on a 4TB EHD. It has 4TD capacity with 11,000 photos consuming 65 GB space which is why I am wonering if they could be stored directly in the 256 or 512 GB memory options.

Hope this helps to clarify my confusion. If you need further in fo please ask

Note: Jake has just given you some great advice which posted as I started the message below.

Hi again Poppi - thanks for the information, esp. on the 'new' M3 iMacs being considered - you know I bought my wife a M3 iMac a few months ago with specs given above, so depending on your budget, get as much as possible; RAM: 8 GB vs. 16 GB - 8 should do if you're a typical user (plenty on the topic if you want to search); I upgraded to 16 'just in case'? Storage: 256 GB a bare minimum - if you want to add your 65 GBs of photos (and depending on your apps, music, etc.), I'd agree w/ Jake that 512 GB would be a recommended upgrade (as I did). As to the ports, comments have already been provided but certainly go with the TB ones (and keep in mind that a hub can be added if needed). Once your decision is made on the new iMac, the next question is how to transfer your old machine to the new one. Dave

 

[poppi]

Thank you RedDave. The iMacs I am considering are now featured on the Apple site and are all labeled M3. All 3 have 2 Thunderbolt ports but only the upper two have two USB 3 ports, the ;lowest one has no USB ports and no "Gigabit internet " (the top two do have that feature).The lower two have 256 GB storage the top one has 512 GB. All 3 have 8 GB "unified memory"??

My present iMac is a 20" early 2008 with 2.4 GHz Intel core 2 duo, Memory 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 DDRAM, Graphics ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT 128 MB (none of this makes any sense to me). I am at OS 10.11.6 El Capitan (highest available for this antique).

Several years ago my Mac became very slow so I put all my photos on a 4TB EHD. It has 4TD capacity with 11,000 photos consuming 65 GB space which is why I am wonering if they could be stored directly in the 256 or 512 GB memory options.

Hope this helps to clarify my confusion. If you need further in fo please ask

Thanks again
Ignorant poppi

Poppi, it's important to use computer terms correctly to communicate accurately. So, a quick lexicon for you:

Memory - generally refers to working memory used by the computer to run the applications the user wants, and to temporarily hold the data on which the program is working. So, for example, your photo editor will take up memory while running and will hold the image being edited in memory as it is working on it.

Storage - generally refers to long-term storage, as a disk drive, or thumb drive, or external drive. These kinds of drives are used to hold application code when it is installed to the computer, and from which is it read into Memory to run. Similarly, files are kept on storage while waiting to be worked on, so your pictures are on storage, then read into Memory to be edited, and saved back to storage when the edits are complete.

Ok, so with that in place, your current machine has 4 GB of MEMORY, that is, 4GB of workiing space for your applications. You did not say how large the internal storage drive is in your description.

Again Jake as I am sure you have deduced I am not very knowledgeable. I looked at my current specs and clicked on storage and my hard drive has 499 GB with 113 GB available. Does that sound right?

poppi

As for the Apple options, you have described the three base systems, but all three are customizable. When you go to Apple.com and click on Mac, then iMac and Buy, you get those three base options on the screen. But if you select any of them, the options appear. First you pick the color, before you click on Select below the iMac you want to configure. Then you click on Select and you get to a page that shows you what you have selected. For example, choosing the blue color on the first screen and then "Select" gets to a screen that shows what that machine has by default, which is 256GB Storage, 8GB Memory, ports and ethernet, plus a magic mouse and keyboard with touch ID. Just below that you can increase the memory, storage, change the accesories, add software, etc, at various costs.

OK, now for your questions:

Yes, you can use the TB ports for EHD, although you may need an adapter to connect the drive if it doesn't have a USB-c connector. Apple has that connector here: USB-C to USB Adapter

Whether or not the default 256GB will be sufficient for storing the 65GB of picture files depends on how much else you may have to store. As I said, you didn't give us your current drive size, but you can do the math for yourself. Look at the drive size in the old machine and then look at how much is used. Add the 65GB to that number and that will be about how much you'll need to store on the new system, if you put the images on the internal storage. Generally, it's best to keep about 35-50% of the storage free, so if that total is above 128GB or so, the default 256GB may not be sufficient and you may need to move up in size.

Also, be aware that on that old beast of yours you have software written for Intel processors and the new system will not have an Intel processor, but Apple's own Apple Silicon. There is a free emulator from Apple called Rosetta2 that will install as soon as you try to launch that old software, but not everything may be able to run. So do some research on the compatibility of that old software to be prepared for what is going to happen. There is a website, whose name I have forgotten, sorry, that has tables of software compatibility for you. I'm sure someone who know it will provide it here shortly.

 

[MacInWin]

Again Jake as I am sure you have deduced I am not very knowledgeable. I looked at my current specs and clicked on storage and my hard drive has 499 GB with 113 GB available. Does that sound right?

