July 03, 2009

By Gil Poulsen

Product: F-Secure Online Backup
Company: F-Secure
Price: $49 for 12-month subscription
Website: f-secure.com

Over the past 15 years I’ve purchased, used, reviewed and even trained other users in numerous applications that were “ported” from their Windows versions to run on the Macintosh platform. Some have been supremely Mac-like, showing little or no evidence they were originally written for an entirely different computing platform. Others appeared to be assembled with less regard for the Mac user, perhaps still sporting some Windows-specific close boxes or other user interface elements. Some contained references in the help system to the C:\ drive, or to files or directories that aren’t actually present on Macs.

Then there’s F-Secure’s Online Backup, the alleged Mac version.

Maybe it’s just me, but if I’m going to purchase a program I’ll be trusting to back up all the critical files on my Mac - and enable me to restore them easily and accurately - I’d like that program to at least appear to be created for the Macintosh platform. Not only is F-Secure Online Backup (hereinafter referred to as FSOB) the sloppiest port of a Windows application I’ve seen in recent memory, but it also appears designed to deliberately confuse the user right from the start in terms of which files are actually being backed up.

That’s unfortunate for the folks at F-Secure, because FSOB does indeed “work.” In my testing I was able to back up well over a gigabyte of data to their remote vault, then successfully restore various document types to my Mac in an intact and accessible state. But the program’s Byzantine file selection process makes for a great deal of head-scratching when it comes to designating files for backup, while the default settings inexplicably omit all music files, yet include all video files. Remarkably, FSOB even asserts that it will be protecting my Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird or Windows Mail e-mail data, with no mention of Apple Mail or Entourage; that’s not the kind of interface screw-up that inspires confidence in a backup system.

My initial - and futile - attempt to fully grasp FSOB’s configuration process sent me scurrying back to the printed manual included in the box, only to discover that it contained exactly one page of Mac installation instructions and one page of uninstallation instructions. The downloadable PDF manual was much more revealing, providing a table that details how the default settings for the five categories in the file selection area operate, while at the same time confusing me beyond all rational measure. I’ll try to make some sense of the process as I go along, but there are some mysteries even an experienced writer/reviewer is incapable of unraveling.

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http://www.backupreview.info

http://www.memopal.com

Backup Review Rating:

(4 stars out of possible 5)

Reviewed on June 30, 2009

Summary

Note: Our last year’s review of Memopal is found here

The track record of Memopal is impressive. The company was started in December 2007. The Windows, Mac, Linux and iPhone versions of the application were released in 2008. MemoPal’s applications have evolved and matured into robust efficient backup and storage applications, while some online backup service providers have joined the deadpool, like: Xdrive, OmniDrive, HP Upline, and Yahoo! Briefcase. MemoPal has votaries in Chinese, French, Finnish, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and English and several other languages, as it is available to the speakers of these languages in their own native tongue!

Memopal Chief Information Security Officer, Andrea Cecchetti, describes the company’s service as “security and cloud computing” service. The online backup service provides users with File backup, Storage and Sharing services in a secure environment that goes beyond merely copying files from the computer to the storage server. This file system termed as Memopal Global File System (MGFS) is designed to be highly reliable, scalable and is made available at the lowest cost per GB. The features of this technology are:

• Up to 100 million Terabytes storage
• Up to 10¹⁵ Files
• Transparent Read-Write Compression
• Transparent Cipher
• Native Indexing
• Hot-Add Scalability
• Native Hardware Health Monitoring

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Reviewed by: Fiona Haley
Review Date: May 07, 2009

Straddling the line between those who want simple, easy access to their files from any location and those who need stealth security for content that simply must remain private, SpiderOak 3.0 is a free service that serves both purposes—and plenty in between. The latest version of SpiderOak is an online data manager designed to work with Windows, Mac, and Linux (the Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora flavors of the last). Its new Sync application lets those with multiple computers sync their data among different operating systems. For Mac and Linux users, and people concerned with privacy, these changes are excellent news.

