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Now that you have an idea of what you should back up and how often, the next question is to what location should you back up that data? If you are using the Backup application, there are two options as to where you can back up your data:
Ah, decisions, decisions...but let's look at this in terms of data storage capacity, frequency of backups , and the cost factor involved.
6.2.1 The Price of Backing UpWith a basic .Mac membership, you get 100 MB of storage space. This can be used for anything you desire ”including for backups ”but keep in mind that the files you use for your Mac.com HomePage (see Chapter 7) are stored on your iDisk in the Sites folder, QuickTime movies are stored in the Movies folder, and the photos you use to create slideshows with iPhoto are stored in the Pictures directory. If your Mac has a Combo or SuperDrive, you can back up your data on CDs or DVDs, respectively. Depending on which you have, you can back up anywhere from 750 MB to 4.5 GB. CD-R's are fairly inexpensive these days, and they make a cheap solution for quick, throwaway backups. CD-RWs cost a bit more, but you can reuse the CDs a few hundred times before having to toss them. If you plan to use CD-RW discs for doing backups, you should probably pick up 20 or 30 of them so you can have one set of discs for each week. DVD-R's are probably twice the cost of CD-RWs, but they hold far much more data ”up to 4.5 GB. If you look at the cost per megabyte (CPM) for storage media and compare that with the cost of purchasing additional space for your iDisk (Table 6-1), you'll quickly see the cost savings. Table 6-1. Cost per megabyte (CPM) for storage media
As you can see from Table 6-1, unless your Mac has a SuperDrive for burning DVDs, CD-R's are probably the most inexpensive way to go, particularly if you can find the discs on sale somewhere. You can typically find a 50-disc spindle of CD-R's for around $20 (or $0.40 each), while a 50-disc spindle of CD-RW's will run around $60 (or $0.80 each). [2] Since CD-RWs can be erased and written again many times, they're more cost-effective in the long run (and you'll have less waste going to the landfill every month, too).
6.2.2 So to What Location Do I Back Up?Chances are that you will overshoot the 100 MB limit if you try to back up everything in your Home directory to your iDisk. Even if you upgrade your iDisk's capacity to 1 GB, you could be pushing it. So what should you do? I actually use a three-step backup method:
While this might sound like overkill, you should never take your data for granted. Give some thought to your backups, and find the time to work them into your daily or weekly routines. The only backup that takes any amount of time from me is my weekly backup of the entire system; the others are scheduled to run in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping. While it might seem like you're wasting time that you could spend watching the latest reality TV show, you'll actually be doing yourself a favor. You never know when your system is going to crash hard, and when it does, you'll be thankful that you have a backup you can restore from.
Now that we've discussed the why's and where's of backing up, it's time to get rolling with it. |
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