The Mac Observer

Skip navigational links

Dr. Mac's Guide to Backing Up Your Mac
By Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus


Appendix A: About Me, and Why I'm an Expert on Backing Up Macs

My name is Bob LeVitus. I have written 49 popular computer books, including Mac OS X Tiger For Dummies and GarageBand For Dummies for IDG Books, The Little iTunes Book and The Little iDVD Book for Peachpit Press, Stupid Mac Tricks for Addison-Wesley, and dozens more. Believe it or not, more than a million copies of my books have been sold worldwide over the past twenty years.

I am also a columnist for the Houston Chronicle, and The Mac Observer, and have been published in a dozen or more computer magazines over the past twenty years.

In the beginning, I was editor-in-chief of MACazine, a seminal Mac publication (from '87 to '89). After that I was a contributing editor/columnist for MacUser magazine, writing the Help Folder, Beating the System, Personal Best, and Game Room columns at various times before Macworld gobbled up the remains of MacUser and spit them out.

I don't mean to bore you with my credentials-I'm merely trying to make a point: I know a lot about Macintoshes. And in the twenty years I've been using 'em, I've learned a lot about how to protect my files by backing them up properly. I've tried almost every hardware device known to man, used most of the myriad backup programs that have come and gone, and have written articles about backing up for magazines nobody even remembers anymore. I'd have to say I've probably forgotten more about backing up than most Mac users know.

And so, here we are. I had originally intended to offer this 14,000-word behemoth as a PDF, and charge users $5 or $10 for it... But The Mac Observer made me an offer I couldn't refuse. That's why you got all this information about backing up at absolutely no charge, and you can still download a PDF for your printing and viewing convenience for $3.99. So I'd like to thank Bryan and Dave for having the foresight to purchase this work and provide it to you at no charge. Thanks Bryan and Dave!

Last but not least, please, please, let me know what you did and didn't like about this article.

Thank you.

Bob LeVitus


Winter 2006

Buy the downloadable PDF of Dr. Mac's Guide to Backing Up Your Mac for $3.99.

Once you've finished paying for your transaction, click the "Return to Merchant" button to instantly download your PDF! Thanks for purchasing from The Mac Observer!



Warning: include(/usr/local/etc/httpd/sites/macobserver.com/htdocs/forums/extension.inc) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 108

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/usr/local/etc/httpd/sites/macobserver.com/htdocs/forums/extension.inc' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php5:/usr/share/php') in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 108

Warning: include(/usr/local/etc/httpd/sites/macobserver.com/htdocs/forums/common.) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 110

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/usr/local/etc/httpd/sites/macobserver.com/htdocs/forums/common.' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php5:/usr/share/php') in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 110

Warning: include(/usr/local/etc/httpd/sites/macobserver.com/htdocs/forums/includes/bbcode.) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 112

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/usr/local/etc/httpd/sites/macobserver.com/htdocs/forums/includes/bbcode.' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php5:/usr/share/php') in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 112

Fatal error: Call to a member function sql_query() on a non-object in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 532

Recent Headlines - Updated May 19th

Sat, 10:30 AM
How-To - How to Assign Custom Icons to Desktop Files & Folders in OS X
Fri, 8:10 PM
Free on iTunes - 3 Free iOS Apps We Hope You Never Need
7:52 PM
The Back Page - Apple’s ‘iRadio’ Streaming Excites Labels, Sony Hung on Skipping
3:50 PM
Particle Debris - How the War Between Apple & Google Will be Won
3:29 PM
News - Pentagon Approves iPhone & iPad for Military Use
1:10 PM
TMO Quick Tip - Apple TV: Hiding Unused Icons from the Main Screen
10:40 AM
Sci-Fi Airshow
9:17 AM
News - CW Signs Content Deal for Apple TV
8:31 AM
TMO Quick Tip - iTunes 11.0.3: New MiniPlayer Features
Thu, 5:25 PM
Analysis - Apple CEO Tim Cook Will Propose Corporate Tax Overhaul, Report
4:07 PM
myPhoneDesktop Allows You to Send Data from Mac/PC to iPhone
3:03 PM
iLuv Ships ‘Aud 5’ Lightning Speaker Dock for iPhone 5

The Mac Observer Reader Specials

  • Support TMO, Buy from Amazon, MacMall and The Apple Store

  • __________
  • Buy Stuff, Support TMO!
  • Podcast: Mac Geek Gab
  • Podcast: Apple Weekly Report
  • TMO on Twitter!