Acronis True Image

Acronis has long been a popular destination for backup solutions. True Image 2013 adds mobile device support for its cloud storage to attract more users.

For people who are new to backing up their computers, True Image 2013 brings an approachable interface with short, helpful descriptions that acquaint users with the primary functions. The cartoon sketches might seem childish at first glance, but regardless, the friendly attitude offers assurance that the partitioning and backup process isn't as intimidating as one might think.

The new version retains all the standard and advanced features from 2012 -- you can still create backups in about every way imaginable with Acronis 2013's backup and recovery tools. Alongside the classic disk and partition backup modes, True Image 2013 lets you create and restore your backups online via cloud, search for backups from the file level, set periodic backups and recoveries for your media content, and restore your machine states via bootable media such as USB. Creating a direct backup worked best for us.

Acronis' mobile experience was mixed at best; we used an Android tablet to test out the file-syncing and cloud-backup features. Though it recognized our synced drive, it kept crashing even after trying to create a new folder. Your mileage may vary depending on the compatibility of your Android device and the version of your operating system. For our device, it flat out did not work as intended. Acronis' other syncing and cloud features may sound great but its strongest asset lies in the the program's default disk backup and cloning functions; they're speedy and effective. We recommend that you exercise caution when using other recovery options, especially if you have other backup programs installed, as Acronis uses its own unique format.