On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:56:23 -0500, Anna wrote:

"BobN" wrote in message
...
The question that I have is why are we talking about these programs at
all?
Free programs such as XXClone and HDClone (at least) will clone a system
drive. Data recovery is a separate issue. There are a number of free
programs which will allow you to back up and recover data. With a clone
drive and backed up data you are good to go under any circumstance. I
would rather put the $50 cost of these programs toward the purchase of a
HDD.


Bob...
Tell me Bob, have you ever worked - really worked - with those free programs
you mentioned? I'm referring to using a disk-to-disk cloning program that
one would use *routinely* and *frequently* to comprehensively back up their
system. So that the user would have at hand a reasonably up-to-date backup
of his or her system and could easily & quickly restore their system to a
bootable, functional state.

There's simply no comparison between those programs and one such as Casper 5
(or Acronis True Image) in terms of effectiveness, ease of use, and most
importantly, speed of operation. If all that matters to the user that he or
she has the use of a free disk-cloning program and has no intention of using
such a program on a routine, frequent basis to comprehensively backup their
system, then those programs will probably have an appeal for them.

Until they use them, of course...
Anna

I have been using XXClone for several years on one computer. When My HDD
crashed, I simply swapped and I was was up and running in minutes. My
wife used HDClone to replace an OEM Dell HDD which could not be restored or
repaired because of a faulty OEM disk. Just because a program costs $50
does not mean that it is any better than a free program. Again, you are
talking apples and oranges. Backing up and restoring data is a separate
operation from cloning. You clone to avoid having to do a complete system
install and to avoid having to install all your programs. You do not use a
clone disk to back up your data every day.. That is what a data recovery
program is for, and you use some external media for such storage. I clone
my system disk only when I install or uninstall a program. Data storage is
on a flash drive and a CD. OK?