Operation Manual

Optional Equipment to Consider
You may consider using additional hardware and equipment, depending on the number
of images you have and your workflow:
• Additional random-access memory (RAM)
• Additional hard disk storage options
• Additional displays
Additional RAM
The more RAM your computer has, the faster it can process your actions. While Aperture
functions with the minimum required amount of RAM, more RAM will make Aperture
faster. If you plan to work on large projects or have multiple applications open at one
time, it’s a good idea to have extra RAM installed in your computer.
Additional Hard Disk Storage Options
The more disk space you have, the more images Aperture can store in the Aperture library.
If you’ll be shooting and storing many images (a photography project can contain
thousands of images), consider purchasing the highest-capacity hard disk you can afford
for your startup disk, the hard disk that contains the operating system. Even high-resolution
JPEG files require a lot of space.
Aperture uses external FireWire drives to back up image files and the Aperture library.
The Aperture database tracks the contents of all vaults located on external FireWire drives,
whether or not they are connected to your computer. Storing multiple copies of your
backup files in separate locations lessens your chances of losing your images to a
catastrophic event.
FireWire drives provide many advantages:
• All FireWire drives can be daisy-chained, meaning that you can connect multiple drives
using a single FireWire port.
• FireWire drives are a good way to attach additional hard disk storage space to a portable
computer.
• FireWire drives are “hot-swappable,” meaning that you can connect and disconnect
them from a computer without having to shut down first.
Warning: You should never physically disconnect a FireWire drive before unmounting
it from the desktop.
869Appendix B Setting Up an Aperture System