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What is Optimized Storage on macOS?
iMore ^ | Tuesday, Jun 21, 2016 at 10:00 am EDT | BY LORY GIL

Posted on 06/21/2016 10:49:12 AM PDT by Swordmaker

When your Mac's storage is almost full, macOS Sierra will help you make some space.

You might have come across that dreaded message: "Your startup disk is almost full." The computer wants more space, and the only way to make that happen is by deleting files. But, how do we know what files to delete? In OS X El Capitan, we have to manually dig through old files and delete them as we find them, like some kind of animal. With macOS Sierra, Apple is making it easier to make space by allowing us to set up Optimized Storage, which features automatic iCloud storage for older files and the ability to review and delete files we don't use on our Macs anymore.

Files can be automatically stored in iCloud

With Optimized Storage, you can make room for new files by keeping older ones in the cloud. When your storage gets low, only recently opened files will be kept on your Mac. Below is a list of files that will be automatically stored in iCloud when you enable to storage-saving featue.

Files can be automatically deleted from your Mac

With Optimized Storage, you can get rid of files you'll never need again. Items like redundant Mail data and Safari Web Cache will automatically be removed from your Mac. Items that have been in your trash for more than 30 days will automatically be deleted. You'll also be able to reduce clutter by reviewing and deleting recommended older documents stored on your Mac. Below is a list of the file types that can be deleted and removed from your Mac with Optimized Storage.

With Optimized Storage on macOS Sierra, it will be a lot harder to get to that point when you receive that dreaded message, "Your disc space is getting full." When you do, Apple's storage-saving features will make it easier to keep your Mac clear of useless caches and older files that you just don't need anymore but forgot you had.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: apple; applepinglist; macossierra
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1 posted on 06/21/2016 10:49:13 AM PDT by Swordmaker
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~; 1234; 5thGenTexan; Abundy; Action-America; acoulterfan; AFreeBird; Airwinger; ...
The upcoming MacOS Sierra can automatically find more space on your boot drive with Optimized Storage. This article outlines how it works. — PING!

Thanks to Freeper Scutter for the heads up.


Apple macOS Sierra Optimized Storage
Ping!

The latest Apple/Mac/iOS Pings can be found by searching Keyword "ApplePingList" on FreeRepublic's Search.

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me

2 posted on 06/21/2016 10:55:47 AM PDT by Swordmaker (This tag line is a Microsoft insult free zone... but if the insults to Mac users continue..)
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To: Swordmaker

Apple is just here to help right?

I would guess that since there are a lot low information Mac users out there, they’ll never know or understand the ramifications of their porn stashes and financial records being sent to the cloud and ALGORE’s doorstep. Now all their files (Whether they like it or not) will be stored in perpetuity instead being erasable by a ball peen hammer to the Hard Drive. Delete will mean nothing.

Centralized data storage, and information gathering about their customers is Apple’s new mantra, don’t you know.


3 posted on 06/21/2016 10:59:09 AM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: Swordmaker
I would rather Apple apply bzip compression to the files I haven't used, before uploading them to iCloud. So, it would be a three-tiered system:

  1. Files I've used in the past month: Uncompressed
  2. Files I haven't used in the past month, but my disk is full: Compressed. This can be done by a background task.
  3. Files I haven't used in the past month, but my disk is full: upload compressed versions to iCloud.

On average, file compression reduces disk space by about 50%. But, it depends on your set of files: text files compress by about 90%, but JPGs don't compress at all.

Microsoft offers the compression option in the disk cleanup utility.

On an actual disk drive, you'll never notice the difference: the CPU can decompress the file faster than it can be read from the disk. On an SSD drive, you might notice a delay the first time a file is opened in 30 days, but after that it will be uncompressed.

4 posted on 06/21/2016 11:04:50 AM PDT by justlurking
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

Yes, Apple (and it’s not just Apple) wants to sell access to your home and your head to the highest bidder, and their product is deteriorating relentlessly as a result.


