notMac: The DIY Alternative to .Mac

I'm too stingy to shell out a couple of dollars for a legitimate .Mac account but I know how important it is to have a backup of my data. So when I learned about the notMac challenge, I eagerly followed its development. Then a few days ago, there was a submission that *may* be viable enough for "kuripotechies" like me, Ben Spink's notMac solution.

I downloaded it and mucked around with it this morning and what do you know... I now have a viable backup of my MacBook and it resides on my spare iBook!

This is by no means ready for primetime but if you have enough experience in networking computers at home (or professionally, in my case), this may be worth something.

What I've done so far with my notMac server:

• Sync'ed my Bookmarks, Calendar, Mail Accounts and Contacts
• Created an iPhoto Slideshow
• Backed up some files via notMac's iDisk

The connection between my MacBook and iBook has a lot to be desired (I find it slow) but you can't argue with the price (free).

Warning: this application is a *bit* too hardcore for the casual user but if you do make it work, it is well worth it, IMHO.

Originally posted at PhilMUG.

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