PC World thinks that a better backup system - something more like Time Machine - is coming in Windows 7. The current situation is bad, unless you use third party tools:

At the time (mid-late October 2007) I found myself stymied by a lack of configurability in Vista's File Backup utility. Specifically, there was no way to directly specify which files or folders to backup - only highly generalized categories like "Documents" or "Music." Worse still, Vista File Backup made a habit of skipping files it considered to be part of the operating system, including the myriad .aspx files I had created as part of my web development projects.

I wonder if this can really be blamed on MS though. Say they had added decent backup software to Windows XP, or Vista - when they've pulled in other things to the OS, various parties (including the DOJ) have cried foul, and either brought or threatened anti-trust actions. I wonder how many things MS hasn't integrated simply due to fear of government intervention?

I also wonder how the various people who back such things think it's helped. I think most Mac owners now do backups because of how easy Time Machine makes it. Have we really been helped if useful software is kept at arms reach? Sure, you can buy a USB drive and use the software that comes with it, and sure - you can call the people who don't irresponsible. Being one of those people who just couldn't be bothered before Time Machine simplified my life though, I wonder.

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