Friday, July 11, 2003
ProBackup from Proporta Reviewed
Posted by Doug Raeburn in "SOFTWARE" @ 09:30 AM
How many times have you heard someone say that their Pocket PC lost all of its data (battery ran out, spontaneous reset, etc.) and they didn't have a recent backup? Or worse yet, any backup? We all know how important it is to backup regularly, yet many of us neglect to do so. Would you be more conscientious about backing up if the process was so fast and simple that almost anyone could do it? That's the idea behind Proporta's ProBackup. Let's see if it lives up to its concept.
It seems that few people back up their computers as often as they should. And that includes Pocket PCs. Why is this? For some, the available options might be too difficult to use. For others, it's just a bother and procrastination rears its ugly head. Proporta created ProBackup to address these very issues. As they describe it, "ProBackup is so simple, your mum could use it." And you can start a backup in about a minute, so it may help those of us who suffer from terminal procrastination. If speed and simplicity are your priorities, and you can live with limited options, ProBackup may be just the solution for you.
Installation
It's very important that you follow these installation steps carefully. Be advised that you'll be tested on this later.
Figure 1: With no other action than inserting the ProBackup card, this screen comes up automatically.
Yes, this is without a doubt the easiest install of any Pocket PC program that I've ever used. As far as user interaction is concerned, there's no actual install at all. No ActiveSync connection to your computer is required. It's as close to "idiot proof" as any install I've ever seen. Of course, I always have to keep in mind the old adage from my programming days... "If you think you've designed something that's idiot proof, you've underestimated the quality of your idiots". I don't think that's the case here, however... it's pretty hard to get these steps wrong.
Let's Do a Backup!
OK, so the installation's a snap. Certainly the use of the software must be a bit more complicated, right? Well, yes, but it's still amazingly simple. It uses a wizard-like interface that walks you through all the remaining steps. First, tap on the big green "Backup Device" button shown in Figure 1.
Figure 2: Confirmation dialog
Next, tap on "Yes" to confirm that confirm that you want to proceed with the backup (Figure 2).
Figure 3: The requisite warnings
The next screen (Figure 3) warns you to close active programs, to refrain from using the Pocket PC during the backup, and not to remove the card. One minor caveat... even though it only warns you that you should close active programs, it actually goes ahead and closes them for you.
Figure 4: Always use protection
If you feel that your documents are sensitive, the screen in Figure 4 allows you to protect your backup with a password.
Figure 5: Backing up
That's it... after you get through the password screen, your backup begins. The names of the files being backed up scroll by in the window on the bottom half of the screen. The progress is shown by a bar at the bottom of the file listing window.
Figure 6: That's all, folks!
It notifies you that it's done... your backup is complete.
Now some of you may be asking how you backup only your documents, or your programs, or whatever files strike your fancy. Well, in their quest to make ProBackup as simple as it is, flexibility had to take a back seat. So ProBackup's backup is a backup of all files. But this is also an incremental backup... after the first backup, which backs up all files, ProBackup does an incremental backup. That is, it only backs up files that have changed, which normally takes much less time than backing up all files, especially if you backup regularly.
Restoring your Backup
Figure 7: Starting a restore
Now that we have our backup, let's look at the restore procedure. As you might expect, it's wizard-like and very easy. And like the backup, it's an all-or-nothing proposition... you can't restore selected files.
One more caveat... once the restore starts, it takes over the Pocket PC until it's finished. The Close button on the bottom menu bar doesn't do anything.
Figure 8: Soft-reset to complete the restore
In case any files to be restored were open, a soft-reset will complete the restore.
And that's the whole scoop. A full backup and restore with the simplest install and user interface that you're likely to see in such a program on the Pocket PC. As I said before, it has minimal options, but that's the point. Notice that due to its minimal options, it has NO menus to deal with. That in itself tells you how simple and straightforward it is.
Gotchas
Proporta ProBackup will work on any Pocket PC that can accept a MultiMedia card (in other words, has a slot for a SecureDigital card, because a MultiMedia card fits in that slot).
Where to Buy
Proporta ProBackup can be purchased directly from Proporta for $50.00.
Conclusion
This product should really be part of everyone's toolbox for his or her Pocket PC. It's so simple to install and use that if a person can handle the most basic functions in Pocket Outlook, he or she should have no problem backing up and restoring data using ProBackup. It's simpler to use than ActiveSync's backup, it's much faster and it's portable. If your battery dies or you experience a spontaneous hard reset while you're on that business trip or vacation 2000 miles from home, ProBackup can get you up and running in no time, with no PC required. The only downside is that since it's so easy to use, nobody will have any sympathy for you if you lose all of your data and don't have a recent backup. With ProBackup, there's no longer any excuse.
