Remember when making a back-up of your data meant calling in a scribe and dictating for hours to the rhythm of a quill scratching on parchment? Well. Maybe not. But imaging technology has come a long way since the dark ages of 
8-bit graphics and floppy disks. Evolving since the early 90s, disk imaging technology has made three prominent leaps of progress over the last two decades, resulting in the imaging software we’re familiar with today.
Join us now, won’t you, for a journey along the Disk Imaging Technology Timeline:
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Early to mid 90s: Disk imaging and cloning technology becomes readily available to consumers, but is fairly limited in function. Users may use software to create an image of their PC, but that image is tied to the computer – images can only be restored to the same PC. The process requires a large number of floppy disks; tempers flare. |
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Late 90s to 2009: New developments give disk imaging products the ability to create an image of a PC, and then restore that image to any other PC. However, limitations are still present: an image is tied to its operating system. An image of a PC running Windows 95 can only be restored to a computer running that same operating system. The total incorporation of compact discs (CDs) soothes the hearts and souls of the frustrated floppy-disk generation. |
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2010: The release of Windows 7 triggers the need to update PCs from XP or Vista. Imaging technology, as it was previously, is unable to restore users’ images of old XP or Vista PCs to new Windows 7 PCs. However, with the creation and release of PCmover Image Assistant, by Laplink Software, this gap in imaging technology is closed. The first and only software to restore images across different operating systems, PCmover Image Assistant completes another turn in the evolutionary path of disk imaging technology. |
Be sure to check out next week’s posting about how the disk imaging process actually works.
As Chairman of the Board and CEO of Laplink, Thomas guides the company’s strategic direction. Prior to joining Laplink in 2003, Thomas was Chairman of the Board for Infowave, where he was involved in interfacing with global business and financial communities. Thomas also served as Infowave’s Chief Executive Officer from February 2001 to April 2002. Prior to joining Infowave, Thomas worked at Microsoft for more than 13 years. He was Corporate Vice President of Microsoft’s Network Solutions Group where he was responsible for Microsoft’s worldwide business with telecommunication companies. Thomas was instrumental in developing Microsoft’s vision for the communications industry and led the development of strategic partnerships in mobility, broadband and hosting. Previously, he was General...
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