5 posted on 06/21/2016 11:07:17 AM PDT by Jim Noble (The polls can have a strong influence on the weak-minded)
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To: Swordmaker

bump for later


6 posted on 06/21/2016 11:08:47 AM PDT by Albion Wilde ("We can't fix a rigged system by relying on the people who rigged it." --Donald Trump, 6/7/16)
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To: Jim Noble; ImJustAnotherOkie
I dunno, The Wall Street Journal critiques Apple as having promoted user privacy as its priority, then falling behind Google because Google hoovers up your personal preferences by invading your privacy - thereby, Google is better able to predict what you want and anticipate your requests.

If you do not establish an iCloud account (I haven’t), I don’t suppose Apple will gratuitously create one for me to offload my local storage. But certainly I favor having the OS help me ID likely candidates to delete if my storage is tight. I’m sure there is plenty of trash lying around.

OTOH if I actually do run tight on HD space, my first thought would be to buy a new HD as expensive as the old one - thereby doubling or quadrupling my available space, and obviating the need to actually (gasp!) think.


7 posted on 06/21/2016 11:58:32 AM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion ('Liberalism' is a conspiracy against the public by wire-service journalism.)
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To: Swordmaker

Most of the file types listed make up a very, very small amount on today’s 3+ TB drives. (epubs eating up your HDD? LOL!) If you’re running out of space, you should be looking at those multi-GB video files instead. (Say, a couple of seasons of Game of Thrones or somesuch.)

Seems like a waste of effort on Apple’s part to me. Or do they only supply a low-capacity HDD with their computers? (If so, WHY?)


8 posted on 06/21/2016 12:07:55 PM PDT by Moltke (Reasoning with a liberal is like watering a rock in the hope to grow a building)
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To: Moltke

I remember back in the day when Walmart laptops were being sold with 160GB hard drives, Apple was still considering a 40GB massive and would charge you like $200 to double it 80GB.

They always seems to ship under sized drives with their machines. That way they can sell you an upgrade later on for a premium


9 posted on 06/21/2016 12:20:10 PM PDT by arl295
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To: Moltke
Seems like a waste of effort on Apple’s part to me. Or do they only supply a low-capacity HDD with their computers? (If so, WHY?)

Boot drives on Macs are generally not Hard Disk Drives, but are mostly Solid State Drives from 128GB to 1TB in size.

10 posted on 06/21/2016 12:36:46 PM PDT by Swordmaker (This tag line is a Microsoft insult free zone... but if the insults to Mac users continue..)
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To: Moltke
If you’re running out of space, you should be looking at those multi-GB video files instead. (Say, a couple of seasons of Game of Thrones or somesuch.)

PS: Look at the list. It moves such videos to iCloud for you. So it does.

11 posted on 06/21/2016 12:41:03 PM PDT by Swordmaker (This tag line is a Microsoft insult free zone... but if the insults to Mac users continue..)
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie
Centralized data storage, and information gathering about their customers is Apple’s new mantra, don’t you know.

No, I don't know. Apple has stated categorically that, unlike their competitors such as Alphabet/Google, they do not collect data or information about their customers and respect their customers' privacy.

Read what the new macOS Sierra security will include.

Data is encrypted to a 256bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) before uploading and only the user has the key. When Apple gets it, they entangle it with four other users and also also encrypt it.

12 posted on 06/21/2016 12:52:37 PM PDT by Swordmaker (This tag line is a Microsoft insult free zone... but if the insults to Mac users continue..)
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To: justlurking
On average, file compression reduces disk space by about 50%. But, it depends on your set of files: text files compress by about 90%, but JPGs don't compress at all.

JPGs are already a compressed format. That's why you cannot compress them any more.

Modern Macs use Solid State Drives and they are VERY FAST. You can access the far faster then the CPU could decompress the data from a Hard Disk Drive. Otherwise, good ideas.

