Backing Up Mixed PC's and Mac's

[glennmac]

Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

I feel slightly guilty asking for computer advice on a tractor forum, but it's winter and I'm not into tractors lately....... Besides, I get better computer advice here than I do on the computer forums. Everyone on those forums seems to be a 16 year old, posturing and pontificating wiseguy. Being a sensitive soul, I'd rather deal with the known quantities here: 50 year old, posturing and pontificating wiseguys.....Anyway, the point: What device can I use to back up data for my new Mac (usb, firewire and ethernet ports), my 3 year old IBM 570 ThinkPad (usb and parallel, I think), and my 6 year old Mac 6100 (localtalk, AAUI ethernet, and SCSI)? I want to back up and be able to swap data (mainly documents) between computers....... I'm thinking CDRW.... I also have an old external hard drive. Can you even attach two computers to the same hard drive, much less a PC and a Mac?

 

[MikePA]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

CDRW would work but you'd have to pick a document format that the word processors on each machine could understand.

To have 2 computers attached to the same hard drive requires something (hardware or software) to act as a traffic cop to regulate accesses. An easier way to do this is to connect two or more computers and have one of the computers share the drive.

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

Glennmac

Do you want to be able to work with the documents once swapped? In other words, edit them for spelling, etc? The problem isn't really moving them from Mac to Mac, but throwing in the IBM is more of a problem. If you just want to back them up (keep them like pictures), you could get ADOBE Writer and put your documents in ADOBE format. Then E-MAIL them to yourself. Use the other computer to retrieve the files off the web and, Voila! files are transferred. I know it sound's stupid, but I actually did this when I had a problem with a corrupt .dll file that kept me from burning CD's, and I needed to move some pictures fast.

Maybe someone can tell you if a home network would work.

SHF

 

[MikePA]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

While I have never done it, a service can be installed on Windows2000 that will allow a Mac file system to be be defined and read/write on a Windows2000 server and you can install the AppleTalk network protocol on the Windows2000 PC as well. So, all these computers can be on the same network and talk to one another.

 

[glennmac]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

My new PowerMac is my primary computer for my law practice. I want to be able to backup all my client correspondence, time and billing records, research files, legal forms, powerpoint presentantions, etc, a few times a week. Then, if my PowerMac is down or in repair, I want to be able to retrieve the documents from backup storage so I can work with them on the PC and/or the old Mac. The vast majority of these files will be in word processor formats (Wordperfect for old files and Word for new files) for which I have cross-platform translators.

 

[MikePA]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

For this purpose, copying the files/folders to a CD-R or a CD-RW is the best solution.

 

[GlueGuy]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

Glenmac,

So I take it this is for your home network? Do you want to have one device to back up everything, or do you want to have one system do all the backups, or what?

A simple solution would be to use one of the PC's as a file server. Windows NT had a Mac-compatible file service, and I presume (though I don't know) that it is carried forward to Windows XP. This would allow you to send everything from all your computers to that one server.

OTOH, it is also pretty simple to just stick a CDRW on each machine and back them up individually, which is what my wife and I do for our two PC's, even though they are networked together. Likewise, it's pretty easy for us to exchange documents and stuff with the network link.

So, a little more information about your goals would be useful.

 

[Chuck52]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

I'd probably have a CDR on each machine and back up each individually. I recently backed up some files to a CD over the net. No errors reported, no apparent problems, but some files were empty. This was on a WindowsNT network.

Chuck

 

[Will]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

Dantz Corporation makes industrial strength backup software called Retrospect that works on Macs and PCs, it works across networks, and it backs up to pretty much any form of media you've got, from CDR to hard drive to tape to ftp sites.

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

With software that allows MAC/PC file swapping, the best bet sounds like either CD or ZIP drive. The CD will have a little more universal acceptance than the Zip, since most computers have equipment to read a CD.

SHF

 

[Wingnut]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

my suggestion would be the simplest one ... well, to me anyway .... especially since you're talking mostly Mac. Which is where firewire "came from"
Use a firewire harddrive. Switch it back and forth as necessary ....

 

[MossRoad]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

I would purchase a device called a MAU that converts AUI to RJ45. This will allow you to create a network between your Macs.

Then purchase a USB CDRW drive that will plug into your PC or your newer Mac. You can then back up everything to CD. Make sure it comes with Mac and PC software.

Hope this helps.

 

[MikePA]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

OK, let's go over the requirements...

<font color=blue>I want to be able to backup all my client correspondence, time and billing records, research files, legal forms, powerpoint presentantions, etc, a few times a week. Then, if my PowerMac is down or in repair, I want to be able to retrieve the documents from backup storage so I can work with them on the PC and/or the old Mac. The vast majority of these files will be in word processor formats (Wordperfect for old files and Word for new files) for which I have cross-platform translators. </font color=blue>

No requirement for being able to sit down at any computer and work on the documents. The primary computer is the PowerMac. Therefore, no need for a network.

The primary computer is the PowerMac. Only if the PowerMac is down will the other computers be used. This should not be a frequent occurrance.

IMHO, CDR or CDRW is the most cost effective solution.

1. On each computer, install/attach a CDRW drive.
2. Create a backup script that will periodically copy the files/folders to a CD on the PowerMac.
3. Store the CDs in a safe place.

If the PowerMac is down, insert the CD into one of the other computers, update the documents, save to the CD.

When the PowerMac becomes available, insert CD, copy documents back to hard drive.

 

[TerryinMD]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

Glennmac,

If you are primarily going to back up/save Microsoft based file types (.doc, .ppt, .xls, etc), you should be in fairly good shape. MS has the capability to move between OS platforms. You may need to check to see if you need to install any MS Office utilities on both platforms.

I know that you can take a MS Word file created on a PC, put it on a floppy, and then insert the the floppy disk into the MAC. Fire up MS Word on the Mac and then open the file on the floppy. Voila, Word takes care of the rest.

Try it.

Now as far as other applications... it depends upon the vendor.

Terry

 

[MossRoad]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

How much does a SCSI CDRW for the older MAC cost?

 

[MikePA]

Re: Backing Up Mixed PC\'s and Mac\'s

I don't know about the Mac piece of it, but an external, SCSI CDRW costs $350, an internal costs $220.