The software is cloud-based, offering a central storage repository instead of an online backup option. Instead of simply saving a second copy of files, SpiderOak 3.0 keeps your files updated constantly, so you can access them from multiple computers or on the SpiderOak.com Web site. With Version 3.0, files on one computer are automatically changed on the others, so you can use it as a virtual personal network, sharing files among numerous machines and platforms without having to e-mail files or save them to a backup device.

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By Dick Eastman, http://www.eogn.com

May 04, 2009

I am a strong believer in the need for keeping multiple backups of all important files and storing those backups in multiple places. At a minimum, you should be keeping the original file(s) on your computer, a backup of each important file in a location that is close and convenient to your computer, and still another backup that is stored “off-site.” In this case, “off-site” might be at your place of work, at a relative’s home, in a safe deposit box, or on a server out on the Internet.

In the past few years, a number of online services have appeared that provide automated backup services. You install the software, do a bit of configuration, and then sit back and let your computer make frequent backups automatically.

April 30, 2009

By Michael Muchmore

Data Deposit Box targets its online backup service at small and one-person businesses, but the service’s simplicity, features (it even offers online photo albums), and pricing should be equally appealing to consumers. The product’s emphasis on simplicity starts with pricing: $2 per gigabyte per month.

Deposit Box claims its pricing model and features make it a better deal than the offers of vast storage amounts for a fixed price. Yet in the case of this service, simplicity doesn’t mean skimping.

It’s got most of what I look for in online backup, including continual (rather than daily or hourly) backup, multiple machine support, versioning, archiving, secure folder sharing, and open-file backup. The service needs an interface makeover, however, to put it over the top.

Click here to read Data Deposit Box Review Summary Page

(Click on images to view the slides)

Click here to read the Data Deposit Box 3.1 Full Review

By Raymond Ser

April 28, 2009

Over a year ago, whilst working feverishly on an overdue college paper, I spilled a large glass of water over my laptop. Cue panic attack as the MacBook Pro sizzled. I had a backup of that document on my Fujitsu tablet, but it was several days old, and so was the previous SuperDuper backup of the MacBook. Fortunately, the MacBook was fine after several hours by a heater (with the battery out, of course). I got round to looking at online backup services after that. I evaluated SugarSync (pricey), Diino (no Mac client) and settled on Mozy.

After the initial beta hiccups, Mozy’s been working fine on the MacBook, but for my new Mac Pro, I’ve decided to look at other, more fully featured services. I’ve been using Diino, Memopal and SpiderOak concurrently, and I’ll be reviewing them in alphabetical order - first up, Diino.

I disregarded Backblaze (too similar to Mozy), Carbonite (ditto, plus lots of bad press), CrashPlan (you have to buy the desktop client), DropBox (I don’t want to keep all my files in one folder…) and JungleDisk (complex pricing). Diino, Memopal and SpiderOak can be used on multiple computers, with just one licence.

I decided to try Diino because they’ve recently revamped their entire service, stripping out the gratuitous extras and introducing a Mac client. They’re also running an introductory offer of £8.99/$13 for the first year ($49 thereafter), for unlimited backup space and 100 gigabytes of storage, which pretty much sealed the deal.

Background

Diino is a Swedish company, and claims to have over a million users …

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March 19, 2009

By “Margin Notes”

This is the second and final part of my account of my experiences with the on-line backup service offered by Mozy.

The first part is here.

As I related in my last Mozy-related post, I started using the on-line backup service in late 2007, and all went reasonably well at first. The initial backup took well over a month, but — once it was complete — it was a great load off my mind to know that I had 30 gigabytes worth of photos, music, personal and work-related documents, and applications and settings saved remotely. My data was protected against both machine failure and — because my data was spread out all over Mozy’s servers — theft, fire, or tsunamis.

Then my hard drive failed. I had Computer ER, a computer-repair shop here in Missoula, replace it with a new one, and looked ahead to restoring my files quickly and easily from my Mozy backup.

