Press releases

Take Control of Backups in Leopard: Two Take Control Ebooks Explain Mac OS X Backups for New and Experienced Users

Press release: July 8, 2008

Ithaca, NY—Everyone knows backups are essential to protect against file corruption, hardware failure, and theft, but to go beyond the false security of turning on Time Machine or copying a few files to CD, Mac users can now turn to the third edition of Take Control of Mac OS X Backups, the best-selling Take Control ebook by backup guru Joe Kissell. Or, for those who find the field overwhelming, Kissell's small ancillary ebook, Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard, covers the fastest and easiest way to create a complete Leopard backup system from which data can be restored after an accident or disaster.

Take Control of Mac OS X Backups In Take Control of Mac OS X Backups, Kissell helps readers pick the best backup strategy for their particular needs, providing an at-a-glance comparison of different backup strategies (low-cost, easy, safest), along with extra advice for backing up digital photos and massive video projects. Readers learn the pros and cons of each type of backup media, including hard disk, Time Capsule, disc, Internet backup service, and more; discover how to pick the best backup software for their needs; and find time-tested recommendations for setting up, testing, and maintaining backups, complete with the essential instructions on how to restore after a crash. Free online appendixes compare features in almost 100 different backup products and give step-by-step directions for Retrospect.

Questions answered in the book include:

  • How can I maximize the benefits of using Time Machine?
  • What's a hard link, and how does it relate to Time Machine?
  • What are the important gotchas relating to Time Machine?
  • How do I migrate an existing backup system to Time Capsule?
  • I'm running Windows on my Mac - how do I back up my Windows files?
  • How can I back up easily and safely while traveling?
  • Should I use an online backup service to back up to a different location?
  • What do I need to know to create my own command-line-based backups?
  • How do I minimize the amount of downtime I might suffer if my boot drive fails?


Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard aims at the heart of the matter to teach readers the fastest and easiest way to create a complete Leopard backup system that includes archives, an all-important bootable duplicate, and an offsite backup. Kissell helps readers identify the backup hardware that best matches their needs and budget (including a look at Time Capsule - Apple's new backup appliance), and he provides instructions for using Time Machine as well as alternatives for eight cases where Time Machine lacks crucial features. Kissell walks readers through every step of the way, from setting up a backup drive or Time Capsule to explaining how to recover precious data in case of a deleted or corrupted file, a dead drive, or a stolen laptop.

Questions answered in the book include:

  • How can I get the maximum benefit from Time Machine?
  • Is Time Machine appropriate for backing up multiple Macs?
  • What's an archive, and why should I care?
  • Why is having a bootable duplicate important?
  • How can I easily and effectively keep an offsite backup?
  • What features should I look for in an external backup drive?
  • Time Machine is acting strangely. What should I do?
  • How do I migrate existing backups to a Time Capsule?

For more information, including ebook review copies, author interviews, and excerpts for publication, email takecontrolpr@oreilly.com.

Joe Kissell has written numerous books about the Macintosh, including many popular Take Control ebooks. He's also Senior Editor of TidBITS, contributes frequently to Macworld, and previously spent ten years in the Mac software industry. Joe Kissell joined the TidBITS staff in 2006 as Senior Editor and currently lives in Paris. He has written more than a dozen Take Control ebooks, including the best-selling Take Control of Mac OS X Backups. He's also the author of numerous print books about Mac OS X and a frequent contributor to Macworld magazine. Joe runs a business called alt concepts, which publishes such Web sites as Interesting Thing of the Day and Truffles for Breakfast.


Take Control of Mac OS X Backups, version 3.0
http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780975950302
PDF format, 186 pages, free sample available
Publication date: June 25, 2008
PDF Price: $15.00 USD
ISBN: 978-0975950-30-2


Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard, version 1.1
http://oreilly.com/catalog/9781933671352
PDF format, 96 pages, free sample available
Publication date: June 25, 2008
PDF Price: $10.00 USD
ISBN: 978-1933671-35-2



About TidBITS
The Take Control series is published by TidBITS Publishing Inc. TidBITS co-founders Adam and Tonya Engst have been publishing highly regarded news and editorial since 1990 when they created the online newsletter TidBITS, which covers Macintosh- and Internet-related topics. The Take Control series has helped many thousands of readers with high-quality, timely, real-world, cost-effective documentation since 2003.

About O’Reilly

O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

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