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From: jdm@gryphon.COM (John Mesiavech)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Hard-disk backup programs.
Summary: SuperBack: Use with caution!
Message-ID: <18945@gryphon.COM>
Date: 17 Aug 89 09:47:04 GMT
References: <6220@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> <7669@cbmvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: jdm@gryphon.COM (John Mesiavech)
Distribution: na
Organization: Trailing Edge Technology, Redondo Beach, CA
Lines: 60
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>In article <7669@cbmvax.UUCP> mks@cbmvax.UUCP (Michael Sinz) writes:
>In article <6220@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> mgardi@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (M.Gardi - ICR) writes:
>>I'm trying to make a decision between QuarterBack and SuperBack.  If
>>anyone has any experience with either of these, I'd appreciate a note
>>giving me your opinion.
>
>I usually tell people to use SuperBack.  But then I also wrote LV-BackUp
>(which then was redone as SuperBack)  I do know that I have always gone
>through MANY months of testing.  It also has a better user interface.
>It also comes, in the same package, in three languages: English, German,
>and French.  (CANADA loves this...)

So, you COULD say that he has a vested interest.....B->

>
>The biggest reason I have, however, is that I TRUST IT with my 160+ Megs of
>data...
>
>                   -- Michael Sinz  (of MKSoft Development)

  Being an owner (legally) of both Quarterback AND Superback can say this:
 
Superback is a nice program WITH THE FOLLOWING LIMITS:
 
1) SuperBack takes up lots of RAM for it's operations, and as such has
   limits...For example:  Had a 40MB hard disk that was roughly 89% full.
   Me Amiga 1000 was 1MB in memory size.  Backed up 1790 files OK in that 
   configuration.  Next time came, and I had over 1800 files to backup,
   according to LIST.  Started up SuperBack, told it to go to DH0:, and
   do a full backup.  GURU.  THere wasn't enough memory for THAT many files.
   Quarterback went to 1974 files, and aborted cleanly.
 
2) Superback has no way to disable archive-bit setting on backed-up files.
   WHich makes it impossible to use in an emergency-backup situation.
   Say you have a HD that's developed a validation error.  You try to
   use SuperBack to back it up, so's you can reformat/restore.  SuperBack
   WILL back it up, but you have to click the "Volume dhx is Not Validated"
   requesters off for EVERY FILE.  This can be quite annoying.
   With QuarterBack, you can disable the archive-bit setting.
   With LV-Backup (still one of the best!), you could disable the archive-bit.
   Why you can't with SuperBack, I'll never know.

So, to sum up: Superback is a Nice Program, I LOVE it's UI...but it dies have
drawbacks in a memory-tight situation.  THat Guru was with NOTHING, not even t
the Workbench running.

John


-- 

0-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-> All disclaimers apply; I didn't write this <-=-=-=-=-=-0
|                   ----------------------|-------------------             |
| "I want a New Duck                      |  John Mesiavech                |
|  One that won't try to bite             |  net.soldier.of.fortune        |
|  One that won't chew a hole in my socks | {backbone}!gryphon!jdm         |
|  One that won't Quack all night"        |    Go Purdue! (by req)         |
|  Weird Al Yankovic, "I Want a New Duck" |                                |
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