So because of the Jungle Disk + Cloud Files hoopla that seems to have been addressed now, I decided to try out Backblaze for a couple of days as a possible alternative/complement to Jungle Disk. And from what I see, it is a hassle free online backup solution. Something I would recommend to a regular Internet user if asked what online backup solution they should get.
It decides for you what files it will backup, putting on an ignore list most non-personal data files (eg. Applications folder, virtual machines and files larger than 4GB). You can finetune the selection by adding more filetypes or folders to exclude. This scheme would work well for users that do not want to go to all the trouble of trying to decide what files to backup (which I think is most users). Ultimately, backing up everything is the safest approach which is possible on Backblaze since they charge a flat US$5 a month (US$50 for 1 year) for unlimited backups.
After the initial setup, you don’t have to do anything. Just let it back up the files for you. Initial backup might take around a week depending on how much data you backup and how you throttle the bandwidth Backblaze will use.
The restore process is also very straightforward. You just log on to their website and select which files or folders you want to restore and they will zip the files for you to download (storing them on DVD media or a USB drive is an option but additional costs apply). There’s also a versioning feature which can be pretty handy when you want to restore files you’ve deleted or changed recently.
Some things that could improve the software though. It would be helpful if you can Start/Pause and Restore is readily accessible from the menu icon. Right now, you have to go to Preferences in order to pause or start the backup process. Overall, I think Backblaze is a very good online backup service if you want something automated, easy to use and worry-free.
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