backup software

[numnutz]

Besides the built in time machine as anyone used any other third party program like SuperDuper or Chronosync? anyone have a preference? thanks

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Carbon Copy Cloner is very popular and functional. Many Mac users had used it before Time Machine and have stuck with it even after Time Machine was introduced with OS10.5. Especially since after Time Machine was released CCC was able to keep up by bringing greater functionality equal to Time Machine while keeping the software free. I use Time Machine personally since we have OSX server running our backups in the office. But I'm not saying one is greater than the other. They all work well, mostly because OSX works well and seamlessly for back up and restoral purposes.

[newton]

As anonymous Mac Tech says, CCC is popular and has a few extra features such as bootable backups and email notifications that TM doesn't have. I would normally prefer TM for boot disks as it's good for migrating or restoring user accounts when upgrading to a new Mac or replacing disks. I would lean towards CCC for backup of systems with multiple drives, such as Photoshop/audio/video data etc. Swings and roundabouts I suppose!

[sal13]

+1 for CCC. Can't beat a bootable backup, Time machine has its place, especially for migration, but why not have an exact duplicate you can boot and clone back in the worst case. You can even clone your existing system and use it as a diagnostic drive.

-Sal

[300DDR]

+1 for CCC again, plus it's FREE! But, you should buy it if you use it often. I use CCC and SuperDuper to backup my main mac to two separate external drives at work (one SSD, one HDD) + Time Machine when I get home.