Introduction

It's important to backup your data. We've all had that basic lesson drilled into us for years. It's also important to make sure that your backed up data is located somewhere other than where your primary data is - that way one disaster won't take out both sets. With cheap storage and pervasive broadband, the promise of offsite storage is one that is easily fulfilled. There are many online services that consumers can now use for online storage. Perhaps, too many.

The basic promise of online storage is the security and peace of mind of having an offsite copy of your data. Offsite online storage can also make your data more accessible if you want to share it. But how do you choose which service to go with? It all depends on what you want out of your online storage service. In this review, we'll take a look at six popular online storage services: Xdrive, MediaMax, IDrive-E, Omnidrive, Box.net, Carbonite and Mozy. Each of these services offers a free trial that does not require a credit card for signup - so after you read this article, you can go and try them out for yourself. We'll evaluate what works and point out the stuff that doesn't work as it should. In our features chart, we'll lay bare the costs and capabilities of the evaluated services. Finally, at the end, we'll identify the winners and losers.

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