Partitioning Tips for Most Effective Usage

Hi guys,
I'm running on Snow Leopard with 4GB DDR3. I'm hoping I'll be able to get some advice here on how i should fully utilise my MBP's hard drive.
I recently bought a new 500GB Samsung HDD but I've yet to install it cos I'm still pondering on what type of partitioning scheme i should stick to. I use my MBP as a workhorse. I do photography, design with photoshop, video editing, recording and gaming (with windows). From time to time i work with large transfers of files in and out, like we're talking GB here.. There are also 2 other people in my family who use this com, but just from time to time, transfer pictures and sync their iphones etc. I'm aware that too many partitions can also slow down the system, but this time round, im really certain i'd wanna partition my mac after a tragic crash of my os x partition hdd. It wasn't the HD's fault tho as my bootcamp partition survived.
Anyway, how many partitions is too much and how should i partition my new drive to effectively use it? I've been reading quite a bit around the internet and so far from what i've gathered, im thinking of the following scheme:
1) Primary Boot ROM - System and Applications (150GB)
From my experience some apps like Final Cut Studio and Logic Studio 9 can take up as much as 56 GB each, Adobe CS5 takes up quite a bit too.
2) Emergency Boot - For emergencies (15GB)
System files and essentials like Alsoft Disk Warrior 4 and Data Recovery 3 in the event of nasty crashes for damage control/rescue
3) Windows Partition - For Windows 7 and Games (100GB)
Games like Modern Warfare 2 and Fallout 3 can take up to 15GB etc,
4) Data Files (Remaining).
What do ya'll think?
More Questions I'd like to raise are:
1) Would you think it would be better to create a partition, just for installing hugeass apps (ala logic and fc) and does anyone know if they can be installed on the non boot roms? eg if im using my primary startup partition, can i install logic on another partition which doesn't have Mac OS X on it?
2) Should my Video, Audio and photography workfiles be in separate partitions or would it be more advisable to just keep them together?
3) Should there be a partition just for temporary file storage like if im moving 50gb of data?
4) How about video capturing? Recording sessions and post production project files? Should they be in a partitions of their own?
5) I've read about scratch/swap partitions, what are they and are they advisable to have? Especially cos the stuff i do are pretty resource intensive.
6) Should the different users be on different partitions?
I guess that's about all the questions on my mind for now..
Would greatly appreciate your help before i plan out and partition
Thanks in advance!

@Kappy,
I'm sorry! Nono don't get me wrong.. I'm not shutting out your advises. I'm just in a dilemma as there seems to be 2 opposing camps: people who swear by partitioning and those against it. I read that a lotta people in the media industry, ie sound engineers who do recording on the go/designers who do huge projects highly recommend the practice of partitioning as huge amoutns of time are spent on each project, so they'd rather be safe than sorry.
On the otherhand, people here are saying there's no need to do so/it sounds illogical.. I'm just wondering why.. I mean, i understand its gonna be a hassel and all, but is it not advantageous to to do so especially in times of adversity?
About rEFIt, understand that the point of the article was aimed at being a tutorial at creating a multiple booting computer. However one of the steps pointed out was that we could create multiple partitions before installing Windows in just one partition. If that can be done, wouldn't it mean that instead of creating multiple boot partitions , i can create storage partitions as well, by selecting the appropriate kind of disk formats, which technically bypasses the limit of Bootcamp's 2 partition only policy.. Do you think that would be possible? PS: im not looking to install Windows on an external drive..
About the emergency disk,
I fully agree with you that ideal is to have it on an external drive, which i definitely have been practicing. However cos of my recent crashing, i figured that data recovery from my external usb harddrive indeed help, but was quite a slow process (yea.. i know firewire's the fastest option! heh), but im just wondering, any idea if booting from a good partition would be faster than one from an external hd/usb stick?
OS X is structured to expect data/documents to be stored in their appropriate folders on the startup volume. This i do agree, do you think there are ways to re route them?
Video, Audio and photography workfiles might best be kept on another hard drive, preferably FW800 for speed.Yea this i definitely agree that it would be the ideal, however i bring my mac out for live recordings sometimes using a firewire interface. My mbp has only 1 firewire interface tho, so an ext firewire HD wouldnt be an option.. and if i can avoid bringing along an external drive, that would too be great.
Your tip on backing-up with a dedicated large external HD that i do agree fully and couldn't disagree less! In fact that's what i'm practicing. The RAID box is a wonderful idea actually! So thanks! (:
@Michael Black
Thanks for your answers to #5 and #6.. !
Everyone, thanks for your responses so far! (:

