Carbonite Online Backup Service Review
Carbonite has been in the online backup service business since 2006. At the time, they were the first such service to offer unlimited storage to individual customers. Since then, they’ve hosted over 39 billion files, restoring more than 3 billion.
The Basics
Carbonite is available for Windows and Mac platforms. However, Carbonite’s Mac service has only been around for a few months at this point and isn’t as comprehensive as its Windows offering. As such, it’s suggested that Mac users stick with other backup services for the time being.
One of Carbonite’s central features is unlimited backup space. Carbonite allows you to back up virtually any type of file. Although certain file types such as video files and files larger than 4 GB are skipped by default, you can configure the Carbonite software client to include these files in your backup as well. Carbonite only offers subscriptions in yearly increments ($54.95/year) as opposed to the monthly option offered by Mozy, SpiderOak and others.
The Pros
Carbonite offers relatively few bells and whistles as far as additional features go. Their selling point is a strong, reliable, easy-to-use backup service that covers the basics well, and this should appeal to users who are primarily concerned with making sure that their important files are taken care of. As mentioned before, you do have control over which types of files are backed up and which aren’t. This is useful in that, for example, you might choose to forego program files that can be easily reinstalled should you need to do so, and simply focus on backing up important data files.
With Carbonite, you can choose between an automatic or manual backup function. With auto backup, your files are backed up every time they’re updated or altered. This is more or less a standard feature as far as online backup providers go, but it should be noted that Carbonite’s auto backup process is relatively unobtrusive. It isn’t likely to slow down your computer, regardless of what type of work you happen to be doing. Only the parts of the file that have actually been changed are transferred to the backup location, and this cuts down on bandwidth and CPU usage. Additionally, Carbonite uses Blowfish encryption with a 1024-bit key, which is perhaps the most stringent encryption currently available from this type of service.
The Cons
The main drawback to Carbonite’s service is the slow pace at which the backup process moves. If you’re backing up a large amount of data, the initial backup can actually take multiple days to be completed. While this initial backup process is active, it will just about monopolize your CPU. If you have your computer set to request a password upon coming out of the screen saver, you may want to disable this feature while running the initial Carbonite backup, as the password prompt can slow down the backup process significantly. Also, Carbonite’s relatively bare-bones nature can certainly be a disadvantage, particularly if you’re interested in doing things like uploading from multiple devices.
The Verdict
Carbonite is a no-frills online backup service that is notable for its ease of use and simplicity. If all you really care about is making sure that your files are backed up and up to date, it might even be the best such service currently available, provided you’re a PC user. On the other hand, you may want to familiarize yourself with some of the additional features offered by competitors such as SpiderOak and Mozy before making a final decision, as these services do make Carbonite seem somewhat limited by comparison. Visit the Carbonite website.
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