PC.com

February 2006

by Erna Mahyuni

Backup Alternate

Sometimes, marketing hype can make you a bit confused as some ads push this as being two backup solutions instead of one. It is more accurate to call this a comprehensive backup solution instead or pretty much a suite of tools to give you more options in looking after your backups.

Acronis True Image 9.0 is equivalent to Nortion Ghost minus the over-long downloads. It takes up very little space on your hard drive in comparison to similar solutions though you do need to be connected to the Internet to finish installation. Depending on your connection this can take from seven to fifteen minutes. Installation was pretty much dummy-proof so novices need not worry.

I like the cleanness of the interface, it's not as clunky or overly menu driven as I'd expected it. There are wizards built-in for pretty much any function available and Acronis has tried to ensure backups don't have to be the system drain they usually are. You can even continue using your PC while backing up with Acronis True Image 9.0 as it can run in the background without slowing your work too much.

The software even allows you to select the files you wish to backup and save you time waiting for a massive image creation of the whole hard disk. I tried doing a full image backup and a restricted file-list backup; the difference in running time is really apparent. If you do choose the whole disk image backup, it might seem rather lengthy though not too much of a drain on your system. The wizards and the customised settings give this program good value and is very novice friendly.

Verdict: A great alternative backup solution that gives you features without taking over your PC entirely.