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Tips for blue screen (BSOD) errors with Windows Vista and Intel Turbo Memory on X61/X61s

Important note: The symptoms and solutions described below address only a small subset of the possible causes for blue screen errors, aka BSOD.
This information can help address blue screen errors specifically
related to Turbo Memory, but may not solve errors related to other
issues. Please read through the instructions completely, make sure they
apply to your system, and after attempting the solutions please post
back with your feedback for the community.
Some users may experience random blue screen errors with ThinkPad
systems running Windows Vista with Intel Turbo Memory hardware. These
blue screens may occur during normal usage on the system or they may
occur when booting into Windows Vista. Blue screens related to the
Intel Turbo Memory hardware may reference a stop code of 8086 with
memory address locations of {0, 0, 0, 0}.
There are two main steps that you can take to help resolve blue screen issues related to Intel Turbo Memory.
Step 1: Update Intel Turbo Memory Driver
If the driver version is before version 1.0.1.1004-7.0.3.1001, please
update to this version.
To determine what version of the Intel Turbo Memory driver is installed:
1.    Click Start, then click Control Panel.
2.    Click System and Maintenance.
3.    Click System.
4.    Click Device Manager.
5.    Expand the Storage controllers category.
6.    Double-click Intel Flash Cache Logic Chip.
7.    Click the Driver tab. Then you will see the driver version (for example, 1.0.1.1004).
The new driver and installation instructions can be found here.
Note: The Intel Matrix Storage Driver is updated with this package.
Step 2: BIOS version
If your BIOS version is older than those listed below, please update to the version listed.
How to check your BIOS version:
Turn off the system.
Turn on the system.
While the To interrupt normal startup, press the blue ThinkVantage button message is displayed at the lower-left area of the screen, press the F1 key.
The
BIOS Setup Utility menu will be displayed. If you have set a supervisor
password, the BIOS Setup Utility menu appears after you enter the
password.
Check BIOS Version and Embedded Controller Version.
Turn off the system.
System BIOS versions:
ThinkPad X61 or X61s - BIOS version 1.06 (7NET25WW)
Please
remember that these updates do not solve every possible system blue
screen, but they do resolve several problems related to the Intel Turbo
Memory driver.
Tim Supples
Lenovo Social Media
Got a question? Don't PM me, post it on the forum!
Lenovo Blogs
X60 Tablet SXGA+ primary, Z61p fully loaded workhorse

Dear Tim,
First off, many thanks for the tips for resolving BSOD with Vista + Turbo Memory on X61. I've been suffering from this BSOD for countless times since I bought in my X61 7673-CW9 in April 2008.
Even prior to having the pleasure to visit this wonderful forum, I followed both steps as indicated, and updated my Intel Turbo Memory driver to 1.5.0.1013 and my BIOS to 7NETB4WW (2.14). However, the BSOD recurrs.
For the past two months, I've recovered my system to factory default settings using Rescue and Recovery for over twenty times, each time with the latest Intel Turbo Memory driver and BIOS. Notwithstanding that, BSOD recurrs.
During these painful experiences, I tried two options: 1) making my X61 up-to-date by using System Update and Windows Update (including Vista SP1 or excluding Vista SP1); 2) keeping my X61 the status as factory default (i.e. without updating through either System Update or Windows Update (the automatic/scheduled update function of both is turned off)). In either case, BSOD recurrs.
I'm 100% positive that the BSOD does not arise from any hardware or software/firmware I install. I never install any hardware (e.g. RAM). And, it is not caused by any software/firmware I install: the clear and unequivocal evidence is that at one time,I encountered BSOD while having restored back to factory setting and booting for the first time.
I live in Taiwan, and I seldom heard this BSOD here.  All of my friends (as most of Taiwan residents) using X61 operate in Traditional Chinese environment, whereas I operate in English environment. In Taiwan, when booting for the first time after purchase/recovery, the Windows Vista Business system provides for lanuage choice (Traditional Chinese or English), and, once chosen, the language cannot be altered later on (unless, of course, the system is restored back to factory default settings).
My system specs are the same as the day I purchased it and are listed below (as I'm not sure if my machine type X61 7673-CW9 is applicable outside Taiwan):
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T8300 @ 2.4GHz
Memory: 1.00 G.B.
System: Windows Vista Business (32-bit)
Hard Drive: 160 G.B. @ 7,200 r.p.m.
And, of course, with Intel Turbo Memory 1 G.B.
I contacted the Lenovo support staff here in Taiwan for countless times, but they seem to be clueless. I learned that some friends at this forum downgraded their OS back to Windows XP, but I chose not to. The reason is simple: my purchase price for X61 7673-CW9 includes the Intel Turbo Memory, which cannot function under Windows XP (at least so far).
Therefore, I just wish to share my experience here and perhaps I can get some advice from you and other friends here. Any advice will be tremendously and enormously appreciated.
Kevin Chen @ Taiwan

