Dude, Dell does backup

Worried about losing files or photos? Dell says it's got your back.

The Round Rock, Texas, computer maker on Wednesday announced upcoming features to its PCs, including an automatic backup system that rolls back the clock to a time before a virus infection or accidental clearing of the Recycling Bin.

The technology, dubbed "DataSafe," is part of Dell's revised Dimension E310 desktop, which costs $599 and is due out in November. Dell said the DataSafe system is a good "set it and forget it" alternative to external hard drives or non-automated backup software.

While all the major computer makers let customers add a second, third or even fourth hard drive, Dell's redundant hard-drive system is part of a trend by PC makers to automatically install multiple hard-disk drives so consumers don't have to fiddle with external devices.

"The problem that we've heard is that consumers have inadvertently erased something, and often times, the answer is that you are not going to get that back," said Ketan Pandya, a senior manager with Dell's Dimension group.

The backup technology combines Symantec's Ghost 10 data backup software and two hard-disk drives that mirror each other through a level 1 RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configuration. Dell is also preparing to sell the DataSafe system on its Dimension E510 and XPS 400 systems, which are also due out in November.

"The second drive is exactly the same as the first one, so what customers are buying is a safety net," Pandya said. "When you buy an E310, you get a single 80GB hard drive for storage. The second 80GB hard drive acts as a real-time redundant backup."

While Dell markets the PCs with just a single drive, the second drive is not completely invisible. The computer assigns the main hard drive as the C drive and the backup as the D drive. The backup technology also works with two 160GB hard drives or two 250GB hard drives, Pandya noted. A PC enthusiast could wipe out the RAID configuration, scrub the second drive and end up with an entry-level computer with a 160GB hard drive for less than $600, Pandya said.

Eventually, Dell is expected to use the backup feature in its laptops and other computing devices, Pandya said.

The No. 1 computer maker also said it will ship its second XPS-branded notebook--the M140--for $999 next month. The computer is Dell's first 14.1-inch wide-screen notebook and features technology that lets users access digital photos, music and videos without having to start the operating system.

The M140 is also Dell's first system, corporate or consumer, with support for a PCI Express Card. The PCMCIA developed plug-in is smaller and requires fewer components than current cards and is believed to allow for smaller notebooks with card slots in different places.

Dell's tactics are not new to the industry. Lenovo, through its Think brand, has rescue and recovery software that sets aside a portion of the hard drive for backup purposes. Hewlett-Packard also uses backup software from Symantec. Both companies also support Express Card technology.

But Sam Bhavnani, an analyst with PC industry research firm Current Analysis, said Dell is potentially planting the seed for a future where PCs, as a rule, come with automated backup and recovery systems.

"Wi-Fi did not take off until it was integrated in notebooks," Bhavnani said. "The same with 3G (third-generation wireless technology)."

Re Dell Backup drives

Has it ocurred to Dell that a mirror drive does NOT provide the kind of backup security they claim? A true mirror drive will erase the file that is erased from the main drive AT THE SAME TIME. That's the meaning of "mirror".

Perhaps they plan to run some sort of timing scheme that backs up once a day or so ... that gives a thin hope of recovering data, but there is still a need for the user to recognize that data is missing before the next back up!

It's either fuzzy thinking, fuzzy speaking, or false advertising.

[Stating]

Can't Tell How It Works

I think that Dell's move is a good one for novice users who otherwise would do no backups at all. At a minimum it will allow recovery of a damaged OS or replacement of an accidentally deleted file. Will it allow recovery of a previous version of a specific file? Hard to tell. I looked at both Goback and Ghost on Symantec's website and the only note I could find about recovering a previous version of a file is this under the GoBack product: "ENHANCED! History buffer now holds up to 8 GB of data.*". Other questions I have relate to the performance hit the system will take by a software based RAID, and support for backup to removeable media like DVD. It's not clear if the Dell backup solution gives access to the full Ghost/GoBack feature set, or only a subset.

[aemarques]

True

So true. The only real benefit is to recover from a HD crash.

Re Dell Backup drives

Has it ocurred to Dell that a mirror drive does NOT provide the kind of backup security they claim? A true mirror drive will erase the file that is erased from the main drive AT THE SAME TIME. That's the meaning of "mirror".

