Who said Time Machine? CCC backup on a fast SSD is the way to go. I take my backup SSD along when I travel because not everywhere I can get a reliable internet connection and being able to boot from an external disk gives me the ability to test different versions of OS, Apps, settings you name it.
Also, having a bootable clone of a drive is not just for failures; it is a much faster and a better alternative to Migration Assistant.
I don't waste any time whatsoever for my CCC backups. It is scheduled to take place 3am every day while I sleep.
It's not an either/or situation.
I use CCC to make regular encrypted clones I keep offsite in case of disaster. I just plug them in and walk away for a while. CCC even emails me when it's done
Last month in anticipation of replacing the internal drive on my iMac, I made a bootable clone to the SSD I was about to install, ran the new drive off an external enclosure for a while to test it, and then finally installed it inside the iMac. Totally seamless from a data perspective. (Though not seamless from a glued-together display perspective, but that's another topic).
BUT: I also have Time Machine running for more frequent, incremental backups. It's saved me many a time I've accidentally edited the wrong file or something, and most recently I used it to migrate my user accounts, applications, everything from one laptop to a new one. The restore process worked beautifully.
They both have their uses and strengths. I know CCC can be set up like you have it, but it's definitely more work for installation and doesn't have that super simple file recovery interface. Time Machine is ideal for total non tech literate people: you literally plug it in and then don't think about it again.
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I did it with my cloud backup many times. I just backed it up to the cloud, all my apps, and settings. Who needs that useless Time machine that takes ages to backup useless files and configurations? And please remind me how many times your laptop is getting a logic board failure in a decade? so you want to keep using useless slow, old apps, that come with your OS just to backup your configurations so you can just load it up once in a decade? now calculate how many hours you lost waiting for that useless time machine backup vs. how much it would take you to install and set-up everything from scratch.
It always blows me away when people like you tell other users that the stuff they use regularly is "outdated" or "useless". The fact is, you have
no idea how other people work or what their needs are or what they spend their time doing.
To mention just ONE example: I bought a new MacBook Air to replace an old one. I made a full Time Machine backup of the old Mac. That took, generously, about 15 seconds which consisted of me plugging in the drive and then going to make dinner. When I got the new Mac, I plugged in that same backup drive, opened Migration Assistant and told it what I wanted moved over. Then I went and did something else for a couple hours.
And when I was done, the new Mac looked
exactly like my old Mac. Same files, same user accounts, same applications installed, same Finder settings, same internet accounts configured.
Total time I spent working on the two computers? Well under five minutes.
Now, since you're calculating "hours lost" let's pretend I just set that all up from scratch. Open up the new computer, set up two new user accounts (personal & work) and now on
each account set up every single setting and preference, downloading every application I use that isn't installed by default. A couple hours, easily. So, please, tell me again how I can use my time better, what software is "useless". Because I'm sure we're all just dying to hear. It's great you "use clouds for many years" but not everyone works the same way you do.
