I have recently got the urge to start backing stuff up. I found a couple online companies offering this service so I decided to try them out.

First is a product called iDrive from http://www.idrive.com

iDrive gives free users 2gb of storage. For me this is plenty to backup some important documents. Their little program you download is quite nice. It is easy to use and explore, allowing you to see right away what files you are backing up and how much space you are using.

The three main buttons in their program are Backup Now, Schedule Backup, and Enable Continuous Backup. It has a default scheduled backup time of 5:00AM every day, but that is easily changeable.

The restore feature is nice as well. It will show the files you have stored with them and allow you to choose which ones you whish to restore to your computer.

There is integration with your OS, but under Windows XP I was prompted to install the plugin for it, it didn’t install along with the program. They do have support for Windows, Mac, and Linux. As well as some mobile applications.

Overall, this was a good option to use if you like something with a bit more options and like to tinker with settings to have full control over things, but it seemed like it was just more work than I wanted to do. I give this application a 4/5 stars.

The second application I used was Dropbox from http://www.getdropbox.com

Just from the website alone you can tell Dropbox is more slim and condensed.

They also offer a free 2gb account, which is plenty for me.

I downloaded their application and was pleasantly surprised. Their application is all integrated into Windows. When I want to backup a file, I just drag it into a folder called My Drop Box which they put in My Documents.

They also have a system of synching. You can run it on multiple computers or phones, and when you save files, it can synch to all devices. Pretty handy feature.

Folder sharing is also very easy and makes it great for letting other people have access. For me, this will come in handy when I’m working with people on projects. They have a Public Folder as well that allows anyone to see the files which you put in there.

Dropbox also have some 30 day undo history. Might come in handy if I make mistakes. They also offer an unlimited undo feature called “Pack-rat”.

The online interface for Dropbox is amazing. So simple and great looking. You can upload a folder of images and it’ll generate a photo album. Pretty slick.

I give Dropbox a 5/5 stars and recommend it for sure!