Tech Stuff

Over the last week I evaluated some different online backup products to figure out which was the best for me. I ended up going with Carbonite.  Carbonite offers a 15 day free trial. After that it is only $49.95 for a year of service per computer. There is no limit on the amount of backup capacity. After the initial backup of all your files that you have chosen to protect, the software runs in the background and automatically backs up your new files and changes to existing files. The system will store different versions of files for up to 90 days and seems like only the last 5 versions.  One of the things I liked most about the software is the ability to easily tell what files and folders are being backed up. A green dot on the file/folder icon means that it is backed up, a yellow dot means it is pending backup and not dot means it is isn’t backed up. If you find a file that isn’t being backed up and you need it to, you simply right click on the file and select Carbonite on the sub-menu and then tell it to back up the file. The other big plus for the software is that it shows up as a drive under your “My Computer” and you just have to click through the folders to restore a file. The software is very intuitive to use and I will have no problem recommending it to others that are a little computer challenged.

Below are a couple free online storage websites that I have been using.  I am sure there are many more so if you are using one that has a cool that others don’t be sure to leave a comment.  Always looking for new stuff.

XDrive.com
XDrive is a service of AOL.  This means if you have an AOL or AIM you have an account with them.  You get 5GB of storage for free.  If that is not enough you can upgrade to 50GB for $9.95 a month.  The one feature I use the most with this is service is the ability to upload a large file (i.e. PowerPoint Presentation, Word Doc, WMV, etc.) and email the file to someone else.  The way this works is that the recipient is sent a link to where the file can be downloaded.  This bypass the limits on many SMTP for the file size of out going mail and also mailbox limits for your recipients.  There are a couple other things that makes this product stand out a limit more than the rest.  There is an option called “AutoCopy”.  This will automatically copy your photos and music online.  There is also a product called Desktop.  This allows you to drag and drop files to copy online and also allows you to access you files through a mapped drive on your computer.  The product which I haven’t tried out yet is their mobile version.  One of the interesting things is the ability to choose a file and send it as a fax directly from your phone.

Windows Live SkyDrive

The service works using the Windows Live ID system.  If you have a Hotmail, MSN Messenger or Passport login you have an account.  You get 5GB of free storage.  I didn’t see an option to buy more storage if you need it.  Skydrive supports drag and drop uploading if you install a plug-in which makes it pretty user friendly.   There is the ability to send a link to someone so they can access a specific document.  It doesn’t seem to have as many bells and whistles as XDrive.com, but who can’t use a little extra storage online.

Over the years I have used many different devices to backup my data. Here is a quick list:

• 5 1/4 Floppy
• 3 1/2 Floppy
• Iomega Zip Drive
• Iomega Jaz Drive
• CD-R
• DVD-R
• FTP Site
• USB hard drive

The all had their pros and cons. Usually the pro was that the next device had more storage and was easier/quicker to use than the previous one. The cons always seemed to be that you had to remember to do it and still took time. I have decided it is time to move to the next logical device. This would be backing up my data online. This gives me the extra benefit that my backups are off site and I don’t need to remember to bring them out of my house. In the back of my head I always worried about my house getting broken into or a fire. Either one means I could easily be without my data.

One possible option is to use the Amazon S3 service for the backups. There are several companies/individuals who have written software to do this. Also there are companies that specialize in online backups. I am going to give several of them a try and figure out which one will work best for my needs and for the most reasonable price. I’ll let you know which one I settle on. If you have any suggestions for ones to try let me know.