BleepingComputer.com: More Sophistocated Backup Options?

Hey guys,

First time post, I thought I'd just jump right in :D ...

I have read the guide on Vista Backup, and I have a few questions...

1. Is there a way to backup just 'system state'
(The intention being that one could restore a pc to its current operating state minus the 'user files' )

2. Is there a way to just select a directory for backup?
(At present all I'm using is a self written batch file to backup certain folders of my choice from 1 hdd to another - automated via task scheduler... in that respect - the system state backup is the real issue at present)

Essentially, I'm happy with NTBACKUP.exe (for all its quirks), I use it in Windows Server 2003 and it seems ideal, however, it seems Vista has scrapped this, in favour of this rather infuriating tool!

(How big would you expect a system state backup excluding 'user files' to be - vista claimed it could be up to 72gb - which seemed rather weighty to me?! - I don't have a huge amount of apps installed - Office 2007, SQL, etc nothing major...)

I'm not sure if it is what you would be looking for, but most backup and imaging software is selective. I have never, through the windows era, used Microsoft's back up system - it's the first thing I disable on installation!
I have always had total satisfaction from Acronis. It allows you to selct all or part of your OS for back up and will also do incremental ovwrwrites of material already backed up. Another bonus is an autoboot disk you can build yourself, which can include your entire OS setup. As a beta tester that has saved my bacon on many occasions.
P.S. 72 Gigs is typical MS garbage. I have a host of (mostly essential) software installed, including both Office 2003 and 2008. So far up to 18 gigs only