How to start an iCloud backup on my Mac?

Yes. It's called SkyDrive. Your move.


Edit:

And so as not to seem like a troll, I would like to offer the following information about backing up a Mac that is both seamless and easy. Additionally, I will include a list of pros and cons.

The first back up solution offered by Apple is the Time Machine / Time Capsule solution. This solution is 100% Apple, so the inherent con is that it is more expensive than the inherent pro, which is compatibility and seamless ease.

You simply set up your Time Capsule anywhere in range of your wireless network. You then follow the TC's simple steps to authenticate it to your network and broadcast its unique storage solution to other Mac's on your network.

Next, you set up Time Machine to automatically back up your Mac's user profile - which will include all of the things that iCloud services - to the Time Capsule.

Then, you literally have nothing left to do. Buying a Time Capsule with a drive size that exceeds the size of your local Mac drive will ensure you never run out of space.

This is my current configuration at my house and I have 4 Macs total. I have 2 Time Capsules servicing the backup needs of my network. Each drive is specific to a person, and are partitioned in half to provide adequate backup to each person's set of systems (each of us have 1 iMac and 1 Macbook Pro).

The second solution is to omit a Time Capsule and look for another Network Automated Storage (NAS) device that will serve the same needs as the Time Capsule. This is simple to use and involves the same steps as above, with additional steps to set up this third-party drive.

The third solution is to use SkyDrive or DropBox as a Cloud storage solution. Both have their limiations. SkyDrive charges you for a certain amount of drive space you require, but allows you to access all of your data anywhere.

I personally enjoy maintaining my own back up and not having "the man" manage my storage solution for me - who knows what they're really doing with that data, right?

I hope this helps with your backup solutions in the future.

Kind Regards,
K