Apple Backup - 3.1.2

Every version we have used has failed in one way or another. Most recently, when I set up Source and Destination HDs and select what to back up, it garbles things badly, especially by refusing to back up to the external HD I have picked and switching to another HD. Worse, it saves to the wrong backup folder.
As with another reviewer, when I tried to recover, it was not effective.
I know that Apple is capable of superior software design, as with OS X, but the .Mac "benefits" package software has been second rate at best.

I like Backup because it is tidy and allows as much or as little customization as I like. It is easy to use and it works. I have restored from it successfully several times. I particularly like that it gives the option of choosing from several versions of any given file, based on the date. That way, in case I backup something that is not quite right, I still have an earlier version that I like to choose from instead. So I can't overwrite a good file with a bad one, just because it's newer.

I like it.

Do not rely on this. I had the experience of having a disk fail recently. "luckily," I had been backed up, albeit from a bad disk. This software does not attempt to do any integrity checking apparently, because while I have been able to restore some of what I backed up, it is extremely slow and keeps quitting at random places complaining that the archive is corrupt. This is really bad software. Again, do not rely on this software to make reliable backups. I should not have put my trust in it. Some work I had done is gone forever. Nothing too important, but still words to the wise. Get Retrospect or something. BTW, even if it were reliable, it's still a bit awkward to use.

I found it much easier to use than Retrospect. It's always worked for me so far although I have not had to restore a whole drive with it, yet. (I hope that never happens.)

I don't think the program is that bad.

I love my Macs, and in many many years of use they have never totally crashed to where my data was gone, until last week. My laptop died and could not be recovered. No problem, I had been using Backup 3.0.1. How wrong could I be! To make a long story short, this piece of junk would not reload to a new hard drive for a total restore, and the dot-mac email support was more than just a joke it was infuriating. After plainly describing in detail (with failure report logs included) what I was having trouble with, the standard cut and paste "help" emails basically told me how to run disk utility and then manually restore individual files. I had over 10,000 files! After about 8 hours (no kidding) of manually retrieving individual files, I retrieved much of my data but not in any organized fashion or with much confidence of what "version" I now have. All of my files are now dated (creation and modification) (the same) date of the incremental backups, and not their true dates. What a nightmare. I will NEVER use BU again! I am now cloning my HD once a week or so on one external hard drive, and physically copying my documents and libraries every week to another external hard drive, rotating/keeping as many versions as space permits. Obviously I am incredibly frustrated by this so take my recommendation with a grain of salt, but IF you are now using BU be ware, your safety net is made of wet toilet paper!