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Seagate Replica: Simplest PC backup ever
If you're like most people, you probably never back up your PC or if you do, you it so rarely that it renders the act virtually useless. If you're one of the many who would really like to back up their data, but are intimidated by the tons of options out there, and just want a system, some magic object that just does it so you don't have to even think about it, the Seagate Replica is for you.
The Replica is an unassuming device, a thin portable hard drive that sits on a stand that connects to your PC via a USB cord. But its oblong exterior contains a robust hard disk (either 250 or 500GB, $129 and $179, respectively) that's insanely simple to use. How simple? Like, idiot-proof simple. Like, two-click simple. Like, "I'd give the zombies in Dawn of the Dead an even chance of using this" simple.
My hands-on report using the Replica after the brains… I mean, the jump.
Like I said, you might be able to make the Replica's setup process more complicated, but I don't see how. First, connect it. Second, tell Windows to run the setup software onboard — one click in a pop-up menu. Lastly, click "Agree" on the license agreement (seriously, does anyone click "I don't agree" on these things?). You're done. The Replica will now backup your entire drive. This takes a little while, but when you're done, the drive's icon will appear in your taskbar, and recovering files is but a few clicks away.
What if you have a complete hard-disk failure? The Replica's still got you covered, but you'll need the CD-ROM that came in the box. That disc lets you boot up your machine and recover your drive's full-system image that the Replica has stored.
If the Seagate has any weakness it's versatility. You can't use it as a normal hard disk, and it has exactly one connector, the mini USB port. It's also not Mac-compatible, but current OS X users can use Time Machine, so they don't have much to complain about. This is for anyone who just wants PC backup that they can turn on and forget about. The Replica is available May 4.
By LostMK at 12:57 AM ON 04/16/09
500GB? Who will this help?
By Gambit at 1:03 AM ON 04/16/09
If the only benefit of this drive is the automatic first plug in backup, there are much better and cheaper drives out there. Plus, with the ability to schedule automatic backups, if the only benefit is in fact that it backs up on start up, then the price is not worth the gigs. See http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B001D7REJ4/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance
By anshuman gholap at 3:52 AM ON 04/16/09
I had to stop reading it, as soon as i came across " Windows ".
Next please!.
By Darkstriker at 7:55 AM ON 04/16/09
Yeah... How about Linux. Does it work there too?
And I will have to agree: 500GB is terribly small. My Desktop runs on a 1TB Raid0 while my server has a total of 2.5TB. The latter may be not as common but most recent PCs will ship with 750-1000GB so 500GB is a little small.
By Instant Amageddon at 12:54 PM ON 04/27/09
@Gambit: I bought one of those Iomega drives last year. It lasted six months, then all of a sudden the drive(s) wouldn't spin up anymore. You get what you pay for.
By StepBackAndConsider at 10:17 PM ON 04/27/09
This is a great idea. Not for me, and not for most of the people actually reading a blog, but for the greater majority of computer users at home. Anyone who has thier own server or has a computer that actually utilizes more than 500GB of hardrive space will most likely not need this at all because they will have thier own means of security, safety, backup, etc. This is clearly for people that are not tech savy, hence the overbearing simplicity concept, and that do not know how to keep thier computer safe in the first place. Mac addicts need not apply, they have thier own world of MAC, of which I am not a part of. IT professionals, enthusiast, and computer scientists, i.e. most of the people reading this blog, are unfortunatly the minority, and we can backup our systems on our own, or repair an infection succesfully, or not get infections in the first place, et cetera.
By meydrew at 11:48 AM ON 04/30/09
Whoa! what in the world man! How does 500 gb not account for your valuable files? Its great that you have a 1TB Raid0 but honestly how much of that is actually worth backing up? I seriously doubt that your going to use a usb external hard drive to back up your companies In house network so what would you need a 1TB+ usb back up solution that's portable? If you really want one build it yourself it ain't that hard. In fact it is easy. It is also cheaper. Any how, this is a good solution for those that do not want to think about the technical specs and save actually useful files(not the fifty pirated movies and thousands of pirated songs you got at work,and the loads of porn your boss doesn't know about. Seriously what common application of a 500gb portable hard drive would prove taxing and impractical on the drive if not the transport of copious amounts of up-sampled multimedia and multiple dvd/CD images of software installs etc.)
By TWesZ at 3:28 PM ON 04/30/09
wow. so...it just plugs in all simple like? With just a USB connector? Jeez....thats....amazing....its amazing that almost every other external HD runs the same way. How is this something I should care about? I use a 750 Gb external for backup and storage and I can choose whether or not all I use is USB or an eSATA connector or even firewire.
This looks kind of pretty but its not impressive as storage or use goes.
By slim at 7:12 PM ON 05/02/09
I am so impressed by the knowledge of the haters.
Not all people know computers. Their specialty forces them to use the computer but the computer is not their main purpose in life.
That is who this drive is for.
By Sammy at 1:38 PM ON 05/07/09
For image based/corporate back up, stick to network based IT solutions. Use Clickfree drives for personal data. It's simpler than Replica and is non-intrusive, there's more flexibility and at least they have a 1 TB drive.
By sandip shah at 7:59 AM ON 05/13/09
we require data back up up to network 10 pc. contionusly. please guide us the model required .
By Fred at 11:41 AM ON 05/20/09
This is just that ugly backup product Rebit from a few years ago. Is this what we are reduced to? Rebranding products from years ago? Are there no advances in backup technology?
By KmaN at 6:19 AM ON 06/24/09
I read all the comments and frankly, the backup market is targetting home users now... people who don't have the tech savvy-ness or the desire to protect and backup their important data.
I came across Genie Timeline, a software that claims to bring to Windows what TimeMachine brought to MAC... What's nice is that you're not buying hardware, you're not limited to backing up to a predefined destination (in Replica's case, only 500 or 250 GB), you can backup network locations and mapped drives.
By scifiguy at 8:49 PM ON 08/15/09
Got one like this (less storage at the time) from seagate. when my HDD crashed I reinstalled my OS and called them because I needed to reinstall certain programs (dragon naturaly speaking) and no one there even knew how to back anything up (restore). Still have a brand new one left, never used (or problely ever will be).
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scifiguy:
Got one like this (less storage at the time) from seagate. when my HDD crashed I reinstalled my OS and called them ...More »