Buying a new laptop- Apple?

[357]

Originally Posted by Blueface

Nope, that is not at all what I am referring to.

Time Machine is an automated or manual backup system for Mac that allows you to store all of your programs and documents onto another hardrive, such as a portable one, or a fixed second one. It can do it remotely via Time Capsule or by USB connection to the computer.
You can set it for daily, weekly, monthly or as I said, do it manually.
You can then enter Time Machine and view ANY of your backup dates and extract either all of its contents from that point in time or extract a specific file only.
Say I deleted a photo that I now wish I had. I can go to that specific point in Time Machine when it was there and pull it back into my current photos.

So, you have quite a bit of flexibility and aside from that, it is one touch or automatic and pulls EVERYTHING, including programs. It saves lots of time as it doesn't copy the entire hardrive each and every time. It only copies changes you have made since your last sync.

It is freaking carefree amazing backup and to say NT had that? No way.
I frankly don't think Windows 7 has that either but I am not sure and will take PC user's word.

There are at least 100 ways to skin this cat. Windows 7 is pretty idiot proof concerning backups. In reality the best option is online storage. There are dozens of good companies out there that offer such services.

Windows NT 4.0 offered Full or Incremental automated backups. Full are complete, obviously, and incrementals simply grab things that have changed since the last backup. So, yes way back in 1996 this was possible. I've been working on PC/Server support since 1998 including Windows NT 4.0 so I have personal experience. Just not too many people back then had tape drives or CD Burners. As the media has become cheaper backups have become more realistic for home users.

Still online storage makes the most sense. You select the folders/files you want backed up to their service and whenever you're online it checks for changes and grabs them. Best part, they service providers keep them on servers in their datacenter that are backed up with enterprise level hardware/software. Most such companies keep encrypted copies at multiple locations (east coast/west coast) just in case of a disaster. You simply cannot get that level of security/reliability from a home made backup solution; at least not for the same price range. Best part is your data is accessible from anywhere should the need arise.