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I'm very curious about how it really works.  For example, it's not a big deal to keep 37 copies of 2kb address entry, but keeping every audio project at every step - even the trashed files - would take up a ton of space.

Will it be selective in how far back it goes for certain files?  How much control will we as end users have over its actions?

(By the way - I had a Time Machine moment today.  I moved a folder, saved some files as I quit and the folder was still in its original location.  So I moved it again, copying over the existing folder.  Turns out that Illustrator re-created the folder, so I lost all of my other data.  MAN I wish I had Time Machine just then.)

A.  Long term or short.  It's up to you.  The example went back to June, I believe.

B.  No, but you're at least well off knowing the name.  We'll see if Wildcards can be used.

C.  It is called Time Machine.  Hence, time based.  You can still search.  This doesn't replace searching.

D.  It most certainly can be used in that fashion, and was used that way during the keynote.

E.  Gobs and Gobs of space for maximum settings, I'm sure.  But, I'm also sure it can be limited.  It has to be eventually.

I thought OS X reached it's climax with Exposé.  This and Spaces have raised that ceiling, as far as I'm concerned.  Much more so than "piles" would have.

The best write up on Time Machine so far.

Basically, yes.

I can also see only using it when I'm working on really important stuff.  Sticking with my current backup plan for week to week stuff.

Another possible worry - having something keep track of every file move, every file modification, every file deletion... anyone else concerned that it's going to make things even more sluggish?

Well, duh it's gonna suck up your drives.  It's just another of Apple's ploys to buy their *next* product... the server RAID attachment for all macs.

For people like me who only buy mac laptops, this is gonna suck.

Somebody: Hey, what's with the huge backpack?
Me: It's not a backpack, it's a backup.  Got a power socket?

i'm guessing one isn't required to use it...

bratboy wrote:

i'm guessing one isn't required to use it...

Understood, but right now we're kind of feeling it out.  I'd like to use it, but I'm not made of the cash money.  Like I've said, I'll probably use this for my boot drive, but not for my projects drive that I'll be backing up as usual.  Seems a little backwards, when you think about it...

MacBoy4139 wrote:

Dear Adobe:

Due to Apple insisting on backing up every version of every file, please make all layers seperate files.

Thank you.
MacBoy4139

Wait a minute - wouldn't that defeat the purpose of layers?  That is Apple's "official" solution, btw.

Adobe's already got a little Time machine called "history"

It's more like Quantum Leap than Time Machine. I've had those moments I wish I had something like that but I don't think the idea is revolutionary. It's like Dantz Retrospect backup thing or that "jump back" utility app windoze people taunting about (any of you using windoze ever use it?) but it's not just for the system. It keeps "versions" each time it backs up and you can revert your stuff using them.

It most likely uses a propriety format like Retrospect's backup files. I used Retrospect LE/PE?? for a while in OS 9 (got it for free from LaCie/Iomega??). At first I thought it was cool but it wasn't perfect. Some of the "versions" were unusable (not sure if they got corrupted or what) and since they were in a propriety format, there was no way to resurrect them. So I reverted back to simply copying/mirroring files and I later found Synchronize! Plus from Qdea (which copies files much faster than Retrospect).

Hmm… I just remembered reading this article. Maybe TM is using one of those NIX tools, just with GUI?

Last edited by mahakali (2006-08-09 12:14 am)

On newer machines it will most likely not be a problem i would think.

MacFreak wrote:

Here's my point though. I don't have to spend any money on a back up application, because Leopard will have one built in. I'll just set it to back up my main drive every night, with two weeks worth of back files, along with one full backup. That way, I have two weeks to correct my mistakes. It would have been nice recently, when I trashed one of my photoshop documents on accident.

Time Machine FTW!

Backing up the drive every night is fine, but the way it sounds now you will have no control over how far back it remembers.  It will just tell you when the drive is full.