Apple Time Machine - a disaster waiting to happen?

[Ferretfancy]

I have an iMac running on the Snow Leopard OS. My first Apple iMac used a word processing programme called Appleworks 6, and I have used this ever since 1997 for letters etc. and more importantly, for my very large cross -referenced music and DVD catalogue.

Later versions than Snow Leopard no longer recognise Appleworks, and so if I want to buy a new computer I face losing all this essential material. It wouldn't be any good burning it onto DVD because it will still not be readable in any new machine. Restoring it from Time Machine will be no good for the same reason.

There may be some conversion software lurking somewhere, but I don't know of it. Any ideas ?

[MrGongGong]

I use Open Office
which will open most documents fine
is open source and cross platform
it even will do the hideous DocX nonsense

I'll check for you about Appleworks

Might be tricky but possible

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/askjack/2007/aug/09/changingappleworksfilestom

Having a quick noodle about seems that there are problems with the Database conversion
BUT you will probably only have to do it once so go and find yourself a teenage geekwizard

[richardfinegold]

When we computerized our office a couple of years ago, I was using Time Machine as a backup. It was a disaster because we were getting messages that we were backing up our data to an external drive, but when I finally got around to checking the drive a few months later, it was empty. Our IT consultant (hired from the Apple store) of course denied that the hardware was at fault. I switched to a Windows based system (the main program we run is Windows based, and we were using Parallel software to make it mac compatible) and we've been o.k. fwiw

[Resurrection Man]

I have an iMac running on the Snow Leopard OS. My first Apple iMac used a word processing programme called Appleworks 6, and I have used this ever since 1997 for letters etc. and more importantly, for my very large cross -referenced music and DVD catalogue.

Later versions than Snow Leopard no longer recognise Appleworks, and so if I want to buy a new computer I face losing all this essential material. It wouldn't be any good burning it onto DVD because it will still not be readable in any new machine. Restoring it from Time Machine will be no good for the same reason.

There may be some conversion software lurking somewhere, but I don't know of it. Any ideas ?

This link might help you https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2522

Seems to be plenty of ways to convert.

And there is this that gives pointers to database migration. http://www.macworld.com/article/1160...ppleworks.html

Trouble is that as there is no database in iWorks you will have to get a third party program (which may/may not import your AW database).

My advice would be to start thinking about migrating stuff over rather than wait for the day that your Mac dies.

[MrGongGong]

When we computerized our office a couple of years ago, I was using Time Machine as a backup. It was a disaster because we were getting messages that we were backing up our data to an external drive, but when I finally got around to checking the drive a few months later, it was empty. Our IT consultant (hired from the Apple store) of course denied that the hardware was at fault. I switched to a Windows based system (the main program we run is Windows based, and we were using Parallel software to make it mac compatible) and we've been o.k. fwiw

I'm not meaning to be rude
but I think this might be a case of RTFM rather than a problem with mac

[Dave2002]

I'm not meaning to be rude
but I think this might be a case of RTFM rather than a problem with mac

Nope. I disagree.

In any case surely it could have been the software which was at fault. Apple try to sell their kit on ease of use, and ease of installation etc. If the system reports that it is backing up to a drive and it isn't then many users could be tricked. I'm a little surprised though that curiosity didn't suggest actually testing out TM to see if it worked. I use Apple kit, and I still prefer it to Windows, but it isn't by any means perfect, not even more than 5 out of 10. On the same scale I'd rate Windows at around 2/10.

[richardfinegold]

I'm not meaning to be rude
but I think this might be a case of RTFM rather than a problem with mac

RTFM? Read The effing Manual? or Richard The effing Moron? Either would apply.
I have no pretensions of being an IT whiz. I dislike Windows. I use macs at home--typing on an Air right now-but our program for work uses MS Word as a template. I really wanted to run it on Macs but after this and a few less serious errors, all of which have not been repeated when we switched to a Windows environment, tells me that maybe I shouldn't have tempted fate.

[richardfinegold]

Nope. I disagree.

In any case surely it could have been the software which was at fault. Apple try to sell their kit on ease of use, and ease of installation etc. If the system reports that it is backing up to a drive and it isn't then many users could be tricked. I'm a little surprised though that curiosity didn't suggest actually testing out TM to see if it worked. I use Apple kit, and I still prefer it to Windows, but it isn't by any means perfect, not even more than 5 out of 10. On the same scale I'd rate Windows at around 2/10.

