Example of Consulting Inquiry, How I Advise my Clients

2023-08-01 • SEND FEEDBACK |
Related: backup, display connectivity, Other World Computing, USB

Consulting for computers or photography, backup or workflow.

My top priority is that my consulting clients get exactly the right system for their needs at the lowest cost. My decades of experience and every-angle approach maximizes value and nulls risk.

My clients never buy what won’t help them in their actual workflow. That alone pays for itself many times over. And we always go over a robust backup strategy.

I avoid technical jargon and such, focusing on the why/how vs your actual workflow. When we’re done you know exactly why you are getting each item.

DIY or poor advice ends up being far more expensive than expert advice that nails it. My clients know this, so they come back whenever they need a new system.

Below is a request from a client I set up with a system about a decade ago (used with permission). All this and more were addressed.

Consulting request

Considering Mac Pro purchase. Last one (that you helped me configure) was back in 2012 or so. MacOS upgrades not available and so other stuff won't upgrade.

Use case: Lightroom now, Photoshop over time. Also general business productivity.

Currently have 3TB of images, 5GB LR catalog. Other personal/work stuff is 0.5 TB. Use SSD for primary on the main machine?

- considering 8TB of SSD
- would i buy that installed by Apple, or buy the minimum and add 2TB myself?

how easy to increase beyond 8TB in the future?

How to handle external storage? Seems I want storage for:

- 3 offsite backups that I rotate
- local time machine

Q about backups . Today I use Crashplan but 4GB disks are full up. Use Crashplan. TimeMachine not working after one of disks in MacPro failed I think, haven't figured out how to replace. Going forward, considering backup strategy as follows, would like your input

Crashplan

CCC - does this protect against malware which encrypts your files? I.e. is it immutable?

Time Machine - use an external drive?

External drives

• OWC Mercury Elite Pro
- USB 3.2 (5Gb/s) - goes to 252 MB/s - seems this is the one, supports Thunderbolt
-USB 3.2 (5Gb/s) + eSATA + Dual FireWire 800 connectivity

Why do you recommend the former one over the latter one w FireWire; is it because USB 3.2 is what Thunderbolt operates over, and that's the fastest? Is FireWire (and eSATA) dead? Would make cabling a lot easier...

Buy the OWC bundled disks or get the OWC enclosure and the WD drives you also referenced in one post (links below - if so, which) separately? If so how hard to set them up?

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1734098-REG/wd_wd221purp_22tb_purple_pro_3_5.html

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1728969-REG/wd_0f48155_22tb_ultrastar_dc_hc570.html

How many? 3 for rotating offsite backups? 1 for timemachine backup?

Other input on MacPro decision re option selection (and alternatives)

Thoughts on color balanced monitors? Have 2 Eizo ones right now, not matching sizes. Replace both?