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What to Buy

​Computers

  • We are compatible with macOS 11 Big Sur or greater

  • Processor - Apple M1 or greater, Intel processors supported but not recommended

  • Memory (RAM) - 8GB is sufficient, 16GB is recommended

  • Monitor - If needed, purchase widescreen displays with 1080p resolution or higher

  • Visit www.apple.com/business/how-to-buy to set up a business account

  • We strongly encourage all users to wait when performing new macOS updates. For example macOS 15 will be the next system that Apple releases. Do not upgrade right when macOS 15 is released, but instead when the first macOS 15.1 update is available.

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Printers

  • High resolution color photo printer

  • New inkjet printers are available every few months. Since the models may change, we recommend reading the latest printer reviews from CNET, PCWorld, PC Magazine, and MacWorld.

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Cameras & Photo Equipment

  • Any digital camera with 3 Megapixels or more

  • Optional: camera card reader

  • Optional: for better intraoral lighting purchase a ring flash

  • Optional: for extraoral photos without shadows purchase a light box with slave-flash or LED light wall

    • We recommend using a slave flash to illuminate the background on extraoral photographs. The slave flash is mounted behind the patient. When taking photographs, the camera's primary flash triggers the sensor on the slave flash, which sends light to the background. The result is that slave flash eliminates any shadows created by the primary flash on the camera for profile and frontal images.

    • There are many methods of mounting a slave flash in your office, including using a tripod or mounting it on the ceiling. One of the more popular methods is to use a wall mounted light box with built-in slave flash. This setup has the slave flash recessed in a cabinet behind a white or colored plexiglass screen. There are a few companies that sell these boxes.

    • You can also build a box of your own and include the Morris 120V AC Super Slave flash. This flash requires a mount and socket, and is designed for 120V sockets. These slave flashes can be purchased at many camera stores and mail order companies.​

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Radiographic Equipment

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Online Backup

  • It is vital to backup patient files from your hard disk regularly (a daily backup is suggested). Mac OS X includes an excellent backup system called Time Machine. To implement Time Machine, connect a FireWire or USB hard disk into your Mac. The first time you connect a new hard disk, you will be asked if you wish to use this drive for backup. If selected, Time Machine will begin to periodically backup all of the selected data to this drive as long as it is connected to the machine. If you need to retrieve a recently lost file (i.e., the file is accidentally deleted), Time Machine can access previously backed up time points to locate the file. This program works best with larger hard drives, as it allows you to search farther into the past for lost or undamaged files. We currently recommend using at least a 500GB backup drive to take advantage of this powerful software. Once Time Machine is finished backing up the drive, you can choose to take the drive off-site as a preventative measure.

  • For offsite backup we recommend using Backblaze. They are a third party backup service which we have used for many years for most of our practice management customers. They provide unlimited cloud backup of one computer for $50 a year. The cloud backup will run each night between specified hours and will send you a daily email confirmation on your backup status. You can learn more at the following website.

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Helpful Hints

  • If you have several stations set up in your office, we recommend networking your computers. All new Macintosh computers come with a built-in Ethernet port or Wi-Fi. Please have a technician setup your computer network or contact us for further assistance.

  • Optional warranty packages are available through most vendors. It is recommended to ask about these options. Please keep in mind that most manufacturers already include a one year warranty. Therefore, before the end of that first year, you can then choose to purchase additional warranties.

  • Keep all original manufacturer boxes for possible equipment repairs and returns. Most vendors will not accept a return if it is not in the original packaging or box.

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