By Evan Ackerman
A couple weeks ago, I asked you guys what you thought the best way to back up data was. Generally, there are two ways to go… You can either make a local copy of your data (which is fast and easy), or make a remote copy (which is way slower but also more secure). Datto is a NAS (network attached storage) system that works just like an external HD. It also automatically backs itself up onto Datto’s servers, keeping your data safe in the event of a whale explosion gone horribly wrong. This gives you the best of both worlds: fast and easy backups with off-site redundancy.
Of course, since it’s a good system, it can’t possibly be cheap. Datto costs a staggering $400 for a 100 gig drive, plus $100 a year for the online backup. 500 gigs will set you back $600 for the hardware and $250 a year for the online service. The physical drives that you get for that amount of money don’t appear to be anything special, with an Ethernet port being the only interface. You can access your data over the internet, which is nice, and if something happens to your drive they will mail you a physical replacement with your data on it within 24 hours. Nice features, and certainly useful, but way overpriced if you ask me.
