Test results
Mozy's default backup stored 160MB of files from my test machine in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 54 seconds.
At a Glance
MozyHome
Decho Corp.
Price: $66/year or $6/month for 50GB; $111/year or $10/month for 125GB
Works with: Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android
Pros: Can back up entire computer online; backups can be done with an external drive; 2GB free service; marks files ready for back up
Cons: Doesn't offer unlimited storage
It was able to transfer and save the entire C: drive in 22 hours and 11 minutes, three days faster than with CrashPlan but six hours slower than with Norton Online Backup.
A 25MB incremental backup took 5 minutes and 7 seconds. I was able to search for a lost file in 4.6 seconds, the slowest time of the applications reviewed here but still acceptable. The file was recovered in 34.8 seconds.
I was able to back up the entire system to an external hard drive in 20 minutes and 17 seconds -- by far, the quickest of the group; the drive didn't need to be reformatted.
The company once offered unlimited storage; currently, it charges $66 a year for 50GB for one computer. Each additional system costs another $2 a month. There's also a 125GB plan that includes backups from up to three computers for $110 per year. Mozy gives you up to 2GB of storage space free, so if you don't have much to back up, you can do it on the cheap.
Bottom line
Overall, MozyHome does an excellent job of keeping your most precious digital possessions safe, secure and ready to be restored in the event of a computer disaster.
Although Symantec is better known for its security and virus-protection programs, Norton Online Backup is also part of the company's arsenal.
Norton is available for Macs and PCs, but not Linux systems. The vendor also offers Norton Connect, a beta iOS app that lets you download archived files. (Symantec had a similar Android app that it pulled from the market last October; the site says that it is working on a new version.)
Norton's home screen lets you back up your system immediately, restore files, download files or change the settings. A log lets you know the details as well as displays a green check mark or a red X that shows whether the task was completed.
