Comments on: Why Leopard will sell more Mac mini http://www.qualifilms.com/blog/computer-science/2006/12/why-leopard-will-sell-more-mac-mini/ Computer Sciences, Cooking, Photography and Filmmaking... Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:35:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: ChoJin http://www.qualifilms.com/blog/computer-science/2006/12/why-leopard-will-sell-more-mac-mini/#comment-286 Sat, 16 Dec 2006 20:29:03 +0000 http://www.qualifilms.com/blog/computer-science/2006/12/why-leopard-will-sell-more-mac-mini/#comment-286 Hi, thanks for the comment. You raised some interesting points. Yes, the backups won't be very fast, but since it will be incremental it shouldn't be a problem. Well, at least for 99% of my everyday actions. I hope I will have an option to exclude large files (the videos I use during editing for example). I also hope they will have checksum (md5 for example) checks, that's fairly standard in backup softwares. On the other hand I don't agree with your comment about more parts = more possibility of failure. You have indeed more possibility for failure, but less chances of having them all fail at the same time. If the external hard drive fails, I just replace it. If the mac mini fails, I have the backup from the external hard drive. And if my laptop fails, I have the backup from the mac mini (and indirectly from the external hard drive too). Also I should probably clarify that I do backup my files. As a matter of fact my laptop's drive failed recently, and my backups were only 2 days old, apart from the fact that I forgot to backup the mail directory... That's why I like the combination of the netword backup and the integrated sytem provided by Time Machine: it's automatic, transparent and incremental. I think it's particulary beneficial for a laptop. If I had a desktop, I could just setup regular backups, and it should be just fine. For the laptop I could probably achieve the same results with some scripts (detect if I am home, and backups on a regular basis), but I like the idea of having everything integrated in the OS, and having a sort of global CVS on my machine. I hope it clarifies and makes sense :) Can't wait for Macworld to know more about Leopard... Thanks for the comment, ChoJin Hi, thanks for the comment. You raised some interesting points.

Yes, the backups won’t be very fast, but since it will be incremental it shouldn’t be a problem. Well, at least for 99% of my everyday actions. I hope I will have an option to exclude large files (the videos I use during editing for example). I also hope they will have checksum (md5 for example) checks, that’s fairly standard in backup softwares.

On the other hand I don’t agree with your comment about more parts = more possibility of failure. You have indeed more possibility for failure, but less chances of having them all fail at the same time. If the external hard drive fails, I just replace it. If the mac mini fails, I have the backup from the external hard drive. And if my laptop fails, I have the backup from the mac mini (and indirectly from the external hard drive too).

Also I should probably clarify that I do backup my files. As a matter of fact my laptop’s drive failed recently, and my backups were only 2 days old, apart from the fact that I forgot to backup the mail directory…

That’s why I like the combination of the netword backup and the integrated sytem provided by Time Machine: it’s automatic, transparent and incremental. I think it’s particulary beneficial for a laptop. If I had a desktop, I could just setup regular backups, and it should be just fine. For the laptop I could probably achieve the same results with some scripts (detect if I am home, and backups on a regular basis), but I like the idea of having everything integrated in the OS, and having a sort of global CVS on my machine.

I hope it clarifies and makes sense :)
Can’t wait for Macworld to know more about Leopard…

Thanks for the comment,
ChoJin

]]> by: Gerald Buckley http://www.qualifilms.com/blog/computer-science/2006/12/why-leopard-will-sell-more-mac-mini/#comment-284 Sat, 16 Dec 2006 13:20:17 +0000 http://www.qualifilms.com/blog/computer-science/2006/12/why-leopard-will-sell-more-mac-mini/#comment-284 First, backups over a wireless connection will be slow and susceptible to the same data corruption problems you might expect from a modem connection. Second, more parts = more possibility for failure. A Mac Mini + an external drive means you now have two components equally likely to fail and dork up your backup. Third, companies like Seagate and LaCie make Storage Area Network drives so simple to use a small office could buy a SAN solution and be lots of money (and convenience ahead). Time machines going to be awesome. But if you're not backing up just because it's too hard to plug in a cable...Time Machine's probably not going to help you out. First, backups over a wireless connection will be slow and susceptible to the same data corruption problems you might expect from a modem connection.

Second, more parts = more possibility for failure. A Mac Mini + an external drive means you now have two components equally likely to fail and dork up your backup.

Third, companies like Seagate and LaCie make Storage Area Network drives so simple to use a small office could buy a SAN solution and be lots of money (and convenience ahead).

Time machines going to be awesome. But if you’re not backing up just because it’s too hard to plug in a cable…Time Machine’s probably not going to help you out.

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