Any Tips for editing Live Event 2 camera shoot?

I need to quickly edit a 2 DV camera recording of a live multi-scene performance (duration of 90 minutes), with audio additionally recorded on a good quality remote mic.
I have used FCE for some time, but not for several months. I have managed to forget many of the lessons learnt through trial and error, as well as by reading Tom wolsky's FCE Editing Workshop! So shortcut tips would be very helpful.
I am also using FCE 3.5 for the first time after my upgrade.
1
I want to make a safety copy of the synced rushes, as well as keeping the original camera sound recording as a back-up guide track.
2
I am worried about making sure I am working with Master clips, so that when I edit I don't mess up any of the source material. I am a little confused.
3
I would appreciate anyone with any suggestions or tips for the best edit process, and any warnings or other guidance. Speed is of essence. (ie there is no budget).
4
I am considering making separate sequences for each scene (14 scenes in all of varying length and complexity). Is this advisable rather than creating one programme length sequence?
5
I am considering making the audio into one mono track for simplicity, as the auditorium acoustics have "mixed up" the sound, with little stereo separation. Should I then duplicate the track to build the sound quality at the end?
Any other general Tips always welcome.
Thank you in advance. I appreciate all the unsung contributors to this group.
Freesh

I am a pretty good source for basic sound info - you can email me if you like
[email protected]
you are right about the link - I am sorry - i checked the website before I typed the link in too! A blond moment
A low shelf filter - as included in FCE and soundtrack cuts the bottom off a soundmix. 20hz is a low frequency - not many speaker systems can reproduce this frequency, and most speaker systems can't even get to 40hz - even you high fi system or speakers which say they may be able too present sound for 20hz to 20khz - well unless you have spent an aweful lot of money and have a sub bass speaker the size of a car probably may only go down to 40hz, and the production of any 20hz sounds is more likely a feeling - a psychoacousticc effect. The thing about cutting off the bass is that practically it can make the recording sound less muddy, and you can make the recording sound louder. Most recordings for CD play have the bass started to roll of pretty heavily at 40hz and nothing present at 20hz... theirs this thing called narquist theory which talks about frequency responce - but it is this math heavy thing - so basically cut out a good amount of the sub bass. A low shelf filter does this and If you want to be conservative cut below 20hz, and if you want to be real give it a good cut below 35hz.
Now I was sure that their was a mac version of that monofilter that I saw on the web page - I have a PC and do most of my audio work on a PC as that is what I have used the most. If you can get the mono filter work it will make the bottom end sound much better - more natural - less clicky and perhaps abnoxious.... those of us who like trip hop are always striving to get a nice warm bass that represents itself well on a range of speakers. something smooth - it is a bit of a trick - monofilter is one of those tricks.
If you put the bass in mono (below 250hz ish) and keep the phase right speakers find it easier to work with the signal. Also stereo bass is not something that translates well on speakers... Bass tends to just flood the room where as the more mid and trebbly sounds give the audio a feeling of distance and space and left and right. The monofilter has a bass compression/limiting and phase correction built itno it, and implimented on a slider called 'trim'. Listen to your recording on good speakers and probably just bring the trim down a touch (my guess)... as complex as it sounds the monofilter is very easy to use, and is super clever. Now I thought that nugen had a mac audio unit plugin - that is a pity if they don't and kind of makes my advice seem irelevant unless you are prepared to download an application that can use VST's.
Amy
be careful using an eq as most eq's disrupt the phase of the signal and can reek havok on live recordings. but do give it a low shelf filter at least below -20 but probably below -40 to -80 for practicalitys sake
This is a bit over my head, I am afraid. Do you know a source of basic info for sound recording to help explain such things? It could be a book or an online resource?
lol, what i meant was 20hz or 40 too 80hz - their is a low shelf filter in soundtrack that works well - I am talking about cutting off the low frequency bits of the recording here. Nugen audio has a little pdf that comes out with the monofilter talking about bass signals... I know it is geared towards music and perhaps music that you want to have a nice bass feel - however it translates to the real world too - You will be suprised at how great your audio will sound if you cut off a chunk of the sub bass, and put the low bass in mono.
then you could look at exciting the signal - but that is another story....

