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iTunes config & Backup software for Mac

Hi. I'll be using a MacBook as a music server only, which I'll purchase next week w/ Leopard installed. Couple of quick questions.

1. Because I'll need at least 230 gb for music, I'll have to put my iTunes library on external drive. Is it easy/straight forward cofiguring iTunes so that it knows I want my music library on external drive?

2. Because music will be on external drive, I'll have to back up that drive to a second external drive. (The internal drive on the MacBook will just be OS programs/files.) If I'm interested in backing up music library only, anyone know if Time Machine lets the user have a bit more fine tuning control, that is, not a plug and play, but a directed backup?

Thnx.
nycjdc
edo_musica
113 posts
 
10-26-07: Herman
Sidssp, won't you run into a problem when the first drive gets full and and you add a second? Herman
iTunes will recognize multiple drive locations for the Music folder. Though not apparent, simply select a second drive as the location of the Music folder after the initial is full. Then music files from both drives is accessible.
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
Nice thread.
sidssp
1,077 posts
 
Herman,
I personally prefer not to add a second drive because it will split the track location references in the library and you will have to backup to two drives which is inconvenient. I would rather buy a pair of bigger drives and copy everything on to a single drive. HDs are really cheap. You can get a 750G Seagate for about $250. Unless you are doing everything in 24/96 uncompressed, it is going to last a long time.
vegasears
1,173 posts
 
Sidssp

You nailed down what I am now doing. I how have 2 Seagate 750 gig drives. One is used for iTunes playback and the other is used for backup.

I use to have a LaCie external drive, it broke and I lost all the files.

Last week I got my Seagate 750 gig external drives for $194.00 each plus tax at best buy.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
Nycjdc, there is more power available on the FireWire bus than on the USB bus. To work properly, some USB drives may require an extra power takeoff wire from the other USB port or from an external (wall wart) supply. This situation appears to be most common if you are using a PowerBook (see macintouch.com, "PowerBook USB issues".)

Your advisor may have been thinking of the need to keep the power demand down on the USB bus.

I have always preferred FireWire external drives to USB drives. Initially this was a speed issue, but USB 2.0 has gone some way to remedy this.
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