Perhaps they plan to run some sort of timing scheme that backs up once a day or so ... that gives a thin hope of recovering data, but there is still a need for the user to recognize that data is missing before the next back up!

It's either fuzzy thinking, fuzzy speaking, or false advertising.

[Stating]

Can't Tell How It Works

I think that Dell's move is a good one for novice users who otherwise would do no backups at all. At a minimum it will allow recovery of a damaged OS or replacement of an accidentally deleted file. Will it allow recovery of a previous version of a specific file? Hard to tell. I looked at both Goback and Ghost on Symantec's website and the only note I could find about recovering a previous version of a file is this under the GoBack product: "ENHANCED! History buffer now holds up to 8 GB of data.*". Other questions I have relate to the performance hit the system will take by a software based RAID, and support for backup to removeable media like DVD. It's not clear if the Dell backup solution gives access to the full Ghost/GoBack feature set, or only a subset.

[aemarques]

True

So true. The only real benefit is to recover from a HD crash.

[digitallysick]

backing up files = slow

solution for backup its a called a jumpdrive, try www.newegg.com, oh yeah and dont buy a dell, its corporate trash, build your own pc

[BrandonR]

Great solution...

If your hard drive is around 512 mb, which is the norm for jump drives.

[Bueller]

Not everyone wants to . . .

Just from what I've noticed, the people who are buying a $600 computer generally aren't the people who would build their own computer. Whether they have the technical expertise or not, they just don't want to.

Based on that, we could see better adoption of something like this on the lower end of the desktop scale rather than the higher... or perhaps greater adoption by the corporate world. For the traveling professional, the quick, integrated solution could be best.

[digitallysick]

backing up files = slow

solution for backup its a called a jumpdrive, try www.newegg.com, oh yeah and dont buy a dell, its corporate trash, build your own pc

[BrandonR]

Great solution...

If your hard drive is around 512 mb, which is the norm for jump drives.

[Bueller]

Not everyone wants to . . .

Just from what I've noticed, the people who are buying a $600 computer generally aren't the people who would build their own computer. Whether they have the technical expertise or not, they just don't want to.

Based on that, we could see better adoption of something like this on the lower end of the desktop scale rather than the higher... or perhaps greater adoption by the corporate world. For the traveling professional, the quick, integrated solution could be best.

[markdoiron]

Minimum Cost Back-up

Dell, and other computer mfg's, should offer a software only solution in even the most basic computer (actually, it should be a feature of the os turned on in the computer as delivered). partition a single drive computer and use that new partition as a "no-brainer" back-up drive. yes, the second drive is a better option because it protects against a drive hardware failure, but it doesn't protect against catastrophic loss of the machine (lightning strike, theft, etc). but, it looks like Dell is sending the subtle msg that "if you want data protection from accidentally emptying the recycle bin, you need a different computer--this one--which costs more because it has more hardware in it."

mark d.

[markdoiron]

Minimum Cost Back-up

Dell, and other computer mfg's, should offer a software only solution in even the most basic computer (actually, it should be a feature of the os turned on in the computer as delivered). partition a single drive computer and use that new partition as a "no-brainer" back-up drive. yes, the second drive is a better option because it protects against a drive hardware failure, but it doesn't protect against catastrophic loss of the machine (lightning strike, theft, etc). but, it looks like Dell is sending the subtle msg that "if you want data protection from accidentally emptying the recycle bin, you need a different computer--this one--which costs more because it has more hardware in it."

mark d.

[Bill Dautrive]

Not a bad move

But when are they going to start including recovery disks again?

I have seen too many name-brand computers completely fail, making any sort of back-up or recovery software usable, and the customer has to jump through hoops to get windows reinstalled.

One of many reasons I build my own.

[Bill Dautrive]

Not a bad move

But when are they going to start including recovery disks again?

I have seen too many name-brand computers completely fail, making any sort of back-up or recovery software usable, and the customer has to jump through hoops to get windows reinstalled.

One of many reasons I build my own.

[peebar60]

Here is the better answer

Check out www.redboomerang.com for a software only solution which is brand independent and does not require additional hardware.

[peebar60]

Here is the better answer

Check out www.redboomerang.com for a software only solution which is brand independent and does not require additional hardware.