Recommended partition layout for Ubuntu/Arch dual boot?

I just got a new (old) laptop, and my plan is to dual-boot Arch and Xubuntu. The Xubuntu is mostly to hold me over so I have a stable system while I'm setting Arch up/if I mess up Arch somehow/for testing. It has a new 160GB (149.05 GiB) drive, and my plan is to allocate roughly 35 GiB each for the Xubuntu and Arch / partitions, and a roughly 80 GiB partition for common data (that is, most of my home directory folders will be symlinks to that partition - e.g. ~/code will link to /common/code*).
Right now, my plan is to have three logical partitions - one for Xubuntu, one for Arch, and one that contains the common and swap partitions. So, I'm asking (A) are there any better ideas for partitioning, (B) does Arch still need a /boot partition, and (C) how should I handle the bootloader situation? (i.e. should I install Xubuntu's to the MBR and have it chainload to Arch's on a separate partition, or what?)
*The reason I'm not using a common /home partition is because my config files and the like will probably be different between the two OSes.

A) Probably -- partitioning is always a relative subject
B) no...and it never did
C) Whatever you prefer.
Basic tips :
Having a separate /home helps in re-installing(if you ever have to) and it saves your config files.
Having a separate /var allows you to put a different filesystem on it which may be more suitable to the type of files in /var
You can use a separate /boot, if you are going to use the same /boot for both Xubuntu and Arch. That way 1 partition handles both. If not, I think there is no need to create a separate partition. If you do create one and plan to use it for Xubuntu and Arch, make sure that you install a filesystem that is acceptable to both distros. For eg. Arch grub is patched so it can read from ext4. I do not know if Xubuntu's grub is patched or not.
Last edited by Inxsible (2010-06-24 03:55:20)

Tips for optimizing for speed?

It may be awhile before I can afford a new computer, so I was wondering of any tips for optimizing my current computer for speed.
*Of particular interest is the CPU usage graph of the Activity Monitor: why isn't the graph pegged* when an application is running an intensive process? In other words, when I am doing something with the computer, I expect it to be giving 200% effort (because I have two CPUs in my computer). So why isn't it?
And what can I do to fix it? How can I get the CPUs to work at full power? I've already maxed out the memory, using quality (Kingston) RAM.
I fully realize that the bottleneck in speed in most computers is the hard drive. I do what I can in that regard (keep them optimized, repair permissions, and so on).
+*I just want the CPUs to be giving their all when required.*+ Is there a third party app that would help? Any tips, advice or suggestions will be appreciated!
And, on a related note, why was it, when Macs used PowerPCs, were we told that "RISC always beats CISC"? That is, PowerPCs were faster and more efficient than Intel chips? But now, with Macs using Intel exclusively, we are told as to how wonderful Intel chips are? Any thoughts on that?

Software applications and OS don't, and it is a myth of sorts that 100% per core is being efficient, sometimes it is, usually it is not.
There isn't much bandwidth to begin with, and some have tried 10K VelociRaptor in their G5 1.8s only to find the WD Black 640GB was just as good or better, but you don't want drives older than a year ago in there.
Mac Pro used - and there are some 2009's 2.66GHz 4-core $1800, or from Apple, or look at $900 iMac even.
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/mac_pro
A lot of applications are not optimized or can't or are still stuck in pre-multi-threaded era, especially under PPC code.
And what pray tell instead of generalities are you running, so people can provide more specifics?

