Backup for new iMac system??

[Rhobes]

Hi All-

I'm on the verge of buying an iMac i7, that's the easy part. I also need to consider backup, which I have a difficult time understanding all the possibilities I've read on.

Right now I have a Maxtor 200GB external HD I use on my vintage iMac. I turn it on once every month or after a specific project and hit the backup button, that's it, then I turn it off till I think It's time to back-up again. It stays turned off for the far majority of it's life. I've never had to actually use it, the Mac has never crashed since I've owned it. So I paid maybe $150 for it?

The more I read on backup methods the less I understand, and the more expensive they get. The Time Capsule seems to be expensive, doesn't last long, and runs all the time.

I really don't want something that is running all the time. I have allot of RAW images and websites that I build. I back up accordingly, then turn it off. Anything compatible with that type of usage out there or by Apple?

Is the Maxtor all I really need? I just don't think Time Capsule is what I want. Yet, if I should really upgrade this backup system I would like to stay with something from Apple so I can just buy it all at once from the Apple Store, like to keep the whole system on one card expense.

Any suggestions on this?

 

[flopticalcube]

Carbon Copy Cloner or Superduper! can do backups to an external drive when you want to. Note that you should have a drive that is at least as big as your internal.

 

[dissolve]

I don't see why Time Machine wouldn't fit your needs. I also wouldn't like mine running on all the time so I turn just turn the external on when I want a backup. I use Aperture for photos so I also keep a vault that is backed up as well. If you currently have an external hard drive, the cost is free to have a backup plan.

 

[Rhobes]

Carbon Copy Cloner or Superduper! can do backups to an external drive when you want to. Note that you should have a drive that is at least as big as your internal.

Thanks for the info, I'll go read on these-

Yah, I'm going with a 2TB internal, bet the price jumps with that!
Thanks...

 

[Fishrrman]

"The more I read on backup methods the less I understand, and the more expensive they get. The Time Capsule seems to be expensive, doesn't last long, and runs all the time."

Here's a cheap backup hardware/software solution that WILL WORK.

Get one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=usb2+sata+dock&x=0&y=0
(various items shown. Dealmac.com sometimes shows the way to one in the $15 price range)

Get a "bare" hard drive from newegg.com.
It should be at least as large as the internal on the new iMac. If not that, at least 50-75% of the size.
I'd recommend something by Seagate.

Download CarbonCopyCloner from here:
http://www.bombich.com/

Use CCC to "clone" your iMac drive to the dock/bare drive at regular intervals. CCC can do "incremental" backups, meaning you don't have to "do the whole thing over" each time.

I'd suggest once a week as a minimum backup strategy. Perhaps twice weekly, or even once a day. Also, do a backup BEFORE you install new software from Software Update, just in case.

Do this, and you will always have a bootable backup that's "not far from" where your internal drive is (or..... if it fails..... "was"!).

You should also be able to BOOT FROM your external, allowing you to "do maintenence" on the internal drive -- such as to use Disk Utility to "repair" the internal drive.

You will find the USB/SATA "dock" useful for other things, as well.