Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!hp4nl!phigate!philtis!grant
From: grant@cft.philips.nl (Joe Grant)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Tops advice needed
Keywords: Tops backups printing
Message-ID: <1438@philtis.cft.philips.nl>
Date: 10 Jun 90 18:45:08 GMT
Organization: Philips CFT
Lines: 53


Hi Net,

        I need some information on Tops. I have a Mac II with an ethernet
        card, and A/UX. Disk configuration is an 80Mb internal and an 80Mb 
        external. At present I have no means of backing up these drives, bar
        using the 800Kb floppy - an old Mac II :-). What I was wondering was
        how well would Tops solve my backup problem, while also providing
        other features. I've been quoted a very serious price for the s/w
        by our local Apple center, so I'll have to carefully consider my next 
        step. Anyway the main questions are:
        
        1. There are two other Macs that I know of in the building, so 
        maybe they'll also be able to use the Tops solution. Neither has an
        ethernet card, will this be a problem?

        2. If I can backup over Tops, what software would be required to run 
        the backup or is it bundled with Tops - wishful thinking? I realise 
        that this question may spark a torrent of "My favourite backup s/w is X 
        because" answers, but then as I only have the standard Mac stuff at 
        present I would be interested in hear opinions on this subject also - 
        maybe there was a summary posted on this issue already, a pointer to 
        where I can get my hands on it would be greatly appreciated.

        3. Will any such software also allow me to correctly backup the A/UX 
        partition, and can I run incremental and selective backup and recover 
        within the A/UX partition - I'm presuming there wouldn't be a problem 
        with this in the normal MacOS partitions? NB: We will be getting A/UX 
        2.0 "soon" so maybe this will have a bearing on the backup situation.

        4. Can I use Tops to print from Mac applications on PostScript printers
        connected to the SUN, if YES will this require tinkering with the
        LaserWriter device in the system folder or is it achieved in some 
        other manner?

        Any general info. people have on Tops would also be of great help.
        Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree and shouldn't even be considering 
        Tops for the problem, if so I'd appreciate hearing where I've gone 
        wrong. I'm also thinking about a tape streamer purely for backups, but 
        then questions 2 and 3 above still hold. Also the local Apple center 
        are trying to interest me in a removable 42Mb HD unit, but the 
        salesman wasn't sure if this could be used like a humungous floppy for 
        backup purposes - maybe someone out there can put me straight on this 
        one.

        Well that's my lot, thanks in advance,

        Joe Grant
-- 
Joe Grant,                       Telex     : 35000 phtc nl/nlmtfarr
Philips B.V., Building HKJ-p833, Telefax   : (31.40.7)37222
P.O. Box 218, 5600 MD Eindhoven, E-mail    : grant@nlccl.cft.philips.nl
The Netherlands.                 Telephone : (31.40.7)34382