After I check the RAM, I'll get an SSD drive then try to re-install Oxygen on the new drive. Once it's confirmed that everything works, I can remove the old drive.
I forgot all about these G4 computers, so the system, and modifying it, is new to me; I'm used to replacing components on laptops.
Thanks all.
Ari, I have a very similar setup as you know and just so I can compare, how slow are your scans?
My scans are even slower if anything else (network, usb, etc) is happening in the background.
Ari,Originally Posted by Ari
I scanned with a G4 running OS 9.2.2 with the Eversmart Pro and was very satisfied. You can always check out the capability of your G4 by going to the Apple menu (far left ) and clicking on About this Mac.
In my opinion the most important thing for you to do is find a fast option for moving your scanned files from the G4 to the machine you use to process images. In my opinion one of the best options is to install a USB 2 card in your G4. USB 2 is way faster than the original USB 1 installed on the G4 and you can save even fairly big files to it fairly quickly. Then, you can use an external USB 2 hard drive to save your files and move to another computer.
My opinion is that you won't gain much, if anything, with an SSD drive. Better to just clean out the hard drive of your G4 of programs and files you will not be using.
For what it is worth, I am still using a MAC G4 running OS 10.3.9 for scanning with a Howtek 7500 drum scanner. As I recall, my G4 is a Quicksilver model with processor speed of about 500 MHz. I installed a USB 2 card in the G4 which allows me to move files to my much faster MAC PRO units that are used for image processing.
Of greater importance to image quality is your method of scanning and processing images with an 8 bit machine. What I did with the Eversmart Pro in scanning B&W negatives was to always set my histograms to not clip anything, but otherwise adjust the image as closely as possible to what I wanted. Then, immediately on opening the image file in Photoshop I would change the Mode to 16 bit, before doing any adjustments. Avoid doing any adjustments at all in low bit Mode as you can easily posterize the file. Once you change to 16 bit you have almost as much latitude in adjusting the file as with original high bit files.
If you have any questions please ask. I used the G4 with the Eversmart Pro for a bunch of years and am about as familiar with the options as anyone you will run into.
Best,
Sandy
For discussion and information about carbon transfer please visit the carbon group at groups.io
[url]https://groups.io/g/carbon
You really should use the G4 as a dedicated machine for scanning. Max out the RAM, install a USB 2 drive for file transfer, and close all other programs when scanning.
And don't touch anything when scanning. OS 9.2.2 is very temperamental and even an inadvertent key stroke may cause it to crash.
Sandy
For discussion and information about carbon transfer please visit the carbon group at groups.io
[url]https://groups.io/g/carbon
Pali, an 8x10 scanned at 2000 dpi takes about 15 minutes, which I suppose is ok. But the startup time for Oxygen is very slow, the computer has lots of extras (even internet!) that are useless.
Sandy,
I love the machine and the system, it's great. The computer definitely needs some freshening up, hence my purchase of a clean G5.
Thank you for your kind offer, I'll definitely ask any questions here when any trouble arises.
That sounds bizzare Ari. Both my computer and the software start within a total minute or two from completely shutdown state. My machine has no other software other than Eversmart Scan and a basic FTP client to move files to my primary computer.
Pali
I agree with Sandy about the benefits of a USB II card. I use one in my G4.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
Yes, it's slow; I'd send you a video of it starting up, but that would be quite a boring show. With no twist ending.
Since I can't do much of anything until tomorrow, I'm going to see about getting OS 9.2.2 onto the G5 and booting up from that instead of with Tiger.
I'll also clean up the HD on the G4.
Tomorrow, I'll check the RAM and get a USB 2.0 drive for the G4.
I made a copy of all the Oxygen files, in case anything goes awry.
Make sure that OS9 can see a USB2 drive. I seem to remember needing to upgrade to OS10 for that to happen, but I'm not an old Mac expert by any means.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
Ari,
I think I mentioned it to you earlier in a mail, and I've repeated it often on the forum:
To get optimum performance while scanning with a Kodak/Creo scanner on a G4/G5 it is essential to dedicate the computer to the scanner. That means removing every unnecessary program, no internet, no network, no Photoshop. Remove everything you can. Stop programs from running in the background. Transfer files via USB. It takes time, but being an LF photographer, I'm sure you know that.
Kumar
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