Looking for iPhoto effect like presets for Aperture.Color Boost/Edge Blur

Hi all,
I am a hobbyist photographer who made the jump from iPhoto to Aperture a little over a year ago. For the most part Aperture is a way more capable editing package than iPhoto. That said, ever now and then, I miss some of the basic effects that were available in iPhoto. In particular, the "Color Boost" and "edge Blur" effects - has anyone seen Aperture presets that mimic these iPhoto effects?
Thanks very much!

dsquid:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. I get the same effect. I don't know if its normal or not. When viewed or printed at anything but very, very large the pixilation is not readily apparent.
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

What Mac should I get for basic Photoshop usage?

I'm hoping to tap into the vast resources/opinions here.
I'm planning to get a Mac for my office. It will be use primarily for basic Photoshop usage. Maybe making some movies from iPhoto. The other usage would be normal ones like web surfing.
Please suggest a desktop Mac first, and a laptop Mac 2nd.
Which Mac model would be most cost-effective and doesn't need upgrading every year?
Thanks a lot!
Mavis

Mavis, the answer to your question really depends on what you mean by 'basic' Photoshop use.
Bearing in mind that Photoshop has been used by professionals in graphics and design houses for many years, typically working on hardware that is substantially less powerfull than a Mac mini, there is no reason to beleieve that even the entry-level Mac can't sucessfully be used for this kind of work, and those who suggest otherwise simply haven't tried it. However, there are some things that you need to keep in mind when using this software: the first is that Photoshop runs better the more memory you have, the second is that Photoshop files can require large amounts of storage, and the third is that the most recent version tends to place heavy demand on the processor - meaning that the faster the processor the better it runs.
Thus, any Mac you buy for Photoshop use should ideally be equipped with 1Gb RAM rather than any less. You should also consider getting either the largest internal hard drive you can, or an external firewire drive for extra file storage.
A Mac mini with 1.42GHz processor and a 1Gb RAM upgrade would certainly be sufficient, even for fairly demanding Photoshop work. The internal 80Gb drive for that model would give you a reasonable amount of space for files, though you would be wise to add a larger external drive too if the work you are doing is at all crucial. The same system would also be capable of your iPhoto work too. If your use is more casual, then the 1.25GHz mini would be enough, but again you'd need the 1Gb RAM upgrade.
If your intended use is more at the commercial end of Photoshop use, then the chances are that even though a mini would be sufficient, you'd be better with an iMac or G5 tower, simply because for pro-level work, these systems are faster and permit smoother and more productive workflow.
It also has to be said that no Mac will need upgrading each year, unless your level of use or your needs of that system change dramatically. A system you buy today will remain just as functional into the future. In other words, the best way to minimize the risk of having to upgrade in the forseable future is to work out exactly what you want the system for and buy a system that meets your present (and projected future) needs.

Tip for ALL Graphics cards running under Windows

PLEASE STICKY THIS
This is a really useful tip for anyone running windows ME or XP.
It doesn't matter what card your installing and it really helped me out once.
Use System Restore
System restore is a simple utility Microsoft came up with for things like registry changes or putting new hardware/software in.
All you have to do is:
1. Set up system restore to monitor the hard drives or partitions you want it too. This can simply be done by going to start>all programs (or program files)>accessories>system setup>system restore. Once the window has opened choose system restore settings and from here you can change what hard drives are monitored and how much disk space restore can use.
2. Before you make a change to your card (whether it be drivers or putting a card in) open up system restore as in step '1' but choose create restore point. The system may hang for a minute then you will be told a restore point has been made.
3. Now any change you make to anything to do with the operating system will be noted by windows and the unchanged vesion will be kept in that hard drive space you specified in step '1'
4. Should the drivers screw up your system you can boot in safe mode (by hammering F8 between POST and OS loading screen) and when a dialog box comes up saying you have started in safe mode choose to run system restore.
NOTE: BIOS changes can NOT be undone in system restore, and if your computer won't boot at all your ed!!!
System restore should not be used if your computer is running ok, or if you can resolve the issues by changing drivers, using system restore can bring back spyware, viruses and trojans! If there is a power failure or your PC crashes when running system restore yu may need to format your hard drive.

Quote from: ratkid132 on 08-April-05, 02:31:10
This is a really useful tip for anyone running windows 2000 or XP.
It doesn't matter what card your installing and it really helped me out once.
Use System Restore System restore is a simple utility Microsoft came up with for things like registry changes or putting new hardware/software in.
System Restore is only available in Windows XP.
Most video driver related problems can be solved by uninstalling the old drivers, rebooting, and cancelling the "found new hardware" dialog before running the new driver installer.

