Recommendation for fast Mac for databases or way to make Mac faster?

I have an older (2008) iMac that I put a SSD in and it flies. You should be able to find memory and a SSD at OWC (Macsales.com) they have install videos and the like. Probably doable at less than $250 with maxed out memory.

The first question in your decision is are the database apps

you are running Intel format or PowerPC format? If they

are PowerPC format, they will be rendered useless with the

new Macs and OSX 10.8 as PowerPC support has been dropped

from OSX. In the same vein, if they are Intel format, are they

capable of running on OSX 10.8? So, buying a new Mac

could mean additional cost of upgrading software. If none of

this is an issue, for your purposes, probably even the base

Mini would suffice.

As mentioned, you could spend the bucks to just add memory

and perhaps a bigger, faster hard drive (not necessarily SSD).

Check out OWC and cost out your upgrade options.

Isn't the first question: which database do you want to run on your Mac?

About putting an SSD in your early iMac, can you tell us what you put in? SATA2 or SATA3 and how many gigs?

Depending on how much the increase in speed is worth for spending money:

Option 1:

You have the MacMini2,1. Max out its RAM at 3GB and stay with Snow Leopard and FileMaker Pro 8 and consider a SSD.

Option 2:

I'd get the 2.3GHz i7 Mac Mini and max out the RAM and possibly consider replacing the hard drive with a SSD and upgrade to FileMaker Pro 12.

Check out RAM upgrades & SSD's at OWC

Just for curiousity:

Here is how I run FileMaker 7 in Snow Leopard Server installed into Parallels to run in Lion (or Mt. Lion):

[click on image to enlarge]

I do not use it often enough to pay for the upgrade.

Back to your original post, "...for someone not using videos, music, images on a regular basis..." and your main program is FMP. Your Mac Mini is perfectly suited already. Sure, it'd be nice to max out the memory; and I do recommend that you do so, or at least add some. As suggested, OWC is a reputable outfit and they have how-to videos. If you're not "tech savy" the process is fairly difficult on the early Minis. Check out their video for yourself.

Back again to your original post. I think you have issues with apps, plist, cache, etc Have you run 'repair disk' from you OS Install disk? Have you reset the SMP? Have you reset PRAM? Have you been thru your apps to find outdated, unwanted ones? Do you have any disk utilities like Cocktail or Onyx? Have you checked to see if maybe you have too many apps in 'start up'? I just think for you, the average home user, your Mini is quite capable; and maybe just needs a little TLC and maintenance. But, I do agree with adding memory.

Schionatulander wrote:

...Is there any way to tell whether the next new computer is just around the corner?

That's always the tough issue; they keep these things pretty close to the vest.

You can google some "rumor" sites to see what may be brewing, but quite honestly even these sites can be way off.

At the end of the day, the day you need a new computer, is the day to buy. I always buy as much hardware power as I can afford and put the money into software updates later.

I lived with my iMac G5 desktop until August 2011 (when I purchased my 2.3 GHz i5 Mac Mini) and my Powerbook G4 12" until the first 13" MacBook Pro came out in 2009. And those are what I live with now (with the addition of two Snow Leopard Mac Minis used for Home entertainment and other purposes).

Schionatulander wrote:

......

I do want to start backing up the files I'm currently working on on an hourly/weekly basis, if not the whole HD. I've been lazy about that. Since that will involve buying an external HD, I've been putting it off .........

If you are using a computer for business it is MUST to maintain

as many backups as possible. Personally, I do daily backups

of data for client projects on USB memory sticks and incremental

backups of all data to external USB hard drives. I also do weekly

clones of my boot drive. In addition, since a lot of my work requires

the use Windows apps and I use Parallels virtual machines, I back

them up on a weekly basis as well.

Regardles of what you ultimately decide, cloning is always a could idea

if you are in business. If some how the internal drive gets corrupted or

otherwise gets unusable, you can reboot to a clone and immediately get

back up and running and sort out the internal drive issues at a later time.

Also in my case, I also have a Macbook Pro as often I need to take my

work on the road to customer sites. This also gives me an additional level of

functional back up as I keep it "mirrored" as much as possible to my Mini,

so should the Mini die catastrophically, I can get immediately back up and

running.

If you depend on your computer for your paycheck, there is no such

thing as too many backups and is a cost of doing business in the computer

age.

Add an offsite "Cloud" backup solution (I use Dropbox) because no matter how many memory sticks and external drives you use, g-forbid a theft or a fire occurs, you can lose them all at once!

The nature of the work I do (hardware/firmware/software) tends

to have natural points/pauses during the day where backup

of the current state makes sense (most often times when I really

need a break). But I always do end of day backups of work.

Recently, as I have been working on a project that requires working

in Windows as well as OSX on my Mini and my MBP, I have been

using (don't all gag at once) Microsoft's SkyDrive. It has been working

quite well and in my opinion is close to what iCloud should have been.

So all has been kept up to date and across OSes, VMs, and computers.

But this still does not keep me from doing local incremental backups.

Not totally sure how the SkyDrive sync scheme and timing works

but doesn't seem to cause any impairment in work flow.

Personally though, I prefer doing manual backups (and update/upgrades

as well). I don't want external things to cause any possible disruption.

Doing saves and backups is just a discipline I developed over the years

of painful learning.