I need a new mac with at least 500 megabytes of memory. i write and record original music and have 10,000 photos with 30 days of music and audio. Can someone recommend a mac for me
I like using Garageband and iTunes. I also like to edit and enhance my photos. I like the thought of a laptop. I wouldn’t mind a desktop but I only have room for a 21” screen. However, I’m open to anything.
[Edited by Moderator]
iMac 21.5″ 4K, macOS 10.14
Hey there!
If you think you'll need any portability, I'd recommend a MacBook model. However, if you think you'll only be using it at your desk, an iMac is the way to go!
For a MacBook, I'd recommend the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is great Mac for professionals who need portability. It has a great display, which is perfect for editing your photos and working with professional software. I suggest choosing a model with at least 16GB of unified memory and 512GB of storage, however, MacBook Pro with M3 can be configured with up to 24GB of unified memory and 2TB of storage.
For an iMac, I'd recommend the same configuration: at least 16GB of unified memory and 512GB of storage. But, just like the MacBook Pro, iMac with M3 can be configured with up to 24GB of unified memory and 2TB of storage.
The M3 chip is incredibly powerful, and all Apple silicon Mac computers have extremely fast unified memory and solid state storage. Any model will be a great upgrade from your current Mac, which sounds like has served you well for a long time!
One other thing to note about any new Mac purchase is I'd recommend you add AppleCare+: AppleCare Products - Mac - Apple. You'll be covered for any issues and have a low service fee for accidental damage.
If you need additional storage, using high-speed external SSDs are a great option. For instance, the LaCie Mobile SSD Secure USB-C Drive - Gray - Apple has read speeds up to 1050MB/s and write speeds up to 1000MB/s. This drive would be great for storing extra data for your music and photos.
I'd also recommend you replace your Time Machine external backup drive if yours is older than 5-years. A high-quality drive, such as the LaCie Rugged USB-C Portable Hard Drive - Apple, would be a great option for backing up and safeguarding the files on your Mac and any external drives.
I hope this helps, and good luck on your new Mac!
Happy Holidays!
-Jack
Hey there!
If you think you'll need any portability, I'd recommend a MacBook model. However, if you think you'll only be using it at your desk, an iMac is the way to go!
For a MacBook, I'd recommend the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is great Mac for professionals who need portability. It has a great display, which is perfect for editing your photos and working with professional software. I suggest choosing a model with at least 16GB of unified memory and 512GB of storage, however, MacBook Pro with M3 can be configured with up to 24GB of unified memory and 2TB of storage.
For an iMac, I'd recommend the same configuration: at least 16GB of unified memory and 512GB of storage. But, just like the MacBook Pro, iMac with M3 can be configured with up to 24GB of unified memory and 2TB of storage.
The M3 chip is incredibly powerful, and all Apple silicon Mac computers have extremely fast unified memory and solid state storage. Any model will be a great upgrade from your current Mac, which sounds like has served you well for a long time!
One other thing to note about any new Mac purchase is I'd recommend you add AppleCare+: AppleCare Products - Mac - Apple. You'll be covered for any issues and have a low service fee for accidental damage.
If you need additional storage, using high-speed external SSDs are a great option. For instance, the LaCie Mobile SSD Secure USB-C Drive - Gray - Apple has read speeds up to 1050MB/s and write speeds up to 1000MB/s. This drive would be great for storing extra data for your music and photos.
I'd also recommend you replace your Time Machine external backup drive if yours is older than 5-years. A high-quality drive, such as the LaCie Rugged USB-C Portable Hard Drive - Apple, would be a great option for backing up and safeguarding the files on your Mac and any external drives.
I hope this helps, and good luck on your new Mac!
Happy Holidays!
-Jack
Personally I'd get a 21.5" Silicon iMac with 16GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD boot drive. If you need additional space you can get external SSDs from OWC (MacSales.com) to store and operate from, i.e. Music libraries, etc. You would also need a 2 or 4 TB HDD (also from OWC) as your Time Machine backup.
Given an iPad Pro can service those requirements, maybe you might continue to refine your requirements?
Any other apps needed? External storage for backups? Keyboard? Carrying case? Numbers of ports needed?
500 MB? Did you possibly mean 500 GB?
These days, 500 GB isn’t all that notable either, whether that’s main storage as I might suspect, or is main memory.
The iPad Pro offers as much as 8 GB main memory and 2 TB main storage, for instance.
As for choosing a Mac desktop or laptop (rather than an iPad), consider carefully at how much you will really use the Mac while mobile. The ability to go mobile means trade-offs in ports price, and capabilities. I know of several folks that bought laptops thinking they’d use them mobile, and never actually used them mobile. They preferred to use iPads for that.
If you’re in a fixed desktop location for instance, a Mac mini and a small monitor can be a good and economical option, for instance. (And 500 MB is entirely feasible.) As can be the iMac 24”, as suggested above.
Correction: make that a 24" Silicon iMac. They don't make a 21.5".
Addendum: your current iMac is considered obsolete by Apply. If you go for a new on 24" Silicon iMac it will be much faster than what you have now, ~2-3x:
2021 iMac:
2013 iMac:
macbook pro...i have 17inch screen model and instaled data doubler frame instead of a disc drive, inserted ssd drive in it...
What kind of Mac do you recommend to work with music?
