Digital Trends
EMC’s Retrospect backup software has long been a major player for all levels of users, from everyday folks just looking to safeguard their personal data to small businesses and enterprises looking to back up small (and large!) herds of machines. The application backs up intelligently—only one copy of a file gets stored, no matter how many copies of it might live on a network—, supports incremental backups (so you can restore systems to any given snapshot, or retrieve long-deleted documents), offers great reporting, supports a wide variety of media and data types, and features powerful, flexible scripting so users (or administrators) can make sure the data the want backed up is backed up at the right times. But while Retrospect 7 for Windows was at least a competent product, Mac OS X users were stuck with Retrospect 6—which lacked support for features Apple introduced into its operating system years ago—ironic, since years ago the Mac version of Retrospect used to be one of the most reliable ways to back up Windows machines. As a result, Mac users have abandoned the product in droves, and while there are workable backup solutions out there for individuals and businesses (including Apple’s own Time Machine backup in Mac OS X Leopard), none really rise to Retrospect’s level of sophistication.
Storage Appliance Corporation has been marketing ClickFree backup drives for a while: the basic idea is that users plug in the drives just like any USB device and like magic—no software, applications, configuration, or menu-surfing involved—the device automatically backs up your files. ClickFree has been offering backup drives with capacities ranging from 120 to 500 GB along with DVD-based backup, but now at CES the company is unveiling its new “Transformer Cable,” a USB device that enables users to convert any USB hard drive into a ClickFree backup device.
In the first announcement since its acquisition by EMC, storage vendor Iomega has announced a new downloadable software bundle that combines both the venerable EMC Retrospect backup program with the MozyHome online backup service, enabling customers to back up their media and data not online to local drives, but also to remote storage via the Internet…which can be very handy in the event a fire or other disaster takes out both your computer and your carefully-maintained local backups.
(You are carefully maintaining local backups, right?)
You’ve been told time and time again: back up your most important files, lest something catastrophic happen to your PC. But like your dentist telling you to floss, your optometrist telling you to wear your contacts less, or your doctor telling you to exercise more, the advice sometimes goes in one ear and out the other because it’s just too much of a pain.
Tandberg Data Corporation today announced the general availability of its RDX QuickStor backup solution, a new based backup system for small businesses and power users which uses removable hard disk-based cartridges to give offer the archival flexibility of traditional tape-based backup schemes with the benefits (and, often, cost-effectiveness) of random-access disk-based backup systems.
“RDX QuikStor combines all the advantages of tape with the benefits offered by hard disk, and offers customers a quantum leap to faster backup and accessibility,” explained Ken Cruden, Tandberg Data’s executive VP, in a release. “It enables our channel partners to support their small business accounts with a backup solution that offers enhanced performance, instant random access, high reliability and, most importantly, a lower cost than competing low-end tape solutions.”
Iomega Corporation this week announced that its new Iomega HDD 160GB USB 2.0 Desktop Hard Drive is now shipping. Designed for the desktop with fast 7200 RPM performance and “touch-free†backup software, the new external HDD 160GB Desktop Hard Drive gives users a simple and complete solution for managing music, photos, video and other data files.
“Digital photography, downloadable music, and digital video camcorders, as well as an endless variety of data files, continue to create increased demand for desktop storage,†said Jennifer Burl, senior product manager, Iomega Corporation. “The new HDD 160GB Desktop Hard Drive not only gives users what they want—more space—but also what they need—more security. Automatic backup of all their important files is the safety net that can protect them from data disasters.â€
Quote from the review:
“Backing up your data… How many of us actually backup on a regular basis? I can personally admit to not backing up regularly. We seem to have a mind set that it would never happen to us, no-one expects to loose data because of a fire, theft or hard drive failure – but these things can and do happen…”
Our take: The 5000DV is a pretty solid drive and you certainly get a lot of storage space. It gets pretty hot and there is no on/off switch which is a bummer. The included backup software which works with the on-touch backup system is a good idea too. We reviewed the drive on Designtechnica a while back, you can check it out here.
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