plan to access data while Mac in for repair?

[btownguy]

So I'm switching over to a Mac and I'm thinking about data backup and recovery. I've got a new MacBook Pro and I'll be connecting a 1Tb external drive for Time Machine. I will also use either Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper to do a clone backup once a week to a separate external drive that I will leave locked up at work (offsite). But...

If my laptop were to die and I have to get Apple to repair it, I understand that I could be without my computer for possibly weeks. How can I get to my data if I don't have another Mac at my house? Are the clone backups of CCC or SuperDuper accessible through Windows, at least to pull out individual files?

In my Windows world, I always have a couple of computers laying around and if I lost a computer (or drive) it was no big deal to just access a backup image I created with Acronis from another computer and pull out files I needed to work on.

 

[Tumbleweed666]

Suppose you had a burglary / fire , none of your additional PC's would help. You also need (or should want) offsite backup as well.
Plenty of choices, Mozy, Amazon etc.

 

[btownguy]

My offsite backup is the external hard drive that will have the clone (CCC or SuperDuper) that will stay in my desk at work. My question is, if there's a problem with my Mac, will I be able to access any of the data in the backup image from one of the many Windows machines at my disposal.

 

[old-wiz]

There are utilities that you can install in windows that allow you to read OSx disks. Look at MacDrive for example

 

[donuttakedonuts]

Instead of online backup, why not run a wire to your neighbor's house to an HD and vise versa? great off site backup for you and your neighbor.