Comparison: backup or imaging?

Such a question emerged..
What is more reliable, convenient and efficient to save data: backup, imaging disc or just saving information on another hard drive?
There are own reasons for each point, for example image contains all informaition even about file system but doesn't identify data exactly and occupies more space, but is more convenient to restore operation system. But backup occupies less space and also help not to lost data... To save data on another hard drive is reliable too, because it's a small probability for crashing all drives at the same time.
What is your opinion?
What way is worth to be done?

 

And where can I download this Acronis True Image? Is it free?

 

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download2236.html

 

I've had pretty good luck with Norton ghost. I have a "basic" image saved to DVD which will restore the OS along with the most recent service pack, and my hard-core programs. I also have images saved to an external USB hard-drive - I keep four images; every month or so I add an updated image and delete the oldest one.
I'm sold on the imaging as the best back-up method. A friend of mine mirrors his entire hard-drive to a second internal hard-drive, and he swears by it.

 

If i were you i won't be so sure that Norton has the best imaging tecnology or method. Because as i know the time of ghosting is begger than Acronis Imaging. It's the first one thing. The second: norton ghost doesn't have protection of image by password as ATI has. The third: TI allows to save and recover an image to and from USB key, Norton doesn't. Nevertheless norton is still good program, but not the best. Oh, i forgot to say about support of Norton Ghost and Acronis. You have to wait for responce from norton more than week or month.

Why did you delete your previuos backup if Norton has an incremental backup?

Downloads sites of ATI
Acronis
MajorGeeks.com

[EDIT] Please remember to check Major Geeks for available downloads before linking to other sites! Thank you! [/EDIT]

 

I actually don't do incremental back-ups. I generally just do an image whenever my system changes enough to warrant it. So far it's worked well, especially since I got the external drive to store the images to - this is much faster then burning them to dvd (I'd been using a rw dvd - and it would just take forever). I've got such a huge image now it would take two dvds. I am going to try the other program, though, to see if I like it. Thanks

 

By the way, pc world published its top 100 software in the world and ATI took 83 place, which is not so bad, cause there is no norton in top 100

 

Link is to the 100 top PRODUCTS of the year. Very little software there, mostly hardware. Bazza

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I'm feeling little shock... I downloaded trial version of this product (ATI), installed it without any question and made full backup of my system partition to the secondary HDD. 1st time I thought that something wrong - program finished so quickly, that I thought that it didn't nothing!!! When this suspicion occured, I randomly removed 10 files from different folders including System32 and start restore: all files were returned!!! Now I'm looking at display and feeling myself little crazy - I really do not understand, how it can work so fast?!?!