🚀 go-pugleaf

 > > > In article <3576aa16.2987161@news.demon.co.uk>, user@ouija.demon.co.uk
> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > Hello all,
> > > > We've recently employed a Mac art worker to our design studio, He's
> > > > free lanced a bit and has picked up both good and bad habits in my
> > > > opinion. We make regular backups for safekeeping but he insists on
> > > > deleting as much off his system as possible immediately after a backup
> > > > because he believes having data on his hard drive somehow slows down
> > > > his Mac.This is becoming a real pain as he quite often needs files
> > > > that can only be retrieved from the backup cds. I can't for the life
> > > > of me see how dormant data can have much effect on the performance of
> > > > his well equipped 8600/250 with 4GB hd and 96Mb Ram as long as he has
> > > > plenty of disk space left.  We run Norton Disk Doctor/Speed disk
> > > > regularly and rebuild desktop files now and again to keep things
> > > > humming sweetly.
> > > > Is he just getting paranoid or am i just plain wrong?

I agree with the pixel grunt, i.e. the smallest number of files/system
inits and CDEVs that are practical to run the needed apps. All else should
be saved to back-ups. I never install any software, app, etc. that hasn't
resided on, and been tested on, another not mission-critical computer. 

Here is my optimum Photoshop/graphics set-up (Mac or PC, I use Macs). 

Two internal (for speed) SCSI 4.3GB drives. Drive 1 partitioned as a 250MB
volume for the System software only, and a 2GB partition as the Photoshop
scratch volume. The remaining drive space is partitioned as a
work-in-progress volume. This is the Start-Up drive.

Drive 2 is partitioned as as two 2GB volumes: One for all application
software and the other as completed customer jobs. This second volume also
serves as a back-up to Drive one's work-in-progress volume, These are
backed-up regularly to Jaz carts and after a certain amount of time the
Jaz carts are converted to CD-ROMs for archiving and recycled. If the
back-ups are needed for a work-in-progrss, the Jaz is almost as fast as
the internal drives. The Jaz drive is on the internal SCSI bus of both
computers. I don't recommend a Jaz external, unless it's in an APS
enclosure (for cooling). This also serves as the main volume for a Yamaha
4-2-6 CD-ROM burner. 

I typically work on large Photoshop files (250-650MB); mainly 4/C images
up to 26"-40" @ 300ppi.

All drives are running OS 8.1 and HFS+ partitions. Main computer is a
9600/233 and the back-up is an 8500/233.

BTW, the AutoStart Worm is wreaking havoc here in Southern California
pre-press shops, so be aware and keep your anti-virus software up to date.

-- 
Regards,

Gary Zuercher
http://www.chromaconcepts.com