Time Machine vs Prosoft Engineering® Data Backup 3

[mindquest]

New to MAC and buying a OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro
1.0TB Quad Interface eSATA/FW800/FW400/USB 2.0 & 1.1 Storage Solution

Should I use Time Machine or is the included software, Prosoft Engineering® Data Backup 3 a better option?

Pros and cons would be greatly appreciated!

 

[maflynn]

Time Machine, automated backups that execute hourly and is fully integrated with the OS and ease of restore.

Downside - can be rather slow both in the backing up (especially the initial backup) and the restore is down right lethargic.

I don't know about the other software but I use TM along with CCC and I'm happy with the combination.

 

[mindquest]

I don't know about the other software but I use TM along with CCC and I'm happy with the combination.

What is CCC?

 

[old-wiz]

What is CCC?

Carbon Copy Cloner - it makes an image copy of the boot disk and the resultant image is also bootable. It's great for full backups. I use Superduper, which is similar, to make full copies before I run software update; then if the update screws something up you can easily revert to prior version.

 

[Mugwumper]

Same here . . .

Time Machine, automated backups that execute hourly and is fully integrated with the OS and ease of restore.

Downside - can be rather slow both in the backing up (especially the initial backup) and the restore is down right lethargic.

I don't know about the other software but I use TM along with CCC and I'm happy with the combination.

I'll second the use of a combo - I use TM 4 or 5 times a week (as I update
files or create new ones), and then weekly, I make a full clone backup onto a
2nd external drive using Synchronize Pro (similar to Carbon Copy Cloner or
SuperDuper). I guess I'm just paranoid . . . ;^) Fortunately, I've only had to
use these backups once in the past few years.

 

[old-wiz]

I have dual backup as well. It never hurts to have too many backups. I put the time machine on 1 external firewire and the SuperDuper clone on another disk.

 

[ChrisA]

You need to use more than one backup system. Time Machine is a very good start but you need more.

The rule for important data that you want to keep is

Data must always exist on at least three different physical media and data must always exist in at least two different geographical locations.

Time machine gets you one local copy. You need two more and one of them off-site

Those "clone" or "carbon copy" programs are not nearly as good as an incremental system but "'cloning" is a far easier concept to understand for most users. Incrementals are best because they do not over write you old data and only copy what has changed. Time Machine is an incremental system that Apple has made easy to use.

But in the end as long as you have three copies and an off site you are good.