{"id":1972,"date":"2011-06-19T18:46:13","date_gmt":"2011-06-20T02:46:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/?p=1972"},"modified":"2018-09-09T20:25:21","modified_gmt":"2018-09-10T04:25:21","slug":"computer-upgrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/2011\/06\/19\/computer-upgrade\/","title":{"rendered":"Computer Upgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A little over a week ago my new Dell Inspiron 580 arrived at my doorstep.\u00a0 My wife and daughter finally convinced me to buy a new one.\u00a0 I think they were getting tired of me storming around the house all grumpy and such when the old on acted up.\u00a0 Disclaimer:\u00a0 Computers act up after years of use not because they wear out but because of all the junk you load on them as time goes by that literally clogs the operating system.\u00a0 So, with a little persuasion from my girls I gave Dell a call.<a href=\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Inspiron-580.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; margin: 15px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"Inspiron 580\" src=\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Inspiron-580_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Inspiron 580\" width=\"244\" height=\"184\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>If your one of those that gets into these things, here\u2019s what I ended up with:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)<\/li>\n<li>Processor: Intel Core i% CPU 760 @ 2.80 GHz (it\u2019s a 64 bit quad)<\/li>\n<li>Memory: 8 GB<\/li>\n<li>Internal storage: 1 TB<\/li>\n<li>Display adapter: ATI Radeon HD 5450 (supports dual monitors \u2013 VGA, DVI and HDMI) with 1 GB memory)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So that\u2019s the starting point.\u00a0 And from here on it gets more interesting \u2013 not exactly the Chinese curse interesting but kinda-sorta.\u00a0 I got a good deal on the Dell but it as it turns out I wasn\u2019t even close to being done spending money.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h3>Power<\/h3>\n<p>My first concern was power &#8211; of the electrical persuasion.\u00a0 I\u2019ve already have taken over two sockets in my home office to handle all the power demands of computers, monitors, printers, networks and on and on.\u00a0 And I didn\u2019t want to load up those two sockets with yet another computer.\u00a0 So the very first trip was to Ace Hardware to get some heavy duty extension cords.\u00a0 I also picked up a power bar with surge protection.\u00a0 Now I have power coming to this computer from literally the other side of the room.<\/p>\n<h3>Two Computers \u2013 One Set of Monitors, Keyboards, etc.<a href=\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/SV231DDVDUA_small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; margin: 15px 30px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"SV231DDVDUA_small\" src=\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/SV231DDVDUA_small_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"SV231DDVDUA_small\" width=\"204\" height=\"204\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>The major implementation decision was to keep the old computer for all those tasks that involved the goofy software I had installed and use the new computer for only photography.\u00a0 Probably makes a lot of sense.\u00a0 But I don\u2019t have a lot of room on my desktop for two sets of monitors, keyboards and mice.\u00a0 So I need a good A-B switch.\u00a0 A little research turns up StarTech.com that has just what I need.\u00a0 It supports dual monitors and shares keyboard, mouse and audio.\u00a0 I ordered it from Amazon and saved a few bucks.\u00a0 Still, kaching!!!!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Adobe Products<\/h3>\n<p>While waiting for the AB switch to arrive I needed to install the Adobe products.\u00a0 Lightroom is not a problem as you can install as many copies as you need.\u00a0 Just one hitch.\u00a0 My copy is an upgrade copy so I need not only the current serial number but the serial number of the prior version.\u00a0 Adobe, you\u2019re killing me.\u00a0 I wonder if I kept that somewhere.\u00a0 A little digging around on an assortment of external drives and I came up with everything I needed.\u00a0 By the end of the evening Lightroom was installed.\u00a0 Whew.<\/p>\n<p>WORD TO THE WISE: Whenever you install software, especially software you download from the Internet, save the download setup file in a directory (like \\DOWNLOAD\\Product) and copy the serial numbers, license keys and all that stuff into a Notepad file and store it in the same directory.\u00a0 If they send you an email, save the email in the directory.\u00a0 Makes sense but it\u2019s a simple step that\u2019s easily forgotten.<\/p>\n<p>Next evening was Photoshop CS5.\u00a0 That\u2019s not so easy.\u00a0 Adobe only allows you to install two copies and one was on my laptop and the other on my old computer.\u00a0 Knowing how it can get really messed up transferring CS5 from one computer to another if you don\u2019t do everything exactly right I contacted Adobe support and they walked me through the process.\u00a0 I had to uninstall the software from the old machine.\u00a0 Then I needed to install it on the new one and, you guessed it, provide the current and prior serial numbers because it too was an upgrade copy.\u00a0 Ok, another night down but got it up and running.<\/p>\n<p>The really cool thins is now the Adobe 64 bit versions of Lightroom and CS5 are running.\u00a0 Sweet.<\/p>\n<h3>External Storage<a href=\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/drobo.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; margin: 15px 30px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"drobo\" src=\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/drobo_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"drobo\" width=\"164\" height=\"164\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>You may have heard me talk about my DROBO, an external storage device that currently sports 4 TB of protected storage.\u00a0 I decided to connect that to the new system.