OWC Mercury Accelsior E2: How Fast are the eSATA 6G Ports with External SSD?

The OWC Mercury Accelsior E2 PCIe SSD is a blazingly fast SSD that installs in a slot of the Mac Pro, or in an external Helios case on any Mac with Thunderbolt.

The Accelsior E2 has a bonus feature: two eSATA 6G ports. Which begs the question:

How fast are the Accelsior E2 eSATA 6G ports ?

Very fast.

To wring the most performance out of a regular SATA SSD on a Mac Pro, install the Accelsior E2 PCIe SSD, and use its eSATA ports for external SSDs, avoiding the internal Mac Pro SATA ports.

Read more about eSATA 6G on the OWC Mercury Accelsior E2.

Convenient Fast SSD for Travel: OWC Mercury Envoy Pro EX USB 3.0 Slim SSD

I’m traveling for a few days (airplane) and what will I be taking with me for my computing needs?

My MacBook Pro Retina goes along as my near-workstation-grade workhorse. It’s heavier than I’d prefer, but it’s also no-compromise on screen quality, screen real-estate and raw computing power.

But the MBP Retina needs a backup, so I feel quite pleased to now have at my disposal the OWC Mercury Envoy Pro EX, because it is much smaller and lighter than the OWC Mercury Elite Pro Mini that I used to carry. The Envoy Pro EX fits in the palm of my hand, fitting into the supplied soft cloth case with its short USB cable—ideal for travel.

Using it for data safety

Suppose I download a photo shoot to the laptop—all I have to do is clone the internal drive to the 480GB Envoy Pro EX and I have a perfect and bootable copy. Just as important, the drive is so small that it is feasible to carry it in my pocket, just in case the laptop itself is stolen; theft is bad enough without losing photographs important to my work. Never carry your laptop backup drive in the same bag as the laptop: the most likely “failure” is theft of the laptop.

See my review of the OWC Mercury Envoy Pro EX USB 3.0 Slim SSD.

Adobe Creative Cloud: Activate/Deactivate and “Phone Home” License Check

Michael W writes:

I am new to Macs but have been using Adobe since CS1. Can the main hard drive be cloned so that if the drive crashes it can be removed and replaced with the clone drive and still keep CS6 activated and installed? Again, I am new to Macs.

Can the Adobe software be deactivated and reinstalled on a new machine? I am curious to know if at some point Adobe would disallow that so that the software can no longer be removed, moved and reinstalled.

MPG: At least with the non-Cloud version cloning has proved itself to be a valuable solution for the boot/system drive (and others)

Kudos to Adobe for an intelligent implementation which avoids the Microsoft activation headache of considering a different boot drive a different computer, even if the computer is otherwise identical.

I don’t as yet know if the coming revised Cloud version will behave the same way, or (as in the non-Cloud version) whether it still allows activation and deactivation the same ways as currently.

What about off the internet?

Being off the 'net and having the software shut itself off is not appealing. And potentially a workflow disaster for some.

The right way to do this is to take all the FUD* out of it by making it explicit, a menu command something like this:

License Refresh (13 Days Remaining)

Such a menu command would serve two purposes:

• To show how many more days remain to the next license check, thus eliminating the fear and doubt of an inopportune requirement.
• Choosing the menu command would refresh the timer to its full duration.

The Adobe Creative Cloud FAQ states the following:

Do I need ongoing Internet access to use my Creative Cloud desktop applications?

No. Your Creative Cloud desktop applications (such as Photoshop and Illustrator) are installed directly on your computer, so you won't need an ongoing Internet connection to use them on a daily basis.

You will need to be online when you install and license your software. If you have an annual membership, you'll be asked to connect to the web to validate your software licenses every 30 days. However, you'll be able to use products for 3 months (99 days) even if you're offline.

The “99 day” thing (it it actually works properly) seems to be a solution except perhaps for those traveling to Antarctica or similar areas.

* FUD = fear, uncertainty, doubt

Adobe Creative Cloud: The “Toaster”

Garth H writes:

One of the main reasons I chose to upgrade to CS6 last year instead of joining the Creative Cloud, was Adobe's statement that Creative Cloud members would only be able to use an application version for up to one year after a new one becomes available.

his means that even if someone liked a version of a Creative Cloud app, they would be forced to upgrade it, upgrade all their plug-ins etc. But worse than this is the fact that if while subscribing to Creative Cloud, Adobe chooses to no longer support someone's operating system, they might be forced into purchasing a new computer system if their current one doesn't play nice with a new OS, even if that current system meets all their other needs.

This, along with other reasons, is why I find Creative Cloud totally unacceptable in its current form. Adobe really needs to look at and change this aspect of their subscription policy, as well as a few others, if they are not already doing so.

MPG: this touches on a realistic concern that affects anyone for which the same output must be deliverable year over year: over the years, Apple has broken printing (badly), Adobe has changed this and that and so on.

But if you are (for example) a professional photographer selling prints, you need to be able to deliver the same print year in and year out. The best way to do that is by applying the “toaster” model: set up a system on which the operating system never changes and the workflow software also never changes: stability and predictability year in and year out in delivering the work product.

Not the other toaster, the one which smokes up the kitchen, so to speak.

From time to time, a new OS and software version can be tested as to whether the combination delivers the right results. The issue described above with the Coud approach is the potential for destabilizing software changes to some workflows, particularly color management and printing (this problem is foisted on us already by Apple, with incessant arbitrary and ill-conceived user interface changes on a hyperactive release schedule). Adobe has actually paid some attention to this issue in preserving the various version of Adobe Camera Raw conversion. But it’s a much more wide-ranging issue than any one software area, hence the Toaster setup is ideal for some situations: fixed OS and software to get the job done now and 2/3/5 years from now.

Mark A writes:

I wholeheartedly agree. Another aspect to consider, and I'm not sure how relevant this is in the "arts world" but it is incredibly relevant in "high finance" where I come from, is the need to be able to reproduce results for legal or regulatory reasons.

Say for example one is a forensic photographer and uses Adobe products, should they have the expectation (and the right) to reproduce historical results at a later time? I'd think so. This is a clause I add to every software or license agreement that I negotiate at work.

MPG: There are probably more situations like this than one might at first realize.

Adobe Creative Cloud: John Nack Hints at “Inert Files” Solution

The latest blog entry from John Nack of Adobe You should never lose access to your work, period suggests a possible response to the “inert files” (my term) issue: loss of a subscription means loss of file access, which I deem unacceptable.

Your work is absolutely your property. Adobe fully agrees, and that’s why we’ve worked so hard over the years on things like the DNG standard (meant to ensure that your photos always stay readable), turning PDF into an ISO standard, etc.

There are solutions here, and we’ll work on sharing more details.

So to be fair to Adobe, let’s see what emerges on this front. I would be MUCH happier with a “snapshot” version at end of subscription that goes into read-only mode.

Still, it amazes me that such things are not thought about in advance: why poke the stick into the hornet’s nest in the first place?

Adobe Creative Cloud: Summary View

Adobe has poked a hornet’s nest with its decision to no longer offer conventional buy-and-install software, moving to a subscription only business. Combined with a lopsided legal agreement and possible user blacklisting and making it hard to find upgrades to CS6 (non-Cloud), the result is a colossal marketing and PR blunder that only a truly insular organization could have invented.

And it’s not just real issues, users are now imaginging all sorts of dire issues (“will I have to work in the cloud”) that confuse the real issues.

There are many ways such a transition could have been 'spun' to increase sales, so as an Adobe investor (I am not), this would make me furious at the management ineptness.

From where I sit, Adobe seems to think “profit at all costs” before “serve the customer first and well, and large profits will follow of their own accord”. At any rate, pricing is not the issue for me, not at all.

I’m going to summarize a few things below to uplevel the discussion, please see the prior pieces for background, listed here oldest to newest:

• Adobe Clouds Software Choice (Adobe Creative Cloud Only Going Forward)
• Adobe Creative Cloud: Date of Birth Mandatory, Lopsided Legal Agreement
• Adobe Creative Cloud: No Fair Warning Given for Upgrades
• Adobe Creative Cloud: Why no 'Buyout' or Read-Only Option?
• Adobe Creative Cloud: A Time-Wasting Chat
• Adobe Creative Cloud: Reader Comments
• Adobe Creative Cloud: The Main Point

Support for CS6

It is realistic to expect that by year’s end, Adobe will likely no longer support new cameras via Adobe Camera Raw for the non-Cloud CS6 Photoshop (his is my estimate, Adobe could surprise me).

Which means that if you’re a Photoshop user as I am, there is no real choice: Adobe offers the widest camera support and quickest camera support of any raw converter out there. This is essential for my work as a reviewer, so I have no choice: I will have to buy into Adobe Cloud sooner or later.

Adobe is in business to make money, as all companies ought to be

First of all, Adobe has a right to make a healthy profit, charging as much as Adobe in its sole discretion sees fit. The products are theirs, and property rights must be respected. Indeed, I want them to make that profit so they can support, maintain and enhance their products. I have no objection to the former or Cloud pricing model.

In the short term, the Cloud version is a money saver. In the long term, it might be more costly. And for some it might be offensive to pay forever in order to open one’s files at will; this is why an install-and-keep approach (the way software has worked for years) is so much more appealing to some. It is the fact that Adobe is now saying this option will not be offered that is troublesome.

Blacklisting

Adobe reserves the right at its sole discretion to blacklist customers. Which mean you could not open your files. So is it realistic to think this might happen to some? Yes, certainly. To be common? Certainly not.

UPDATE: Adobe might offer a solution for file access here, though it’s unclear if it directly addresses the blacklisting issue.

But while Adobe can (and probably must) enforce certain online restrictions, they essentially are saying they can control what is posted. Which means that for any reason, they can close your account. Such as illegal activity or the request of a governmental agency or whatever. The problem is that the Cloud aspect is coupled to the use of the software locally on the machine. In the prior model, one could buy, install and use the software locally. That option now disappears, and with no recourse.

Adobe Creative Cloud: How to Upgrade the Non-Cloud CS6

In reference to my statement that Adobe had pulled any ability to upgrade to CS6 non-Cloud, reader Tom S writes:

Try this. Worked for me this morning to upgrade Dreamweaver and InDesign to CS6. Found it in an obscure place.

Indeed, it does work:

Robert C adds:

Just reading through your blog on upgrading. You can still upgrade but it takes a lot of searching. I was looking at CS5.5 to CS6 which I haven't ordered yet as I just got CS6 for my Mac but I also still use Windows. It is only a download that is now available.

The other thing to note you will not see upgrade until you click on buy, once you click buy you will have access to select Upgrade.

Adobe Creative Cloud: The Main Point

The cost is not the issue.

Access to your own files is the issue, even forgetting the Cloud.

My beef with Adobe Cloud is quite simple: when I stop paying, I don’t just lose access to the software, I lose access to my files. Because the software refuses to run any longer. So I cannot open the files. So they are just clods of dirt on my drive. So you have to keep paying, no matter what.

This simple fact is an ugly one: if you have thousands of PSD files or Illustrator files and so on, consider this: with the old approach you could at least open those files so long as the last version you used was still installed and operational. So usually this meant at least a few years breathing room, at least barring computer calamity.

