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nimbuscloud

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 9, 2007
158
0
Hello people,

I'll be getting a new iMac to do webdesign work within an IT department. I was wondering is getting an external HDD and using Time Machine really worth it?

I don't want an extra noisy HDD on my desk and I don't want Time Machine to tax my system all the time.

What is the real use of Time Machine? To me, it just seems like huge garabe can that I can go in to get something that I deleted. Can I use it to restore my system and data if it fails?

Any thoughts or opinions would be helpful. I need to turn in a quote by the end of the week.

Thanks.

:apple:
 
time machine is a complete backup solution that can restore your whole system or just individual files. is it worth it? well, if you feel like your system is worth backing up, then yeah.
 
Hello people,

I'll be getting a new iMac to do webdesign work within an IT department. I was wondering is getting an external HDD and using Time Machine really worth it?

I don't want an extra noisy HDD on my desk and I don't want Time Machine to tax my system all the time.

What is the real use of Time Machine? To me, it just seems like huge garabe can that I can go in to get something that I deleted. Can I use it to restore my system and data if it fails?

Any thoughts or opinions would be helpful. I need to turn in a quote by the end of the week.

Thanks.

:apple:

I have not used Time Machine since I got my SR MB about 1 month ago. And I think maybe I will never use it. This feature is designed for the people who need it. I think maybe 50% user don't need it at all.
 
I have not used Time Machine since I got my SR MB about 1 month ago. And I think maybe I will never use it. This feature is designed for the people who need it. I think maybe 50% user don't need it at all.

I would use it if it allowed networked back up...too awkward with all the moving of my Macbook...
 
I would use it if it allowed networked back up...too awkward with all the moving of my Macbook...

It does, but they wound up limiting it to other Leopard systems. Let me say this though: Network backups do suck HORRIBLY. I have had my wireless ground to a halt for 45 minutes because Time Machine was backing up over it. I had curses aimed in my direction the last time Time Machine started up while I was playing Co-op games on the XBox with friends online.

An external HDD can be hooked up and it will only back up when the drive is attached. You can disconnect the drive when the backup is done and only backup once every few days if you wish.
 
I have not used Time Machine since I got my SR MB about 1 month ago. And I think maybe I will never use it. This feature is designed for the people who need it. I think maybe 50% user don't need it at all.

the thing about backing up is you'll never know when or if you'll ever need it. if i lost my music/photo library or any of the documents i've written in the last ten years, it wouldn't be the end of the world but it would be quite devastating. time machine is backing up for the everyday user. you plug in a hard drive, set it and forget it (sorry, ron!). the person who needs it is the person whose hard drive dies or accidentally deletes a file he wants back. at some point, this is everybody.
 
I have not used Time Machine since I got my SR MB about 1 month ago. And I think maybe I will never use it. This feature is designed for the people who need it. I think maybe 50% user don't need it at all.

Really? 50%? So the other 50% don't store digital photos on their computers, or their music collection, or documents I suppose.

Think of it like insurance. Right now it might seem useless, but when you need it you're glad you have it.
 
I absolutely love time machine, before i simply couldn't be bothered to backup my files because it was just too much trouble. With time machine you literally plug in your External Hard Drive and that's it. Also it does not tax your machine, except for the first backup, future backups only take seconds. Also if you're worried about a noisy hard drive buy yourself a G Drive, or any hard drive that has a fanless design.
 
I use it - and LOVE it. Yes, it backs up every hour (which is one reason I love it), and I do wireless backups of my MBP. If you have 2 Macs, you can do wireless backups (set the drive / partition up as a network share... it backs up like its connected to it).

I've restored everything from a version of a Pages doc, to contact info in Address Book to individual files. It works. Which is the most important thing for a backup solution - it has to work when you need it. I used to do manual backups to both FW & USB drives... I wont ever do that again. TM is so much better.
 
Really? 50%? So the other 50% don't store digital photos on their computers, or their music collection, or documents I suppose.

I don't think that's fair. I use other backup methods that I really prefer. A bootable clone - more useful to me that time machine. If I have managed this far without it, I don't need it. Furthermore, the fact it takes up so much HDD space makes me think a RAID system would be more worth it...
 
In fact, I think there is totally different answer for different person.
No matter how great a software is. There is somebody don't need it.

For instance, iChat is an excellent tool. But if you are chinese, it almost never be used. Because you will not have any friend use it.
 
So, does it just STOP backing up if the external HDD is full?

Or will it just overwrite the older stuff?
 
I don't think that's fair. I use other backup methods that I really prefer. A bootable clone - more useful to me that time machine. If I have managed this far without it, I don't need it. Furthermore, the fact it takes up so much HDD space makes me think a RAID system would be more worth it...

The fact that it keeps backups at intervals, and lets you browse changes is quite helpful for certain people... especially when certain files were accidentally deleted, and you want them back.
 
So, does it just STOP backing up if the external HDD is full?

Or will it just overwrite the older stuff?

Once the external hard drive is full it will automatically delete or it will ask you whether you want to delete (depending on your settings) older backups.
 
I think a lot of people miss the point with Time Machine.

Time Machine is not worth it for the backups. It *is* worth it for the restores.

Before Leopard I had a script that did daily rsync backups to a remote drive. It did essentially what Time Machine does (rsyncs with hard links to save disk space), and the backup was more convenient because it was across a network.

I've switched to Time Machine -- why? Because all the backups in the world are useless if you can't find the file you need to restore. That is what Time Machine does for you, that none of the other backup solutions do.
 
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