Hi all,

I would like to update my method of backing up at home so that it has fewer 
manual steps, and is less subject to error. Currently, I use SuperDuper! for 
manual approximately weekly backups of our laptops (2). I have just one 
external drive, so if it dies, I'll not have any backups.

Here are some questions:

1. I currently use SuperDuper! so that I can have a bootable backup. Time 
Machine does not make bootable backups. Do most people use both methods of 
backup, or do you rely on booting from a (now user-made) install disk + Time 
Machine?

2. I would like to backup wirelessly, so backups can happen w/o intervention. 
Time Machine seems simple for this. Has anyone done this over a period of time 
and been happy? [Something makes me think Lee has done this, but I'm not sure 
of his happiness level.] 

3. Having a redundant RAID seems like a good idea (though pricey). Drobos cost 
$399, and are really made for 4 drives (but will make a redundant raid starting 
with 2 drives) [1].

4. Quite a ways back, Lee had mentioned that he used Seagate Constellation ES 
drives in a RAID for keeping his household's data backed up, but he does not 
use a Drobo. A question for Lee: do you have enclosures made for RAIDs or do 
you buy one-drive enclosures and set up the RAID by hand?

4.1 A followup, also to Lee...if the RAID is set up by hand, how difficult is 
it to do and to maintain?

5. When looking this up on the web, it seemed like wireless backup works only 
with USB drives hanging off the router (a not-quite-the-latest Apple Airport 
Extreme). Having a faster drive would not help, because the wireless speeds are 
slower still. If I get new enclosure(s), is it a waste of money to get fancier 
(firewire, esata) busses? 

I suppose this is actually quite a lot of questions, but if anyone has 
experience, that would be more valuable than searching the web and finding (as 
I have already) reviews from people who used the devices for at most a week 
before writing a glowing review. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Bill
P.S. I just replaced my 3.5-year-old iPhone 3G with a 0-year-old iPhone 4S. 
Quite the nice surprise. 

[1] http://drobo.com/products/capacity-calculator/index.php , needs Flash


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