Question on Acronis backup software

Hi,

I am looking into switching to Acronis backup 2012 and replacing my older PowerQuest program which is starting go give me problems. I downloaded the demo and did a backup as well as a boot disk and both seem to work with my system, but I am a bit confused about the "Plus Pack" that allows you to install in dissimilar hardware. I am not a programmer but as I understand it according to the Acronis manual, if something is different in the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) on the target system, then I need the Plus Pack. I am thinking if I try to install the backup on a machine with a different mother board, then that is a different HAL and I would need to use the Plus Pack, but if I add a disk drive, or different video board or sound card, on my present system, does the changes modify the HAL as well?

Thanks

gs

I have 2011 Acronis which offered the same feature.  I never got it and don't really need it.  If I'm going to install in "dissimilar" hardware, e.g. motherboard, I'm going to have to either do a complete reinstall of the OS or at a minimum (if lucky) install the motherboard chipset drivers and device drivers for the new motherboard hardware. 

But, I've been using Acronis for about 4 years and although there are other similar programs, even a free "macrium" program (which doesn't do a lot that Acronis does) and in Windows 7 a backup program, I wouldn't consider anything else.  Most of the other techies I know also use Acronis.

I do full hard drive backups, not incremental backups.  If you ever needed to restore, a full backup will restore faster that a full backup plus incremental backups.  You also have to make sure you do everything in order on the incrementals or you can get screwed up.  With a full backup there is only one thing and nothing else to restore.  I keep at least two backups on a separate hard drive - the previous and current.