Backing Up & My iPad and Me

My blog this week is supposed to be about back up options for your computer but I have to also include my thoughts about my new iPad.  Yes, I did get my iPad and am thrilled.  But more about that later.

Everyone knows that if your computer crashes, all your data will be lost.  Most people think they don't have much to lose but with digital photography, e-mails, contacts, and other documents, there is more to lose than you think.  For some people, doing a back up seems daunting and for others, they meant to back up their files but never got around to it.  I can speak to this topic personally because I got a virus earlier this year and would have lost everything if I had not done a back up of my files before the computer was infected.  I did lose a few items, but nothing too important.  So, what are the options for backing up your computer?

For those who don't want to deal with doing the back up themselves there are three options: Taking your computer to a location that will do the back up for you, having someone come to your home to do the back up, or using an online back up site. The cost options for these three vary widely.  When my computer was infected, I had to take it to a computer store to be repaired and they offered to do the back up for around $100. To have someone come in your home can start at $50 plus the cost of an external hard drive and software, if needed. The nice thing about that option is that you don't have to unhook your computer to lug it into a store. The online storage option has a yearly fee and most begin at around $50 per year.  The benefit of online back up is that is can run continually so it is constantly being backed up so your files are always up-to-date if something happens.

If you decide to do a backup yourself, you will need an external hard drive - either portable or a desktop size. The desktop ones are usually less expensive for more storage.  If you don't need to take your external drive with you someplace, a desktop is a good option.  You can leave it connected to your computer and set your computer to run back ups at regular intervals. If you want to be able to take all those photos or documents with you to someone else's home to share with them, then you will want a portable hard drive. You can purchase an external hard drive at most stores that carry computers and accessories.  Even Walmart and Target sells external drives.  Then the question becomes, how much storage to buy?  If you look at your hard drive size, it will help you decide how big your external drive will need to be.  In today's market, you can get a 500gb hard drive for less than $100.  That is more than enough space for most people.

Once you have your new hard drive, you will then have to set up the computer to do a back up.  Some Windows operating systems have that option built in.  Windows XP, Vista and 7 allow you to do back ups as often as you want.  They each differ a little in how you set it up so you will have to research how each one is done. Sometimes it is simpler to buy a program that will walk you through the process. Acronis Mirror Image Back Up is one of the better programs.  I have personally used this one and like it.  There are others that are also good but I haven't tried them so  I can't speak to how good they are. You have the option of doing a one-time back up or set the program to run a back up at whatever intervals you want.

Backing up your drive can seem overwhelming but it really isn't as hard as it seems.  Once you do it, you will see how simple it can be. Then you can feel confident that you won't lose all those precious photos.

Now about my new iPad.  I won't go into everything I have learned about my iPad in this post but I can say it is everything I hoped for and more.  I am still learning all it can do and have found some great features through the app store.  Yes, the flash issue (not being able to watch anything online that uses flash) is a little annoying, but nothing I can't live without.  In fact, on my computer, I have my flash turned off because it helps pages load faster without flash.  I have found that many sites are using alternatives to flash and more are working on it everyday so it should become even less of an issue in the near future.  With the popularity of the iPhone and iPad, web developers have a great motivation to come up with another way to show those 'flashy' sites.

I have already downloaded a couple of books to my iPad (one was on sale through B&N for just 99 cents!). I am trying all sorts of apps that can be downloaded to my iPad.  Some are free and are great programs, others have a small cost, usually around $2.99.  Yes, there are some that cost quite a bit more, but I would have to have a really good reason to download those.  The video playback is wonderful - crisp and clear picture with no streaming lag at all.  I can listen to my music, watch videos, read books, browse the internet and much, much more.  And the part I like the best is that I can slip it into my purse (a little larger purse, of course).  So, I don't need that large computer backpack when I go to Starbucks to do my internet surfing (soon to be free to everyone!) while I drink my coffee.

I could go on, but will save the rest for another time.  I will have more experience with my iPad then and will have lots more to tell you about.  If you want to know more about either backing up your computer or about the iPad, just send me a message or post a comment.