Today I signed up for and installed Carbonite Online PC Backup on my HP notebook. This backup and recovery software is unlike the traditional backup-to-disk ones because it isn’t just software but a service as well and backup is done over to Internet to secured remote servers (that aren’t even mine).
I have to say that this is quite a novel idea. Previously I use EMC Retrospect and have my files shipped off to an external Maxtor 300GB harddisk. It was a fine solution as long as I remember to plug the USB cable in when I reach home. I guess this solution is much better for desktops than laptops.
My favourite thing about Carbonite is actually the “set and forget” nature of it. Installation is just a single wizard-driven setup executable and an online registration. After which you pick the files you want to back up (by default its My Documents and Desktop) and bob’s your uncle! Backup is done is the background over your broadband connection and it picks up when you’re computer’s idle and slows down when you’re working.
The only things to grapple with here is trusting these servers and the time it takes to backup and restore. It will take a few days to backup all my data (excluding programs) but once that is done, it is only incremental backups that take place. A complete restore will take about half that time depending on the speed of your broadband connection’s downstream.
Apparently disk space is unlimited and the service will cost you US$49.95/year. I’m running a 3 month trial now, so I’ll decide if I want to pay by September.
Next step, get my mum on it so I don’t have to play tech support when things go wrong.
Screenshots: Above these two screens pop up upon successful installation for further customisation. Below the dots that appear on the files indicate their status of back up.
Filed under: Technology
Hi Ben. Nice review. Just wanted to add that Carbonite uses 1024 bit Blowfish encryption on your data before it leaves your PC to the storage servers in the USA. This is as high an encryption level as you could possibly get on commercial backup services. (same high level security as what the major financial institutions are using) In fact, if you were to check around, many other services use variants of 256 bit to 512 bit encryption keys only.
At the Carbonite storage end in the godd old US of A, employees have no access to your encryption keys. Access to encryption keys is limited to only less than a handful of senior employees.
Currently, Carbonite has 1.5 Petabytes (that is 1536 Terabytes) of capacity and is rapidly expanding the capacity in anticipation of a surge in the number of users, particularly from Asia.
Here is a link to Red Herring’s news report on Carbonite’s latest round of financing from venture capitalists Menlo. http://www.redherring.com/PrintArticle.aspx?a=22206§or=Industries
If anyone is interested in trying Carbonite free, please go to http://www.carbonite.com.sg and key in offer code: asiaflux
I read this review today and am concerned that I cant backup my email (90%) reason that i backup at all! is this true? thanks for the help… steve
“Carbonite can’t back up multiple versions of your files, or backup your email – but it’s great for photos. Keep in mind that it can’t back up email, financial documents (while they are open), etc. Basically it can’t back up anything while it is open, either – we consider that a huge disadvantage in the online backup industry.
Another limitation of Carbonite is that it doesn’t backup multiple versions of a document.”
Carbonite does back up my mail files – the key word being files. I use Outlook and have the two default filt types: OST and PST. OST are the offline copies of what is on your server or mail provider and PST is the “personal” folder. The PST file is what you want to back up because if it is ever lost, it’s all gone. I do not know about other file types but if your mail is saved on your computer, it’s saved in a file that you can back up to Carbonite. I just completed my trial and am very pleased. I must say, I’ll still make another backup on an external drive just for the ease of and immediacy of access to that backup (since I have the drive). I don’t trust drives though because I had a hard drive fail (no prob, right?) and simultaneously had my external maxtor fail!
Carbonite DOES back up open files, for nearly a year now. Plus all email formats, including Outlook.
Hmmm… Found this while searching for “Carbonite Outlook 2007″ because Carbonite is steadfastly refusing to backup anything but the extend.dat file in my Outlook folder.
Can anyone confirm or otherwise that CARBONITE is down as at 4th July 2008??
I started having trouble a week ago when the program was continually waiting to backup as if prevented from doing its job.
I find I am unable to reinstal my subscription after numerous attempts. I am able to instal the trail version, but not my sub.
Thanks for reading this.
I wanted to warn you that Carbonite is fine–until you need it. I cannot get it to backup my .pst file, the tech support is limited, they don’t always answer emails and their web site is useless. I am trying to find an alternative, but wanted to warn you that Carbonite might not be there when you need it (at least back up your .pst file to an external source).