Indigo Domotics

I know a lot of people run dedicated 'Indigo' machines, but Indigo runs on my main Mac. With each year, things get slower and slower, and it's clearly time for an upgrade. (the machine is a 2012 21.5" iMac, 2.9 GHz Quad-core, 8 MB ram. I also drive an old external cinema display on it). I think Indigo is the least of my issues. The computer runs (at all times) Indigo, Mail, iTunes, iMessage, iCal, Address Book and WeatherSnoop and then other applications as I use them. Safari is just a dog on this computer. Excel takes forever and a day to launch. And I basically have to psyche myself up to start Parallels when I need to do something on Windows. I have a separate, even older iMac handling SecuritySpy (which I would transition to this iMac if I can retire it.)

I'm kind of done with iMacs. I don't like being pinned into the screen they want my to have, and I'm basically addicted to multiple displays at this time. We had some spare screens at work, so I clearly just want to move to a Mac Mini or something and move along. Apple's choices are just pretty terrible at this point. I mean, if I don't want to buy a Mac with a built-in Screen, I'm either looking at a Mac Mini last updated in 2014 (that honestly looks like it wouldn't even be much faster than my current iMac - at least by perusing Geekbench scores) or I'm looking at a $3000+ Mac Pro (which is just unreasonable overkill).

Any ideas here? (I'm not sure there are any. Maybe I just wanted to rant.) Maybe these old Mac Minis are faster than I (or geekbench scores) give them credit for?

I don't expect anyone here to have any insight on when new Mac Mini's might come around (seems like we'll just wait forever on that).

Are you certain you don't have directory errors? I find that complaints of slowing on older macs that are newer than Core Duo 2 models are very, very often the result of directory errors, with volume data being the worst of them.

Disk Warrior is the single best piece of Mac repair software I've ever used. It fixes problems Disk Utility doesn't even find. I don't know why Apple doesn't buy the product and roll it into Disk Utility.

I hadn't really considered it (since the mac is 6 years old, the slowdown didn't seem unreasonable). I'll try Diskwarrior tonight!

Edit: Whoa! $120. Easy decision if it's certain to be the problem... Now I have to decide how likely this is the issue.

Apple doesn't have a lot of interest (obviously) in the market that you're describing, so I don't think there are any other options for you.

[MODERATOR NOTE] moved to a more appropriate forum.

I have a 2011 iMac, 27" that I used as my main machine during 5 years and it was becoming slow as you describe... I installed an SSD to create a Fusion drive with the old internal DD, and the speed is incredible. It is almost as fast as my 'new' iMac from 2016 and perfectly usable. You don't even need a big expensive SSD, as the OS will optimise itself to use the SSD in the best manner.
Investment highly recommended !

Different Computers wrote:

... Disk Warrior is the single best piece of Mac repair software I've ever used. It fixes problems Disk Utility doesn't even find. I don't know why Apple doesn't buy the product and roll it into Disk Utility.

Sounded interesting until I read that it doesn't (yet) support APFS.

To be fair, the biggest problems Disk Warrior fixes are ones that APFS theoretically will make things of the past.

But it will be part of my toolkit for a while for older Macs.

I am still running mac pro3,1; utilization is 10-20 % for indigo, postgres, unifi video- 8 cameras ++ ... (running 10+years w/o any hickup )

BUT it is stuck on el capitan and no security upgrade especially python url packages .. so I ordered a 2012 mac pro 5,1 +USB3 card - it my birthday gift - and will replace the 2008 , hoping to get 5 more years out of it -- the next OSx will still be supported.

Considering putting linux on the 2008 and let it run all kinds of stuff - backup, video, vpn, ... likely not more than 10% load
any other suggestion for the 2008 mac pro- or sell it but likely not more than $300

Karl

That actually brings up another concern Karl... As these computers get older, I'm concerned about not being able to run new OSs. My old iMac running the IP Camera / recording is already no longer able to upgrade. It sounds like this 2012 iMac won't be going to Mojave either.

I'm really surprised the market segment is so small. Like the vast majority of the people with desktop macs are totally on board with getting a new screen every time they get a new computer (and somewhat forced to abide by what's offered - if you want a really fast iMac, you need a big screen, like it or not).

I briefly considered a hackintosh... (if that's even a thing), but that's probably more trouble than it's worth.

Maybe the next screenless mac will be using Apple's own silicon (apparently). I only mention that to keep hope alive that there will be another screenless mac.

Swancoat wrote:

I briefly considered a hackintosh... (if that's even a thing), but that's probably more trouble than it's worth.

My foray into hackintosh was a huge disappointment for me. Getting all the bits and pieces of Clover together and all the kexts etc. felt like neurosurgery--extremely precise and prone to trouble if even one tiny little thing went wrong. I was ultimately forced to rely on the help of strangers over the internet to get my setup working, which left me wondering if I had opened the door to security problems by doing so. And then, after waiting a good long while and reading glowing reports of successful painless upgrades to the newest point release of Sierra, I went ahead and did it--and ended up with a non-booting computer.

It's still sitting under my desk a year later, unused. Oh, and non-Apple hardware is specifically not supported by Matt & Jay.

I built a Hackintosh a very long time ago and it worked OK as a way to dip my toe into the Mac pool but it was a pain to maintain. With so many good systems on eBay you might want to look on there too. I'm looking at acquiring another Mac Pro for as a dedicated SecuritySpy server (I've added 6 more cameras in the past few weeks) and I'll buy it used from eBay rather than fork out the prices for new.

kw123 wrote:

I am still running mac pro3,1; utilization is 10-20 % for indigo, postgres, unifi video- 8 cameras ++ ... (running 10+years w/o any hickup )

BUT it is stuck on el capitan and no security upgrade especially python url packages .. so I ordered a 2012 mac pro 5,1 +USB3 card - it my birthday gift - and will replace the 2008 , hoping to get 5 more years out of it -- the next OSx will still be supported.

Considering putting linux on the 2008 and let it run all kinds of stuff - backup, video, vpn, ... likely not more than 10% load
any other suggestion for the 2008 mac pro- or sell it but likely not more than $300

Karl

There is a way to install High Sierra on a 2008 Mac Pro. I’ve found in my testing that it’s MORE stable than El Capitan. Of course this isn’t a supported config so do so at your own risk.


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I might try that (HS on 3,1), but only after the "new" 2012 is here

Colorado4Wheeler wrote:

I built a Hackintosh a very long time ago and it worked OK as a way to dip my toe into the Mac pool but it was a pain to maintain. With so many good systems on eBay you might want to look on there too. I'm looking at acquiring another Mac Pro for as a dedicated SecuritySpy server (I've added 6 more cameras in the past few weeks) and I'll buy it used from eBay rather than fork out the prices for new.

I've been browsing eBay looking for used Mac Pros a bit too. I don't mind paying up a bit for the right solution that stays current the appropriate amount of time. The Mac Pros seem to be in place where I'm pretty sure they'll be plenty fast day one... but even the newest units are bit dated (and I fear that much closer to their last OS Upgrade), while most of what I'm paying for would be multi-core performance, which isn't really what I need. (could probably make one computer run Indigo, Security Spy, and Indigo). But they also look super-cool, so there's that...

I'm running Indigo, SecuritySpy, and Plex on a 2012 MacBook Air that is still on Sierra. Have a few external drives attached to feed Plex, but it doesn't do any transcoding as I'm using Infuse on an Apple TV.

The Air works like a charm, which I put down to it using an SSD - what a difference that makes to a Mac. You certainly get more life out of a Mac with an SSD.