\u00a0 No big deal except that I had to install the DROBO drivers and management console on the new computer.\u00a0 A search on the internet turned up just what I needed.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pogoplug.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; margin: 15px 30px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"pogoplug\" src=\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pogoplug_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"pogoplug\" width=\"129\" height=\"129\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a>Then there\u2019s the POGO Plug, my replacement for networked attached storage and my own personal cloud.\u00a0\u00a0 Back to the internet to download the POGO Plug drivers and management software.<\/p>\n<p>Another evening and those are up and running.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Network<a href=\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/netgear.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-image: none; margin: 15px 30px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"netgear\" src=\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/netgear_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"netgear\" width=\"164\" height=\"164\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Did I mention I ran out of ports on my router?\u00a0 Now, you must understand that, although I answer to \u2018computer geek\u2019\u00a0 I\u2019m not a network guy; I\u2019m not that kind of a geek.\u00a0 So some more poking around on the internet and I come across a cool video from Netgear that explained the difference between routers and switches and all that jazz.\u00a0 It made sense so I ordered a switch from Best Buy on the internet and arranged for in-store pickup the following day.\u00a0 This is a really cool feature that Best Buy offers and it worked like a charm.\u00a0 So the next day the network was expanded with enough ports to last (hopefully) quite a bit longer.<\/p>\n<h3>Two Computers \u2013 One Set of Monitors, Keyboards, etc.<\/h3>\n<p>The AB switch arrived and everything was pretty much ready to hook it up and see if it worked.\u00a0 I paid very close attention to the instructions and first hooked up one computer and tested it out.\u00a0 It worked!\u00a0 Then the other.\u00a0 It worked too (after a little tweaking).\u00a0 I had to tell everyone on the house, including the dog.\u00a0 (The cats could care less).<\/p>\n<p>OK, we\u2019re almost there.\u00a0 Or so I thought.<\/p>\n<h3>Home Stretch<\/h3>\n<p>The fact that the new computer was running a 64 bit operating system was going to cause some glitches here on the home stretch.\u00a0 I was able to download a printer diver for my Epson 4800 that ran on the new computer.\u00a0 So I can print from this computer.<\/p>\n<p>How about calibrating my monitor?\u00a0 Well, that\u2019s a way different story.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been using the Spyder for years \u2013 too many years. It\u2019s so old it won\u2019t run.\u00a0 So now what?\u00a0 It may just be time to upgrade to the Colormunki.\u00a0 I\u2019ve about convinced myself to do that.\u00a0 Besides calibrating the monitor it will also calibrate my projector.\u00a0 That could be a good thing.\u00a0 Kaching, kaching, kaching!!!!<\/p>\n<p>I use Image Print, a highly regarded (with a price tag to match) RIP program.\u00a0 (BTW, RIP means Raster Image Processor \u2013 go figure.\u00a0 It\u2019s fancy for \u201cprints your pictures.\u201d)\u00a0 And you guessed it; it\u2019s old and it won\u2019t run.\u00a0 Should I print from the old machine or spring for an upgrade to run on the new one?\u00a0 The problem with printing from the old machine is that all the files are on the new one.\u00a0 But I can get to then across the network.\u00a0 Hopefully that won\u2019t be too slow.\u00a0 If I upgrade the good news is I\u2019m still eligible for a discount.\u00a0 The bad news it\u2019s only 50%.\u00a0 Kaching, kaching, kaching!!!!<\/p>\n<p>So it\u2019s almost working.\u00a0 And I\u2019m not sure which I like the most about running a 64 bit machine \u2013 the noticeable increase in speed or the bragging rights.\u00a0\u00a0 The crazy thing is that when you add together all the upgrades to hardware and software that were required to get this new computer up and running, well it amounts to the cost of the computer.\u00a0 So much for a \u2018good deal on the computer.\u2019\u00a0 And it\u2019s taken a week to work through all the issues.\u00a0 But you know, as soon as the credit card gets paid off and I settle in to a routine I\u2019m sure it will all be worth it.<\/p>\n<p>Will this make me a better photographer?\u00a0 <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-winkingsmile\" style=\"border-style: none;\" src=\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/wlEmoticon-winkingsmile.png\" alt=\"Winking smile\" \/>No, not hardly.\u00a0 But I plan to spend a lot more time working on my passion and a lot less time storming around the house saying bad words because my computer is messing up \u2013 AGAIN.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/workshops\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">We do photography workshops.\u00a0 Come on out and join us.\u00a0 Click here to check us out.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">You can also check out our photography.\u00a0 Click here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"bawpvc-ajax-counter\" data-id=\"1972\"> (1261)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Read about the exciting experience of setting up a new computer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,6],"tags":[58,322,323,47,13,48,324],"class_list":["post-1972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-to-articles","category-journal","tag-adobe","tag-cs5","tag-hardward","tag-lightroom","tag-photography","tag-photoshop","tag-software"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Nl7-vO","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1972"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4047,"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1972\/revisions\/4047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}