Mac backups made simple
Backing up your computer is often not a fun and easy task. One company however is trying to make it dead simple to back up your Mac. Mozy, by Berkeley Data Systems, is a simple Mac (they have a Windows client too) application that has a menu which asks what you would like to back up. Check a few boxes for your iPhoto library, iTunes, iCal, Address Book, and a few other applications to get started (see picture below). You can also choose to backup individual folders, all with just a few clicks.
The initial backup will take a number of hours and from then on it backups your changes as you are using your computer (or at a scheduled time if you choose that option). I haven’t noticed any performance hit since I installed Mozy. They also have bandwidth throttling if you are using a slow connection and don’t want your backups taking up too much of your bandwidth. Your files are backed up using 128-bit SSL encryption during transit and there is also encryption on their servers.
If disaster strikes you have a few ways to get your data back. 1) “Simply right-click on the file or folder that you want to restore (e.g.. you want to restore a previous version) and click on the Mozy restore selection).” 2) Use your web browser and select the files you want to restore from your Mozy account and download them to your computer. 3) Request a DVD of your files which will be shipped to you for a fee.
If you don’t mind your files living on someone else’s server, give Mozy a try. You get 2GB of storage space for free and can purchase unlimited space for only $4.95 per month. I use Mozy in combination with SuperDuper as my backup solutions. I now have ease of mind in that if something were to happen to my data, at a minimum I’ll get the important stuff back with no problems.
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