How Does It Work?
I've used several online backup services and have found them, overall, easy to set up and use. Essentially, you download a backup utility from the service's Web site. Using the utility, you determine which files to back up automatically and when (say, every weekday at 9 p.m.).
Some online services mimic a hard drive on your computer, letting you drag and drop files to add them to the backup set. The files on the off-site server are usually compressed to save space. Should something happen to your computer, you can access the files from any Web-enabled PC (provided you've remembered your user name and password, of course).
In addition, many online backup services let you set up a shared file folder for high-resolution digital images or other large files. That makes it easier to share those files with others, who access the folder using a password.
So What's the Catch?
The biggest disadvantages to online storage is cost. and the speed of your internet connection.
