Mac OS X 10.5: When to use Time Machine or Backup to back up data
Summary
If you have Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and are a MobileMe subscriber, you may be wondering when to use the Backup application or Time Machine to back up your important files and data. The answer depends on which files you will be backing up and where they will be backed up.
Note: You should not back up any data outside of your Home folder with Backup. See this article for more information. Time Machine can easily back up files outside your Home folder.
Products Affected
Backup, MobileMe, Mac OS X 10.5
Backing up to a network volume, external hard drive, or different disk partition
Although both Backup and Time Machine allow you to back up data to a network volume, compatible external hard drive, or another partition, it is recommended that you use Time Machine for best results with this type of backup.
Backing up to your MobileMe iDisk
If you want to back up your data to your iDisk, use Backup. After upgrading to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, make sure all of your data is present, and perform a full backup. Note: You should not use Backup Plans containing more than 90 MB of data with iDisk. Also, Time Machine does not back up to an iDisk.
Backing up to a writable disc (CD or DVD)
Backup allows you to back up to a CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+-R, or DVD+-RW disc. Be sure to use caution when backing up to rewriteable media.
Additional Information
See these articles for more information: