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Re: Dumb Question

Roy Lewallen wrote:

> Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>> Can someone please tell me the benefits of Palm backup programs? Why not
>> just make copies of the relevant data file? I must be missing something,
>> or else people would not be _paying_ to have a failsafe.
>> 
>> Roy
> 
> Ah, why back up computer files? Why not just make copies of the
> important files on the hard disk? The answer is that there are failure
> mechanisms that can cause loss of *all* the data on a hard drive, or in
> a PDA's memory, all at once, in an instant. Doesn't matter how many
> copies you have -- they can all be wiped out at once.

I don't put the copy on the same hard drive, of course. I store it on a
secure FTP and on a second computer.

> I personally had my Palm lose all its brains in the middle of a business
> trip, where I was using the Palm to record business expenses. It was the
> first and last time I ever used it for that or any other important
> purpose, unless I had my laptop along in order to make frequent backups.

This I understand.

> I recently got my second Palm, a Zire 31. The first software I got for
> it was software to back up its contents to an SD card, which will retain
> the data even if the machine loses it brains. But even the SD card can
> fail, so critical files can be backed up to a second card

Is there a built-in Palm functionality which transfers all data to my SD
card? I know commercial products exist, but all I really want is to
duplicate the100 KB or so of data from the 4 'main' applications.

> which can
> then be removed and safely stored. And for the first time, I'll use the
> Palm to store data that can't easily be replaced -- but it'll be well
> backed up.
> 
> I hope you don't have to experience a hard drive or PDA crash to learn
> the importance of backing up. It's a tough way to learn. But the lesson
> *will* stay with you!

I have an almost unblemished record of enduring failures and restoring data.
I am worried, however, about these between-HotSyncs moments of anxiety.

-- 
Roy Schestowitz
http://schestowitz.com

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