Well, I certainly use my computer as more than just a toy, but I've always been a paper guy when it came to the really important stuff, so I always had a hard-copy to refer to. In fact, I always wrote deisgn specs in ink on paper without going to the computer at all. The tablet has changed some of that, and I'd like to get more stuff stored electronically.

My work email is stored on an IMAP server, so no problem there, and I'm tolerant of losing my personal email.

I've observed, like Scott, that installing all my applications takes just a couple of hours and is always a good opportunity to make sure you're installing the latest upgrades anyway.

I've only ever once had a hard drive fail and it wasn't that big of a problem. Other than that, I've upgraded hardware often enough that it hasn't been a problem.

So, I guess I still haven't read the answer to my question. How should I get started if I want to start backing things up? Also, what should I back up and how do I manage it?

How often do you typically back up and how much time does it require?