Yes, and if that is what you have now, I would suggest the 1TB option. That way, when you add the 65GB of picture files to the 386 GB already in use (499-113), that will total to 451GB, which is way too much to put on a 512GB drive. So go bigger, to 1 TB, and it'll be lots of room and very speedy.

 

[MacInWin]

There is a website, whose name I have forgotten, sorry, that has tables of software compatibility for you. I'm sure someone who know it will provide it here shortly.

It is Roaring Apps ( Application compatibility & feature support for macOS, iOS & Windows — RoaringApps ).

 

[poppi]

UPDATE

A few days ago I went to the Apple store and met with a young sales lady who answered many of my questions. She also suggested I go on line to the Apple store and go to the page which lists the 3 iMac options ($1300, $1500, $1700) and select one and then go down the list and add options to come up with a final price.

I did that and started with the center option ($1,499). I added the keyboard with the numbers key pad (+ $30) (I prefer that option).

I have same remaining questions

• She highly recommended upgrading to the 1TB storage option (+ $200). I told her that I have a 4 TB WD Passport EHD which houses my Time Machine and all photos. Those two files total 413 GB, leaving 3.5 TB available. My question – why would I need an additional 1 TB on the iMac? Does it enhance performance in any way>?
• I was very disappointed to learn that current iMacs don not have a CD Drive which I have used frequently to burn CDs or copy CDs into the Mac. She suggested an external CD burner for that. Any thoughts or suggestions on that?
• For that particular choice 8 GB memory is “standard”. My old machine has 4 GB and it has never been a problem. Is there any reason to upgrade the memory from 8 GB?
• iTunes question. I think she said iTunes may have merged with Apple Music? Am I confused or is iTunes still a valid APP? I have much music in iTunes.
• Browser – I have always used Firefox and am very familiar with it. She said Firefox is good but Safari is superior. Is she correct and is the transition easy?
• Finally she suggested once I finish my preferences buy on line with delivery to the Apple store then make a Genius appointment, bring in my old iMac and EHD for final setup. I THINK she said there is no charge for that.

I really appreciate all the help provided to date and will be more appreciative of guidance and advice y'all can offer

Tkank you
poppi

 

[MacInWin]

I have same remaining questions

• She highly recommended upgrading to the 1TB storage option (+ $200). I told her that I have a 4 TB WD Passport EHD which houses my Time Machine and all photos. Those two files total 413 GB, leaving 3.5 TB available. My question – why would I need an additional 1 TB on the iMac? Does it enhance performance in any way>?
• I was very disappointed to learn that current iMacs don not have a CD Drive which I have used frequently to burn CDs or copy CDs into the Mac. She suggested an external CD burner for that. Any thoughts or suggestions on that?
• For that particular choice 8 GB memory is “standard”. My old machine has 4 GB and it has never been a problem. Is there any reason to upgrade the memory from 8 GB?
• iTunes question. I think she said iTunes may have merged with Apple Music? Am I confused or is iTunes still a valid APP? I have much music in iTunes.
• Browser – I have always used Firefox and am very familiar with it. She said Firefox is good but Safari is superior. Is she correct and is the transition easy?
• Finally she suggested once I finish my preferences buy on line with delivery to the Apple store then make a Genius appointment, bring in my old iMac and EHD for final setup. I THINK she said there is no charge for that.

We have already recommended the 1TB internal drive, based on what you said in this from post #9:

Again Jake as I am sure you have deduced I am not very knowledgeable. I looked at my current specs and clicked on storage and my hard drive has 499 GB with 113 GB available. Does that sound right?

If you do the math, 499-113 = 386 GB, plus the 65GB for the pictures now on an external add to 451GB, which is way too much for a 500GB storage option, so the next level up is 1TB. You do NOT want to push the storage usage beyond about 60% or it will start to slow down. In fact, 386GB is pushing a 500GB storage option beyond where I would go myself. So, the 1TB storage option is recommended.

CDs are really old tech for these days, but if you want them, then an external CD burner can be used. However, I would suggest that you get a drive that also does Blue-Ray DVD burning as those disks store a lot more data.

8GB for memory may well be sufficient. Just be aware that if it turns out to be too small, it cannot be upgraded after purchase as it is part of the Apple Silicon and fixed at the factory. However, it's not as critical if you get the 1TB storage because any overrun of memory will use swap, but it will be a very fast speeds to the storage area and won't hurt you too much. Basically, if 4GB is good now, 8GB should be enough.

iTunes is changed to Music. When you migrate from the old to new, your music now in iTunes should be migrated to Music. iTunes, as an app, no longer exists. I don't think it will run on the new Mac at all. However, be aware that there is a service from Apple called Apple Music, which you probably don't want to activate. I'll leave it to someone who uses Music a lot to explain the interactions between Apple Music and Music, but some folks have struggled with music for which hey own a CD, but which Apple Music doesn't have a record. Basically, Apple Music monitors your music tracks for licensing, and may not recognize tracks you have ripped into iTunes that get migrated to Music the app. I'm not really an expert on that, so maybe someone else will chime in here.

