I`m looking for good and easy to use backup software for my mp3 collection.

Her is what I expect :

- backup on demand on local drives with adjustable compression ratio (or without it) , with ability to compare backup with original dirs, therefore:

- leaving files in backup that already exists in original dir (if they are exactly the same for size/name etc.)

- coping new files into backup dir

- deleting files in the backup dir that no longer exists in original dir

Would you like to give me any recommendation of program I should choose ?

Do you want backup on Tape/HD/DVD/CD or another type of Media.
Do you need file access from the OS?
How big is your budget?


[edit: typo]

Get a DVD burner

use this program:
Stomp Backup MyPC

Cheapest thing I've come up with, its what I use. I am uncertain how long dvd media will last so I do a full backup of my vast music collection(about 90 gigs of MP3s and Ogg and MPC) each year.

good luck finding a program which does that for you. if your music collection is likely to remain 'static' (ie, you feel you have most of what you will ever want. i am approaching this point), then just use ghost 2003 or backup to dvd-rw. though i recognise that you want on-the-fly, two-way backup features, and i wish you luck in finding them.

compression? you're talking mp3s, compression won't help in any meaningful way

<edit> if you're talking about simply backing up from one directory to another directory then rsync will keep the backup synced with the original, and there's a win32 version (that I haven't tried) here http://sourceforge.net/projects/backuppc/ if you look for the cygwin-rsyncd file.

<edit> ratman, why did the open mouthes require zooming?

I didnt do it - that was how the author made it.

heh, i bet you slagged me off before your edition.

i know its tacky. i guess i just like ridiculing madonna. that toothless 60-year-old gimp will do anything to stay in the headlines: she is a laughing stock, and a laughing stock is always a good avatar to have.

heh, you're still giving your attention to her, so obviously she knows what she's doing. She's not even close to 60, don't know what you're on, heh. I'd do 'er.

I can´t give you any advice, what to do with your MP3´s (I would trash them BTW ), cause I´ve got only MPC´s. But what I do to save them, I can tell you.
Generally: There is no ideal backup-media yet available. Industry is still sleeping!

DVD-R:
- far too small in size (compared with up-to-date harddisks)
- too slow in backing-up (-)
- far too unflexible, if you changed something and want to store it again on this media (-)
- medias (especially no-name DVD-minus-R´s) are too crappy; have high failure-rates (-)
- medias too expensive: 1 DVD+RW ~ 3,00 € = 0,75 €/GB. (+RW because of flexibility) (-)
- only a part of the datas away, if 1 DVD crashes (+)
- prices drop down rapidly (+)
- will get faster in the near future (+)

Hard-Disk:
- also unreliable sometimes (-)
- all datas away if it crashes (-)
- huge-size (++)
- remarkably cheap space: 1 GB ~ 0,75 € meanwhile (+)
- uncomplicate in handling (+)
- backup goes fast like hell (++)
- changeable task (as boot-harddisk in another comp one day maybe) (+)
- flexible storage: always latest changes on files are stored (+)
- waste of resscources, because HD only "lays around" all the time for backup. And a HD was made to work all the time. So here: (-)

So, guess what I advice you? - .... YESSSS !
Harddisk: 8 points , DVD+R(W) 3 points .

Concrete recommendation: Buy a 160 GB Samsung, 7200 rpm, 8 MB cache for only 128,- € (price here in germany at a discounter).
I have also 2 of those 160 GB-monsters (but with only 5,400 rpm) - and I´m fairly lucky with them. Fast, reliable (in relation to other HD´s), and Samsung still gives 3 years of full guarantee.

Edit:
What also votes against a DVD-backing up-strategy:
First you have to pay for the burner. And then additionally for the (still quite expensive) medias. Especially the brand-medias are still too expensive. DVD+R from Philips or Maxell costs around 4 €. And the really cheap no-name DVD-R´s have a catastrophal quality (see test of the latest edition of german computer-mag "c´t").

Final hint:
Wait until "blue ray" is on the market. There the backup-medias are big enough with 27 gigs. And it will maybe already come on the market in 2 to 3 years for low prices.

The comparision seems not completely honest
For DVD+R €0.75/GB is expensive.
For HD €0.75/GB is remarkably cheap.

That´s only a contradiction at the first sight. You always have to add for the DVD-backuping the costs of the burner (divided thru the number of the medias you burn) plus the price of the medias itself. While for the harddisk-space you only have the costs of the harddisk.... logo. I see, GeSomeone, you have never learned calculation at an economic school.