With the Cloud approach, if you stop paying, your files become inert bits. Because the software will not even run. (Don’t get me started on “compatible” software that can open these files with dismal results in general). This is why a buy-out option which effectively offers the conventional installed-software-works-forever approach is the only fair thing (and yes, this could be an extra charge to do so in line with past pricing and with due credit for past Adobe Cloud rental history).

But far worse (and presumably rare), Adobe reserves the right to blacklist you, and refuse you service entirely. In other words, Adobe reserves the right to effectively deny you access not just to Adobe software, but the very right to your own work, your own data (because you can’t use the software at all). This is a viciously unfair change from the conventional model; in that model you could at least buy (license) the boxed software anywhere and install it. Whether Adobe would do this is irrelevant, the point is that the license agreement allows it. Because every card in the Adobe Cloud licensing deck is stacked for Adobe and against customers. There should be a guarantee that while Cloud services could be denied (due to abuse, and not arbitrary), there can be no denial of the right to pay for and use the software itself, as this is a local operation on one’s own computer.

Overseas, this problem is worse than here in the USA: what about various governments asking Adobe to shut off users, perhaps because they don’t like the images being posted? This is not far-fetched, it is a reality in some countries that tightly control online activity. What would Adobe do?

Real world

I regularly hear from readers at small shops and service bureaus and just regular users; to them, the Mac is a “toaster” (makes toast).

Their “toast” is printing, scanning, etcetera. They will run CS4 or CS5 on their Macs until the Mac goes kaput. And they actually do not want a newer version, because various compatibility and bugs come along for the ride.

So what they want is a good solid machine (usually a Mac Pro) on which they install OS X and never upgrade it (except for minor updates), and install Photoshop and never upgrade it. And it runs forever—until the machine dies. And it got paid for once a long time ago.

With Adobe Cloud, it’s not clear what Adobe might require for OS version or software version to continue to have it work. And payment never ends. And yet for this scenario, you never get any new benefit, because by definition you just want your “toast” toasted.

Adobe Creative Cloud: Reader Comments

Reader comments on the past few Adobe Cloud posts.

To make one point clear: as far as I can understand, Adobe Cloud as currently envisioned really means “Adobe Rental Software with half-assed internet features that I want like I want syphilis, with a built-in kill switch at Adobe’s option”.

As far as I know, you can use the Adobe Cloud applications just as you always have, ignoring the donkey half*.

Another possible summary translation “Buzzword features no one wants that degrade the experience by making it more complex, but ones that give us an excuse for taking away customer choice and charging more more more. Yeah!”.

Oh, and Adobe can’t even use more than 2 out of 12 cores on my Mac Pro on average, but now wants to use the “power of cloud computing”. This would be funny if it weren’t incompetent.

Look, I’m a dumb-donkey Luddite: I want to download Photoshop, install it, and use it for a year or two. Then upgrade it, because I like new bugs instead of the same old bugs that never get fixed—it gets boring having it crash the same way all the time.

* Yes, I know that a mule is half ass but I like the sound of donkey better.

Reader Keith W writes

Been reading your articles on Adobe cloud with great interest. I have CS5.5 installed on my Mac Pro (and an uninstalled recently purchased) new-in-the-box CS6 creative suite DW premium). (paid over $800.00 for it in March).

Am I going to wake up one day in the near future and discover my installed software and system install discs no longer work as long as I'm running OSX10.6.8 on my current machine?

If I am understanding your "Buy-out" option entry correctly, I'm a bit freaked out. Please tell me I'm reading it wrong. (I have no intention of using the "cloud".)

MPG: as I read it, what Adobe has said is that CS6 (not CS5.5) will be supported for a short while longer (the next OS X release, 10.9), then left dangling in the wind. But so long as you don’t move beyond 10.9, those CS6 applications should continue to work. Now what I don’t know is why a Q&A is needed and Adobe doesn’t just spell out a clear list of “we will do X” and “we will not do Y”.

What I mean by buy-out is the ability to buy a snapshot of the cloud version and have it continue to work: essentially to have what we have now.

Bernd G writes:

In one of your posts you state that:

“The truth is that Adobe could offer a buyout option: after a year (or even two), offer the right to keep whatever the current version is—forever. No more upgrades, no Cloud services, but the version would stay on disk and exist just like any non-Cloud version always did. This I would find acceptable. ”

Unfortunately I don't think you can assume keeping the current version "forever" is a panacea. A hard drive failure in the future may mean you're screwed anyway due to their stupid activation/deactivation requirement.

What if Adobe goes out of business or is taken over by another company? Suddenly you have no access to your pdf files - I guess the lesson is to save all your important files in non-proprietary formats.

On a more positive note I have used PS and LR (fully paid) for many years and love both products. I have over 20,000 pictures stored and catalogued in LR. However I note that you don't use LR. I would be interested to know how you keep track of the many thousands of pictures you generate every year.

MPG: it is objectionable to me to assume what I do or not assume. Besides I don’t use hard drives for my system or applications. :;

In the past, a hard drive failure does not mean you are “screwed”—in the past you could call Adobe India and persuade them to fix the license. It is also true that without this effort on your part and without Adobe’s cooperation, yes a disk crash could lose the license. But none of this need be true; it’s all up to Adobe.

As for Lightroom, my work is project-based, and importing is a completely useless waste of time; I don’t need meta data and I do need layers (Photoshop).

Richard J writes:

Thanks so much for taking the time to go through all of the legalese on this new upgrade.

This reminds me a lot of the Nikon raw file scare a few years back when it was at least thought that Nikon was setting them selves up to "own" your raw files by controlling who had access to the file. I felt at the time that they lost a lot of ground to Canon and so drew back on the attempt, if that was ever there idea. It did however give rise to DNG files, made by no other then Adobe, now it seams as you say they will take control of that as well.

The question I would like you to clarify pertains to the access of our older files. If I understand it correctly then as long as you have a working computer with a functional Photoshop CS6 on it then you will always be able to access your files regardless of what the cloud is doing. However what I see as a potential problem is I suspect Adobe will no longer support CS 6 for something like Mac OS 10.8 or 10.9 and so on. Meaning if you do need a new computer then you are hooped (unless you have computer skills and can wipe a drive and reinstall an older OS but even that has been made difficult). This is simply unacceptable and I am glad you are bringing it to our attention and I will spread around the message. The only way to change this is convince people to not sign up to the cloud.

Also I find the idea of including advertisements in one’s work area absolutely revolting. When I am working on a photo I, like I am sure many others need a visually clean working environment and having adds pop up would be just to much.

What does this mean for Lightroom in the future?

MPG: File access consists of the (1) storage medium (avoid the Cloud in my view), and (2) the ability to open those files in their intended form (consider a Photoshop file with 18 layers of mixed types—alternative programs are likely to fail miserably in producing the same results, a point driven home to me with Microsoft files).

On point (2), the ability to open the files means (a) having the software to open the files and (b) that the software be compatible with the computer— if I have a current Mac Pro and I have OS X 10.8.3 on it and CS6 on it and keep it that way, it will function until it dies. Assuming Adobe doesn’t yank the “phone home” activation scheme and disable CS6 somehow or I lose the license from a hard drive crash and Adobe won’t fix that, etcetera.

As for advertisements, this just refers to presenting one’s work in some public area in the Adobe Cloud space; it has nothing to do with working in an application like Photoshop. One can ignore the whole cloud storage aspect of Adobe Cloud and just use the Adobe apps as one has always done.

Piet H writes:

Quark still works.

Years ago Adobe released InDesign, "The Quark Killer." The Adobe PR and Sales staff lied to everyone saying "Nobody uses Quark" so nobody taught Quark. They bought into the fallacy that all Adobe products interacted seamlessly and anybody could use them to create great design. Well, most of use know, they lied. When I left Quark behind (version 7.5) it had a lot of problems, and InDesign can do some spiffy stuff, but if Adobe is going to interrupt our collective business income with their rental agreements it is up to the professionals to find alternative applications to deliver our digital products. Start looking.

MPG: indeed, many programs still work, such as CS5.5 on my other Mac pro.

Adobe software has its faults like any other. I see this as a side issue in selecting software in the first place.

James C writes:

(1) I completely agree with you, although I'm tempted to couch my remarks in language so purple that your remarks seem milder than faded pastels.

(2) People I know who use the Creative Suite like going to the cloud and a subscription. These are the customers that Adobe wants. I do use one cloud service, the $20 per year PDF to Word or Excel online conversion service and find it very convenient and useful, but on the whole I prefer owning my applications, just as I prefer owning my house, car, bicycle, and computer.

(3) Those of use who use Photoshop and perhaps one other creative suite application (I use PS CS5 Extended, PS CS6, and InDesign CS5) are getting screwed. I just retired, and was hoping to upgrade to CS7 and stop there. Well, now I'm stopping at CS6 and Mac OS 10.6.8 (I'm a good enough technician to keep my Mac running for another decade). Photoshop just became too pricy.

(4) There are some alternative to Photoshop, or at least part of what Photoshop provides. I use Pixinsight, which is quite powerful, processes even 64-bit floating point files, has extensive deconvolution functions, but it's not easy to learn (beginners will be tempted to beg for Valium); Raw Photo Processor 64, which does a good job with highlights; Raw Developer; and of course, the GIMP, which is one of the open source applications I keep on a laptop for traveling. Photoshop Elements and Lightroom? Neither is powerful enough for me, each has a clunky interface, and they'll undoubtedly become subscription services before long.

(5) Adobe inadvertently provided a perfect example of why change is not always progress.

MPG: At the very least, Adobe has poked a stick into a hornet’s nest.

And I agree there are positive aspects to the Adobe Cloud setup.

As for cost, in the short run it’s a little cheaper, in the long run a lot more money and no guarantees that the new versions will be to one’s liking.

Russell L writes:

Regarding Adobe's new CC this is devastating news to me, I also shoot medium format digital with the phase One, P45+ back. I've been using Photoshop since version 3.5. On the possibility of never being able to open files again with the Cloud is just out right craziness.

I'm also a Lightroom user, and a Phase One - Capture one Pro user too. What Adobe is attempting to do reminds me of what Hasselblad did to themselves several years back, Hasselblad decided to make their system proprietary, Meaning only Hasselblad digital backs could be used on their cameras, none other. Phase 1 is a very good company. They really care about their customers and their products. To me it seems that Adobe just opened a door to Phase One. Capture one Pro is top notch software. I think they could actually make a Photoshop replacement if they wanted to. This could open up big revenue streams for them.

MPG: A hornet’s nest again.

By “not open” I simply meant two thing: (1) you have to pay continually, which is not a disaster, just a cost, and not excessive, and (2) Adobe does have the right to lock you out at their sole discretion. This one is more troubling. While I can see Adobe’s position for those who abuse the Cloud service, I think there needs to be a guarantee that anyone can buy the software portion anytime no matter what.

Mathew writes:

Thank you for clarifying the Creative Cloud rip-off. One word for Adobe - Goodbye.

Hello Capture One.

MPG: No software is free of issues and rental is not all bad, and I don’t consider the price the real issue, as discussed.

Adobe Creative Cloud: Why no 'Buyout' or Read-Only Option?

