Time Machine ? Lost features

Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
I've been using Time Machine and it works great for me, it seems Apple has left a lot of features out thus far.



Here are a few off the top of my head:



1) Ability to control what kinds of back-ups Time Machine keeps (how often, and how long they are kept)



2) Back-Up to AirDisk. This was mentioned before many times and might be released later.



3) Time Machine integration with Apps. When Steve Jobs was doing a demo at WWDC 2006, it seem to remember him "losing" tons of photos in iPhoto, and restoring the photos through time machine using the iPhoto interface in Time Machine. When iPhoto (and most apps) are open and Time Machine is activated, it just defaults to the finder. I've only seen a few apps where Time Machine utilizes that apps interface: Address Book and Mail. Are there any others? It seems like Apple should provide the integrated interface with many apps includding iTunes, Aperture, etc.



4) Not really relating to Time Machine per se, but it would be nice if Apple had a more robust auto-save/crash-recovery feature built into the OS. This wouldn't have to be achieved via Time Machine.



5) A graphic of the Universe exploding if Time Machine breaks and you loose everything anyways? (just kidding)



Other lost/missing features anybody can think of?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    For #3, you have to have iPhoto selected and then hit the Time Machine button. It does use the iPhoto interface. But Jobsie never demoed it with iTunes. If you're not getting the iPhoto interface (when iPhoto is selected) when selecting Time Machine, something's wrong.
  • Reply 2 of 12
    1) The lack of settings is a feature. TImeMachine keeps everything it can (within its rules) for as long as it can until it needs the space and then starts deleting things based on dates. This is a good compromise for the lions share of customers, and if you need something more granular then you should be looking at something more serious.



    People don't keep up with their backups because it is "hard", TimeMachine solves that issue.
  • Reply 3 of 12
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by icfireball View Post


    I've been using Time Machine and it works great for me, it seems Apple has left a lot of features out thus far.



    Here are a few off the top of my head:



    1) Ability to control what kinds of back-ups Time Machine keeps (how often, and how long they are kept)



    2) Back-Up to AirDisk. This was mentioned before many times and might be released later.



    3) Time Machine integration with Apps. When Steve Jobs was doing a demo at WWDC 2006, it seem to remember him "losing" tons of photos in iPhoto, and restoring the photos through time machine using the iPhoto interface in Time Machine. When iPhoto (and most apps) are open and Time Machine is activated, it just defaults to the finder. I've only seen a few apps where Time Machine utilizes that apps interface: Address Book and Mail. Are there any others? It seems like Apple should provide the integrated interface with many apps includding iTunes, Aperture, etc.



    4) Not really relating to Time Machine per se, but it would be nice if Apple had a more robust auto-save/crash-recovery feature built into the OS. This wouldn't have to be achieved via Time Machine.



    5) A graphic of the Universe exploding if Time Machine breaks and you loose everything anyways? (just kidding)



    Other lost/missing features anybody can think of?



    There is an option for #1 called Tim Machine Scheduler 1.1. It can be downloaded through VersionTracker.com. It is Freeware and has the ability to let you set your time for up to 12 hours between back-ups. I've been running it for awhile and haven't had any problems with any programs or the Leopard OS .
  • Reply 4 of 12
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teedoff087 View Post


    For #3, you have to have iPhoto selected and then hit the Time Machine button. It does use the iPhoto interface. But Jobsie never demoed it with iTunes. If you're not getting the iPhoto interface (when iPhoto is selected) when selecting Time Machine, something's wrong.



    Yea, the Time Machine interface doesn't work with iPhoto for me. Could this have anything to do with the fact that I don't have iPhoto '08?
  • Reply 5 of 12
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Karl Kuehn View Post


    1) The lack of settings is a feature. TImeMachine keeps everything it can (within its rules) for as long as it can until it needs the space and then starts deleting things based on dates. This is a good compromise for the lions share of customers, and if you need something more granular then you should be looking at something more serious.



    People don't keep up with their backups because it is "hard", TimeMachine solves that issue.



    I realize this, but there should be an option. By default the current settings are set automatically, and this will work for most users, but if you want to change it, you should be able to override the default settings.
  • Reply 6 of 12
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by icfireball View Post


    Yea, the Time Machine interface doesn't work with iPhoto for me. Could this have anything to do with the fact that I don't have iPhoto '08?



    Hmmm... not sure. I do have iPhoto '08 though. That could very well be the problem.
  • Reply 7 of 12
    mydomydo Posts: 1,888member
    Time Machine needs a "backup now" button.





    You know, if I'm done working on a project and packing up my notebook for a trip it would be nice to back it up right before I leave.
  • Reply 8 of 12
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mydo View Post


    Time Machine needs a "backup now" button.





    You know, if I'm done working on a project and packing up my notebook for a trip it would be nice to back it up right before I leave.



    Very good idea.
  • Reply 9 of 12
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mydo View Post


    Time Machine needs a "backup now" button.





    You know, if I'm done working on a project and packing up my notebook for a trip it would be nice to back it up right before I leave.



    There is a manual way to run TM using the icon in the Dock. Click to get the Dock icon menu and in the list is Back UP Now. I think I know what you mean though: a Back Up This Item Now option for individual files or folders (in a contextual menu).
  • Reply 10 of 12
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Backup over a WAN
  • Reply 11 of 12
    An option to include files and folders, and not this excluding crap.

    Or simply spoken: having the possibility to invert the selection one set in the "exclude" section, so that those items are included, but everything else is not backed up.



    That is what is preventing me from using TimeMachine at all, because selecting all folders you don't want to have backed up is quite a pain in the ass, when one only wants to have some selected files and folders being saved from whatever problem that should better not appear.
  • Reply 12 of 12
    gongon Posts: 2,437member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by icfireball View Post


    2) Back-Up to AirDisk. This was mentioned before many times and might be released later.



    Other lost/missing features anybody can think of?



    Rather, backup to any suitable network share. WLANs are not needed everywhere, they are banned from some places and disliked by some individuals due to security and interference concerns. Requiring a WLAN for backup is crippling the product, same as "Mirroring Only" back in the day. There are ways to wring money out of customers that don't piss them off as much. At least with mirroring there was an upscale product to move to that wasn't crippled.
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