I?m looking for one or more recommendations regarding software to
consider for backing up data on my hard drive.

My computer is a PowerMac G4 with OS X version 10.4.7. I plan to
backup documents (and possibly applications) to an Iomega 250 GB
USB/Firewire Hard Drive.

Iomega provided Retrospect Express version 6.1.126 with the hard
drive. I?m not averse to using Retrospect Express, but before
investing time studying it?s user?s manual I?d like to know something
about alternative applications that might be worth considering.

I would like to find an application meeting the following criteria:
(1) Easy to use. (2) Provides a user?s manual that is easy to
understand (at the level of manuals in David Pogue?s ?Missing Manual?
series, for example), preferably one available in a hard-copy version.
(3) Allows backing up without compressing data.

I am currently using Apple?s application Backup to backup documents to
an iDisk. This has two limitations: (1) It does not provide backup
without compression, and (2) storage space is expensive.

I have used Prosoft Engineering?s Data Backup X version 1.1.2. It has
many features I like, but I did not find the user?s manual helpful (to
put it mildly).

Are there any alternatives that would be worth considering?