How do I most effectively use find my phone and how can I help a family member use find my phone?

What is the most effective way for me to use FIND MY PHONE?
What is the most effective way for me to help my family member FIND THEIR PHONE?
Thank you

Effectively use is for what? On your computer you can log into iCloud at www.icloud.com and locate your device. Or you can use a different iOS device and the Find My iPhone app to do the same thing.

I have question about hooking up an external hdd to a time capsule and still have my printer hooked up as well. Anyone got any tips for me, how to do it and what brand of harddrive that will work best for me 1 or 2 TB

i have question about hooking up an external hdd to a time capsule and still have my printer hooked up as well. Anyone got any tips for me, how to do it and what brand of harddrive that will work best for me 1 or 2 TB

You just need a powered hub.. if you already use one then fine.
Plug in just about any external hard disk will work fine. Format has to be readable by the TC.. ie fat32.. or much better HFS+.. plug it into a Mac to prepare the drive.
Pick whatever size suits.. nowadays 2TB are most economical.
WD, Seagate have goobled up all the minor players.. so pick one.
Whatever suits your budget and asthetics.
NOTE.. The USB on the TC is fine for printers.. IMHO it is the wrong way to go with USB disks.. use the internal disk of the TC.. USB is less than half the native speed plugged into a Mac.. TC to USB is slow.. far slower than internal drive.. or using external drive as external.

How do I make a 'favorite' folder for audio effects ?

In the effects browser, the list of effects is very long, and the classification is not at all user-friendly. How could I group the effects I use often in a folder ?

If you stay with JUST the Logic effects, MOST (if not all) have a Preset drop down menu (I haven't used them all, so I can't say for 100% sure). At the very bottom of the drop down menu is an option to Save Preset. This is a feature I wish was on ALL effects in FCPX... it's been suggested to Apple a couple of times by me... apparently it's not a reasonable enough request... but that's how it is.
Anyway...
When you go into Audio effects, for each type of effect (distortion, echo, eq, etc...) when you highlight the type, in the right column the effects for that category appear. There are THREE sections (usually... unless you have other 3rd party Logic effects or AU plugins and you'll have others like Native Instruments or Blue Cat Audio, etc., and that will also depend on the categories the 3rd party effects fall in): the top section is usually "Final Cut". If you scan down the list there is a gray line and a label for the next section of effects, usually "Logic". And scanning further down the list you get to "Mac OS X". The Final Cut and Mac OS X effects are the typical kind of cr*p you find in Garageband: hard to understand and harder to use if you wander far from the presets - that and no graphical interfaces. The Logic effects on the other hand chew bubble gum and kick *** -- and they're fresh out of bubble gum. All of them sport a graphical interface (if you click on the little "eq icon"). Once you set your parameters to your liking, you can save your preset. It will show up in the Preset drop down menu any time you add that effect to any clip in the future.
We seriously NEED this feature for ALL effects Apple!!!!!!! All you readers, please send in a request/feedback.

I have a Macbook Pro 15" that is three and a half years old. Although it has slowed a bit, it still runs well and runs every program I need. Any tips for how to keep this old computer running well and in good health?

I have a Macbook Pro 15" that is three and a half years old. Although it has slowed a bit, it still runs well and runs every program I need. Any tips for how to keep this old computer running well and in good health?
I have a 250 gig drive and try to keep at least 100 gigs unused at all times, 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory, back up with Time Machine and CrashPlan, and have OS X 10.7.3.
This was my first Mac since an old Apple II GS. After that I used PC's and got really good at reformatting, replacing drives, reinstalling, defragging, resolving software conflicts, etc. Since switching back to Macs (five in my extended family now), I haven't had to do any of those things. So, although, the cost is three times as much, the aggrevation has been ten times less.
I'm retired and living on a fixed income and would therefore like to keep this computer running as opposed to constatntly upgrading.
That said, any tips?
Thanks
It does have a crack on the left of the screen case about 3/4'' up from the bottom. I've posted that as another question.