13 posted on 06/21/2016 12:58:15 PM PDT by Swordmaker (This tag line is a Microsoft insult free zone... but if the insults to Mac users continue..)
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To: Jim Noble; ImJustAnotherOkie
Yes, Apple (and it’s not just Apple) wants to sell access to your home and your head to the highest bidder, and their product is deteriorating relentlessly as a result.

No, Apple has stated that YOU are their customer, not their product, unlike Alphabet/Google. They do not sell your data to third parties. They are not going to sell access to your home (or your head) to third parties.

"A few years ago, users of Internet services began to realize that when an online service is free, you’re not the customer. You’re the product. But at Apple, we believe a great customer experience shouldn’t come at the expense of your privacy.

Our business model is very straightforward: We sell great products. We don’t build a profile based on your email content or web browsing habits to sell to advertisers. We don’t “monetize” the information you store on your iPhone or in iCloud. And we don’t read your email or your messages to get information to market to you. Our software and services are designed to make our devices better. Plain and simple." — excerpted from CEO Tim Cook's "Apple’s commitment to your privacy" — open letter to Customers posted on Apple's Website.

Apple is a hardware, software, and services sales company, NOT an information sales company as you and ImJustAnotherOkie want readers on FR to believe.

14 posted on 06/21/2016 1:11:04 PM PDT by Swordmaker (This tag line is a Microsoft insult free zone... but if the insults to Mac users continue..)
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To: Swordmaker

Never said they would sell it. Just keep it for their own internal marketing efforts. What’s the difference? They just want to lock you into their overpriced hardware.

Not as bad as some but lock in is the objective. But once they have your private information they have it forever. You cannot get it back.


15 posted on 06/21/2016 1:23:57 PM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie
Never said they would sell it. Just keep it for their own internal marketing efforts. What’s the difference? They just want to lock you into their overpriced hardware.

There is a big difference. You give one company permission to have your data which they will use only to improve service on devices you've bought from them because you chose to. . . permission which you can withdraw at any time and they have agreed they will delete the data they have and have historically done it when people have asked them to do so.

That is definitely different from other companies that SELL whatever they can find out about you, both overtly and surreptitiously, without your OK to multiple other businesses and will not stop or delete what they have. If you cannot see the difference, then you are completely blind.

16 posted on 06/21/2016 1:43:16 PM PDT by Swordmaker (This tag line is a Microsoft insult free zone... but if the insults to Mac users continue..)
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To: Swordmaker
Boot drives on Macs are generally not Hard Disk Drives, but are mostly Solid State Drives from 128GB to 1TB in size.

So why not just move the files to the actual HDD then? There is one, isn't there? Something about 3 TB for the price, right?

17 posted on 06/21/2016 2:00:38 PM PDT by Moltke (Reasoning with a liberal is like watering a rock in the hope to grow a building)
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To: Swordmaker
PS: Look at the list. It moves such videos to iCloud for you. So it does.

PS: I said MOST of the listed file types. Like epubs or docs. Or other insignificant kB size files (unless you're the Library of Congress running a sole Mac, LOL.). Just out of interest, how long does it take to move, say, 500 GB worth of video files to *the cloud*? Takes a while to move that kind of bytes to an extra internal/external HDD - so how long to *the cloud*?! What's the realistic upload bandwidth? Anywhere close to the 100 MB/s I get with an external HDD?

18 posted on 06/21/2016 2:15:18 PM PDT by Moltke (Reasoning with a liberal is like watering a rock in the hope to grow a building)
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

more iPathetic upgrades for the worlds fools


19 posted on 06/21/2016 2:20:55 PM PDT by dennisw (The strong take from the weak, but the smart take from the strong)
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To: Swordmaker

For those too lame and stupid to figure out what they should put in the cloud and if this is really what they want to if their hard drive or SSD is full

IOW deleting some gigabytes of dated material or crap is usually what you want to do


20 posted on 06/21/2016 2:24:52 PM PDT by dennisw (The strong take from the weak, but the smart take from the strong)
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