I have a new iMac and need some recommendations. The machine is running 10.5.6 and has 2 gb ram and 320 gb HD.

1. For an external hard drive, would you recommend a USB connection or Firewire? The firewire is $50 more. I would use the drive for backup with Time Machine. What are the pros/cons of each?

2. If you could only afford one repair utility, would you choose Drive Genius or Disk Warrior and why? My iMac came with Tech Tool as part of Apple Care. Is that sufficient or do I need more?

Rick,

USB and FireWire both work. FireWire can be faster. Using FireWire leaves another USB port available. There may be, apparently, no great future for FireWire. USB works on almost any computer these days.

Having said all that, I give my Computer Newbie clients USB external drives for TimeMachine on their MacBooks. Don't forget to re-partition the disk as GUID and HFS+ journaled before putting it into service.

2. I use Drive Warrior because I've been using it for quite a while and it has never failed me.

quote:

Don't forget to re-partition the disk as GUID and HFS+ journaled before putting it into service.

Could you expand upon that? I was looking at small pocket drives at the Apple store that fit my price range. Do they not work right out of the box or do I need to format them first? thanks.

Rick said, "Do they not work right out of the box or do I need to format them first?"

They may work well as bought or only appear to work. As it is said, YMMV.

However, I always like to put new drives in a state defined and known by me. It helps cut down variables in future troubleshooting, should it be required. Besides, it doesn't take all that long to:

Open Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility
Plug in the drive
Select the new drive
Select the Partition tab
Set Volume Scheme to 1 Partition
Click on Options
Select GUID Partition Table
Click OK
In Volume Information enter a Name for the new volume
Set Format to Mac OS Extended (journaled)
Click Apply
Wait
Exit Disk Utility

Use the new drive/volume, remembering to eject the drive before unplugging it.

Shop the Internet for the same portable Hard Drives as you found at the Apple Store. You can probably spend the same money and end up with a larger size Hard Drive. Since it is an iMac, you may be better off buying a desktop HD rather than a portable HD. Try shopping www.dealmac.com for HD deals.

I've also been reading David Pogue's book The Missing Manual, where he says an alternative to backing up with an external Time Machine disk is to use the program Backup, available to Mobile Me users. He calls it an oddball program that works. Are there pro's and con's to backing up on either Time Machine or Mobile Me, other than the fact that one has an offsite backup? Would people use both of them? Anyone care to comment on their choice? thanks, Rick

I would only use the Backup/MobileMe option for small amounts of data. Time Machine to an external drive is your best bet for a COMPLETE backup solution!

Can an external USB drive, backed up with Time Machine, be used as a Startup disk?

A Time Machine backup is not bootable. For disaster recovery, boot from the Install DVD and restore from the Time Machine backup.

For a bootable backup, use SuperDuper! or CarbonCopyCloner or Disk Utility. A bootable volume should be able to boot any Intel Mac using USB (or FireWire or, with the proper interface, SATA).

Multiple backups are always a good thing. I actually have 3 backup drives for my iMac. One is for the Time Machine backups, one is a bootable clone that I sync every couple of weeks, and the third has automatic daily backups of my home folder and my documents folder. I always update the clone before doing any upgrades that involve system files — just in case. I've only had one upgrade go bad, but having the clone saved a lot of headaches.