Adobe claims they want to do Creative Cloud to “focus”. But of course, the real reason is to force users into paying year over year even if they don’t want “improvements”. And so you must pay forever even if all you want to do is open your past files. Unless you are ready to throw away all your files ever created with Adobe software.

Note that I’m not asking for some free-upgrade deal, but I am saying that today I can buy (or could buy) Photoshop or whatever and keep it on my drive and use it three years or five years from now (at least on an older computer) to open files I have already created.

In essence, Adobe’s game is to lock you out of using your own files unless you pay up. Now and forever.

Because no mechanism is in place with this new Creative Cloud to allow even read-only usage, even with the oldest version you last used. That stinks. It’s viciously unfair.

You can’t just keep a version of Adobe software on your drive to open those files you already have. It just won’t run, and Adobe has made no allowance for that very reasonable purpose of opening older files with older software, which is the practice today that many users reasonably expect; buy the sofware (“license” it), install it and there it remains so long as the computer works and the OS doesn’t break it somehow.

The truth is that Adobe could offer a buyout option: after a year (or even two), offer the right to keep whatever the current version is—forever. No more upgrades, no Cloud services, but the version would stay on disk and exist just like any non-Cloud version always did. This I would find acceptable.

Alternately (and less appealing but better than nothing) would be that Cloud apps revert to a read only mode so that my investment in Adobe file formats is protected.

What I find highly objectionable is the idea that even if all I want to do is to be able to read prior files using some old version of the software—well that is not an option. This is a dramatic and viciously unfair departure from all past software experience. It speaks volumes about Adobe’s attitude towards its customers.

Mark M writes:

Regarding Adobe forcing users into a rental scenario and customer opinion about it, you have a demonstrated gift for understatement. The reaction demonstrates a pervasive mistrust of Adobe, admittedly much of it is based on misunderstanding of what this will mean, but I think it does not bode well for Adobe in the long run anyway (think Scitex and Quark).

I for one have not liked or trusted Adobe since the original principles retired.

MPG: and here I thought I was being more strident than just about any member of the press. :)

Adobe Creative Cloud: No Fair Warning Given for Upgrades

See Adobe Creative Cloud: Date of Birth Mandatory, Lopsided Legal Agreement and Adobe Clouds Software Choice (Adobe Creative Cloud Only Going Forward).

I use only two Adobe apps: Photoshop CS6 and DreamWeaver CS 5.5. And I use them daily and heavily.

So today I went to upgrade CS 5.5 to CS6 (not the Cloud version), because Adobe has said these current non-Cloud versions will be supported through the next OS X version.

The thing is, Adobe gave no warning and just flipped the switch overnight: one cannot buy a CS 5.5 to CS 6 upgrade any more. No warning, no “in 3 months this option will be removed...”. This just feels like dirty rotten trick. Mistakes like this don’t happen; it is a deliberate decision made in advance. And Adobe wants customers to sign up for some service that Adobe can lock you out of for no reason at all or discontinue at any time?

UPDATE: It turns out that it remains possible to upgrade, but the option is buried in an obscure place. One wonders why Adobe has to generate this confusion at all.

Adobe Creative Cloud: A Time-Wasting Chat

I didn’t expect any real knowledge of the product.

The constant sales pitch was most annoying, as was having no insight whatsoever into my concerns.

Thank you for contacting Adobe Sales. My name is Viola. How may I help you today?
Viola: Hi, may I have your first name please?

Lloyd Chambers: I already have Photoshop CS6 standalone and DreamWeaver 5.5. (1) Can I keep those installed side-by-side with the new Cloud versions? (2) does the CC install allow both a laptop and a desktop install?
Lloyd Chambers: Lloyd
Viola: Hi Lloyd
Viola: I would be happy to help you with that information.
Viola: Yes, you can use your older version software along with Cloud subscription.

Lloyd Chambers: OK. does the CC install allow both a laptop and a desktop install?
Viola: You can install the applications available in Creative Cloud on your primary computer and one backup computer, as long as they are not running at the same time. You will have access to both the Mac OS and Windows platform, so if you have a Mac at home and a PC at work , for example, you can install your applications on both.
Viola: Yes, you can install it on both laptop and desktop.
Viola: How soon you wish to use the software?

Lloyd Chambers: Running at the same time or "running the software applications at the same time".
Viola: You cannot use both the computer's at same time.

Lloyd Chambers: This does not speak to my question.
Lloyd Chambers: Both computers are powered on...
Lloyd Chambers: But I run Photoshop on one computer, and NOT the other. Does the software have a problem with them both being on, e.g. some daemon that complains simply because they are *installed* on both, even though running on only one.
Viola: That's not a problem.
Viola: You can use them on the computer's.
Viola: I can get you Cloud at just $19.99/month, for low monthly cost you will have access to all the software.
Viola: Let me provide you the direct link and help you through the order process. Okay.

Lloyd Chambers: I am not done.
Lloyd Chambers: I often travel in the mountains where internet does not exist or is flaky. What happens with "phone home": will the software strand me so I cannot work?
Viola: I am sorry to hear that.

Lloyd Chambers: Please answer... gotta run pick up child from school.
Viola: You don’t have to be connected to the internet all the time. Since the applications are directly downloaded to your system you will not need an ongoing Internet connection

Viola: So, let me help you get the product purchased right now, okay ?
Viola: I haven't heard from you in a while. Would you like to continue chatting?
Viola: Thank you for visiting Adobe.com today! Please come back online if you need any assistance. We will be happy to help.
Viola: We'd like to hear your comments. Please click on the 'Close' button in the upper right corner and take a moment to complete a short survey. Thank you! Have a Nice Day!
Thank you for chatting with Adobe.

Adobe Creative Cloud: Lopsided Legal Agreement

See Adobe Clouds Software Choice (Adobe Creative Cloud Only Going Forward).

OK, so you raise your risk of identity theft as per Adobe’s date of birth requirement Well, lying about the date is the best approach except that it is a violation of the license agreement section 7.1 to do so (“account info will always be complete and accurate”). Hence Adobe can terminate your service if you lie about your date of birth (see section 6.5c on non-refundable fees).

So let’s look at the nasty thing that is the Adobe Cloud license agreement, something that even an experienced attorney would need no small amount of time to ponder.

Terms of use

All you have to do is read a good size pamphlet of carefully crafted self-referential legalise, and another 500 pages or whatever that is incorporated by reference.

Isn’t there room for for a “no bullshit legalese that no one can possibly read without 20 hours of attorney time” federal law pending in Congress?

So I actually took the time to read the whole license agreement (nasty stuff). I apparently took too long— it’s pretty clear that they don’t actually expect you to read the stuff, hence the login times out:

Stealing your name or trademark?

Apparently, my trademarked DIGLLOYD™ or MacPerformanceGuide™ may be stolen (given to another party) by Adobe for any reason at all (“any reason” and “sole discretion”).

Well probably they could not in fact do this legally, but nothing in the agreement recognizes the potential conflict (needs something like: “we agree not to allow others to use your trademark once advised of it”).

7.2 As part of registering for a Service, Adobe may require you to create a unique URL, such as your_name_here.adobe.com. Such unique URL may be used solely with the Service, only for so long as you maintain a valid account and shall not be used for any other purpose. Adobe may revoke your right to use that URL for any reason deemed appropriate by Adobe in its sole discretion by giving you at least thirty days prior notice of such revocation, except in the event that your URL, or content therein, is determined by Adobe in its sole discretion to contain infringing or illegal content or content that otherwise violates the Terms.

In such event, Adobe reserves the right to revoke your right to use your unique URL immediately without notice. Additionally, Adobe owns and retains all right, title, and interest in and to the use of “Adobe,” and other Adobe property in association with a User’s unique URL. Upon termination for any reason, Adobe may permit another User to use the unique URL previously selected by you.

We (Adobe) can make changes to terms at our whim

So you can't install regular versions (non-cloud), and if you want Creative Cloud, you can never, ever object to any terms because your alternative is complete loss of service. And Adobe can change the terms any time they feel like it.

3.3 Adobe may require you to provide consent to the updated Terms before further use of the Services is permitted. Otherwise, your continual use of any Service constitutes your acceptance of the changes.

Service down for a week? Gee, sorry.

No mention of refunds or credits. What if it’s down for a week? That week might be critical for a business. No SLA (service level agreement) is even mentioned.

6.4 Adobe uses reasonable efforts to make the Services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, there will be occasions when the Service will be interrupted for maintenance, upgrades and repairs, or as a result of failure of telecommunications links and equipment that are beyond our control. Adobe will take reasonable steps to minimize such disruption, to the extent it is within our reasonable control. Certain Services may not be available in all languages.

Huge investment? So what?

So you build your business on it. A few years later, Adobe decides they don’t feel like it any more. Tough crap.

6.5 Adobe may modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Services or Materials, or any portion thereof, with or without notice. You agree that Adobe shall not be liable to you or anyone else if we do so.

Subscription fees

Translation: prices can be raised with no notice, no refunds (even if service is an abject failure), and debt collectors can hound you, even if you have a legitimate beef over the service.

6.5 (a) Subscription Fees. Certain Services require you to purchase a subscription or membership in order to access all or part of such Services. Subscription Fees are non-refundable, except as otherwise stated in specific subscription terms applicable to a Service. Subscription Fees may change at the end of your subscription period. Subscription terms are available at http://www.adobe.com/go/subscription_terms.

(c) Collection of Subscription Fee. You agree that, in the event Adobe is unable to collect the Subscription Fees owed by you to Adobe for the Services, Adobe may take the steps it deems necessary to collect such Subscription Fees from you and that you will be responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by Adobe in connection with such collection activity.

Arbitrary demands for arbitrary information at any time

Like date of birth. How about social security number, credit cards, home address, etc? Where does it say what “Account Information” might be demanded? And what might Adobe require with the sledgehammer of denying service if not supplied?

With regular installed software you know what you’re getting when you install. With the Cloud, you agree to any future clusterfuck scenario, as the sole discretion of Adobe, with no recourse. And let’s get real: abandoning years of investment in a service is not an alternative except in the most objectionable circumstances.

7.1 You agree that your Account Information will always be complete, accurate, and up-to-date. It is your responsibility to keep your account password or log-in credentials confidential at all times and you are solely responsible to Adobe for all activity that occurs via your Account. If you become aware of any unauthorized use of your account or Account Information, or any other breach of security, you agree to notify Adobe by contacting Support at http://www.adobe.com/go/support_contact.

Adobe may require that you change your Account Information or certain parts of your Account Information at any time for any reason. Unless Adobe expressly allows you the right to create and manage Adobe IDs as an account administrator for a company or unless expressly permitted in the Additional Terms, you may not use another person’s Account Information.

Otherwise objectionable

Section 8.2 makes it possible for Adobe to terminate service for any reason at all, in Adobe’s sole judgment. Such terms are open-ended invitations to abuse.

8.2 You agree not to use, or to encourage or permit others to use, the Services to:

8.2 You agree not to use, or to encourage or permit others to use, the Services to:

(a) Make Available any Material that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, tortious, defamatory, libelous, vulgar, obscene, child-pornographic, lewd, profane, invasive of another’s privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable;

And “no reason”

Talk about one-sided. You have no rights whatsoever. Adobe can shut off your account and shut you out, and you’ll have no way to open those 18,000 files you created over 10 years.