Kappy's Personal Suggestions for OS X Maintenance
For disk repairs use Disk Utility. For situations DU cannot handle the best third-party utilities are: Disk Warrior; DW only fixes problems with the disk directory, but most disk problems are caused by directory corruption; Disk Warrior 4.x is now Intel Mac compatible. Drive Genius provides additional tools not found in Disk Warrior. Versions 1.5.1 and later are Intel Mac compatible.
OS X performs certain maintenance functions that are scheduled to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly period. The maintenance scripts run in the early AM only if the computer is turned on 24/7 (no sleep.) If this isn't the case, then an excellent solution is to download and install a shareware utility such as Macaroni, JAW PseudoAnacron, or Anacron that will automate the maintenance activity regardless of whether the computer is turned off or asleep. Dependence upon third-party utilities to run the periodic maintenance scripts was significantly reduced since Tiger. These utilities have limited or no functionality with Snow Leopard or Lion and should not be installed.
OS X automatically defragments files less than 20 MBs in size, so unless you have a disk full of very large files there's little need for defragmenting the hard drive. As for virus protection there are few if any such animals affecting OS X. You can protect the computer easily using the freeware Open Source virus protection software ClamXAV. Personally I would avoid most commercial anti-virus software because of their potential for causing problems. For more about malware see Macintosh Virus Guide.
I would also recommend downloading a utility such as TinkerTool System, OnyX 2.4.3, or Cocktail 5.1.1 that you can use for periodic maintenance such as removing old log files and archives, clearing caches, etc.
For emergency repairs install the freeware utility Applejack. If you cannot start up in OS X, you may be able to start in single-user mode from which you can run Applejack to do a whole set of repair and maintenance routines from the command line. Note that AppleJack 1.5 is required for Leopard. AppleJack 1.6 is compatible with Snow Leopard. There is no confirmation that this version also works with Lion.
When you install any new system software or updates be sure to repair the hard drive and permissions beforehand. I also recommend booting into safe mode before doing system software updates.
Get an external Firewire drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
Carbon Copy Cloner
Data Backup
Deja Vu
SuperDuper!
SyncTwoFolders
Synk Pro
Synk Standard
Tri-Backup
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on maintenance, optimization, virus protection, and backup and restore.
Additional suggestions will be found in Mac Maintenance Quick Assist.
Referenced software can be found at CNet Downloads or MacUpdate.
Be sure you have an adequate amount of RAM installed for the number of applications you run concurrently. Be sure you leave a minimum of 10% of the hard drive's capacity as free space.
Adding more RAM, if feasible, and a new, faster hard drive may also help pep it up a little.

Best partitioning strategy for OS 8.6?

Hello,
I have two hard drives on my beige 233 MHz G3 minitower (rev 1):
4 GIG SCSI
80 GIG ATA
I need to install OS 8.6. I was considering using both drives but I do not know what I should put on each drive.
Should I install OS 8.6 onto the 4 GIG drive or the 80 GIG drive?
Option 1:
4 GIG: OS 8.6
80 GIG: applications
Option 2:
4 GIG drive: don't use it at all
80 GIG drive: OS 8.6 and the applications
Option 3 (using partitioning):
4 GIG drive: don't use it at all
80 GIG drive: First partition (15 GIGS): OS 8.6 and the applications. Second partition: (65 GIGs) for data.
Unfortunately 4 GIGs is too small for all my applications and so that is why I was thinking of not even using the 4 GIG drive and instead putting everything onto the 80 GIG drive. I have heard it is a good idea to keep the system and apps on the same volume - I am not sure if this is always true however.
Any thoughts?
Thanks!
The other issue is that I might have to further partition the 80 GIG drive into an additional partition for OSX in case I also need to install OSX because I read somewhere that on a beige G3, OSX must be installed in a partition that is no larger than 8 GIGs and it must be the first partition.
This scenario would look like this:
Option 4 (using more partitioning):
4 GIG: don't use it at all
80 GIG:
First partition (7.9 GIGS): OS X and OS X applications
Second partition (15 GIGS): OS 8.6 and the applications
Third partition: (57 GIGs) for data.
(I created a separate realted post under older hardware/beige G3/usage regarding how to boot between OS 8.6 and OS X in case anyone is interested.)

