Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Choose a Versioned
Backup Program
Time Machine is, for many people, the easiest way to make versioned
backups. However, it's not ideal for everyone. Before getting into
the details about setting up and using it (see
Configure and Use
Time Machine
), I want to tell you what I like and dislike about it,
and look at a few situations in which it may be the wrong solution.
For those people who need different software, I point you in the right
direction with a discussion of features to look for and examples of
other versioned backup programs I can recommend.
Decide If Time Machine Is Right for You
Time Machine is the backup software built into Mac OS X since
10.5 Leopard. Apple's goal was to make backups as easy as possible,
and compared to anything that came before it, Time Machine is
certainly much simpler to set up and use. In some cases, you can set
it up and turn it on with a grand total of one click! It's hard to beat
that. Anything that makes backups easier and thereby encourages
more people to use them gets a gold star in my book.
Without a doubt, Apple got a lot of things right about Time Machine.
The user interface is elegant, if unusual. And, with each successive
update to Mac OS X, Time Machine becomes even better and more
useful. I love how I can restore files right in the Finder, without having
to open a separate app, and since the release of Lion I've appreciated
the fact that my MacBook Pro can back up files using Time Machine
even when I'm away from my desk and a Time Machine volume.
Apple's addition of encryption for both local and Time Capsule-based
backups was also most welcome.
