External Harddrive and Time Capsule

Question

Hi All,
I am getting a G-Drive Mini from G-Technology for my MacBook Pro. My questions are:
1) Can I use an external drive for a Time Machine Backup along with using it for downloading torrent material. (When I first plug in the drive, the Mac will prompt me to use it for a Time Machine Backup I believe);
2) If I decide to use it for Time Machine Backup will I have problems with other formats that I would like to use it with. Really to use this expensive type of drive just for Time Machine is not maximizing the usage though. (Would buy a Time Capsule if I had too for backup material).
Hope this makes sense for answering. Tks in advance for any help in this matter.

Answer 1

1) Why would I need a boot drive if I have a copy of the OS system I have purchased or have the computer backed up on a drive already?
I really only used the example of having another OS installed on the TM drive to illustrate that you can really do whatever you want with the drive, in addition to it being a TM backup drive. You don't need to have any OS installed on the TM drive, but you can if you want/need to for some reason. Most people wouldn't; it was just an example.
2) What do you suggest is a good size drive for TM backups?
Well, at least the size of the drive in your MBP, plus whatever files you may want to store on it, plus about 50% for extra space. So, if (like me) you have a 250GB drive in your MBP, and want to store 100GB of additional files, then you should probably get a 500GB external drive. But, drives are cheap nowadays, and space tends to get cheaper the more you buy. You can get a 1.5TB to 2.0TB (1500GB or 2000GB) drive for probably less than $200 USD. That would provide you more than enough space to expand into in the future, I would think. That said, just get what you need plus a little extra.
Down the road I will definitely be purchasing a Time Capsule device (What do you suggest is a good producer and size to get?)
Time Capsule is a product that only Apple makes. It combines an external drive with a wireless router. That allows you to backup your Mac wirelessly. It also has a USB port for attaching a printer or additional storage to the network. There are currently 1TB and 2TB models. Time Capsule is a great option, because as long as you are logged onto your home wireless network, you're backed up, wirelessly! It doesn't get much easier or automatic than that.
--Travis