Windows users get simple backup appliance

  Users of Apple's Leopard operating system for the Mac get a built-in backup software tool called Time Machine. A couple clicks of your mouse, after you buy and attach an external drive, and you're ready to backup your Mac. Windows end users are not so lucky. However, they can get an appliance from Rebit Inc. of Longmont, Colo. That's equally easy to use. In fact, Charlene Murphy, executive vice president of marketing, claims it is "ridiculously simple to use." So easy, in fact, the appliance is called Rebit Ridiculously Simple Backup. She says the software-hardware combo takes a click or two of the mouse and it's ready to work. It backs up everything-files, applications and even the operating system. Today the Rebit unit works on single PCs only. Come January, Murphy says, Rebit will offer a multi-PC appliance. However, it will need to be connected to each Windows PC  being backed up. So in Q2 Rebit intends to deliver a LAN-based appliance as well to avoid having to go from machine to machine. In mid 2008 the company will offer an online storage service, Murphy says. Pricing starts at $169.