Computer backups? I've tried them all . . .

My first computer had a DOS operating system. After a few weeks, I thought I was pretty hot with DOS commands. I was trying them all. I didn't know what some of them meant, but I tried them anyway. At one point, I typed "Format C:\*.*" not knowing what it would do. As I watched helplessly an endless flurry of text scrolled past me as the system erased everything on my hard drive, including all my stored files. And no, I didn't have a backup. I only had to learn that lesson once. After that, I kept scrupulous backups. Back then, they were stored on 5-1/4" floppy disks.

Fast-forward to tape drives of all sorts: $800 commercial models, and small, efficient portable models. They held the promise of automation. Each day at a precise time, the tape drive would back up new files. This sounded good in theory. The tape drives were problematic, though. For one thing, tapes were expensive, and they piled up in my safety deposit box like cordwood. Restoring a lost file was a weekend activity.

Tapes broke or got lost. Most importantly, I realized someone could come into my home or office and cart off the tape backup machine and the tape. End of backup and original data.

In recent years I purchased an external hard drive, which worked well, except that it was still a security risk. What happened if someone walked off with my laptop and external hard drive?

I didn't want to make backups covertly at home, so backups were sporadic and essentially non-existent. What good does it do to pull out the external hard drive to find a file you created yesterday, if your last backup was made on December 31? The same problems existed when backing up to CD. When do you make them, where do you store them? How do you replace a file when you're on the road?

Recently, I thought it would be nice to store the contents of my hard drive on the Internet. I looked for online backups and they seemed complicated, pricey, and perhaps insecure. That's why I was almost ecstatic when I found the link for Data Deposit Box.

In 10 minutes I signed up and downloaded the software. The interface was simple, easy, and very intuitive. [I really don't like software that doesn't do what it's advertised to do!] With a few simple clicks the system copied my data to a secure site, and I could find and recover the files quickly and easily. The whole thing was so easy it literally blew my mind.

Each day as I work, the system works in the background. As I save files it automatically transfers them to my data deposit box. I never have to think about it. I'm amazed that I can look at my offsite depository, and recent files are always there. The icon in my desktop tray tells me I've backed up 26 files so far today-neat to know.

I want my career to be more mobile, and I'd like to be able to access my files from anywhere. Sure, there are programs like "Gotomypc.com," but they too raise security questions and don't provide backups. With Data Deposit Box, I can literally walk into any Internet connection in the country [or the world] and access my files. No more need to lug the laptop. It's an amazing solution that may make your life easier and happier, as it has mine.

And if your PC or laptop is lost or stolen, your life will continue without a meltdown.

Oh, the best part of all this: THE COST. It's negligible. The fee is $2/GB per month, so my 6GB of crucial data only costs me $12 per month. How can you beat that? You can't. :: Sign up here.