Browsers are a personal choice. Safari is improved, but if you like FF, you can run FF. Just get the latest version for the new Mac to have the best experience. Your old Mac used an Intel CPU and the new Mac will have Apple Silicon. Old software CAN run, but it's inefficient in the new architecture. Upgrade where you can to the most recent version to get software that is more compatible and faster.

If you don't mind the hassle, having Apple do the migration can save you a lot of problems that non-technical users can get in to.

 

[RadDave]

Hi Poppi - others will likely reply before I post, so my comments may or may not be in complete agreement - you be the judge.

I have same remaining questions

• She highly recommended upgrading to the 1TB storage option (+ $200). I told her that I have a 4 TB WD Passport EHD which houses my Time Machine and all photos. Those two files total 413 GB, leaving 3.5 TB available. My question – why would I need an additional 1 TB on the iMac? Does it enhance performance in any way>?

Well, Jake also suggested a 1 TB storage SSD, but if you trimmed down apps not needed and kept your pics on the EHD, the 512 GB might be enough - that's what my wife's iMac has but she does not have a large photo nor music collection (her SSD is only about a third filled and unlikely to get larger.

• I was very disappointed to learn that current iMacs don not have a CD Drive which I have used frequently to burn CDs or copy CDs into the Mac. She suggested an external CD burner for that. Any thoughts or suggestions on that?

CDs built into Apple Macs disappeared a dozen or so years ago - I have an Apple SuperDrive that has been in use since 2013 and still works fine - external CD/DVD drives are cheap.

• For that particular choice 8 GB memory is “standard”. My old machine has 4 GB and it has never been a problem. Is there any reason to upgrade the memory from 8 GB?

8 GB RAM should be enough unless to plan multi-monitor use or much heavy-duty audio/video editing - BUT just to be safe, I went with 16 GB - your decision.

• iTunes question. I think she said iTunes may have merged with Apple Music? Am I confused or is iTunes still a valid APP? I have much music in iTunes.

iTunes was split-up about 5 years ago and its functions are handled in the Music App, in Finder, and several newer apps.

• Browser – I have always used Firefox and am very familiar with it. She said Firefox is good but Safari is superior. Is she correct and is the transition easy?

I use mainly Safari - which one is superior? The opinion you received was from an Apple employee?

• Finally she suggested once I finish my preferences buy on line with delivery to the Apple store then make a Genius appointment, bring in my old iMac and EHD for final setup. I THINK she said there is no charge for that.

Well, that is one way to handle the change over - you could do the process at home - again up to you. Good luck. Dave

 

[poppi]

Thanks for the rapid reply Dave. I have a few more questions below in italics

We have already recommended the 1TB internal drive, based on what you said in this from post #9:

If you do the math, 499-113 = 386 GB, plus the 65GB for the pictures now on an external add to 451GB, which is way too much for a 500GB storage option, so the next level up is 1TB. You do NOT want to push the storage usage beyond about 60% or it will start to slow down. In fact, 386GB is pushing a 500GB storage option beyond where I would go myself. So, the 1TB storage option is recommended.

Pardon my ignorance Dave but I plan to continue using my 4TB EHD with the new iMac (unless there is a reason to not do that). If I do why would I need another 1 TB on the new machine?

iTunes is changed to Music. When you migrate from the old to new, your music now in iTunes should be migrated to Music. iTunes, as an app, no longer exists. I don't think it will run on the new Mac at all. However, be aware that there is a service from Apple called Apple Music, which you probably don't want to activate. I'll leave it to someone who uses Music a lot to explain the interactions between Apple Music and Music, but some folks have struggled with music for which hey own a CD, but which Apple Music doesn't have a record. Basically, Apple Music monitors your music tracks for licensing, and may not recognize tracks you have ripped into iTunes that get migrated to Music the app. I'm not really an expert on that, so maybe someone else will chime in here.

Understood. Does Music have a subscription fee? Will my iTunes migrate to Music at no cost?

 

[RadDave]

Pardon my ignorance Dave but I plan to continue using my 4TB EHD with the new iMac (unless there is a reason to not do that). If I do why would I need another 1 TB on the new machine?


Understood. Does Music have a subscription fee? Will my iTunes migrate to Music at no cost?

Well, I never suggested not using your EHD, but you need to make a decision on the size of your internal SSD in the new iMac, i.e. do you want to go to a 1 TB capacity as suggested by others. If you decide on opting for the less expensive 512 GB internal SSD, then getting rid of some apps, documents, etc. on the OLD iMac and keeping your pics on the EHD, might be a consideration?