Thanks Don and Jim,
I carefully considered all your comments and here's what I plan to do:
It is important for me to indicate that, for this beige G3, I will use OSX primarily (OS 10.1.5) and therefore I would like its partition to be as large as possible. I read this will benefit OSX's swap file needs. However the OS must be within the 7.7 GIG limit for this particular mac (beige G3). I can therefore conclude that I should make the first partition exactly 7.7 GIGs and use it only for OSX.
Jim, you say that the 8 GIG limit for the startup volume applies to all OSes not just OSX and so that is a critical point for me. I will need to be certain about this. Are you sure OS 8.6 isn't bootable if it is in another partition beyond the first 8 GIGS on a beige G3? You see, I was thinking of installing OS 8.6 on a second partition of the 80 GIG drive like this:
partition 1 (7.7 GIGs): OSX
partition 2: (15 GIGs) : OS 8.6 and its applications
Based on your comment (the 8 GIG limit for the startup volume applies to all OSes) this will not work - the OS 8.6 partition will never boot because it is not within the first 8 GIGs. I had thought that rule only applied to OSX.
And if so, the best solution is to put OS 8.6 on the 4 GIG drive instead.
Here is my final solution:
4 GIG drive:
OS 8.6 (plus maybe photoshop)
80 GIG drive:
partition 1 (7.7 GIGs): OSX (10.1.5 is the version I have)
partition 2: (about 67 GIGs) : all the OSX applications, all the OS 8.6 applications and all my data
partition 3 (5 GIGS) : scratch disk just for running photoshop in OS 8.6 (I may or may not create this last partition - still thinking about it)
I might consider putting one or two of my OS 8.6 applications on the 4 GIG drive - the higher end applications such as photoshop which I think might fit on the 4 GIG drive with the OS 8.6.
As for the 5 GIG scratch partition on the 80 GIG drive, I am still considering if I need to do this or not because I would rarely use it - only for the few times I might run photoshop in OS 8.6. Maybe I should keep this partition anyways for something else just in case.
Other less important notes:
I might, one day, be able to use OS 9 instead of OS8.6 in these examples, in which case I will just substitute 9 for 8.6 in my examples noted above. Howwever for now I am reserving OS 9 for another computer I have. As for classic, I don't need classic support. I would rather just boot directly into 9. I have used classic before and I found it to be slow.
Thanks Jim and Don for your help.
If anyone sees anything wrong with this setup please let me know!

Which MAC Pro graphics card and how much RAM for FCE HD usage?

I plan on purchasing a MAC Pro afer MacWorld Expo next month. Any recommendations for a specific graphics card that would complement my usage of Final Cut Express HD 3.5?
Also, should I increase my RAM? I currently use 2 gb of RAM on my G4. Will I see greater productivity if I bump it up to 4gb of RAM on the MAC Pro or will 2gb suffice which I had planned to increase it to from the standard 1gb supplied?
PowerMAC G4 dual 1.42ghz Mac OS X (10.4.7) 2gb RAM, 3-LaCie FW800 external drives
PowerMAC G4 dual 1.42ghz Mac OS X (10.4.7) 2gb RAM, 3-LaCie FW800 external drives

Any of the graphics cards that Apple sells for the Mac Pro will be fine. Personally, I'd suggest choosing one with at least 128MB video RAM, 256MB would be better.
2GB RAM in your Mac Pro will be more than enough for general purpose video editing. Going to 4GB will give you more oomph for RealTime effects and somewhat for rendering but you won't see a big difference in regard to capturing or general editing in the timeline.

How to install plugin and exta filter in photoshop cs ? and any special filter for special effects ?

how to install plugin and exta filter in photoshop cs ? and any special filter for special effects ?
kindly recommend me any best one and tel me step by step how i will add more plugins n filters

A Plug_in normally come with an installer or install instructions. Check the documentation for the plug-in you trying to install. It sounds like you don't know what plug-ins you want to install. In that case you don't need to install any. At some point you may read about a plug-in and what it can do and feel you have a need for it. Then you will have a reason to install a plug-in that is not installed by default. There may also be a cost involved most worthwhile plug-ins are not free.
Adobe Optional Plug_ins downloads are Plugins Adobe want to remove from Photoshop and no longer install by default. Also at some point in time these will no longer install into the current Photoshop for Adobe will remove feature or interfaces the use. For example the CS5 optional plugins will install in Windows CS6 perpetual version 13.0.1.3 but not in Subscription version 13.1.2 or perpetual Mac version 13.0.6 fot its 64bit only and the Mac CS5 optional plug-in for Picture package is only a 32bit plug-in.
You will need to keep and maintain old versions of Photoshop if Adobe remove features you use in new versions of Photoshop.

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