I'd agree with that.

[MrGongGong]

I find it strange that someone would install a backup and then not even have a look to see it was working ?
So not so much a case of RTFM I guess but more one of why would you not check ?
And given that Open Office exists why do organisations insist on using MS Word ?

[richardfinegold]

I find it strange that someone would install a backup and then not even have a look to see it was working ?
So not so much a case of RTFM I guess but more one of why would you not check ?
And given that Open Office exists why do organisations insist on using MS Word ?

Like I said, I'm not an IT whiz. I'm a Physician, I deal with humans, not ones and zeros. An employee in my office was in charge of managing this.
She apparently thought that because we were getting a message from Time Machine that the back ups were being performed. At the time we computerized the office this was only 1 small part of changing how we do business, and frankly it wasn't close to being anywhere near the top priority, so it was several weeks
before the problem was discovered. By then, a few other problems had also surfaced that were apparently related to Parralels. After paying several thousand
dollars in consulting fees to Apple to fix what went wrong, I decided that going forward there would be less hassles using Windows to run this particular program. That was two years ago and there haven't been any issues.
I don't know what "Open Office" is.

[MrGongGong]

Sometimes the solution to the problems of the world is more technology (I'm rather keen on MRI scanners) and sometimes it's less (Electric Harpsichord anyone ?)
it's sign of great wisdom to know which is most appropriate (which I often lack !)

I don't know what "Open Office" is.

Open Office is an open source program that is completely compatible with most other word processors, spreadsheets etc and is totally FREE and in my experience bomb proof , runs on Windows, Mac, Linux etc and is supported by a network of geekwizards who know loads about these things.

Paralells is notoriously iffy, I used to do double boot win/mac but gave up as the windows partition didn't work with the rather expensive firewire soundcard that I use.........

[Dave2002]

Open Office is an open source program that is completely compatible with most other word processors, spreadsheets etc and is totally FREE and in my experience bomb proof , runs on Windows, Mac, Linux etc and is supported by a network of geekwizards who know loads about these things.

Paralells is notoriously iffy, I used to do double boot win/mac but gave up as the windows partition didn't work with the rather expensive firewire soundcard that I use.........

I'd take issue with "completely compatible with" in the quote above. There are some things which are different, and, unfortunately, some of the bugs and "features" are the same. During the last year I have shifted some of my activity almost wholly to Open Office, as it seems to be the quickest and most reliable way to generate text based PDFs which I then email to a printer for running off copies, but I don't use Open Office for everything. Other work has to be Word compatible - even though there are many flavours of Word, and it's a bit of a mine-field sorting out the different versions, and sending the right target file to each intended recipient.

I'm interested in the comment re Parallels, which I have thought of trying. I have tried the VM Ware offering - but hardly ever use that, and also Virtual Box. The big problem for me with any of these seems to be how to get the Windows image to run on the virtual machines. In theory these ought to work quite well for some applications, but I've not found this to be too convenient. I wonder if in fact the best solution is to get a small (preferably very quiet - but are there any?) Windows PC - something like a Mac Mini, and then to link to it over a network. It should be possible to run Windows on an external machine using a Mac or Linux system to provide a window in which to do any work. It seems a shame having to have extra hardware though.

[MrGongGong]

OK so not 100% "Completely compatible" but my experience has been that its more compatible than anything
and given that "Word" isn't 100% compatible with itself in it's various incarnations it's preferable IMV

I find that if I do everything in XP flavour Word using Open Office then everyone I send it to can open it fine ......

VM ware is supposed to be better than Parallels
though why not just run Windows on an intel mac using bootcamp ?

[Resurrection Man]

......
though why not just run Windows on an intel mac using bootcamp ?

I was just about to say the same thing!

[Dave2002]

VM ware is supposed to be better than Parallels
though why not just run Windows on an intel mac using bootcamp ?

1. Requires slight configuring to set up bootcamp.
2. Still need a Windows disc to run with. I really don't know where to get Windows discs from these days, except bootlegged ones. Most discs are upgrade discs which seem to require a previously installed version of Windows to run.
Most PCs come with an OEM version of Windows so upgrades are possible.
3. I just don't like bootcamp very much.