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#1 - Carbonite Review
Who will get the most out of Carbonite?
Any computer user seeking an inexpensive, easy to use, secure, reliable, and unlimited online backup service. We recommend Carbonite to our computer support customers just about every day. Read on to learn why we believe that Carbonite is the best online backup service currently available.
Features
Carbonite's refreshingly simple, user-friendly service came out on top for just about everything that we rate backup services on.
After signing-up for one of Carbonite's three plans, you are instructed to download and install a small program, or client. This program automates the backup process and makes it possible to add or remove files and folders from your backup set with just a couple of clicks. By default, the Carbonite software selects everything in your Documents and Settings folder for back-up, including documents, photos, e-mail, music and data files from various applications.
Carbonite runs only when you are not actively using your computer. This helps to prevent a slow down of your computer or your Internet connection.
Restoring your data is quite simple using Carbonite's software, their website, or by their Courier Recovery service. Carbonite's automated Restore Manager feature makes easy work of restoring your files instantly, and it puts them back where they belong on your system. You can restore all of your backed up data at once, or select files and folders.
Carbonite's service includes remote file access which provides simple access to your files from any computer that is connected to the Internet using your e-mail address and password. Carbonite provides free mobile apps that allow you to access your files from your iPhone®, Android™ or BlackBerry® smartphone.
Carbonite's new HomePlus and HomePremier plans allow you to backup external hard drives, and you can create a mirror image of your entire system drive (full-system backups), including your programs and operating system. If your system crashes, you will have this system backup to restore your computer to the exact state it was in when you created the mirror image.
If you are in the U.S. and you choose Carbonite's HomePremier plan, you will be able to have your entire backup shipped to you on a hard drive (you pay shipping). If you backup a large amount of data, this would indeed be the fastest means of restoring it--besides your local backup, of course. You do have a local backup plan, don't you? See: Always Backup Locally
Security 
Carbonite personnel never handle unencrypted data. As would be expected of an advanced solution, security is handled well by Carbonite. All of your files are encrypted twice before leaving your computer. They remain encrypted at Carbonite’s secure data centers, so only you (or others you have specifically granted access) are able to view your files.
RAID-6 is 36,000,000 times more reliable than storing data on the single hard drive in your computer. Your data, having been 'scrambled' utilizing ultra-strong 448-bit Blowfish encryption, is spread accross 16 hard drives in a RAID-6 configuration. It would take three of these hard drives failing and your computer crashing at the same time before any data was lost. Suffice it to say that this scenario is unlikely.
Carbonite's data center has redundant power, redundant Internet connections, and redundant web servers. The facility is guarded 24/7 and entry is controlled with fingerprint ID locks. Carbonite personnel never handle unencrypted data.
For more advanced users there is the option to manage your own encryption key. You won't be able to access your data without this key, so if you choose this option be sure to keep it private and secure.
Price/Value
Carbonite offers 3 different unlimited plans starting at $59 per year.
1. HomePremier - $149/yr
2. HomePlus - $99/yr - Does not include Courier Recovery service, or automatic video backup.
3. Home - $59/yr - Does not include Courier Recovery service, automatic video backup, full system backup, or external hard drive backup.
We recommend that most users choose the HomePlus plan because you can backup your external hard drive and easily create full system backups (including your programs and operating system). If you want Carbonite's Courier Recovery service, or automatic video backup, then choose the HomePremier plan.
Click Here for full plans & pricing info and 10% OFF.
Ease of Use
With Carbonite's simple program, you do not need to learn any new and complex software to use it effectively. The small program integrates with your operating system and detects any new or changed files within your backup set and automatically backs them up to your Carbonite account. This means that once it’s set up to your specifications it requires very little input.
To show which files have been backed up, Carbonite adds small colored dots to your file icons. This means that you see at a glance what has been backed up.
Restoring your files requires only a few clicks. Even if your computer is lost, stolen, or damaged, you simply visit Carbonite’s Website from a new, or restored, computer and begin the restoration of your data.
Support
Carbonite has excellent customer support options to make sure you get help, if and when you need it, and even during the free trial period.
Support options include:
- Live Chat - 24/7
- Phone Support - 9-5 weekdays, and 12-4 on weekends Eastern time (excluding U.S. holidays)
- Remote Support - Can be initiated with your permission during a Live Chat or Phone Support session.
- Email - Expect a response by the end of the following business day.
Carbonite’s Website contains a comprehensive set of well-illustrated tutorials to help you get up and running and perform most common tasks. In addition, most common tasks appear to be covered within the FAQ, which is both searchable and indexed into categories for easy use.
Carbonite Review 2012 Conclusion
We techs recommend Carbonite to our on-site computer support customers just about every day. Overall, Carbonite provides a secure, simple-to-use online backup system which does everything that the average computer user needs to protect their valuable data.
The integrated system is great for technophobes while still maintaining an adequate level of features for more advanced users. Not only is the back-up process largely automated, but the Remote Access feature allows quick and easy restoration of files to any computer with an Internet connection, anywhere, so you can quickly get back up-and-running after any data loss.
Add great new features, like external hard drive backups, mirror image (full system) backups, and Courier Recovery, and you have what we believe is the best online backup service currently available.
Click here to subscribe to Carbonite - 10% OFF
Got Questions?
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Our certified computer consultants are happy to help answer any questions you might have about our Carbonite review, or how to safeguard your data.
You can reach us anytime between 9am and 5pm, Pacific Standard Time. |
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