No abitration, just whatever Adobe cares to do.

15.1 Adobe, in its sole discretion, may (but has no obligation to) monitor or review the Services and Materials at any time. Without limiting the foregoing, Adobe shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to remove any of Your Content for any reason (or no reason), including if it violates the Terms or any Law.

19.3 Termination or Suspension of Services. Adobe may also terminate or suspend all or a portion of your account and/or access to the Services for any reason (subject to Additional Terms for certain Services). Except as may be set forth in any Additional Terms applicable to a particular Service, termination of your account may include: (a) removal of access to all offerings within the Services; (b) deletion of Your Content and Account Information, including your personal information, log-in ID and password, and all related information, files, and Materials associated with or inside your account (or any part thereof); and (c) barring of further use of the Services.

19.4 You agree that all terminations for cause shall be made in Adobe’s sole discretion and that Adobe shall not be liable to you or any third party for any termination of your account (and accompanying deletion of your Account Information), or access to the Services and Materials, including Your Content.

You object? Just fly to Santa Clara, and do so on Adobe’s terms:

23.1 Venue. You agree that any claim or dispute you may have against Adobe must be resolved by a court located in Santa Clara County, California, United States of America except as otherwise agreed by the parties. You agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the courts located in Santa Clara County, California, United States of America when the laws of California apply, and the courts of Dublin, Ireland, when the laws of Ireland applies, for the purpose of litigating such claims or disputes. The parties specifically disclaim the U.N. Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods.

23.2 All claims you bring against Adobe must be resolved in accordance with this section. All claims filed or brought contrary to this section shall be considered improperly filed. Should you file a claim contrary to this section, Adobe may recover attorneys’ fees and costs up to U.S. $1,000, provided that Adobe has notified you in writing of the improperly filed claim and you have failed to properly withdraw the claim.

No choice and NO NOTICE on software updates

Not good. What if the Adobe service is hacked, thus compromising all customers with a forced update? It’s just one example of many ugly scenarios.

11.4 The Software may automatically download and install updates from Adobe. These updates are designed to improve, enhance and further develop the Services and may take the form of bug fixes, enhanced functions, new Software modules, and completely new versions. You agree to receive such updates (and permit Adobe to deliver these to you with or without your knowledge) as part of your use of the Services.

Your content used for Adobe advertising

What if I don’t like what is being advertised?

What if I object to Adobe making money off my content?

17. Advertising and Your Content.

You agree that Adobe may display advertisements adjacent to Your Content, and you agree that you are not entitled to any compensation.

The manner, mode, and extent of advertising or other revenue generating models pursued by Adobe on or in conjunction with the Services and/or Your Content are subject to change without specific notice to you.

And more

Read it yourself.

It is so far away from a traditional software model and raises so many new issues that I feel very uncomfortable with it.

It is a lopsided license agreement that makes no concessions to any privacy, predictability, fairness issues for the customer. It shows an unmitigated contempt for customers as small-fry (“plenty more out there and we have 'em by the balls anyway”) to which no concessions need be made, with a very big hammer to get rid of unpleasant ones if need be: lock-in and lock-out facilities.

Adobe Creative Cloud: Date of Birth Mandatory, Lopsided Legal Agreement

See Adobe Clouds Software Choice (Adobe Creative Cloud Only Going Forward).

A date of birth requirement is patently offensive and yet another risk factor in identity theft. I think it shows extremely poor judgment and a contempt for customers.

And there is no explanation given as to why Adobe deems this necessary (if it’s a minimum age thing, a checkbox suffices for that).

Is this even compliant with European Union regulations? How will it be used or shared? Why promote identity theft? (Adobe has no guarantee of not having a security breach).

OK, so you raise your risk of identity theft as per above (lying about the date is the best approach).

Except that it is a violation of the license agreement section 7.1 to do so (“account info will always be complete and accurate”). Hence Adobe can keep your money and terminate your service if you lie about your date of birth (see section 6.5c on non-refundable fees).

What about the legal agreement?

Reviewed: OWC Mercury Envoy Pro EX USB 3.0 Slim SSD

See the review of the OWC Mercury Envoy Pro EX USB 3.0 Slim SSD.

Adobe Clouds Software Choice (Adobe Creative Cloud Only Going Forward)

Update: see also Photoshop CC: Adobe responds to reaction.

The landscape has dimmed for those looking for conventional software. As per Adobe Creative Cloud:

In order to accelerate the rate at which we deliver new features and services, and to ensure that we do so with the highest level of quality, we are focusing all of our efforts on Creative Cloud.

Given this, the CC applications will be available only as part of Creative Cloud. We will continue to sell and support Adobe Creative Suite® 6 applications, and will provide bug fixes and security updates as necessary. We do not, however, have any current plans to release new versions of our CS applications.

Weasel speak is well tuned at Adobe (“as necessary” translates to “we just fired that team”). By adding complexity (more features and services), the software will have fewer bugs. Sure, that makes sense.

Reality: If you need it, you’ll have to play ball with Adobe on their terms. So sign up, pay the bill and get on with what you need to do.

And hope like heck that those bugs you need fixed do get fixed (they never were and never are with DreamWeaver, not for seven years running, and DW is my most used and most loathed Adobe product).

In Shouldn’t loyal Adobe customers get a discount moving to Creative Cloud?, John Nack doesn’t trouble himself with saying anything about price after that first honeymoon year. In short, when does the price go up or you get thrown off the train? The lack of clarity on such things is what is especially disturbing about being herded into the corral. In reality, options are few: I have two apps I use, so where does that leave me with the “single app” plan which for two apps is the same cost as the full plan? How much will the full plan cost the 2nd year? I can’t find that information anywhere. Which is not likely to be an oversight.

I just want to run for cover when it’s raining turds, meaning I want regular software applications (one or two only) that I can use anywhere anytime without “phoning home” to prove I’m not a thief. And stuff that doesn’t get any better for 3 years to be paid up in full, once, three years ago. The new model is pay, pay, pay some more. Because if you don’t, you can’t use it. Compare that to a CS6 install that you can keep installed until your computer dies.

But it’s actually far, far worse than just the cost: with Adobe Cloud, Adobe can shut you out for any reason. Which really means cutting you off from the ability to USE YOUR OWN DATA/FILES. With regular installed software, you don’t run this sledgehammer existential risk to data.

And this is true even if nothing improves in any significant way, as has been the case for three years or so. Even if you don’t want and don’t like the “new and improved” version. Or the constant nagging to upgrade those 13 other apps and plugins and services you never use anyway.

The basic problem with Adobe Cloud is that you never own anything: stop paying and you stop using. As opposed to buying a version of software (say CS6) and using it for the next 3/4/5 years. Until the choice to upgrade whenever it seems worth it, like when you finally buy that new computer.

For active users, it hardly matters. But for some, it’s an ultimatum with only two options: pay up or find something else.

Oh, and the software, will never, ever, EVER shut itself off due to a bug in reaching a server, a bad internet connection in the mountains, a hacker attack, or anything like that, right? Right.

Well, it’s better than sprouting bristles and snuffling about for acorns.

To buy the non-Cloud version of Photoshop, B&H Photo has Adobe Photoshop CS6 and Adobe Creative Suite 6 available in boxed form.

Ulysses writes:

Am I the only one who is bothered by this? And does this mean only the SUITE of tools, or does it mean even individual apps like Photoshop and InDesign, which my studio relies upon?

For the small business owner such as my own photography studio, I don't see how the Creative Cloud makes a lot of sense. If I could be wrong here, I'd love to see your take on things in an upcoming article. Thanks, Lloyd.

MPG: Adobe doesn’t mind if you’re bothered by this. This is why you feel so crappy about it.

FF writes:

I'm sure you heard of the new Adobe cloud idea, or how to milk the customers to the max. Their greed has no end.

For me that's the end of using PS.

MPG: Adobe has every right to charge what they wish. And customers have every right to not buy it.

I’m going to keep using my bought and paid for versions of CS6 and DreamWeaver nightmare until I feel the latest Cloud offering is too compelling to resist any longer. Or more likely, given the contempt Apple shows for backward compatibility, I’ll be forced to switch in a year or less.

Andrew R writes:

I’d really appreciate to have your feedback re: the news that Adobe won’t upgrade PS (or better give access to upgrades), meaning you’ll must be a subscriber, etc. For my earthly approach the cloud, etc. is too much.

I imagine you will give me a classical advice like: make your photos as good as you won’t need the PS. That’s a target I’m trying to reach every day, but the digital world I think became dependent of a software. I know that many love Lightroom. Do I have to fall in love with it to survive in the photo digital universe?

MPG: Always make the best photo in the camera you can. Photoshop for me is about mostly basics, not fixing badly-made images. But Photoshop is essential nonetheless.

Samuel O writes:

It seems to me that a significant problem with their new business model is the long-term impact it will have on their creativity and innovation.

Currently, with a new version coming out every eighteen to twenty-four months, Adobe knows they will have to have significant improvements to entice their customer base to upgrade.

Without this incentive, I fear their products will suffer as management will make the easy decision to increase profits by cutting development budgets and not by investing in product enhancements. This is a sad decision for a once proud, and innovative, company.

MPG: It is a fair statement. Renters know that landlords don’t really want to fix up old appliances until they become totally unusable.

Wiliam H writes:

The only Adobe products I use now are PS and, of course, Acrobat. PS is the old CS4.

I DID return to Premiere briefly when I needed to edit video after many year away from vid-editing because Apple completely stuffed Final Cut. Why do these people need to upgrade a great bit of software until it is bloody useless?!

As a policy I do everything possible to AVOID more subscriptions. I also avoid anything that attached me to the damn cloud and opens my system to the WWW. So for me Adobe is now pretty well finished. I'll probably try to pick up a disc version of CS6 ...but maybe I'll just carry on with my CS4.

Frankly, there is other software that replaces PS now. I think Adobe (and all the big guys) should see the world has changed and there are very good alternatives and costs less!. Rather than taking the alienating actions there ARE taking, they should be doing whatever they can to win friends back.

MPG: I strongly recommend upgrading to Photoshop CS6.

Clay H writes

Like you, I am dismayed by Adobe's take it or leave it attitude toward their cloud services. I use several computers for my business, and right now have one Cloud license and one permanent license for CS6.

The main issue is one that you address, namely that one will, in effect, be forced to upgrade eventually if one gets new digital cameras. I am sure they will follow past practice and give us only one more iteration for Adobe Camera Raw before making it necessary to move to the CC licensing model to access the raw files from yet-to-be-released cameras.

I think the only possibly viable workflow may be to keep CS6 as a permanent license, and then use the ACR engine embedded in the Adobe Lightroom as a conduit for rendering RAW images for further processing. While workable, this path is less than ideal. I wonder if Adobe software has grown so ubiquitous and complicated that they believe that there is not any really viable challenger that can unseat them. History has proven that this attitude may work for a while, but eventually some challengers will arise that will cause a mass defection of customers. Ask GM about this!

MPG: Yes, the Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) decision is a punch in the gut: I’ve begun to depend on it for my conversion of photos, and I’m not a Lightroom user, hence I’ll have no choice but to use Creative Cloud if only for ACR.