There are several methods of restoring from a Mozy backup, but …

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February 27, 2009

Secure Online Backup

Remote backup is the ultimate security, in a way. If a falling satellite fragment smashes into your computer or zombies tear your office apart, you can still recover your essential files. ZoneAlarm Extreme, which offers 2GB of backup space for your most important files, uses a secure online backup system from backup powerhouse IDrive. As with Webroot, ZoneAlarm focuses strictly on online backup. BitDefender, Norton 360, and Panda offer a choice of local or online, and McAfee sticks with local backup.

Matching MozyHome Online Backup, IDrive offers 2GB of hosted online backup free to anybody, not just ZoneAlarm users. That seems to be the magic number—the online backup feature in BitDefender, Panda, Webroot, and Norton 360 all offer the same amount of storage. The differences become more apparent when you need more. For $49.50 per year, you get a whopping 150GB from ZoneAlarm. BitDefender asks $39.95 for just 10GB, while Webroot and Norton 360 also offer 10GB, but for only $20. Panda’s service isn’t free at all after the first year—you have to pay about $6.36 (5 euros, actually) for 5GB of storage. The only product that costs less per gigabyte is Mozy, which charges $4.95 for storage limited only by your available bandwidth.

During the configuration process you set up a password-protected online backup account. You’ll also want to define a …

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Related News:

http://www.appscout.com:
ZoneAlarm Goes Extreme

February 22, 2009

By David Strom, WebInformant.tv

An online backup server that covers a wide range of servers and services, this latest version includes the ability to protect Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange servers, VMware Infrastructure, and other sophisticated environments.

WebInformant.tv tested Version 12.5 on a small test network with Windows Server 2008 and Mac and Windows clients.

Company:
Symantec Corp.
http://symantec.com/backupexec
20330 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Cupertino, CA 95014

Requirements:
Windows 2000/2003/2008 Servers,

Price:
$995 for one license, additional agents varies in price from $395 to $3195, depending on what you need to backup.

Please click here to read the pros and cons of Symantec Backup Exec for Windows Servers

February 10, 2009

ZumoDrive is a new online file storage start-up currently in private beta that prides itself as offering “Hybrid Cloud storage for all your documents and media”. It’s both Mac, Windows, and iPhone compatible and free for storing less than 1GB of content. If you go over that amount you can upgrade to the 10GB plan for $2.99 per month ($0.30/GB). Currently the maximum allowed storage space is 200GB for $59.99/month ($0.30/GB).

The installation on my MacBook was a piece of cake. All I had to do was download the Mac or Windows based software, run the automated installation and within a few minutes I was done. Unfortunately, however, I ran into a small problem. At the end of the Mac installation a message appeared which read “MacFUSE Version Mismatch”. Upon receiving this error, I promptly searched for any similar postings in the ZumoDrive forums and reported the incident. I had also installed the desktop application on my Windows XP partition but did not experience any such problems like this whatsoever.

Please click here to continue reading this review

February 01, 2009

By Jim Clark

On-line backup solutions are springing up all over the corporate world.  Some are rather limited in their capabilities/capacities.  Some are designed for specific OS’s (like WHS).  Some are free.  Some will cost you based upon flat rates, or graduated rates, depending upon your backup needs.

One such solution is a service from HP called HP Upline.  It was launched in April 2008 and an announcement was posted by WGS at that time.  HP Upline has had it’s growing pains, and for a time, it’s availability was suspended.  A rather inauspicious beginning for a backup solution where reliability and access is paramount.

Fast forward 9 months later.  HP has ironed out it’s problems and looking forward as it tries to find a place for HP Upline in the sea of backup solutions.  First, what is HP Upline?  Let’s start by stating what it is not for: your WHS.  HP has its own solution for owners of HP MediaSmart Servers.  HP Upline is for:

Please click here to continue reading this review

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Related Review:

Our review of HP Upline from May 2008 is found here:
http://www.backupreview.info/2008/05/04/review-hp-upline/

By Carla Schroder
Thursday, January 22, 2009

Secure, Convenient, and Affordable?

