Aperture and Time Machine, happy at last

Time to restore is the big factor - Restoring a time machine backup, which will include the Aperture database (the large file within the Aperture library folder) and the thumbnails, could be quicker than restoring from vault which, for Aperture version 1, required a time consuming thumbnail, preview, and database regeneration.

But Aperture v2 may have changed its vault/restore process. Especially as they've made vast improvements in speed by using image file's embedded preview images where possible/when not requested otherwise.

10.5.2 was for the good of all of us,
except the ones who are dead.

but there's no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of updates.

;)

I don't think it treats the entire library as one big, fat file. Instead, I think it's smart enough to look inside the package and only copy over the new/modified contents of the package to your Time Machine backup.

But I could be wrong, maybe someone else can confirm or deny this.

(Disclaimer: I don't have an Aperture library to hand to check)

Isn't the Aperture library similar to the iPhoto library—that is, a bundle, rather than a single file? If so, TM will treat it as what it is—a directory containing lots of distinct files, rather than one single file.

In which case, using TM to back up your Aperture library is surely fairly ideal, as it'll only back up the changes, as intended.