It seems that few people back up their computers as often as they should. And that includes Pocket PCs. Why is this? For some, the available options might be too difficult to use. For others, it's just a bother and procrastination rears its ugly head. Proporta created ProBackup to address these very issues. As they describe it, "ProBackup is so simple, your mum could use it." And you can start a backup in about a minute, so it may help those of us who suffer from terminal procrastination. If speed and simplicity are your priorities, and you can live with limited options, ProBackup may be just the solution for you.
Installation
It's very important that you follow these installation steps carefully. Be advised that you'll be tested on this later.
- Step 1 - Insert ProBackup card into your SecureDigital slot.
- Step 2 - When the screen in Figure 1 displays, start your backup.
Figure 1: With no other action than inserting the ProBackup card, this screen comes up automatically.
Yes, this is without a doubt the easiest install of any Pocket PC program that I've ever used. As far as user interaction is concerned, there's no actual install at all. No ActiveSync connection to your computer is required. It's as close to "idiot proof" as any install I've ever seen. Of course, I always have to keep in mind the old adage from my programming days... "If you think you've designed something that's idiot proof, you've underestimated the quality of your idiots". I don't think that's the case here, however... it's pretty hard to get these steps wrong.
Let's Do a Backup!
OK, so the installation's a snap. Certainly the use of the software must be a bit more complicated, right? Well, yes, but it's still amazingly simple. It uses a wizard-like interface that walks you through all the remaining steps. First, tap on the big green "Backup Device" button shown in Figure 1.
Figure 2: Confirmation dialog
Next, tap on "Yes" to confirm that confirm that you want to proceed with the backup (Figure 2).
Figure 3: The requisite warnings
The next screen (Figure 3) warns you to close active programs, to refrain from using the Pocket PC during the backup, and not to remove the card. One minor caveat... even though it only warns you that you should close active programs, it actually goes ahead and closes them for you.
Figure 4: Always use protection
If you feel that your documents are sensitive, the screen in Figure 4 allows you to protect your backup with a password.
Figure 5: Backing up
That's it... after you get through the password screen, your backup begins. The names of the files being backed up scroll by in the window on the bottom half of the screen. The progress is shown by a bar at the bottom of the file listing window.
Figure 6: That's all, folks!
It notifies you that it's done... your backup is complete.
Now some of you may be asking how you backup only your documents, or your programs, or whatever files strike your fancy. Well, in their quest to make ProBackup as simple as it is, flexibility had to take a back seat. So ProBackup's backup is a backup of all files. But this is also an incremental backup... after the first backup, which backs up all files, ProBackup does an incremental backup. That is, it only backs up files that have changed, which normally takes much less time than backing up all files, especially if you backup regularly.
Restoring your Backup
Figure 7: Starting a restore
Now that we have our backup, let's look at the restore procedure. As you might expect, it's wizard-like and very easy. And like the backup, it's an all-or-nothing proposition... you can't restore selected files.
One more caveat... once the restore starts, it takes over the Pocket PC until it's finished. The Close button on the bottom menu bar doesn't do anything.
Figure 8: Soft-reset to complete the restore
In case any files to be restored were open, a soft-reset will complete the restore.
And that's the whole scoop. A full backup and restore with the simplest install and user interface that you're likely to see in such a program on the Pocket PC. As I said before, it has minimal options, but that's the point. Notice that due to its minimal options, it has NO menus to deal with. That in itself tells you how simple and straightforward it is.
Gotchas
- If you like lots of options in your backup app, you won't find them here.
- You can only back up all files.
- I'd like to be able to stop the restore through the interface midstream if necessary.
Proporta ProBackup will work on any Pocket PC that can accept a MultiMedia card (in other words, has a slot for a SecureDigital card, because a MultiMedia card fits in that slot).
Where to Buy
Proporta ProBackup can be purchased directly from Proporta for $50.00.
Conclusion
This product should really be part of everyone's toolbox for his or her Pocket PC. It's so simple to install and use that if a person can handle the most basic functions in Pocket Outlook, he or she should have no problem backing up and restoring data using ProBackup. It's simpler to use than ActiveSync's backup, it's much faster and it's portable. If your battery dies or you experience a spontaneous hard reset while you're on that business trip or vacation 2000 miles from home, ProBackup can get you up and running in no time, with no PC required. The only downside is that since it's so easy to use, nobody will have any sympathy for you if you lose all of your data and don't have a recent backup. With ProBackup, there's no longer any excuse.