Martin D writes:

The Adobe group manager appeared on a tedious and unwatchable podcast of the insufferable Scott Kelby to discuss how Adobe plans to make CC more attractive to photographers. (Adobe does seem to recognize that CC presents value to video producers and graphic designers, but does not present much value to photographers.)

In a nutshell, some unspecified time in the future, Adobe plans to roll out Lightroom 5’s new proxy system in “the cloud” and release new mobile apps so that you can transparently access your photos (or proxies of them) from anywhere at any time (if you have internet service).

While that's all very nice, it has relatively little to do with essential professional workflow and does nothing for anybody right now.

It looks to me like the best option for most pure photographers is to just rent Photoshop CC and maintain their Lightroom license (if applicable).

MPG: Needing to use Adobe Camera Raw for every new camera, I have little choice but to get on the 'Cloud' bandwagon sometime later this year. There are no realistic alternatives for what I do; no other raw converter is as consistent and broad as ACR (and I am not a Lightroom user nor do I wish to become one as it’s a waste of time for what I need to do— I need Photoshop and layers).

What I want in a MacBook AIr

I’ll be traveling soon, which I normally do by car, but this time it’s a plane and I’m not really looking forward to lugging my 15-inch MacBook Pro Retina along, in spite of how nice it is in actual use. Not for a short trip where I doubt I’ll be doing significant computer work.

At the same time, my past experience with the MacBook Air was acceptable but hardly inspiring, and I know I’ll really miss the quality of the Retina display. And I don’t like investing in expensive computers that can be used for very limited purposes.

So here’s why I’d hope to see Apple do in an updated MacBook Air:

• A 16GB memory option so I can use it for real work if need be. 12GB would be acceptable, but 8GB just doesn’t cut it.
• A CPU that performs within 25% of the speed of the MBP Retina.
• A Retina-grade screen which I can set to a somewhat higher resolution for more screen real estate.

The present 'Air model falls short in these areas. Given the cost, I want it over the performance hump for better value, particularly the screen as I don’t intend to ever buy a laptop again that lacks a Retina screen.

MacBook Pro Retina

Not as practical for airplane travel, but appealing for general use would be a 17-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display: 3840 pixels wide or 1920 pixel double, versus the current 2880/1440 screen in the 15-inch model. Add in a 32GB memory option and this would be an exciting prospect. Will it happen? Probably not—the 17" model of the MacBook Pro was never a big seller.

Shock Resistance: NewerTech NuGuard KX Case for Apple iPhone 4/5

Well, I finally put a case on my iPhone 4s, because it eliminates several issues for me: grip, handling, reduced tendency to go on vibrate mode, drop protection.

Read about my usage of the NewerTech NuGuard KX case for iPhone 4 or iPhone 5.

The Commercialization of Digital Spying

Gamma International markets a digital spying software called FinFisher, expressly made and marketed to hack your phone and computer. Marketed to governments.

Way back in 2006 I recognized the anti-value of running Windows (PC or Mac—Making a Sensible Choice): the security risks were unacceptable, and this remains the case today.

Apple OS X is certainly not immune from Trojans, but it seems that every security hack article I read has only Windows screen shots, as is this case.

But since this report shows that iOS is susceptible (Android and all the others too), and since iOS and OS X increasingly share code, one has to assume that OS X does have weaknesses as well.

It also makes one wonder about the wisdom of iOS-ifying OS X, unpalatable to begin with as far as I’m concerned. Ultimately it’s a bad design if both one’s phone and one’s computer can both be compromised by the same weakness, so let us hope thing don’t go that far (become that well shared).

I would like to see Apple be much more proactive on security:

• Submitting to 3rd-party security audits (apparently not done at present!),
• Using legal hammers: patents, cease and desist lawsuits using anti-hacking laws, lobbying for federal legislation blacklisting such nefarious companies and so on. Get creative Apple!
• A prominent “hacker award” program with large cash rewards for finding exploitable security holes.
• Apple becomes a customer of these nefarious commercial hacker companies, and with every new release, defeat the mechanisms involved.

The unscrupulous already sell zero-day security exploits which are then kept hidden so they can be exploited to build internet surveillance tools by your favorite government agency (whatever the country).

The report

For Their Eyes Only — The Commercialization of Digital Spying

These tools provide substantial surveillance functionality; however, we’d like to highlight that, without exploitation of the underlying platforms, all of the samples we’ve described require some form of interaction to install.

As with the previously analyzed FinSpy tool this interaction might involve some form of socially engineered e-mail or other delivery, prompting unsuspecting users to execute the program. Or, it might involve covert or coercive physical installation of the tool, or use of a user’s credentials to perform a third- party installation.

The thing is, Illegitimi Carborundum in some countries. But here in the USA it is foolish to think one is secure given the international nature of the internet.

Schneier on Security

Bruce Schneier, an outspoken security expert, reports on the FinFisher software deployment among government across the world:

• We have identified FinFisher Command & Control servers in 11 new Countries. Hungary, Turkey, Romania, Panama, Lithuania, Macedonia, South Africa, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bulgaria, Austria.
• Taken together with our previous research, we can now assert that FinFisher Command & Control servers are currently active, or have been present, in 36 countries.

Meaning that there are at least 36 governments that consider it just fine to hack phones and computers for monitoring their citizens, or anyone for that matter.

OWC Mercury Envoy Pro USB 3.0 Slim SSD

An Envoy Pro EX 480GB is on the way for testing on the Macbook Pro Retina.

UPDATE: see the review of the OWC Mercury Envoy Pro USB 3.0 Slim SSD.

Other World Computing today announced the Envoy Pro, a slim external USB 3.0 fanless bus-powered SSD weighing less than 4 ounces (~110 grams).

Translation:

• Fits into a pocket.
• Power and data with one USB 3 cable.
• Makes no noise.
• Runs awesomely fast.

At about $320 / $600 for the 240GB / 480GB models, respectively.

The Envoy Pro case was previously available as an external case to house the Apple SSD module once upgraded. The system switch part is easy— see How to Upgrade Your System/Boot Drive.

Press release

April 30, 2013, Woodstock, IL — Elegantly designed in anodized aluminum to match modern Macs and PCs, the Envoy Pro EX fits easily into a coat pocket, backpack, or briefcase for rugged mobile high performance storage and/or backup capacity.

SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Bus-Powered SSD

Inside the Envoy Pro EX resides a SandForce Driven™ OWC Aura® Pro 6G SSD which offers real world sustained reads up to 436MB/s and writes up to 429MB/s. Besides offering blistering fast performance, the USB 3.0 interface can bus-power the Envoy Pro EX so an AC power adapter isn’t required.

Built To Start Fast and Stay Fast

Aura Pro SSDs utilize Tier-1 Synchronous NAND instead of commonly utilized Asynchronous NAND. Synchronous NAND enables reads and writes to be “synced” with the SSD processor's clock signal for maximum data throughput. Additionally, the Aura Pro SSD utilizes DuraWrite™ Technology and highly intelligent block management to ensure the highest obtainable endurance and reliability. As a result, the Envoy Pro EX can offer up to 100x greater protection of your valuable data than even an Enterprise class hard drive.

Complements Apple’s Best Designs

The Envoy Pro EX combines elegance and functionality into a sleek, yet rugged portable storage solution. It’s so impressive in form and function that it inspired Jim Tanous of The Mac Observer to proclaim it “absolutely beautiful and on par with the best that has come out of Jony Ive’s (SVP of Industrial Design at Apple) labs.”

“We’re very excited to add the ultra-portable Envoy Pro EX to our storage solution lineup,” said Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing. “Its functionality combined with its rugged, yet aesthetically pleasing aluminum design make the Envoy Pro EX a beautiful addition to any system.”

OWC Envoy Pro EX Features:

• Anodized aluminum enclosure
• Aura Pro 6G SSD with Ultra-efficient Block Management & Wear Leveling
• USB 3.0 interface for up to 436MB/s sustained data rates
• Ultra portable:
• Size: 4.5in Length x 2.125in Width x .4375in Height
• Weight: 3.8 ounces
• Silent, fanless operation
• Bus-powered (no AC adapter required)
• Three-year solution warranty

Two Configurations Available from $319.99 MSRP
The OWC Envoy Pro EX is available immediately in two configurations offering up to 480GB storage capacity:

• 240GB Envoy Pro EX $319.99

• 480GB Envoy Pro EX $599.99

Massive Detail Possible on Retina Display

See also Retina Display Scaling and Retina Display Size Comparison.

On a Retina MacBook Pro 15-inch, the screen is actually 2880 X 1800. For some tasks, using full resolution is handy, try out Pupil for free to see if it suits your needs.

At full Retina resolution, fonts are tiny, which might be fine if you have 20/20 vision and are relatively young. But otherwise it gets old fast.

Still, for some uses (graphics mainly), forcing the screen to native resolution can be handy.

Retina grade images

You don’t need to mess with the screen resolution to enjoy Retina resolution. Some applications support it natively now (Photoshop and Lightroom). But it is the rare web site that offers anything suitable for retina displays.

Enjoy Retina imagery on this site, and at diglloyd.com, both groundbreaking in their support for Retina-grade imagery (even most of the ads are Retina-grade!).

To see Retina-grade images in their full glory, subscribe to the diglloyd publications: nearly all images are published in Retina resolution.

Click the image below to see just how big a Retina display can be in native mode.

Screen Glitch: OS X 10.8.3 Issue?

Over the past few weeks I've noticed a recurring problem which occurs in Preview and Terminal: scrolling vertically on my display results in garbled text. I thought at first this was Preview only, but it also happens in Terminal. Scrolling the same PDF in Acrobat Reader or in Safari instead of Preview shows no issues. It does not happen with Safari with general HTML web pages either.

If this were a video card issue, I’d expect to see problems with every program But if it’s a bug in some API used only by certain programs, then it could be application specific.

Attempting most screen captures or even scrolling back the other way redraws the content correctly (those bits are apparently refreshed). I have dual 30" displays on my graphics card and they otherwise are operating normally.

All of which leads me to posit a new OS X bug (10.8.3).

John S writes:

Yep, I also have developed this problem since going to 10.8.3.

System similar to yours by the sounds of it. Latest Mac Pro with dual 30" monitors.

Rich T writes:

I have noticed the same issue but I have seen it more in Safari (at least twice) when opening a new tab and once in terminal.

I am running a large display (NEC 27'') and Quadro 4000 so had assumed it was an issue with graphics drivers. Thanks for the post. I think this is worth following up with Apple.... Which I'm going to do right now.

MPG: with two people confirming, this sure sounds like an Apple OS X bug. It has made u sing Preview with PDF unusable for me.

New Mac Pro at WWDC?

As Apple’s world wide developer conference (WWDC) approaches, one has to wonder if a new Mac Pro will be announced at that time; if not, one has to really start to wonder when it might come.

Long a workhorse for me, I would surely welcome a new model with Thunderbolt and USB3.

A Robust Backup Process

A robust professional backup process included at least these attributes:

• Physical redundancy: at least three separate backups stored safely away from the computer.
• Process: not wiping out all backups while backing up!
• Verification of file system integrity on the backup drives.
• Verification of data integrity for all files on the backup drives after the backup or at any later time (IntegrityChecker).

