While making supper tonight, I could really feel My Sylvia right next to me. Her energy was a bit stronger than usual and her connection to me had an "obvious" sensation to it.
*ALTERNATIVE (TIMELINE)
This afternoon, as Sylvia and I were making lunch at home, I had a strange sensation wash through me. It wasn't "Deja Vu". It was a combination of things that "I" have never felt before…
- Basically, it was a memory of "me" from "the Past" or "an alternative TimeLine" who was watching the "me" that is "here Now" (in THIS TimeLine).
- It took me a few seconds to figure that out. As soon as I did, I told myself that I was in a TimeLine where Sylvia had crossed-over and that the "me" who was peeking-in, needs to find Sylvia and bring us together.
- The entire experience may have lasted 30-seconds.
When it was over, I had the feeling that a part of "me" on another TimeLine was checking all the "me facets", to make sure everything is aligned for the upcoming changes. This is VERY good news! It means we are all (or just "me and Sylvia") very, very close to the "Veil' being removed.
iMAC
The amount of money Sylvia and I spend on "food" and "musical equipment" has been tipped WAAAYY towards our music, in the last several months. (Way out of proportion.) We're still working on (slowly chipping-away at) our upcoming album but I keep an eye on the music-technology trends almost every day.
- Although Sylvia and I have been Musicians all our lives, me tracking "music" gear almost seems "odd". Since 1981 we've had our own Macintosh-only training, troubleshooting and consulting business, I used to be the local "Apple Rep" and… "tracking technology", used to be all about "Apple" products.
We know "Winter NAMM" is starting January 21st, which is the largest music-equipment manufacturer's expo in the U.S. This is where "most" of those companies "announce" or "release" new products.
With all of that going on, I'm now feeling a "nudge" from Sylvia to start looking into our options for a new iMac. Mine is the most powerful in our home but it's a "2009 Mac Mini".
I started looking at Apple's current lineup and was a bit surprised that they changed the "formula" again:
- For many years, Apple offered 2-sizes of iMac: "20-inch and 24-inch" and, in more recent years, "21-inch and 27-inch". They always offer iMacs with 2-types of "graphics chips". The low-end of their line would have "Intel graphics chips" but the high-end would have dedicated, on-purpose, full-blown "graphics computers on larger circuitboards".
- Up until this latest "end of 2015" lineup, you could buy the 2nd or 3rd from the low-end and get a more-powerful graphics accelerator. This time, it's different. You actually have to jump-up to their 27-inch models, in order to get this feature.
For most users, even the low-end iMacs are plenty powerful for most everything you could want a computer for. However, if you're a Graphic Artist, Videographer, computer Gamer or, like me, a 3D Modeler, spending more money to get that extra graphcs-processing power is worth it.
- The "Intel graphics chips" know how to create images. They don't have the extra "brains" of a "dedicated" graphics processor and require the main CPU (main brain in the computer) to do all the graphics calculating.
- Think of the "graphics chips" as an Art "Student" and the main CPU as the "Instructor". The Student sits in front of a blank piece of paper and does know how to draw various shapes. The Instructor reads various algorithms from a textbook and tells the Student: "Measure 3-inches from the left-edge and 2-inches from the top-edge and draw a pencil-thick circle that's 1-inch in diameter."
- Think of the "dedicated graphics processor" as a seasoned Artist. This person is given the algorithms and knows how to quickly manipulate every dot on the canvas with precision. There's no "middle man". So the main CPU in the computer can be used for other calculations.
Most "everyday Users" won't notice the difference between these 2-types of iMacs but when it takes Adobe Photoshop several minutes or even hours, to create an image, "time is money".
In "my" case, creating a 3D scene, especially an "animation", requires a LOT of computing power. Shaving a millisecond here and there can quickly add-up to "hours" in the final project.
- As an example… I think I created a "3" or "5-minute" animation 1-day and it took "8" or "10-hours" to complete.
- When working with this type of software, you only work in "reference" images. Not the fully Rendered, highly-textured, light-reflected, final, photorealistic image. So once you're image is "finished", the software has to "Render" it… take those algorithms and turn them into an image.
As a computer Game example…
- Where the "graphics chips" may only be able to draw objects in fog, which are up to 10-feet away (as an example), the "dedicated graphics processor" could easily calculate the objects in that same fog up to 10-MILES away (as an example).
- So when you're immersed in a Game, from a 1st-person perspective AND playing in "real-time", it's very important to be able to see as much detail in your environment as possible.
Here's an example of something I've created from scratch in a "3D Modeling" program. (I don't remember how long it took to Render.):
http://infinity.band/awakenings.html
Here's the link to Apple's iMac-purchasing page:
http://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/imac