Time Machine now allows for users to use the Airport Extreme’s Airdisks as Time Machine locations. I could hear cheering around the globe when this new found ability was hunted down…No need to buy a Time Capsule now if you already own an Airport Extreme Base Station, right? Well hold on to your horses because the joy hasn’t lasted long. (Yes, yes I know Mike reported on this earlier, but I just had to add my own comments )

Latest word out of Cupertino is that the Time Machine + AirPort Disk combo is officially ‘unsupported’ by Apple. What does ‘unsupported’ mean? Well, if you absolutely insist on usint Time Machine with an AirPort Disk as the backup location… Don’t go crying to Apple for support when things go wrong. If you’re a risk taker and are OK with the fact that you could potentially lose all your backups, or have this functionality removed by Apple in the future, then have at ‘er. However I wouldn’t recommend doing so. Backups are so insanely critical… Do yourself a favor and pick up a desktop drive or Time Capsule to back things up properly.

Apple has been surprisingly silent on this issue since word broke, and I’m not expecting to hear much more, honestly. We’ll see how long this functionality sticks around… For all we know, Apple could wipe out this functionality in the next AirPort Extreme Base Station or Time Machine update.

[via arstechnica]

written by Mr. Mayor \\ tags: AirPort Disk, Time Machine

So, it looks like Apple mistakenly allowed the ability for Airport Extreme’s to use Airdisks as Time Machine locations. I guessed as much when I couldn’t get it to work for me and others have reported rubbish performance or failed backups.

“What a “lack of support” means is that if you attempt to use an 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station for Time Machine backup, you won’t get any help from Apple’s technical support, something that readers have already told me”.

Check out more at tidbits website.

Looks like it was right for me to order that Time Capsule then!

written by Mike Bradbrook \\ tags: Airdisk, Airport Extreme, Time Machine

Today Apple released the Time Machine and AirPort Updates v1.0. It’s recommended for all users and includes important compatibility improvements for using Time Machine with Time Capsule… There are also some AirPort driver fixes.

The update requires Mac OS X 10.5.2 client only, and weighs in at a trim 10.4 MB.

To make the updates, use the software update utility from your Apple menu or click here to download download direct from Apple. (You will see the download link in the upper-right hand corner of the screen!)

written by Mr. Mayor \\ tags: Airport, Software Updates, Time Machine

One of the more handy updates I found immediately after installation of OS X 10.5.2 was the addition of Time Machine to the menu bar. Simply click on the time machine logo, and you can administer your Time Machine settings, view when your last backup took place, browse other Time Machine disks and more. A very handy little update indeed. Two thumbs up!

If you haven’t installed 10.5.2 yet, simply run ’software update…’ from the Apple menu to get started.

written by Mr. Mayor \\ tags: 10.5.2, Menu Bar, OS X, Time Machine

The Leopard 10.5.2 update is coming any minute… and frankly I can’t wait. I’ve been having troubles with a network hard drive (wasn’t getting picked up by Time Machine)… but this update addresses that (so I’ve heard!)

Some key updates in 10.5.2:

• DVD/CD Sharing (remember the Macbook Air demo at Macworld?)
• Time Machine backups to a network drive
• Stacks update…List, folder and grid views
• Translucent menu bar option in displays

Can’t wait to get this update! I want to resurrect my network drive from the dead

Anyone else out there having issues backing up to a network drive with Time Machine?

Discuss network drive backups and Time Machine in the Forums >

written by Mr. Mayor \\ tags: Leopard 10.5.2, Time Machine

As a former PC guy (I had used PC’s for many, many years) I thought I should write a little article on why I appreciate the mac so much. Below are the top 10 things I appreciate most about the mac setup.

1. The Products Work
I’m no tech genius, and have never claimed to be. For years I had worked in a PC environment with other techs that would help solve problems day in and day out. I was getting tired of it. I wanted to be able to solve my own problems, but better than that, I wanted a system that wouldn’t produce these problems in the first place! I found that with my first mac. Turn it on and it works.

2. Troubleshooting Isn’t For Geeks Anymore
Almost anyone can troubleshoot a mac. Why? Because setup and installation of absolutely everything is easy. If something goes wrong, just refer to your user guide that came with the software or hardware. You’ll find that over time and you become more proficient with the mac, you can do more and more things as well. ‘Cool’ things that are not necessary for the average user, but once you learn them you might want to give them a try!

Continue reading »

written by Mr. Mayor \\ tags: Cinema Displays, Time Machine, Windows