How?

Read the short and simple version.

Or read how I make a rigorous backup.

Robert T writes:

I am considering IntegrityChecker. Since I am using multiple different Time Machine backups, I was wondering if IntegrityChecker could be directly run on Time Machine backups, as the .ic files should also be automatically be backed up by Time Machine.

MPG: IntegrityChecker works fine on Time Machine backups (tested). But depending on permissions, you might need to use the command line version with 'sudo' (depends on user accounts, how many, etc).

In general, TM is a great solution for one short-term always-on backup (since it is always there and snapshots each hour. But I would discourage the use of Time Machine as an external backup strategy and I’m not sure whether the one serious bug is fixed (might be in 10.8.3, but unverified). Perhaps is is now up to speed as a reliable solution in 10.8.3 for more complex setups, and perhaps not.

Regardless of the choice of backup style (Time Machine or cloning), having only one backup is a risky approach.

TM is also storage-wasteful for the purpose of external backups (I don’t need 13 old versions of my files which change over time)— this becomes a capacity issue for large data sets like mine which already are “tight” on one drive. Nor is it bootable or immediately accessible for fast perusal as with a regular Finder window on any backup drive (“going back in time” is awkwardly modal).

Example of Verifying Data Integrity

As part of the OWC Mercury Accelsior E2 flash module swap process, I wanted to be certain that all data was intact, with rigor.

This is easy with the right tools— use Integrity Checker update before the change, and IntegrityChecker verify after the flash module swap. Suspicious files: 0. It’s not just nice to have certainty, it’s essential.

For the 480GB single-volume Accelsior and the pair of RAID-0 striped Accelsiors, I used the command line version of IntegrityChecker to verify perfect data integrity before and after the swap (a GUI version can be used also).

Verification results

diglloyd:~ lloyd$ ic verify Scratch
IntegrityChecker(tm) v1.2 64-bit, diglloydTools 2.2.0, 2012-12-15 18:05
Copyright 2006-2012 DIGLLOYD INC. All Rights Reserved
Use of this software requires a license. See http://macperformanceguide.com/Software-License.html

OS X 10.8.3, 24 CPU cores, 81920MB memory
Friday, April 5, 2013 10:19:41 PM Pacific Daylight Time

ic verify Scratch

Using threads = 6, read buffer size = 4096K, num buffers = 36

Looking for files in "/Volumes/Scratch"...
1000...2000...3000...4000...5000...6000...7000...8000...8391 files found in 0.20 seconds.
Reading hash data from 2241 .ic files...100...200...300...400...500...600...700...800...
900...1000...1100...1200...1300...1400...1500...1600...1700...1800...1900...2000...
2100...2200...2238 hash-data files read in 0.52 seconds.

Selecting files for hashing...
Preparing to hash 6127 files...
Files prepared, hashing 6127 files...
 0%:      3 files @ 0.2MB/sec, processed 256.1K
 1%:    243 files @ 1099.7MB/sec, processed 2.34GB
 1%:    249 files @ 837.4MB/sec, processed 3.28GB
 2%:    351 files @ 1098.9MB/sec, processed 5.37GB
 .
 .
 .
99%:   6119 files @ 1131.4MB/sec, processed 335.9GB
100%:   6122 files @ 1131.7MB/sec, processed 337.6GB

Finished reading 6127 files of 6127
100%:   6127 files @ 1128.0MB/sec, processed 337.6GB

Processed 337.6GB in 306.5 seconds @ 1128.0MB/sec
...

============================================================
ic verify Scratch (summary)
Friday, April 5, 2013 10:24:49 PM Pacific Daylight Time
============================================================
# Files with stored hash: 6127
# Files missing: 0
# Files hashed: 6127
# Files without hashes: 13
# Files whose size has changed: 0
# Files whose date changed: 1
# Files whose content changed (same size): 0
# Suspicious files: 0
          

OWC Mercury Accelsior 'E2' PCIe SSD with Dual eSATA Ports — the Upgrade Process and Data Verification

I’ve been using the ultra high performance OWC Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD in my Mac Pro with great satisfaction since they became available. Now the OWC Mercury Accelsior 'E2' PCIe SSD includes dual eSATA ports, and a cost-effective upgrade program (new board, swap the modules, return the old board).

The Accelsior easily beats any SATA-based SSD for performance. And it can be used in the Mac Pro or in any Mac with Thunderbolt (via the Helios enclosure). Or any PC with a PCIe slot.

Read about the Accelsior E2 benefits and my fast and painless upgrade experience, including my process for validating data integrity before and after the flash module upgrade swap.

Get the Mercury Accelsior E2 PCIe SSD at OWC.

Why is a MacBook Pro Retina Faster for Photography than a 12-Core Mac Pro?

It’s not faster for everything, but it’s highly competitive.

Reader Pavel R writes:

Last year I used for processing Mac Pro last revision 12 core 24 Mb memory with striped fast raid (two SSDs).

But not so long ago I bought MacBook Pro with retina display( actually for trips) plus 1ssd but more faster then previous. And now I can't see any different.

Only my old 30'' display is more comfortable and able to calibrate.

And MacBook is half cheaper then Mac Pro...(2.7 i7 16 GB 512SSD) So I don't understand how can 12core system have the same results... Maybe OS is suited for multitasking more then for single application?

MPG: See Monitoring CPU and CPU Core Usage and CPU Cores Explained.

Apple OS X is quite efficient for multi-core; the operating system is NOT the issue; the issue is the code quality of the application, quality here meaning efficient use of CPU cores for tasks that naturally ought to be able to use all CPU cores.

So many applications fritter away CPU power, leaving most CPU cores idle.

Some applications are crippled in performance by stupidly inefficient design for tasks that could be made highly parallel: serialized file-by-file or item-by-item operations, disk I/O serialized with computation, single-threaded computation on inherently multi-threadable tasks, etcetera. It’s maddening for a software developer like me.

See diglloydTools IntegrityChecker for an example of a expertly written program making full use of CPU cores up to the available I/O bandwidth to feed the engine.

Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom do a marginal job on most everything: Photoshop typically uses 2 to 4 CPU cores (less than 2 on some common operations, up to 8 or so with certain obscure commands). Adobe Lightroom does better (3-6 cores, highly variable, serialized I/O and file handling egads), but neither gets anywhere near using 12 cores, certainly nothing close to that for any common operations.

It’s indefensible that here well into 2013, Adobe Photoshop CS6 is still slower with 12 cores than with 6 cores. At the least, Adobe could allow the user to instruct Photoshop to “use no more than __ cores” (a preference), this alone would help by reducing threading overhead. But Adobe has taken no action to fix this silliness.

Net result—

A modern highly efficient 4-core processor like the Intel Core i7 is very fast. With only 2-4 CPU cores being used by an application, that fast 4-core CPU can match or beat the fastest 12-core Mac Pro, since 8 to 10 of those CPU cores go unused. See the review of the MacBook Pro Retina for various comparisons.

OWC Mercury Accelsior 'E2' PCIe SSD with Dual eSATA Ports — the Upgrade Process

I’ve been using the ultra high performance OWC Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD in my Mac Pro with great satisfaction since they became available.

Now along comes the OWC Mercury Accelsior 'E2', which includes dual eSATA ports, and a cost-effective upgrade program (new board, swap the modules, return the old board).

Read about the Accelsior E2 and my fast and painless upgrade experience.

Reader Report: OWC Mercury Electra SSD

Reader Conrad R writes after upgrading his older SSD:

The new boot drive (Mercury Electra 3G SSD) I installed sure made a big difference with my MacPro.

It seems to be lightning fast when using Photomatix, Lightroom and Photoshop. I just can't believe how fast it is now. I'll bet it has cut my time in half making an HDR image for my real estate photos. I had be thinking of upgrading it before and now I wish I would have done sooner.

Thanks for all your help. You never cease to amaze me with your knowledge for the MAC etc.

MPG: I use the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G which offers somewhat higher performance, and the OWC Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD (ultra high performance), but those models carry a cost premium.

The OWC Mercury Electra model is just as fast for most all uses but very cost effective, and all models hold up over time without degrading. Actually the 960GB OWC Mercury Electra is unusually fast, because it is a RAID-0 stripe internally (two internal modules).

Are You a Professional “Switcher” (to PC)?

Clara B writes:

I am researching an article about how creatives are ditching Apple to build their own, how and why.

I came across your multi-page article Apple Core Rot , and it looks like you would be a great interviewee for this.

Also if you have any tips on prominent creatives who are ditching or sticking with Apple, let me know. I want to concentrate on creatives rather than professional software engineers - I realise that you are both.

MPG: Contact deciaraB@gmail.com if you are such a professional “switcher” and want to be interviewed.

One Backup (only) is a Disaster Waiting to Happen

Alex writes:

I found your articles about thorough back ups to be very good and from experience I can say it is the most vital thing we can do

Over the new year the main hard drive hanging off my Mac died, OK I thought I’ll insert the spares in and rebuild my library. All goes well after getting the first line drives from upstairs but half way through the last drive it too dies.

Now most people I know would be in tears but I pick up the remaining drives put in a secure case and go and get the next line of spares rebuild the rest of the library and move the data around on the spare spares.

I found out long ago that hard drives left alone can freeze so I move the data around every 3 months or so. Having been frightened by the what if the third drive failed I looked at what next and took a couple of weeks burning two copies of everything on to DVD and cased them up one set going to my brothers house given that the hard drives live with my father.

I was not in tears through this as I rarely have more than 2 wks worth of work only in the house and even then I carry around that work in a shoulder bag when I go out. Anyhow I don't know if any of my events over the new year is of any use as an example of be careful to other readers as a bit of it does happen.

MPG: A single backup only is a huge risk. Hardware fails. When you really need that single backup, it is longer a backup, it’s now the master copy.

For personal data, perhaps it’s a tolerable tradeoff for low-value data, but the odds of losing your Stuff forever go way up with only one backup, especially if it’s a backup attached to the computer—this cannot be considered a proper backup because it is subject to the same perils as the computer.

For a professional responsible for customer data (wedding photos, professional records, etc), a single backup is professional negligence, and loss of data might be grounds for legal damages.

The minimum number of separate external backups that I consider defensible is three (3), preferably all stored separately, with each updated in turn on some schedule, the frequency to be determined by the value of the data that might be lost. These backups are in addition to anything attached to the computer e.g., a local clone backup or Time Machine backup—being attached to the computer means those backups cannot be counted on, because they share the same perils such as fire or theft.

What is a great all-around backup drive? The OWC Mercury Elite Pro.

So You Actually Trust Your Sensitive Data to Apple’s iCloud ?

Like your date of birth, one of the all too common security questions for 'reset password' requests? I use a fake one whenever I can. And I disable syncing of my contact list or data to iCloud.

Choice excerpts from TheVerge.com in Password denied: when will Apple get serious about security?.

Last Friday, The Verge revealed the existence of a dead-simple URL-based hack that allowed anyone to reset your Apple ID password with just your email address and date of birth. Apple quickly shut down the site and closed the security hole before bringing it back online.
....

