Backup Q - New to SSD and MacBook, Looking For Full Recovery Options

So I have a new (used) MacBook with Lion installed. I decided to go with 120GB SSD because it's better/stronger/faster. Now I'm hearing horror stories about SSD life expectancy.

This MacBook is to be used in a new company to create iPhone apps. I'd like to make sure I'm doing backups correctly. Not just documents, source code, etc., but a full recovery system. If the thing crashes, I want to get up and running quickly without having to reinstall XCode, etc. Being new to Macs, I'm not sure what is best.

I have large hard drives with plenty of external storage space which can connect via USB.

Thanks for any input!

Look into cloning the drive, although I thought Apple already had their own flavor of this, "Time capsule" or W/E.

Quote from BlackAndChrome : Look into cloning the drive, although I thought Apple already had their own flavor of this, "Time capsule" or W/E.

Thanks, I will look into Time Capsule. What is W/E?

Quote from stealth : Thanks, I will look into Time Capsule. What is W/E?

"w/e" = "whatever"

Time Machine is the easiest cloning option because it's already built in. Other good programs exist (some people prefer them), such as Carbon Copy Cloner. But Time Machine will be the easiest method for you.

Quote from akkkmed : "w/e" = "whatever" Time Machine is the easiest cloning option because it's already built in. Other good programs exist (some people prefer them), such as Carbon Copy Cloner. But Time Machine will be the easiest method for you.

Thanks!

Don't worry about life expectancy of the SSD. You will replace it or the computer long before the R/W cycles are burned up. As for back up, I agree, use Time Machine. That is, unless you want an off-site backup. In that case, I strongly recommend Carbonite.

And remember, RAID is NOT backup! (Ahhh. It's been a while since I said that!)

Oops, delete

I wouldn't touch Time Machine with a ten foot pole. That's my personal preference, mostly because you can't boot from it. For instance let's say your main drive dies and you don't have a spare handy, wtf are you going to do while you wait until the new drive shows up in the mail?

Warranted I would recommend against using your only backup drive, but with something like CCC (Carbon Copy Cloner) you can actually boot right off your backup USB drive and continue working just like normal or get critical files off of it. When the new drive comes in you just clone it right back and you're set to go.

Also if you want you can backup to the network somewhere without having to setup a time machine server.

I reccomend cloning the drive using carbon copy cloner. you can clone over USB/firewire or over the network.

I am very glad I do this regularly because my Mac's SSD died unexpectedly after 1.5 years. The manufacture will replace it under warranty but it's not going to replace my DATA.

Quote from Mavtech : Don't worry about life expectancy of the SSD. You will replace it or the computer long before the R/W cycles are burned up. As for back up, I agree, use Time Machine. That is, unless you want an off-site backup. In that case, I strongly recommend Carbonite. And remember, RAID is NOT backup! (Ahhh. It's been a while since I said that!)

Just came back to this thread after a few days but I would use those words gingerly... I have an Agility II (Sandforce Based) and it worked perfectly til I got a random blue screen... That was it, controller burned out and all my data was locked on unacceptable memory. Not like a platter drive that can be read from via external even when it starts to go bad, slightly corrupt data is better than nothing. Nothing is what you with a bad SSD.

-B&C