About 5 years ago, Apple 'broke up' iTunes into the 'free' Apple Music app, Apple TV app, Apple Podcasts app, and Apple Books app. All of those will come on your new macOS - your current iTunes library should be transferred to the Music app. NOW, Apple does offer their own streaming service (like Spotify which I use) for a price and also another service called iTunes Match (for $25/year). Dave

 

[IWT]

I told her that I have a 4 TB WD Passport EHD which houses my Time Machine and all photos.

@poppi

Your statement worries me. Apple has repeatedly said that Time Machine backups should be allocated an individual External Hard Drive (EHD); not shared with something else.

The reason is simple. If one EHD fails, then you lose what's on it. If it's TM, that's not serious as you can get another EHD and use that for Time Machine.

BUT: if your 4TB EHD fails, then you not only lose your Time Machine (no big deal as explained above) but also all your photos. That's a possible catastrophe.

My advice: have one EHD for your Time Machine and another for your photos. I'm assuming that you don't keep all your photos on that EHD; but use the EHD as a backup for your photos? But if your only storage of photos is on that, or any other EHD, that's taking a huge risk.

Ian

 

[Rod]

In the long run having everything on your iMac is best. Then your Time Machine backup backs up everything. But, I agree with Ian, if your photos are valuable to you I wouldn't risk having all of them only on one external HD but you could have two.
Two external HD's for your photos would minimise the risk but be harder to manage.
Personally, I have all my photos on my Mac. I have a TM backup, a Carbon Copy Clone plus I backup my Photo Library to iCloud.

 

[MacInWin]

Poppi, there are many differences in the new Macs that you need to know about.

1. SSD's in general should not be loaded much beyond about 60%. You said your old system has 386GB, which is already 75% of a 512GB drive. Add on the 65GB of photos you mentioned you would like on the internal and you are at 451GB or 88%. That is way over the suggested limit. So, you have two alternatives: 1) squeeze that total down to about 256 GB, or 2) move up to a 1TB internal drive. Your option, your call. I'd go for the 1TB myself, but it's acceptable either way.

2. TM now demands to be on a drive formatted APFS (the new Apple standard) and to be the ONLY thing on the drive. So that 4TB drive that shares with your pictures can't share any more. And if it's not APFS format, it will be reformatted, with everything erased on it in the process. There are workarounds to allow sharing in APFS and TM, fairly easy to do, but will require you to move the pictures off that drive to make the changes (along with anything NOT in the TM backup). You will need to do that anyway if it's not APFS now. If you pick the 512GB Storage option, you'll have to have another external drive fo do the setup on the 4TB. If you go with 1TB internally, and if what is on the external besides the TM backup is less than about 200GB or so, you could temporarily use the internal storage to hold it until the external is ready and then move it to the external and free up the spacce on internal. Consider this: 1 and 2 tb external drives are very cheap these days. What I would suggest is getting one for TM and only TM. Given your current storage use, a 1 TB should be sufficient. (The backup should be about twice as large as the data being backed up, so twice 450GB, which rolls up to 1TB.) A great side benefit of this approach is that if you get a big drive internally, TM will back up your pictures to that dedicated TM drive for you and the 4TB drive can be used for whatever you want/need, like a second backup. I've lost pictures before when two drives failed on the same day, so I now have four copies of all my pictures. Yes, I'm paranoid.

3. Dave has given you a breakdown on what happened to iTunes. "Apple Music" and "Music" are two different things but tied together. If you sign up for "Apple Music" as a service it will monitor your music in the library for Music for licensing as required by law. As I said, I have heard that ripped tracks disappeared from Music (the app) because Apple Music didn't see how it had been licensed (bought) by the user. Again, Ii have no details, but it's really easy to conflate "iTunes Match," "Music," and "Apple Music," so read very carefully.

 

[poppi]

@poppi

Your statement worries me. Apple has repeatedly said that Time Machine backups should be allocated an individual External Hard Drive (EHD); not shared with something else.

The reason is simple. If one EHD fails, then you lose what's on it. If it's TM, that's not serious as you can get another EHD and use that for Time Machine.

BUT: if your 4TB EHD fails, then you not only lose your Time Machine (no big deal as explained above) but also all your photos. That's a possible catastrophe.

My advice: have one EHD for your Time Machine and another for your photos. I'm assuming that you don't keep all your photos on that EHD; but use the EHD as a backup for your photos? But if your only storage of photos is on that, or any other EHD, that's taking a huge risk.

Ian

Thank you Ian. This is all new to me but what you say makes perfect sense. I do have another EHD (WD My Book 3 TB) which I could use for photo backup and keep the 4 TB for Time Machine. Could Time Machine then back up the photo files? How do I transfer all those photos from my 4 TB EHD to the other without losing dates and key words?

Ignorant in Roseville

poppi