Apple initially simply put a maintenance sign over the iForgot page, preventing ordinary password resets. But even then, a hacker could still force a password reset and skip Apple’s security questions simply by entering in a URL as if the page were still accepting resets, fooling the still-online server into thinking those two questions had been successfully answered. When it became aware that user passwords were still vulnerable, Apple then took the iForgot server completely offline, which it could (and arguably should) have done straight away until the security hole had been plugged.

...

It would be easy to retrieve copies of device backups, documents, contacts, mail, and messages from the cloud but otherwise leave a user’s profile intact; by the time a user knows something is amiss, he or she would only be aware that his or her old password is no longer functioning. Criminals don’t need continued access to users’ digital identities if they can browse full copies of their cloud data at leisure. Even strong encryption can be broken when time is no longer a factor.

All of this underscores the seriousness of Apple’s security lapse with iForgot. This was a high-priority system defeated with an extremely common form submission hack. It’s the equivalent of breaking into someone’s home by opening a first-floor window someone forgot to lock. Then imagine it happening again and again and again.

How could such a well-known type of exploit been missed in even a basic security audit? The likely answer: a competent audit was never made. Think about that. Call it blossom rot.

Both Amazon and Microsoft have detailed, extensive, public privacy and security policies for their cloud services. Both companies have every point in their systems audited by independent third parties. They have multiple certifications, which are used both within industry to establish reliability and verify that the services satisfy laws governing things like private medical information or use by government services. They permit their customers to deploy their own penetration testing. They’re members of the Cloud Security Alliance, a nonprofit that establishes industry best practices for data security. The CSA also includes Google, Box, HP, Rackspace, VMWare, Intel, Adobe, Oracle, and nearly every other company with a significant presence in cloud computing and storage.

Apple’s not part of the CSA. In fact, Apple does none of these things. It doesn’t have or advertise any of the external certifications available for IT security. And Apple won’t disclose how its security audits are conducted, or by whom.

Reached by The Verge, Apple declined to answer whether iCloud security had ever been audited by a third party. Apple won’t disclose whether any part of its cloud security is even audited internally apart from that governing its customer service group. Pressed on these questions, an Apple representative sent links to its public security FAQs, which doesn’t address them.

Declined to answer? Think about the implications of such a weasel response.

I remain deeply distrustful of the cloud in general. You only have to be compromised once for short and likely long-term damage.

Sadly, perhaps the far greater risk is the government tax authorities that now require electronic filing of just about everything (now required by law here in California for many things). Your most sensitive data—and you are required by law to submit it, every year. We can of course rely upon governmental authorities to quickly notify us when their systems are compromised.

So you do what you can do: choose what data you trust with whom.

A Finder Shortcut for Organizing Photos or Files Into New Folders

This shortcut saves me time every time I drop new photos onto my Mac: How to Organize Photos or Files Into New Folders in the Finder.

See also How to Quickly Preview and Sort 1000 Images the OS X Finder.

How to Safely Transfer Data or Verify Backups

Suppose that you are switching to a new system. Or that you have upgraded to a newer and larger hard drive. Or that you burned files to a DVD or BluRay and are they any good a year or two later. Etcetera.

How do you prove (!) that the files are 100% identical to the originals?

That’s why I wrote IntegrityChecker, part of diglloydTools: to avoid “bit rot” and corruption from transfers. It removes the worry from the process.

Using a cryptographic hash (SHA1) IntegrityChecker makes a record in each folder for each file in that folder of its hash. This saved hash detects the tiniest change in content (or of course, length of the file too).

The type of file does not matter: image files, Lightroom catalogs, JPEGs, raw files, spreadsheets, mail, word processing files, music, videos, databases, etc—anything that you create and has value to you.

The process is simple and can be run on a single folder or entire volume.

1. Run Update on the original files (computes and writes the hash values for every file in each folder into a hidden “.ic” file in that folder).
2. Make the copy or backup or burn the DVD/Blu Ray or whatever (this naturally carries along the hidden “.ic” file in each folder).
3. At any later time (tomorrow or a year later), run Verify on the backup / copy (this recomputes the hashes and compares to the values in the “.ic” file).

IntegrityChecker can verify any files on which 'Update' run before, even without the originals (there are alternatives such as “diffing” source and backup, but those are far slower, and require the original and the copy).

Some pro photographers burn DVD or BluRay discs containing files with IntegrityChecker support; these discs can be verified at any time. There are numerous such uses.

See How to Safely Transfer Data or Verify Backups.

Usage

Both command line (Terminal) and GUI versions are provided. The GUI is not fancy, but the internals are what counts: one of the most efficient multi-threaded programs of any kind you’ll ever find.

Reader Comment: RAID, Highpoint, USB3

Matthew C writes:

The combination of Mac Pro, diglloydTools and your writing at macperformanceguide.com have been indispensable for helping me achieve increased performance, peace of mind and confidence in my computing resources.

I recently purchased two Toshiba 3TB drives using your link to OWC and created my first RAID - so simple. I am seeing sustained average performance exceeding 375 MB/s with this combo when verifying my data using Integrity Checker. Fantastic!!! Adobe Lightroom performance is noticeably peppier.

I just purchased a HighPoint USB 3.0 card for my early-2008 Mac Pro, the one with a single PCI-E x 16 port. The card I got, the 1144CM (not available through OWC) now has a single negative review, as of this afternoon. I will be returning this product to Amazon, package unopened, due to HighPoint's lack of customer support and poor product information. In the future, I will exercise some restraint and buy only when a reputable Mac-friendly vendor that stands behind their products will stock an item. Lesson learned. As of this moment, I am still in the market for a USB 3 solution of my 2008 Pro. My only x 16 PCI-E port has an Accelsior in it, so that probably further limits my options.

MPG: A 2-drive RAID-0 stripe offers high price/performance value. For those looking for even faster (especially for the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom catalogs and previews), the OWC Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD is the ticket (keep the actual image files on the hard drive(s).

As for Highpoint, they make a lot of very interesting expansion cards, but I was turned off the same way a few years ago: I had an issue and the support was non-existent. That’s a non-starter for me.

Slot speed in the current Mac Pro is not really an issue, so most cards can be added without any performance concern (even a 4X slot is plenty fast for the Accelsior PCIe SSD).

USB3 on the Mac Pro: skip it unless it’s really needed; it’s a driver hack. I did test the CalDigit USB3 PCIe card with good results, though my testing was limited to one external USB3 drive.

Intel X25 SSD Needs Firmware Update to be Compatible with OS X 10.8.3 ?

CNET reports that the Intel X25 SSD is incompatible with OS X 10.8.3 unless a firmware update is applied (though the article is strangely silent on saying explicitly that the update does indeed fix the issue).

My advice on the Intel X25 SSD is to replace it immediately. Not because of this issue per se, but because it’s an older design that had issues even in its heyday. And flash memory doesn’t last forever.

Work or play?

When my Mac is “down”, my livelihood is put on hold. I don’t need that kind of headache. So the smart move is to keep a clone of your boot drive so that when stuff like this happens (it will), you can just boot off the prior system.

An up-to-date clone (preferably two) should be made prior to any system update, even a minor one like 10.8.2 to 10.8.3. Especialy because Apple has now established a shameful track record of breaking things in minor updates, including removal of longstanding APIs. I don’t trust Apple any more.

Occasionally I receive emails along the lines of “why don’t I use other SSDs”.

The answer is simple: I don’t want the hassle! I want an SSD tested and proven by a company that tests on Macs and has a focus on Macs.

Hence I use the OWC Mercury Elite Pro SSDs, both the 2.5" SATA variant and the PCIe Accelsior variants, both Sandforce-based. They have served me reliably for a long time now. OWC maintains a full test lab of Macs on which all products are tested as well as free support on their products. I’m really not interested in an SSD from a company for whom the Mac is an afterthought. Because when my Mac is “down”, my livelihood is put on hold. It’s that simple.

Conrad R writes:

May SSD(Boot Drive) has gone out. What SSD should I replace it with?

I just read in MacPerformanceGuide that the Intel X25 is not compatible with 10.8.3? Maybe that is it? I'm replacing it anyway, with the 120GB 3G Mercury Electra.

DIGLLOYD: Apparently an actual case in which Apple’s software update has hosed an unsuspecting user simply doing a minor Apple update. More and more, one needs to be wary of the Apple Core Rot principle: be cautious with upgrades.

See the advice above for keeping clone backups.

As for a replacement SSD—

• For a Mac Pro, I prefer the OWC Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD (ultra high performance, but expensive). Can also be used on other Macs.
  
• With low cost a consideration: OWC Mercury Electra 3G SSD
• Highest performer for SATA (what I use):Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD

OWC Larry Comments on Memory Price Trends and SSD NAND Supply

OWC Larry comments on memory price trends:

Memory prices have been trending up for the last 4+ months and looks like this trend will continue. After years of losing money on DRAM - various makers exited - others reduced investment in DRAM production capability for other product types (NAND mainly which is currently growing faster than production holding prices unfortunately and keeping supply challenging) - and the result is that those still in the DRAM device fab game likely going to actually turn a profit this year on DRAM with supplies reducing vs. demand ratio.

I honestly thought to sound this off a couple months ago, but didn't believe this trend was going to sustain. In looking deeper at what's going on.... if nothing else, it doesn't look like decreases in memory prices are coming and all signs currently point to continued cost increases.

On another front - for the first time in 6 months, we've got stock on pretty much every one of our SSD models. With the exception of a couple days here or there short on goods - expecting to have solid SSD supply for the next 4-5 weeks and working on the weeks after that. I still can't believe what a mess the NAND supply side continues to be.... but we've got at least one solid window open now and working to keep that lined up too of course.

Memory prices remain near historic lows at present, but have begun to rise significantly on most products, with the exception (so far) of 16GB memory modules for the Mac Pro, which have only moved only slightly upward.

Price trend graphs

See the long term graphs for all.

• Memory price trend graphs for Mac Pro (12/24/32/48/64/96 GB).
• Memory price trend graphs for MacBook Pro (8GB/16GB).
• Mac Mini memory prices are the same as for MacBook Pro.
• Memory price trend graphs for iMac (8GB/16GB/32GB).

12-Core Mac Pro for only $2499.99, 4-core 3.2 GHz only $2199.99 — New Mac Pro Coming?

Is this perhaps a signal that Apple is approaching release of a new Mac Pro? The price drop is “highly irregular without something coming” (according to a well placed industry observer).

Get a 12-core 2.4 GHz Mac Pro for only $2499.99 at Amazon.com. The price over at Apple is $3799.99. Maybe other vendors have it similarly priced also, one can always look around. The 4-core 3.2 GHz Apple Mac Pro MD770LL is $2199.99, $300 less than Apple.

In short, Apple appears to be dumping models that might have too much stock, a move that makes sense only when something new is coming (or if we want to fear the worst, the elimination of a product line).

While you might have to wait a few weeks for the 13-core (as noted), saving $1300 is not bad and it’s via Amazon Prime, not some oddball 3rd party. The 2.4 GHz model makes a great video processing or audio workstation. The 3.2 GHz model is an excellent all-around workstation.

Well, my Mac Pro Just Keeps Getting the Job Done Every day

For the past 2.5 years. On top of the previous models, ditto for them.

My current 12-core 3.33 GHz workhorse went into “production” work way back in September 2010. Nothing in it impedes my work. It just gets the job done efficiently, every day. Well, if it were 2X faster that would be nice. Would I get more work done? Unlikely.

