Carbonite (found at carbonite.com) is a back up program for your computer’s files, music, videos, and more. It boasts of unlimited backup capacity, completely automatic retrieval, secure and encrypted file storage, and easy file recovery. The cost is $54.95/year with a free, no credit card required, trial.
According to their website, “The current version of Carbonite is designed for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Carbonite supports both the standard 32-bit and 64-bit versions of each. Carbonite will not support older versions of Windows (Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows ME) or Linux operating systems. Carbonite is also available for all Intel-based Macs running OS 10.4 (Tiger), 10.5 (Leopard), and 10.6 (Snow Leopard).”
Carbonite works by installing a small application on your computer that works in the background. There are no limits on the backup storage capacity, but Carbonite does warn that because of DSL speeds, a larger file file back up will take considerably longer to upload to their server.
I signed up for the free trial and have started the process as I write this review. I am running it on an Intel-based MacBook version 10.6.4. The installation process was simple and straightforward, however I was not pleased to read, after I started the program, that the initial back up could take several days.
Because I’m running this on a laptop, my computer will not stay on continuously for that amount of time. I’m not sure how this will affect the usefulness of this program. It may be better suited for a desktop computer that can stay connected to the Internet continuously in awake or sleep mode.
Once you install Carbonite, you can just let it run its course. It works in the background when your computer is idle, backing up new and changed files. All files are encrypted twice, using the same security measures banks do, and the information stays secure, only accessible for you to retrieve it if need be.
The retrieval process seems simple as well. A few clicks and your important files are brought back to your computer. You have the option of selecting which files to backup, and it’s important to check the preferences of the program to customize the default files Carbonite updates.
As a backup system, I believe Carbonite is worth looking into and considering. However, it is subject to being connected continuously to the Internet and DSL speeds. I think it would be a great option for desktop computers and their Carbonite Pro packages for multiple computers, is worth looking into for small businesses.
*It’s been one hour since I installed Carbonite on my Macbook and my initial backup is still initializing, no files have been uploaded to the Carbonite system yet... time will tell if I will continue with Carbonite as my backup solution. I will post an update to this post when (or if) my backup completes.
Kjaere Friestad
- guest blogger :: San Francisco, CA :: for Centripetal Software
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