I used Time Machine to backup my data to an external Seagate HDD. The backup was successful in the view that my files are now stored to the external HDD when I checked. Upon checking my storage space (About this Mac/More Info/Storage), there was 100+ GB of space taken up by 'backups' in spite that my data was stored externally. I intended to store externally only since 256 GB total storage for my Macbook is not enough for my liking.
The good news is when I switch Time Machine off, backup does not consume any storage space. The not so good news is I do not quite understand this. Is data really stored internally or only externally (Seagate HDD)? From one viewpoint, this seems like an OS 'illusion' because when Time Machine is turned on and off, storage capacity gets consumed and disappears with the click of a finger. From another viewpoint, when Time Machine is switched on, the OS treats the computer as if in fact it lacks storage space by not allowing me to store anymore files exceeding the storage capacity.
The good news is when I switch Time Machine off, backup does not consume any storage space. The not so good news is I do not quite understand this. Is data really stored internally or only externally (Seagate HDD)? From one viewpoint, this seems like an OS 'illusion' because when Time Machine is turned on and off, storage capacity gets consumed and disappears with the click of a finger. From another viewpoint, when Time Machine is switched on, the OS treats the computer as if in fact it lacks storage space by not allowing me to store anymore files exceeding the storage capacity.
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