Types: Both Vista and Leopard offer two backup methods as part of their standard backup solution: file-level and complete/cloned backup.
Flexibility: Vista's backup is more configurable than Time Machine and Vista also offers incremental backups on cloned images. Leopard's backup solution is self-maintaining and Vista's is not.
Size Management: Leopard uses hard links to reduce backup disk space requirements and Vista does not.
Contextuality: The best thing about Time Machine is its contextual restore capabilities. Windows has the "Backup and Restore Center", while Time Machine restores are done intuitively from within the application being used, which currently includes Finder, iPhoto, Address Book, and Mail.
Media Comparisons: PC Magazine had a mostly erroneous article comparing Vista and Leopard backup solutions. Specifically:
1. "...image-based bare-metal restore with the MS version" in the "expensive version of Vista."
This is just not true. Although Time Machine does not have disk cloning, Leopard does have cloning as described above.
2. "Vista does block-level incremental backups to help conserve drive space and decrease backup time. "
Another half-truth. #1 and #2 go together and will not apply to the normal home user. All that is available to the home user is the file backup method on Vista, while file backup and cloning are available to the Mac user (advantage: OS X).
For the business/enterprise user, block-level incrementals are not performed in Leopard. Block-level incrementals have been disputed as to their effectiveness, and third party backup utilities such as Carbon Copy Cloner support block-level incrementals on OS X. Advantage: Vista.
1. "...image-based bare-metal restore with the MS version" in the "expensive version of Vista."
This is just not true. Although Time Machine does not have disk cloning, Leopard does have cloning as described above.
2. "Vista does block-level incremental backups to help conserve drive space and decrease backup time. "
Another half-truth. #1 and #2 go together and will not apply to the normal home user. All that is available to the home user is the file backup method on Vista, while file backup and cloning are available to the Mac user (advantage: OS X).
For the business/enterprise user, block-level incrementals are not performed in Leopard. Block-level incrementals have been disputed as to their effectiveness, and third party backup utilities such as Carbon Copy Cloner support block-level incrementals on OS X. Advantage: Vista.
Leopard also introduced sparse bundle disk images so that large files (such as regular sparse disk images) could work better with Time Machine. This is a step in the right direction, but still has a few kinks to work-out.
Because of block-level and sparse bundle disk images, this topic is a draw.
3. "Vista's backup works over a network"
This was true when Leopard was initially released, but OS X 10.5.2 enabled Time Machine backups over a network. Apple also released Time Capsule, for Time Machine backups to standalone network-based (NAS) storage.
(originally published 2/5/2008)
3. "Vista's backup works over a network"
This was true when Leopard was initially released, but OS X 10.5.2 enabled Time Machine backups over a network. Apple also released Time Capsule, for Time Machine backups to standalone network-based (NAS) storage.
(originally published 2/5/2008)
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