Online Backup Solutions for Families

by Jeremy

You backup your computer right? What, you don't? Don't worry, you're in good company. Just ask your family and friends...I bet they don't either. But is it really that important to backup? In a word, yes. Today's computers are remarkably reliable, but the hard drive that stores your files is still capable of failing. Actually, it will fail, the real question is whether or not it fails while you own the computer. And let's not forget about things like viruses, power surges, and the occasional spilled beverage; these can all lead to lost files. Imagine losing your pictures, email, and other files and having no way of getting them back. Nervous yet?

Ok, it's confession time: I don't have a regular backup strategy either. (See, I said you're in good company) I've been meaning to pick up an external hard drive to create a secondary location for the files, but I also want something outside the house so our files are safe if a fire or some other catastrophic event kept us from getting that drive. With this in mind, I've been leaning toward online backup. These solutions copy your files over the Internet to an external server. This protects you from events that not only affect your computer, but also your home as well. In the past, online backup solutions targeted corporate users and typically had prices to match. However, last year saw a number of companies start releasing online backup solutions for home users.

Before I started looking at my options, I identified my basic requirements:

  1. It has to be easy to use.
    I want something that just works. I've got enough competing for my "free" time already without learning a new program.
  2. It has to be automated.
    In addition to be easy, I want the program to automatically backup my files. I already have programs I can use to backup files to CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. They work great, when I remember to use them.
  3. It has to fit my schedule
    I don't leave my computer on 24-hours-a-day and I shouldn't need to do so to make sure my files are protected.
  4. It has to be affordable.
    There are plenty of expensive commercial solutions that meet the above requirements and more. But I want something affordable.

In this article I look at two options, Mozy and Carbonite. For $4.95/month both promise simple, automated backups over a a broadband connection (sorry dial-up users) for one computer. And although I tested on Windows XP, both companies are working on Mac versions. But are they up to the task of backing up a typical family's files.

How I Tested

To put the programs through their paces, I created a directory with 90MB of files that represented a "typical" backup. This directory included digital images, some MP3 files, video files from the camcorder, an Outlook file*, and miscellaneous files (word processing, spreadsheets, etc.). Each program was configured to backup only this directory unless I note otherwise.

*Some programs, like Outlook, "lock" their files while they're in use, preventing other programs from accessing them. Including the Outlook file and backing up with Outlook open should show how Mozy and Carbonite handle these files.

About the Author

Jeremy is part of the SNHParents team and a frequent poster to the SNHParents Blog. A self-professed geek dad, he is interested in the way technology is impacting families and is always on the lookout for gadgets and programs that will help him spend more time with his own family. He welcomes your questions in the forum or at .