“The Time Machine 3-D interface for backup and data recovery coming in Mac OS X Leopard is amazing. What’s more astounding is that a 3-D interface really works for users,” David Morgenstern writes for eWeek.
Morgenstern reports, “The Leopard update is due in the “spring” of 2007, Jobs said, which means it could ship anytime during the second quarter. ‘Time Machine is one of the best concepts for a backup utility anyone has ever had and one of the best user interfaces anyone has ever had,’ said Peter Glaskowsky, technology analyst with Envisioneering of Cupertino, Calif.”
“Unlike the System Restore feature in Windows XP that looks at the state of Windows and the Registry, Time Machine provides a granular incremental backup for all bits and pieces of the OS, as well as data files. Users can restore the entire hard drive or just a single file,” Morgenstern reports, “But it was the interface that drew the audience into the program. The recovery window featured a vertical timeline on the right hand side, and two arrows that floated in the frame, one pointing towards the user (the present) and the other into the screen (the past). Of course, the subject of the Time Machine restoration, whether a file or folder window, was presented in the center of the screen and behind it, were arrayed the older versions extending and shrinking into the past.”
“‘It’s the first app I’ve ever seen that has a real reason to have a 3-D user interface,’ Glaskowsky said. ‘We’ve seen this before with application switching and so on. But that’s an OS feature, not an app. This is a real app, and it’s the first one that really needed 3-D to convey the impression of what you’re doing,’ he continued. Glaskowsky is so right. Most 3-D environments have really been terrible. In the 1990s there was a vogue to emulate ‘real’ 3-D virtual environments for productivity, such as desks with drawers that opened, instead of folders and icon views,” Morgenstern reports, “And then there’s Flip3D and context switching. It’s all more of an effect, although Flip3D in Vista is a step forward from Windows XP. It’s just not in the league with Apple and Mac OS X’s refinements.”
MacDailyNews Note: See Microsoft botches another copy job: Windows Vista Flip3D vs. Apple Mac OS X Exposé – June 26, 2006
Morgenstern continues, “Apple can not only make sense of a 3-D interface, but it can make the trains mostly run on time. Since the release of Cheetah, the first version of OS X, Apple has executed on its OS plan. Except for the forthcoming Leopard, which is some three to six months late, depending on how you count, the company has released stable and useful iterations of its Unix-based OS on time to its developers and customers. Despite the resources, Vista is years late and pared down to an almost unrecognizable state. Hello, Redmond! Are you watching?”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Steve Jobs announced Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard” during his WWDC 2005 keynote presentation on June 6, 2005. According to Jobs’ statement, over 14 months ago, Leopard was due “at the end of 2006 or early 2007.” Yesterday, Apple announced that Leopard is “scheduled to ship in spring 2007.” So, how is Leopard “some three to six months late,” Mr. Morgenstern? What’s the exact definition of “early?” Is March 20th, the first day of spring, not “early” 2007? It must really depend on how you count. Want to know a secret? Talk behind-the-scenes is that Leopard will debut at MacWorld Expo 2007 (Jan 8-12). But, even if it doesn’t – say it matches the official debut date of Mac OS X on March 24 – it’s not “late” by any stretch of the imagination.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs at WWDC 2005 keynote spelled out Mac OS X Leopard’s release date as “at the end of 2006 or early 2007” quite clearly:
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple to unleash Leopard on Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn; Mac OS X 10.5 due late 2006 – early 2007 – June 07, 2005
The only drawback that I see, to Time Machine, is that a person really needs a dedicated hard drive, or at least an external drive, in order for it to really work well.
Since I am constantly travelling with my MacBook Pro, I don’t want to carry an extra hd. And since there may not be enough drive space for those backups it may wind up slowing down my computer.
It’s still a great feature but I don’t know how good it will be for notebook users.
“Hello Redmond! Are you watching?”
…watching, taking notes, back-engineering, skinning, and ripping-off outright.
But with 250 gig hard drives at $100, and 500 gig drives for around $200, how much space does one really need? Hell, my mom’s iMac with 5 years of pictures, something like 50,000+ photos, is not even eating up 1/2 of her 80 gig drive. In fact, I think there was 40+ gigs free on the whole drive (which holds the OS, other docs, etc).
Is space even an issue anymore?
MDN – you don’t have to be an Apple appologist – Spring 2007 is not the same as end of 06/early 07 so just suck it up. It isn’t a disaster. It’s not a big deal.
MDN-
Lose the condescending, petulant tone!
CATCH MORE BEES WITH HONEY, THAN VINEGAR!
I knew before the keynote that OS X 10.5 would be postponed until spring. In case I’m the only one who has noticed, Apple would like there OS to come out AT THE SAME TIME AS VISTA. How has no one else noticed this. In fact once Jobs even said that Leopard would be coming out about the same time as Longhorn (now Vista), then he went on to say that that sould be about fall 06 to spring 07. As it turns out Vista has slipped and Apple is using that time to continue to build more stiuff into 10.5. Apple will hold off as long as possible to release around the same time as Vista.
