subject: A Review Of Carbonite 4.0 For Windows -- The Pros And Cons [print this page] If you're one of the thousands of Carbonite subscribers and you've been happy with it, then you should be all the more pleased to know of the launch of the Carbonite 4.0 for Windows. This review of the latest version of Carbonite takes a close look at what's new with this online backup and storage service which has always been known for its reliability and ease of use.
In the Carbonite blog, CEO David Friend emphasizes that Carbonite is not so much in the backup business as it is in the restore business. And this does makes sense. After all, people backup files so that they can get access to these files later on when needed.
Now the question is, how well does Carbonite 4.0 for Windows perform in the data restore aspect? Let's check out its salient features.
The main key to the company's effort in improving the restore process is the Restore Manager. This is a new feature that guides users on how to retrieve their backed up data, making it simple and effortless -- even if you're new to this process, or you're recovering your entire hard drive..
Alongside the Restore Manager are other effective features that further simplify data retrieval for Carbonite subscribers. One is the Restore Search feature which helps users locate the file they want to restore by just entering a partial file name, the document date, or file size and type. Then if you have a lot of files to recover, the Priority Restore feature lets you indicate which crucial files are to be downloaded first.
If you installed a new Windows version on your PC, you can also be sure that any files restored will have the proper file structure to match the OS you're currently using, thanks to Carbonite's Migration Wizard.
Are you having trouble keeping track of everything? The Restore Summary Report is a useful feature to help you identify exactly which files have been restored and where these are located. Or, you can find some help from the Redesigned InfoCenter which provides updates on the status of your data restore.
It seems that Carbonite has practically thought of everything with the 4.0 version. Still, those who have just started using Carbonite or are planning to do so in the near future should keep in mind that they first have to backup all their data and this can take a really long time. The initial backup has in fact, left many users frustrated.
Once you have the initial backup done however, you need not think about anything else as Carbonite works quietly in the background.
All things considered, Carbonite 4.0 for Windows looks like a promising upgrade for online backup users that could be worth trying.
