17 Online File Storage Services Tested

prostoalex writes "PC World reviewed 17 online file storage services. According to the summary: 'Of the 17 services we tried, our favorite backup service is IBackup, while the GoDaddy Online File Folder is our pick of the storage sites. And for sharing files, we like the free 4shared.com service.'" They're also thoughtful enough to include a warning about the pitfalls of saving your data online.

Comments

good idea, still too expensive

[yagu]

I've been waiting a long time for the arrival of internet storage -- I'd much rather let someone else manage the integrity and provide peace of mind.

Concerns about services going out of business, security, their own data integrity aside for the moment (but NOT to be ignored), these listed and reviewed services still far exceed prices I'm (and I'm guessing many others) willing to pay. I easily have 100+GB I would like guaranteed safe and ongoing synced and always backed up.

For now, I continue to maintain multiple hard drives on multiple machines with scripts that maintain backups, not easy, but effective and way more cost effective. And I expect soon NAS will come down in price enough to easily compete with any internet service -- of course internet services should come down in price too.

Sigh... always just waiting for that tipping point, that threshold, but at the same time seeing my requirements always slightly ahead of that threshold... pictures get bigger, videos get easier, and my mp3 collections (ripped from my own CDs) is a given constant.

Also for large internet storage, the big-pipe problem remains. I want an online storage from which I have reasonably unencumbered upload and download access. It would also be nice to see full T1 speeds at least (something not accessible to normal DSL or even cable subscribers). Don't know if and when that gets solved, and if solved how much additional expense is incurred. Sigh again.

sounds like a security risk

[NynexNinja]

Anyone who takes thier data seriously would never think of doing such a thing. You have no idea what happens when your files get copied to some third party network.

Data safety guarantees

[Animats]

Well, let's see what they commit to contractually:

• Ibackup Pro Softnet makes no representation or warranty ... (C) that the data and files you store in your account will not be lost or damaged.
• XDrive Xdrive, in its sole discretion, may terminate your password, account or use of the Service and remove and discard any Data within the Service if you fail to comply with this Agreement. ... XDrive makes no representation, warranty, or guaranty as to the reliablity, timeliness, quality, suitability, truth, availability, accuracy or completeness of the service or any content.
• FirstBackup Subscriber does not desire this Agreement to provide liability for loss or damage due directly or indirectly to occurrences, or consequences there from, which the service is designed to deter or avert. If subscriber desires additional liability coverage, it shall be the subscriber's sole responsibility to secure it from an insurance carrier or other agency of subscriber's choice, at subscriber's own expense. Subscriber shall bring no suit against FB as a result of any loss arising from this Agreement.
• Acpana The software product and all services are provided "as is" without any warranty or condition of any kind, either expressed or implied. Use of the software product and all services is at end user's own risk
• ElephantDrive The company's aggregate liability, and the aggregate liability of its licensors, to you or any third parties in any circumstances is limited to $100.
• Mozy You understand and agree that ... you will be solely responsible for any damages to your computer system or loss of data

So, even though some of these outfits make advertising claims like "IT NEVER FORGETS ElephantDrive uses military-grade encryption and large scale disaster recovery techniques so your data is stored safely for as long as you keep your account.", they don't stand behind those claims. It would thus be inappropriate to trust any of them with important data.

Re:This is one service you don't want to go cheap

[Znork]

"A cheap backup service..."

An expensive backup service might be expensive because it's buying shiny crap at exorbitant rates. Which makes it even more likely to fail than the cheap one. The price tells you nothing about either what equipment they're using, the failure rates of said equipment, their redundancy level, or their solvency.

"Backup is one service where you don't want to go to the lowest bidder."

Yep, that's one of those typical backup salesman lines to watch out for.

Backup is, in the end, about this: redundancy, redundancy and redundancy.

For backup purposes, you'd be better off buying cheap pieces of USB drives off two different guys in their basement than a single expensive service.

You _do_ want to go for the lowest bidder. Several of them, in fact. Redundant array of inexpensive backup solutions, as it were.

Re:And thankfully...

[CastrTroy]

I'd just recommend that if you know how to use FTP, go for a web hosting service. I pay $7.95 and I have 20 Gigs of space and 1000 GB of transfer. So, I can store tons of stuff, and have lots of other features like a blog and photo galleries. It's much cheaper than these services look, and you don't need any special software installed to access your stuff. Even windows comes with command line FTP.