Offsite backups are essential for important data, because we all know the perils of keeping everything in one location: fire, flood, theft, power surges, power failures, permatemps refuse to take it anymore and go berserk– it’s just wise redundancy.

But how do you implement offsite backups? I’m tired of reading headlines about how some minimum-wage “contractor” (a code word for permatemp, which is code for employee who is paid peanuts and gets no benefits) has to haul backup tapes home every night, and then they get stolen out of the poor schmuck’s ‘68 Gremlin which hasn’t had functioning locks in decades. And the tapes are not encrypted, and in fact have labels that read SECRET STUFF–DON’T LOOK!! And the poor permatemp takes the heat, but it’s not his fault that his bosses are dimwits.

A Better Way

Thankfully there is a better way, and that is network backups to a remote location. You can swap storage space with a friend, or a branch office, or use a commercial service. The third option is the one we’re reviewing today, and the vendor is Spideroak. I’ve been torture-testing a couple of free accounts, and had a nice conversation with the folks at Spideroak, and the short story is I give it a mostly thumbs-up.

Spideroak offers 2GB of storage for free, and …

Please click here to continue reading this review

By Chris Hall

13 January 2009 - Backing-up you important files is becoming more pertinent as more of us increase the number of files we store on our computers, thanks to the rise of the likes of digital photography, downloading music and mobile working. Finding the best backup solution can be something of a challenge, though Carbonite think they have a winner with their Online PC Backup.

Backup options are many and varied these days, from operating system versions, through to local software-free options, hybrid on and off line and totally online versions. As the name suggests, the Carbonite solution is one of the latter, taking your files off into the cloud to keep them safe should the worst happen to your files locally.

The software requires only a quick and small install, before it rolls into action. It will quickly check your online status and then go to work. One of the nice things about getting to know Carbonite, is that the application is very user friendly and even has a quick voiced tutorial to get you going.

But the simple installation goes a step further than many backup solutions, because it will add …

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December 22, 2008

We have been hearing some good things about the HP Upline online storage service so we figured it was time to do a review of the Upline online backup solution.  The service offers unlimited online backup storage with plans to accommodate most of your backup needs.  HP Upline offers one user account, a family account for up to three computers and a small business account that is expandable to 100 computers.

Upline is not just for online backup and storage.  The service also allows you to share and publish data to the web.  This is a great feature to use if you want to easily share all those Gigabytes of photos and videos you may have accumulated with your family and friends.  You can also easily share work files with coworkers without the tedious task of trying to email them to the people you want to share with.  HP Upline looks like a solid online backup solution with a few extra benefits.  Here is a review of HP Upline.

After you have signed up for an account, by the way they also offer a trial account with one Gigabyte of online storage so you can try the service before you buy it, you are prompted to download and install the software to run the backup service.  Here is a screenshot of the software setting up.

Please click here to continue reading this review

Related Review:

Our Review of HP Upline Online Backup in May 2008:
http://www.backupreview.info/2008/05/04/review-hp-upline/

November 16, 2008

By Wictor Wilén

Microsoft is currently extremely offensive on their new cloud services targeted to consumers and business users with their Live services. I use a number of them daily with the Live Mesh as the newest addition.

A couple of months back I started to move my and my family’s documents to Skydrive, 5Gb free online storage, and I’ve made some efforts to get started with the Office Live Workspace, to have a better place work working with the documents. Then Live Mesh came into the picture, and it lets me automatically sync documents between our PC’s and cell phones – really awesome!

All of these three services are really good, but currently none of them is perfect, and the problem is that they do not work together at all. Below is a comparison of some of the features. All three services can be accessed from a standard browser and has features for sharing files and documents with other people.

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October 31, 2008

Introduction:

OPENRSM CloudBackup is a service that lets you store files and backup data securely to a nearly unlimited remote backup storage vault. OPENRSM have placed no restrictions on CloudBackup. Unlike other services, you can store as little or as much as you want. You pay a flat fee (which get’s you a BIG datastore) and only pay extra for the actual storage you use in excess of that.  It works the same on Windows, MAC, and Linux systems as well.

