Scary photo
The new iMac will have four USB 3·0 ports & two Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports. I plan to connect three external HDs, (clone, Time Machine & general storage) plus a USB scanner, USB laser printer (although that can use Ethernet) and a USB external 2.1 channel sound card/speaker system. Only one HD will use the USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 connection via Thunderbolt 2 & FireWire 800 adaptors.
I've bought a clamp-on unpowered 4-port USB 3·0 hub that uses one rear USB port to direct four USB 3·0 ports to the front of the Mac & the Logitech 2.1 channel speaker incorporates a powered USB 2·0 hub, so I'll have no trouble with needing additional USB ports.
It's still going. I gave up on the 3-pass overwrite & settled on a one-pass arrangement.
I'm in the process of reconfiguring my home office to use the new iMac (due in about 7 days) instead of the MacBook Pro. I'll have to shift the 20-inch monitor & its desk-mounted post & swivel arm support because there's no way I'd use it as a 2nd display with a Retina display on the new Mac. In the meantime I'm using it as a 2nd display with the MacBook Air.
The iMac comes with the new(ish) Magic Mouse 2 & rechargeable keyboard. I'll give them a go but probably revert to the previous setup: A Logitech M557 Bluetooth mouse (designed to go 12 months on a pair of alkaline batteries) and the Logitech K760 Bluetooth 3-channel solar powered keyboard.
My disabled driver/passenger parking permit expired three days ago. I have two forms from my GP to take to the municipal council office when they open at 9 am today. One is a one page renewal form with a permit validity period of 12 months, they in their bureaucratic indifference may not accept this as the previous permit has expired. In case of this happening, the doctor has also included the 7 page new permit form, valid for 3 years.
Commenced new course of more aggressive antibiotics to tackle a stubborn chest infection. I need to take them twice daily with or after food & stay seated or standing for 90 minutes after ingestion. Plus, it can make the skin extra-sensitive to sunburn: a good thing it's still winter.
Performing 3-pass random ASCII character overwrite of a 1TB drive using TechTool Pro on the MacBook Air. This may take some time…..
Reconfiguring external HDs to suit upcoming 1TB iMac: drives previously used with 256 GB MBP. A 2TB drive partitioned for storage backup & Time Machine has become storage only. Time Machine duties will be covered by a new 3 TB drive. A 1TB storage drive will become the new clone of the 1TB iMac.
A classic case of excess packaging: just got three boxes of antibiotics, each containing a strip of 7 tablets. Should have used just 1 box.