iPad as only computer: Backup Strategy

Breezer

My trusty MacBook Pro is 9 years old this year and I reckon has a year of security updates left before I'm forced to retire it. Given I'm still managing with a 9 year old Mac I reckon I don't need the latest and greatest Mac to replace it, and I'm considering an iPad Pro, which would be my only computer.

Workflow adjustments aside, the big thing putting me off is backup. My current iPad Air 2 backs up to iCloud and that's fine for what's essentially an entertainment device for me. If I'm using one as my only computer I'd be more comfortable with redundancy.

My current Mac-based backup strategy: everything on my MacBook Pro syncs to either Dropbox, iCloud, or some combination of the two. Everything in the cloud then also backs up to Time Machine, which is an external drive plugged into a network-connected Mac Mini in my attic.

Ideally I'd love to simplify this by ditching the MacBook Pro, the Mac Mini, and Dropbox, and just have the iPad backed up to iCloud. My gut instinct tells me this is a bad idea and I should either keep the Mac Mini backing up my iCloud drive to Time Machine, or I should keep everything in Dropbox as well as iCloud drive (which I'd imagine would be awkward or even impossible to do automatically on the iPad).

Surprisingly I can't find an awful lot of articles about this online. Does this mean no one actually uses an iPad without a secondary computer somewhere? Or is my thinking on backup old fashioned and paranoid?

Suggestions?

ED E

You can't think of sync as backup. Imagine something decides to replace all your photos with thumbnails for whatever reason, would you notice before the entire "backup" was also thumbs?


Apple not providing an imaging option to iOS somewhat destroys the ability to treat an iPad as a primary device.

Breezer

ED E wrote: »

You can't think of sync as backup. Imagine something decides to replace all your photos with thumbnails for whatever reason, would you notice before the entire "backup" was also thumbs?

Yes, this is exactly my issue. Currently everything syncs to the cloud, and also backs up to a local (well, a networked) hard drive, with version history etc. I'm afraid to lose this.

Apple not providing an imaging option to iOS somewhat destroys the ability to treat an iPad as a primary device.

I sadly keep arriving at this conclusion. Hoping someone will come up with something amazing I haven't found yet

I guess I could keep the Mini running in the background for backup. I already own it and it's not like it costs a fortune to run. My worry is what happens when Apple stops supporting it. It's a 2012 model. I'd be invested in iOS and then have to buy a new Mac anyway. Would I be better off just buying another good Mac now for "real work" and aim to keep it another 10 years, and a cheaper iPad for on the go/entertainment?

Decisions.

Gregor Samsa

You don’t have to retire the Mini when Apple stop supporting it. It’ll still work as it does today. If what it’s doing now works for you, you don’t necessarily need any future updates.

Breezer

phutyle wrote: »

You don’t have to retire the Mini when Apple stop supporting it. It’ll still work as it does today. If what it’s doing now works for you, you don’t necessarily need any future updates.

I do if it's not getting security updates. I suppose that's at least 3 years down the line though. At that stage it'll be 10 years old and in fairness will owe me nothing.

Breezer

Breezer wrote: »

I do if it's not getting security updates. I suppose that's at least 3 years down the line though. At that stage it'll be 10 years old and in fairness will owe me nothing.

Lack of Security updates won’t stop it working.

Breezer

Abram Uneven Stammerer wrote: »

Lack of Security updates won’t stop it working.

No but it will make it vulnerable to any sort of attack. Having a computer that's no longer receiving security updates connected to the internet is asking for trouble.