The CloudBackup volume can be accessed as a network disk, or using your browser.), over WebDav or via the local http server. Keeping a local cache for immedicacy of operations (and background completion) is a big feature of OPENRSM CloudBackup. The builtin backup utility works well and previous versions are kept if desired. This makes CloudBackup work for backup as well as a remote filesystem since it works with native tools like rsync, robocopy, etc.  Block level incremental backup is supported through CloudBackup.

The best features are:

• Facilitates worry-free, automatic backups
• Keeps your data safe
• Unlimited storage at per GB pricing. No complex math. No maximum limits
• Supports multiple systems
• Offers backup reporting to keep you informed
• Works just like a disk
• Provides online backup and storage for every computer you own.  Servers, Desktops, Notebooks

Who this is designed for:

Since it’s so powerful, OPENRSM CloudBackup can automate offsite backups for business or personal systems, as a distributed data store, and …

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http://www.backupreview.info

http://www.datadepositbox.com

Backup Review Rating:

(4.5 stars out of possible 5)

Reviewed on October 26, 2008

Summary

While the vision and mission of a business is critical its success, the security of its data is critical to its very existence in the market. Data Deposit Box offers a non-intrusive, secure backup system that ensures data security with a minimum of investment in IT and IT related resources.

Setting up an account with Data Deposit Box can be completed in two simple steps. The first requires the organization to register for the service and make the necessary subscription. The next step is to download the software and install it on the machines to be backed up. The backup then happens automatically and securely and the organization is free to pursue its business unhampered.

Data Deposit Box is owned and operated by Acpana Business Systems Inc. The company is headquartered at Toronto, Ontario in Canada and has an office in New York, USA.

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October 25, 2008

Everyone says that time is money, so why are you spending so much time comparing online backup vendors when we’ve already done the work for you?

The Compare Backup Vendors and Compare Business Continuity reference charts on this site were designed to take some of the confusion out of your backup vendor shopping experience.

We’ve put many hours into calling vendors, gathering information, and organizing everything into a format that actually makes sense. And in case you’re still on the fence and can’t decide which solution is right for you, we’ve been doing individual reviews of leading vendors, just like the one below.

To see our other reviews in addition to this Evault Review, visit our Backup Vendor Reviews page. On the main page you will see EVault cost and pricing.

Please click here to continue reading this review

Anthony Caruana puts some online storage services to the test.

The people most vigilant about backing up data are those who have lost data. Large corporate IT strategies can afford to store their backups away from the office so if the office is destroyed the data can be recovered. But most of us can’t afford to have someone collect our daily or weekly backups from home and store them securely.

Fortunately, there are alternatives such as online services that let you store your data on a server that can be accessed over the internet. This provides assurance that your data is safe should your computer suffer a catastrophe. It also means your data is accessible to you from anywhere on the internet.

Travellers who store their data online are protected if …

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By Paul
Oct 8, 2008

I have written several posts regarding backing up your data. I have mentioned many different forms of media that you can use to keep your data safe. Over the past four months I have been using an online backup solution called Mozy.

While I have written about Mozy in the past, I will sum up my experiences thus far with using the online solution, including the pros and cons of using Mozy.

Experiences So Far

While researching an online backup solution, I found two that …

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October 3rd, 2008

Add-In Review - KeepVault Online Storage for Windows Home Server www.keepvault.com

After reviewing a product that billed by the gigabyte I was anxious to try something that was potentially unlimited. Little did I know by the end of my testing, the entire review would change with some big news from Keepvault.

This review was practically written and ready to publish when I contacted Keepvault one last time before going live with it. That’s when I got the news. Keepvault for Windows Home Server is no longer offering unlimited storage. What???

Read and comment on this review »

October 04, 2008

By Jimmy Bergmark

SpiderOak has (and will have) some unique features that other solutions I have used like Mozy and Carbonite does not have.

I think SpiderOak works pretty well and is easy to use. I’ve had a few issues and some of them will most probably be fixed within a few months. With the combined functionality they call it a ‘SuperCloud’.