The key is that enough memory, a fast PCIe SSD, dual 30" wide gamut displays and disciplined redundant backup are where money should be spent for a workstation, whose CPU speed and cores should be chosen for the actual tasks. Outfitted properly, the thing will hum along nicely.

But the current Mac Pro is 'no good' because it’s not new.

Especially for larger jobs, the Mac Pro has no peer. Ditto for anyone whose data is valuable and needs redundancy and backup without a rat’s nest of cables.

See The iMac is a New Design, therefore the Mac Pro is Too Old to Consider.

Social Engineering Scams to Steal Your Money

'Social engineering' is a big part of how criminals steal your money today: it’s a lot smarter and safer than robbing a bank.

The trick is feigned familiarity: a familar style of email, a pretended common friend or anything similar to something you might expect .

The trick can be via email. Or it can be a phone call or even in person (“I'm a friend of X”). All of it relies on the desire of most people to help out those they know, to do the right thing.

Alternately, a predictable “I did’t buy that!” reaction intended to entice the reader to click on a fake link, as the example below shows.

Paypal is a big target for such scams, keeping in mind that it would be unfair to single out PayPal: Google Checkout and every such service, every bank, every stockbroker, every company with a web site can be targeted this way. Usually it’s obvious: you get an email advising you to login an fix XYZ. Except that it’s a company you’ve never done business with.

The foregoing is the tip of the iceberg.

Example

One common email ploy is to send a very real looking invoice for something you allegedly just purchased. No, I have not been buying watches lately.

Some links within the message attempt to fool you by taking you to the authentic PayPal site. But the transaction links and the link to the product description are traps you are intended to click on.

All sorts of evils await—

1. It might be a site that exploits a particular browser weakness to compromise your machine and add it to a botnet, or worse.
2. It might be a site that looks identical to PayPal. You then enter your username and password, the site collects these things, then your account is emptied soon after (perhaps along with a linked bank account).
3. Simply enabling the display of images in emails lets the sender know you are a real live email reader. Disable automatic display of images in Apple Mail.
4. Etcetera.

10 Gbps Ethernet

A recent ATTO 10 Gigabit ethernet adapter email piqued me interest: 10 Gbps ethernet is Thunderbolt speed. What happens in a world where computers could be connected at Thunderbolt speed via ethernet? How about a home computer setup with a main storage computer coupled to others with minimal storage? The landscape might change considerably once 10 Gbps ethernet is built into Macs and other devices.

Which makes me wonder: it seems highly appropriate for a new Mac Pro to sport 10 Gbps ethernet built-in, in addition to Thunderbolt and USB3. The odds of this happening are low, but the possibility might not be ruled out so easily, as Apple has a habit of adopting Cool Stuff (well, at least that was true with the Mac pro 6 years ago!).

Don H writes:

I have been following the progression (or lack thereof) of 10Gbase-T for a number of years, going to vendor presentations on their latest gear, etc. Sadly, it has not advanced as quickly as the previous jumps in speed, and part of that is the technological wall of trying to make it backward compatible with earlier Ethernet standards.

If you're interested in two in-depth but readable articles on where things stand, I offer the following:

A history of the Ethernet standards and the hoops jumped through to increase each order of magnitude:

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2011/07/ethernet-how-does-it-work/

Here is a great pictorial of Intel's Ethernet lab, which shows how challenging it is to develop and test suitable 10G hardware:

http://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/562-intel-x-lab-10gbe.html

Both articles are from 2011, but sadly not much has changed since then. 10G Ethernet adapters have fallen in price but are hardly at 'consumer' desktop levels, and worse still the switches remain at data-center prices. (Conceivably if one only needed to connect two or three machines you could skip the switches and use Ethernet's automatic crossover capabilities to wire directly from one port to another.)

I too hope the next Mac Pro includes 10G Ethernet (perhaps as an option at least) but the current state of deployment elsewhere doesn't give me confidence. I also occasionally follow PC motherboard reviews at Anandtech and so far have not seen a single high-end board include 10G hardware. They're usually the vanguard for this sort of thing because PC makers will try *anything* in the interest of differentiation.

Mac Book Pro with Retina Display — 2.7 GHz Models Differ in On-Chip Cache

See the Feb 14 discussion of the MacBook Pro Retina speed bump and buying advice.

To add one tip—

The 2.7 GHz model from 2012 has 8MB on-chip cache vs 6MB cache for the 2013 model also at 2.7 GHz. So the “old” 2.7 GHz model can be just a bit faster at the same clock speed and thus appears to be the preferable buy over the 2013 2.7 GHz.

However and for those seeking the very fastest model, the 2.8 GHz model also has the 8MB cache and a faster clock speed, so it is best of all if cost is not an issue.

Apple 'Time Machine' and Backup

Time Machine is Apple’s backup software. In a nutshell, here are what I would say about it:

• I use Time Machine because the hourly snapshots offer protection against data loss that my regular but less frequent backups do not.
• Time Machine is appropriately used for short term protection. It is not really a good substitute for a full clone backup, if for no other reason than the interminably slow and obtuse process for restoring from scratch (as compared with insta-boot off a clone—zero overhead). Always keep a bare minimum of two full backups stored safely away from the computer.
• Used as short term protection, one can exclude older files that should have long ago been backed up on full backups and stored away. This allows use of a much smaller Time Machine backup volume for recent work/changes.
• Because the Time Machine volume is always attached, the currently attached drive could be called a “half backup”— meaning that it is subject to the same risks as the Mac itself. A full backup should be stored away from the computer, preferably well away to avoid the same perils. One can use a NAS or Time Capsule on the network, but this is painfully slow and irritating when Time Machine kicks in for any significant changes and “same building” is still not as good as a different building (like home + office).

For more, see the Time Machine articles and backup articles.

OWC Mercury Accelsior Backorders Filled, Most capacities in Stock

It’s been hard to get a hold of the OWC Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD, but all capacities are now in stock again as of tomorrow (I’m informed).

I have an “ultimate” setup— two of my PCIe slots in my 12-core Mac Pro are used for two 960GB Accelsiors (the third slot I need for eSATA).

I boot off a small non-RAID partition (a.Boot), keep a clone as b.Boot, and use the rest of the capacity for a RAID-0 stripe good for well over 1000MB/sec (Scratch).

This is overkill for most people but I am constantly working with huge files, so it is a practical efficiency solution for me. What happens with this setup is (a) I totally forget about disk I/O speed as a factor and (b) the ample capacity means I just get work done without even thinking about it.

Any Mac Pro or any Mac with Thunderbolt (via Helios) can use the Accelsior.

Want your own high performance system for Photoshop or Lightroom? Engage me in consulting before throwing money at the problem (the right choices have to be made).

Stick with a Reputable Brand SSD

It’s fairly common for me to receive emails of the form “why shouldn’t I buy Brand X SSD”. After all, SSDs are all the same, right? Hardly. Which is why I stick with proven brands (OWC in my case, but Intel and Samsung and others all have their pluses and minuses with good track records in general).

Flash memory is very expensive, and hence this is the place to cheat. I’ve personally been on the receiving end with counterfeit flash cards, though not as yet with SSDs.

Here’s an interesting story: Kingfast Unknowingly Sends Counterfeit SSD With Fake Memory For Review.

The issue with low-grade flash memory (aka non Tier 1 aka “crap flash”) is that crap flash tends to perform same as the Tier 1 flash at first. But what makes it lower tier is percentage of bad areas and that becomes both a longevity and reliability issue more than a performance one, though lower performance right off the bat is not precluded. In short, a “bargain” SSD might perform well for some period of time, then cause “unpleasant” results after a while.

I asked OWC about how the construct their SSDs:

Unlike many SSD manufacturers, OWC builds consistently with top tier NAND and with NAND configurations that provide the best in class performance for the product offered.

There are different ways to build the same capacity Sync or Async SSD product - and we extensively test and maintain only configs that provide that reliability and consistent performance that one should expect from our OWC products. Where others build with flavor of the week, both performance and reliability can vary rather substantially.

 

Memory Price Trends for MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro, MacMini

Memory prices remain near historic lows, but have begun to rise with the exception of 16GB memory modules for the Mac Pro, which have edged downward.

Memory to capacity in all Mac models at very reasonable prices.

• 16GB for a MacBook Pro
• 32 GB for an iMac.
• 48GB for a Mac Pro.

Price trend graphs

Updated about once a month.

• Memory price trend graphs for Mac Pro (12/24/32/48/64/96 GB).
• Memory price trend graphs for MacBook Pro (8GB/16GB).
• Mac Mini memory prices are the same as for MacBook Pro.
• Memory price trend graphs for iMac (8GB/16GB/32GB).

Selected configurations

Recommended config for serious users for each respective model.

Fixed: iTunes Import Resulting in Duplicate or Triplicate tracks

Core Rot at Apple generated more page hits than any topic ever presented here at MacPerformanceGuide.com. Many bugs remain extant; I have time to report only a few.

But Apple does fix bugs and it’s important to acknowledge progress—

Fixed — duplicate or triplicate tracks on iTunes import

As I have a contact on the iTunes team, I recently reported a troublesome 'import' bug: iTunes was creating duplicate tracks while importing a CD (or triplicate tracks if imported from files already copied from the CD onto the Mac).

I provided a ZIP file that made reproducing the problem 100% guaranteed. In general most bugs tend to be intermittent and thus hard to document with a test case, so a 100% reproducible case is a big help in getting a fix done.

It turns out that the duplicate/triplicate track bug was related to the presence of playlist files on the CD, as shown below.

This was a commercial book-on-CD and thus it’s a little baffling how a bug like this could exist in version 11 of a program for such fundamental functionality, but there it was. It had discouraged me from using iTunes for a few years now (I still buy most everything on CD, almost always books). Finally, the bug has been fixed and that is satisfying.

Files on the CD that included two playlist files, apparently responsible for the 2nd and 3rd duplicate:

llcMule:~ lloyd$ ls 
01.mp3   12.mp3   23.mp3   34.mp3   45.mp3   56.mp3   67.mp3   78.mp3
02.mp3   13.mp3   24.mp3   35.mp3   46.mp3   57.mp3   68.mp3   79.mp3
03.mp3   14.mp3   25.mp3   36.mp3   47.mp3   58.mp3   69.mp3   80.mp3
04.mp3   15.mp3   26.mp3   37.mp3   48.mp3   59.mp3   70.mp3   81.mp3
05.mp3   16.mp3   27.mp3   38.mp3   49.mp3   60.mp3   71.mp3   playlist.m3u
06.mp3   17.mp3   28.mp3   39.mp3   50.mp3   61.mp3   72.mp3   playlist.pls
07.mp3   18.mp3   29.mp3   40.mp3   51.mp3   62.mp3   73.mp3
08.mp3   19.mp3   30.mp3   41.mp3   52.mp3   63.mp3   74.mp3
09.mp3   20.mp3   31.mp3   42.mp3   53.mp3   64.mp3   75.mp3
10.mp3   21.mp3   32.mp3   43.mp3   54.mp3   65.mp3   76.mp3
11.mp3   22.mp3   33.mp3   44.mp3   55.mp3   66.mp3   77.mp3