AA> Backups take time.  How much of that time would you value to be in
 AA> excessive $100 already?   
Yes...backing-up data can be time-consuming, but it's still cheaper than
losing important data ...forever ! And it certainly beats having to pay
a fast typist to replace such records.
You wanna gripe about the time it takes to perform backups, you go right
ahead and gripe. Maybe by the time you've finished all the precious data
on your machine will have been vanquished...and you soon learn about the
EXPENSE that professional data restorations can bring down on you. I can
assure you that it would be far in excess of the 100-bucks or so that a
UPS might've cost you in the first place...! Instead of griping, you'll
be in a position to groan really loudly...
Are you aware of a technique known as "unattended backup" ? The technique is
used commonplace at many offices todays...and the investment involved is
actually quite cost-effective for many. Bundled backup software that comes
with many tape backup drives allow for timed backups under the particular
schema that you might actually require. No longer do you need to be concerned
about the costs of assigning an employee to take dedicated data backups: it
can all be setup through a one-time effort and last until the day the machine
croaks on it's last byte. As some old-timers might say. "...it's
automatic...".
When coupled with current UPS technology, unattended backups can serve
to provide upwards of 90% of system (data) protection, the other 10% being
attributed to "human error" and peripherial electrical/physical/mechanical
breakdowns.
Any system considered "mission critical" ought to have both forms of
protections, and make no mistake about it, even SOHO PC's can be considered
"mission critical" machines, especially when so many SOHO's have their
machines as the core of their operations.
Semper Fi
RTP
~~~ PGPBLUE 3.0 
... For sale, Parachute.  Used once.  Opens on impact.  Small stain.
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