Here are some details about SpiderOak:

Please click here to continue reading this article

http://www.backupreview.info

Backup Review Rating:

(4 stars out of possible 5)

Reviewed on Sep. 26, 2008

Summary

Keepit.com is part of a group of companies, under a parent company called Cohaesio. It is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Cohaesio’s core competencies in managing infrastructure, support for a large number of customers and complex storage solutions allowed Keepit.com to easily enter the online backup industry.

“The less clicks the better” is the mantra that governs the service offerings of Keepit.com, the online backup service provider. The company strives to serve its customers by ensuring that complication in the software is not the reason why backups fail to happen. Keepit.com’s explicit strategy is to differentiate on simplicity and ease of use, and they certainly deliver on this promise.

There are no unnecessary clicks or complex settings to go through during the set up, backup and restore process.

Presently, Keepit.com offers services in the following languages: English, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, and Finish. In the coming months, Keepit.com is planning to add services in French and Spanish.

Read and comment on this review »

September 23, 2008

Here is the summary of PCPro’s ratings:

By Stuart Andrews

Amazingly, according to research from Harris Interactive last year, 35% of PC users in the UK still don’t have any sort of personal backup regime in place. Given the ever-increasing threat of malware, the risk of hardware failure, and the less than perfect stability of Windows and its applications, that isn’t just foolish, it’s also irresponsible.

There really is no excuse. Even if you or your business don’t want to invest time or money in backup hardware, online backup services now provide an inexpensive, highly convenient way to keep your most vital data safe, whatever happens.

In fact, online solutions have several advantages over the standard …

Please click here to continue reading this review (click on company link to read the reviews and also check out the tabs)

by Ross McKillop on September 16, 2008

The popular web hosting company Dreamhost recently decided to change a policy they had in place that didn’t allow customers to use their storage space to backup files. Now you’re given 50GB of storage space to use as backup. This change in policy does come with one caveat - the backups aren’t backed up. So, if for whatever reason the Dreamhost backup server that stores your files happens to die, your files die with it.

So while you probably don’t want to make it your primary backup solution, it’s still a nice feature (since you’re already paying for web hosting). This tutorial will guide you through using mathusalem (free backup software) to automatically FTP the files you want to backup to Dreamhost.

In truth, this tutorial could also be called “How to backup files using mathusalem” - because that’s essentially what it is. I just happen to use Dreamhost as the remote …

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September 09, 2008

Reviewed by
Jon L. Jacobi
September 05, 2008

Pros

Cons

This online backup service is a good option if you need a lot of online backup space plus file sharing.

In a world where 2GB of online backup space costs nothing (at Mozy.com and Fabrik.com, for instance) you’d think it would be hard to compete as a for-a-fee storage service. But many people require more storage space for their vital data than the free services provide. Enter Webroot Secure Backup, which offers various levels of storage to meet your needs.

Webroot is known for …

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By Kris Abel on Wed 03 Sep 2008

You take one end of the USB cable and insert it into the Clickfree box, then take the other end and insert it into your computer. You’re done. That’s it. There’s no buttons to press, no mice to click, no software to install, no options or settings to select. Like an espionage toy from the movies, the Clickfree box does all the work, installing itself and automatically scanning the computer it’s connected to for a shopping list of file types and copying them onto its own hard drive.

Please click here to continue reading this review

September 4th, 2008

It doesn’t matter how many backups you have of your data if they all reside at the same location.  Enter Off-Site backups.   The Jungle Disk Windows Home Server Edition BETA allows you to automatically backup your Windows Home Server shared folders to Amazon.com’s S3 Storage Service.

Please click here to continue reading this review

September 04, 2008

Courtesy of the Bonnier Group Publications

Online Backup Review of 8 companies: Keepit, Norcube, Idrive, Box.net, Mozy, Adrive, Backup2Net, and BuddyBackup

Bonnier Group Publications recently reviewed the above eight online backup companies based on:

• Storage space
• User friendliness
• Security, and
• Functionalities

Please click here to read this well written 6 page review