Cloud Backup Options for Multiple Macs

creativitytakescourage wrote:

IDrive is much more affordable, but it only backs up files, not the full Mac OS or applications.

There is no backup system, including Time Machine, that will restore the full operating system. Any service claiming otherwise would be one to avoid.

I don't know what the big deal about applications is. Applications are just files. There should be no problem backing them up.

I don't have a good answer, but some information that might help.

I thought iDrive was a disaster. The Mac client seems to be a thoughtless port that barely works. I hated everything about it and cancelled after less than a year.

Backblaze has been excellent. Reliable, great interface, great customer service. But I just found out (confirmed by Backblaze) that they do not back up file metadata or extended attributes.

Edited to add: while Backblaze isn't designed to back up your applications and Library (What??? Who thinks the library is optional??) you can trick it into doing so. I have a Carbon Copy Cloner process back up these directories to external volumes, which themselves are part of my Backblaze backup set. It seems to work.

This stuff is not optional! Especially if you've done any extensive tagging in the finder.

I'm looking out now for a replacement that will preserve metadata, and that is well-designed in general. But don't know if it exists.