[Nickles]

spb backup saves the backup file to either your device or memory card..
i don't do anything through activesync with my PC (i bluetooth things back and forth instead, and use PUSH sync with my Exchange server)...
think of it this way - what if your phone acts up again, you want to do a restore, and your PC is nowhere around. your traveling, etc...

also, a backup prog like SPB, will backup your 'system' and 'data' files.. these are perhaps some files or directories that you may not be manually trasnferring to your PC.
it's not just your outlook contacts you need to transfer.. you need to grab registry, windows system files, DLL's, etc......