My Storage requirements

My library of digital images keeps growing every year at a faster rate from a space requirement standpoint, and this is mostly due to owning cameras that generate larger and larger files. So how do I store all of my data?

I have a 1 terabyte RAID5 TeraStation hard drive array, made by Buffalo Technology. It isn't a speed demon, but it gets the job done. My primary working drive is a 500GB 7200 rpm drive in my desktop workstation. All of my more recent raw images and layered .psd files are accessed on this drive. Every night these files are backed up to my RAID5 server through the use of Retrospect backup software.

Once a month I back up my RAID5 server to offline USB hard drives. These drives are in varying sizes from 160GB to 300GB in size. It takes me some manual moving around of files, because no single drive can hold enough folders that need to stay together as one cohesive group. In other words, one drive might have baby photos mixed up with African safari photos. Not optimal.

So I am revamping my entire backup strategy in the coming weeks. I plan on turning my Dell desktop workstation into a RAID server of some kind. I am also thinking of buying a 1.6TB ReadyNAS RAID5 server for an additional backup server, as my digital photo library grows by about 200GB per year (yes, you have that correct!). The ReadyNAS is apparently much faster in retrieving and saving files compared to my TeraStation solution. So my backup plan will work like this:

After a shoot, files will be transferred from my MacBook to my Dell desktop with two 500GB drives inside. On a nightly basis, these files will then be backed up to the ReadyNAS 1.6TB (1.2TB usable) server. Once a month I will backup the ReadyNAS data to the TeraStation 1TB server (750GB usable) and any additional external hard drive(s). I will then take these devices off site to a family member's house. Since my library is growing so quickly, I anticipate that the Buffalo server will only contain older shooting sessions from years past, and it is not likely that they will change at all. So my monthly off location backup will most likely only be a USB drive or two.

I am just thinking off of the top of my head, and these ideas might change while I am sketching everything out on my way to Alaska on Saturday. I will have over 7 hours to think about it!

My Move to the Mac

I tested the Apple Macintosh waters early in 2005 with a Mac Mini. I maxed out the memory with 1GB of ram, and I learned all that I could learn about the Mac on the machine. I learned that the machine was not even close to enough horsepower for the things that I want to do, but from a usability of OSX standpoint I learned much. And then Apple made the Intel announcement. This froze me in my tracks, as I was on the heels of buying a dual G5 desktop.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago out on safari. My trust IBM Thinkpad X40 has been a wonderful machine, but the small 1.8" 60GB hard drive, slow processor and limited screen size weren't cutting it any more. Yes, I loved the very light 2.7 pounds of the X40, but my storage needs, processing power and overall usability needed to improve. Somebody had a new MacBook in black on my safari a few weeks ago, and I was intrigued. An intel dual core cpu, 2GB of ram, and the ability to run Windows XP via Boot Camp or Parallels. Pretty cool.

So I picked up a black MacBook with 2GB of ram 2 days ago. I am now processing my 4 hours of HD video from Tanzania, as well as processing and organizing my recent photographs from safar with Adobe Lightroom beta 3. I am hooked. My only disappointment so far is the amount of heat that the MacBook generates. I mean really hot.

Why did I buy the MacBook over the MacBook Pro? Mostly because of my needs, and not desires. I wanted the smallest machine I could get, and the MacBook Pro is a few inches larger. Also, I tend to buy a new laptop about every year or so, and buying a more expensive laptop that will get banged around doesn't make sense to me. I am tough on my equipment!!

Have any essential Mac programs that I should have? Drop me a line, as I would love to hear about them.

Looking for a new Satellite phone

Well, after renting satellite phones for the past few years, I have decided I should look at purchasing my own satellite phone and voice plan. Since I spend about 9 weeks out on safari each year, I figure it is time for me to purchase my own phone.

I have used the Motorola Iridium phones in the past, but I understand there are more options out there. I do travel to locations other than Africa, such as the Galapagos and remote locations in the American West. I do understand that you can now purchase satellite phones with GPS already integrated into the handset. Thuraya comes to mind.
If you have any information on satellite phones, feel free to comment on this thread. Hmmm. I wonder if I should get system where I can update my blog from the middle of the Serengeti? A wifi hotspot in camp?

:-)

The ultimate power adapter

A few months back, while out on safari, Thomas Knoll (one of the original authors of Photoshop), introduced me to the Road Warrior universal electrical plug. I have seen devices like this in the past, but nothing so compact and, well, universal. What a wonderful product. It seems that I only see great innovations like this from the Japanese market, and I was glad to finally find a source for such a product here in the US. The Road Warrior allows me to carry a small and lightweight adapter that will work in any country around the world. Time to put away my multiple sets of plugs. I usually take 3 or 4 adapters on each trip, per country. Sometimes I might need 3 totally different sets of adapters for a single trip. Not any longer, since I found this product.

You can purchase the Road Warrior from Madsonline for US$28 each.