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Buying new iMac - SSD Capacity

ginhb

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Sep 7, 2018
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I'm transitioning from a Windows 7 machine to a new iMac. I plan to go with a SSD drive for the OS & applications only, and use one of the Thunderbolt connections with a 2 or 4 TB external drive for data.

My question is how much SSD capacity is needed for the OS and some common applications. Photoshop, Premier Elements or maybe Premier Pro, Lightroom, some things like that.

My Windows machine has a 128 GB SSD drive for the OS and applications, along with two other standard internal hard drives for data. That 128 SSD gradually filled up without me adding more applications. It seems like Windows kept eating up more & more of it with updates and storing recovery information or something like that. I'm not exactly sure. There was plenty of space on it before, after I installed everything I needed.

But what about the Mac OS? Should 256 be enough? Is that going to be too tight?

Thank you
 

Lee_Bo

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I have a MacBook Pro and do basically the same thing. I was torn between 256 and 512, thinking 256 would fill up and 512 would be too much. In the end I went with the safe choice and went 512.

Im also running Adobe on my MBP so I thing you'll be just fine with 512.
 

Golfdriver97

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That 128 SSD gradually filled up without me adding more applications

Windows can be like a hoarder sometimes. I think if you run disk cleanup that will get rid of a lot of old windows files. Not trying to convince you to not get an iMac, but something to do to keep your main storage bay as free as possible.

In regard to which storage option to get.....I am inclined to agree with @Lee_Bo; get the biggest option you can afford. This will prolong the life of the machine.
 

calebt

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I've always agreed with what Le_Bo says and still do when it comes to the phone, but with the MBP I went with the base model, being external SSD have come down in price and portability.
 

ginhb

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Thanks for the advice, guys. I think I'll go with the 512 SSD. My Windows machine is a little over 7 years old and it was not a top of the line unit to begin with. Upgrade options are limited because of that older motherboard. And since I enjoy my iPad and iPhone and was ready for an upgraded computer, I decided to go all Apple. No real need for a Macbook so I decided on an iMac for home use.
 

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