Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms OS X Yosemite

iCloud obviously syncs other data, not just photos. I would rather not have things backed up on hardware, having learnt the hard way. I use various cloud-based services to back up and sync data and files.

I have never used iPhoto nor Aperture for any serious professional application, as Photoshop is the de facto solution, but I believe that 'Photos' is the merged offering. These days I would recommend 500PX's Awesome plus Adobe subscription for a good deal on editing and showcasing.

..which perfectly illustrates Apple's quandary: You can't please everyone!

Fortunately there are plenty of alternatives to suit all preferences.

iCloud purpose is not for backing up computers to at present, and I would not personally recommend it, if fact I would always back up a computer be it Apple, Windows or any other machine to an external hard drive that you personally own and is in your possession. This is not because I do not think that data for individuals is not safe on ICloud but mainly because if you do use it as a back up medium then you are reliant on 3rd party infrastructure, namely the Internet, it is not impossible for data corruptions to occur across this medium. Putting Photos on ICloud enables you to access them and share them across all your devices, that still means you should back them up as alread said along with your other data.

Jays you can continue to use Aperture, although edits made with it to photos will not be reflected in Photo. I am going to do a bit of investigation on this as I suspect their may be a work around.

I would respectfully disagree, if that's okay. The only time I have lost any data of (significant) value at home was due to not having a back up elsewhere. When both main copy and back up hard drive were in the same building. Of course I'm really pushing the odds here but it happened to me, losing tens of thousands of pounds worth of images.

IMO iCloud is sufficient for backing up Apple specific data and personal photos - basically those items that it natively syncs = stuff you might be able to live without.

Other cloud solutions are available for more robust back-ups

Yes I would agree if you are caught in that way and loose both you are stuffed.

I would generally say that OSX upgrades are best applied fairly quickly. Maybe not the first week or so but soon enough. We have Macs of various ages and all have been done without real issue.

One of the main elements to enable an OS upgrade is enough space on the hard disc to download a New OS and then migrate the entire content. This means that it is best to remove old and unused stuff to an external point (Apple Airport Express is a wifi access point with a hard disc in it which can automate the entire backup process, not cheap but sooooo simple) Make certain you clear as much space as possible prior to doing it. Minimum would be 10Gb but I would recommend doubling this for speed.

Always do a backup beforehand. A simple portable hard disc (ebuyer 2Tb portable USB3 hard disc for £70) will do it. Look for Time Machine which is the built in backup and restore app which is great. An Apple TimeMachne 2Tb requires more money and installation but is great. Get someone to help you if you go the timemachine route. If other people have Macs in your home it can back these up as well.

Wow! I am always amazed at how simple and intuitive Mac is.

And just in case anyone doesn't realise it that was a lame attempt at irony.

I will stick with my Windows 8 thanks. Contrary to what someone intimated earlier, I bought my current PC (Widows 7 installed) just as Windows 7 was being phased out, I was offered an upgrade to Windows 8, later to be upgraded to 8.1. The upgrades were seamless and all my programs run perfectly (including programs written 20 years ago). I also like the fact that I decide where my files go and how I handle my storage.

We now have 2 MacBooks in the house and the least I have to do with them the better I like it. Neither of them is used for any purpose that could not be more easily accomplished at less cost on a cheap PC running Windows or Linux, but the female members of the household think the Macs are more aesthetic so are prepared to pay the price. You pay more so it must be good.

End of rant.

Macs v PC, Morgan v Porsche.....yes, much the same raised passions! Some people love Microsoft, some Apple; it's all very individual.
I worked in IT most of my career, starting with the very first Microsoft systems and the Macintosh seemed to be a very strange system, mainly used in the U.S. by people who didn't want to be mainstream, had long hair, beards and were arty. I changed over to Macs ten years ago really out of interest and I wouldn't go back to Microsoft. I tell a lie, I do have a small laptop with Windows 8 on it.....it drives me round the bend!

Same here, Jay. After a few years programming IBM mainframes, I moved to PCs in around 1987, and have used Microsoft products ever since in a professional capacity.

I switched at home to Macs in 2008, and wouldn't go back - although I very happily use the OS X versions of MS Office.

Fortunately my current clients have rolled out Windows To Go for consultants, so I get to use my beloved MacBook Air running Windows as a guest VM, which is nice.

Like you I started in IT when IBM's smallest computer was a box the size a car and Bill Gates was still wearing short trousers (exaggeration ). First I was writing programs in Cobol and Fortran on DEC systems using punch cards, then in sales and support of peripherals. Then along came the IBM PC and Microsoft. Apple at that time were producing things that were not much more than toys for home computer enthusiasts.

The first thing I had to do with an Apple was the ill fated Lisa. It drove me nuts trying to get a printer to interface with it, in Port Moresby of all places.

perhaps that experience has permanently coloured my relationship with Apple products but what I can not understand is just what it is that people find difficult about Windows 8. For me 8.1 is very similar to previous versions, works better and faster, and is free from problems. I took me very little time to come to grips with the differences.