mac users - where do you save your files?

[harpomarx]

I have been very bad and not backed up my downloaded itunes or my photos.

I recently tried using BTs digital vault but it was impossibly slow.

what's the best way to back up files? - I've now got about 700 photos that I'd like to keep safe as soon as possible!

Do you have Leopard? Time machine is good.

i use an external hard drive that i just plug in once in a while and update the iphoto library copy. Had it for ages and didn't put my photos on it, then ds went and pulled it off the countertop smashing the screen. Had a huge panic that the last 4 years photos were lost, found a monitor, found it still worked and got the photos backed up quick smart!

Try to do it regularly from now on. I'd be gutted if i lost them.

yes!

I wondered what that was for...

am off to have a look now!

aha, so to use Time Machine do I have to buy an external hard drive?

't would be wise, I think you can do it on a partition too, but I'm not sure.

A hard drive would be better, it's an investment but you will always have an exact copy of your entire computer.

It's fab

so, how much do I need to spend on a hard drive? I don't have loads of files, mostly photos and music. photos under 3gb at the moment.

can I use something as a temporary measure? dvd? usb stick? thought backing it up to the web would be easy but it is crazily slow. I have backed up some photos onto a usb stick, but it doesn't seem the most efficient way of doing it.

i have 6500 photos on a very small VERY slow mac - wonder what this hard drive thing is?

Have you got a laptop?

The Apple TimeCapsule 500gb is bit expensive but beautiful has wireless connections and a built-in router

Otherwise a portable hd, from LaCie is good

Look here

Ooops, linked to the US site! Was too busy making sure it was the right language to look at the currency...

thanks for links, deJa. No, I have a desktop - will that make a difference to what I can get?

don't think I can stretch to the timecapsule for the mo, but definitely need something.

is there really nothing worth saving to on the web? seems a shame not to use Digital Vault seeing as it is 'free' with my broadband package.

and would it make sense short term just to put my photos on a dvd?

I had to ask DP, he's Dutch so excuse the strange style:

dvd is option for the photos, altough quite limited in space (ca. 3.7 gig), and the life expectancy of dvd's / cd's is approx. 8 years. I believe it's better practice to invest a bit of money in proper storage. If you start now, it won't be a lot of work in 5 years time to copy your backup device to a new one.

Ive got a multimedia business and we use both online storage (for final projectfiles, in case everything burns down) and external HD storafe. but in your case i would go for one external LaCie hard-drive. To be double safe you could copy that HD to a safety second backup HD that you store somewehere else...

He's obviously talking about a professional storage set up at the end, but I do think a hard drive would be worth it.

thanks, deJa and deja's DH!

just out of interest, what online storage do you use?

They host their own storage, 'tis the only economical option for them. It doesn't take them long to fill a terabyte, apparently...

TBH it's easy to forget how fragile digital files are. DP has lost masses of his old work because he stored it on early disks for too long.

Photos are so precious and IMO it's well worth making sure you store them properly, be that as prints or in a reasonably stable digital form. It does cost a bit to get started, but all that printing and endless photo albums wasn't cheap either

you're so right, deJa. I really miss using my film camera but it's very hard to make myself use it these days because I can't imagine how I ever used to afford it...

I will at the very least order some prints this week!

I use TimeMachine and also sync the photos I really can't replace (wedding/first pics of daughter/etc) over to my mobile.me account.

We've got a Lacie external hard-drive, cost around £50, 250 gb.

From Staples, if that's any help.