Another example shows the importance of the API and how any application written to it can take advantage of Time Machine's features. Let's say you're using Address Book to look for a person who was once in your listings. Search for his name, launch Time Machine, and the application will automatically take you back to the last instance of that user in the backup. When you restore, Time Machine puts the user's information back in Address Book -- no middle steps needed. No other backup application on the market now can do that, nor is any other backup app as well integrated.

Time Machine will back up to any external volume, be they direct-attached, networked or even Xsan volumes. And of course, you can directly browse the backup files and even search them with spotlight, if you are that kind of geek. But for the average user -- or even creative professional who does not care to learn the nuances of yet another system management application -- this is a very Mac approach to the backup issue.

Trading spaces

This feature, known to many Linux users as a virtual desktop, has been available to Mac users in the form of a third-party utility for some time. Essentially, it allows a user to set up multiple "screen pages'" -- each with a collection of applications you'd want for a given task or environment. You can put Mail and Web apps on one "space" or a video application such as Final Cut Pro on another. It keeps the clutter down.

Apple has added some decidedly, well, Apple touches to this concept. You can put up all your spaces in one screen and drag and drop between them to rearrange as you like. Also if you have one space up or are viewing them all, operating system features such Expose still work. It's all very cool and very handy, and now built into Mac OS.