I like the concept of Time Machine, and hope there is some way I’ll be able to use it, but I have a RAID 1 setup with manual backups (using CCC) approximately once a week to an external Firewire drive. For obvious reasons this drive is most definately not connected except for the period of time to do the backup.
Has anyone at Moscone seen MS engineers bogarting the hall’s copy center machines?
Isnt the interface really in 4D? the 4th dimension is really time…
I mean, graphically, it is displayed in 3D, but we are also taking into account that there is a timeline along with the stack folders…
So its the 1st program that uses a 4d interface
HD space is an issue I was wondering about too. I assume it makes backups of everything until you run out of space and then starts deleting the oldest stuff to make room, but when does it start that delete process? If I have it backing up to an external drive I’d like it to use all the space available, but if its backing up onto my internal HD can I specify how much free space I want? I like to keep 10gigs clear even though OS X will only use 4-6 in virtual memory. I assume Apple won’t fill it up completely but I’m curious about how that decision is made and wether I get to make it. Also does it ever give you a warning that adding a 3 gig video file to your HD is going to erase the backups before date X, or does it just do it automatically and hope you didn’t want to keep those?
Even 3-6 months late would be far better than the 3-6 YEARS late that Microsoft is with Vista.
Brooklyn,
Maybe Time Machine will utilize on the fly compression to keep the drive space needed to a minimum?
UHH Jay, schedule backups with Time machine when the drive is to be conncted, just like you do now. When you need to retrieve a file from the bcakup, connect the drive. What is so hard to understand?
RC: A Slam Dunk!!
this Time Machine thing is a great idea, but what really makes it amazing is how Apple implements their ideas in a way that makes people want to use it.
Having said that, I think it could be a space issue for pros who have more 1-2GB Photoshop files than for the average everyday user. Sure they are likely to have their backups in their professional setting, but if a person uses this technology at home, with large files, I could easily see the need for another HD.
“The only drawback that I see, to Time Machine, is that a person really needs a dedicated hard drive, or at least an external drive, in order for it to really work well. “
How about this one. It’s really popular with Mac users–or so I hear.
As for space, I suppose it depends on how much you want to back up. If you figure you’re going to do your whole 120GB hard drive, I’m willing to bet you’re gonna be SOL. You probably will want to back-up your user directory, which will be quite a bit smaller.
I use a MBP, and carry a small, FireWire drive.
They have those now, you know?
Great idea.
SB
BrooklynNYC:
Yeah, you’re right Time Machine won’t solve everyone’s problems… and backing up on the same HD is no backup. I just got back from pulling someone’s HD out of a fried HP and backing it up onto a new external I had him buy. Brought my own SATA enclosure and stuck his HD in there, put his new 300GB external next to it and backed his stuff up.
My point is, Apple was dead on about backups. NOBODY DOES IT! I’m talking about real people here, not geeks. You don’t think about backups until after you’ve lost everything, sure those of us who’ve been around a long time have been there and done that, but most home users haven’t even considered the possibilities.
Now all you need is an External HD sitting around at home, and when you come in from your long voyages with your laptop, just plug it in and go to bed and you’re all good. Don’t forget how important AUTOMATIC backups are. I lost a good month of data because I wasn’t running Carbon Copy Cloner everyday. Yeah yeah, I could have scheduled it, but there’s that odd bug where it would clone to my own HD if the external wasn’t plugged in. I’m on a MBP too btw.
Also… perhaps this is Apple preparing people for downloading movies. Getting them used to the idea of having a large external HD to store all their massive files on. All in all this is great stuff and is really going to save a lot of people’s butts. As for your complaint that it requires an external HD… hello, it’s a BACKUP. It also can save to network servers if you are so inclined.
Verbose,
Actually I was think that Apple might want to wait till slightly after Vista is released and at the peak of the mostly bad reviews maybe even a few reports of a virus or two. From what I’ve read, Vista will at best be on par with Tiger (we’ll see). Racing to release Leopard ahead of Vista will not steal any thunder from MS as the only thing we’ll hear is a big SPLASH followed (soon I hope) by a FLUSH.
Ken: “So its the 1st program that uses a 4d interface.”
True. And if Apple engineers can squeeze one more into TM, it will play “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” while you search.
@macromancer, if you really want a back up, you indeed need another HD. That’s the whole point.
Previously I was hesitating to by an extra HD because of all the manual work needed. With Time machine, you bet I’ll get an extra HD!
They’ll write anything to try to make Apple seem anything remotely like Microsoft.
I’d like to see Time Machine use the Jay Leno effect that’d be pretty cool.
just a thought….
If Apple doesn’t release 10.5 Leopard until Vista is finished then doesn’t that mean we may NEVER see Leopard?
“Racing to release Leopard ahead of Vista will not steal any thunder from MS as the only thing we’ll hear is a big SPLASH followed (soon I hope) by a FLUSH.”
I’m betting on a massive Fist-of-a clog and a HUGE plumbing bill.