Reinstalling and backing up my macbook. Plus, how do I clean my screen?

Hey guys, three questions.
I've had my macbook for 8 months, and do you think I should reinstall the OS fresh? I'm not sure if it will make the macbook perform better and quicker?
Plus, if I was to do that -- what is the best method to backing up my hd?
And finally, my screen is uber dirty -- any suggestions on how to clean it?
Thanks, -- Kenny

Caspin,
Unless you are having specific issues (freezes, crashes, general "wonky" behavior), there should be no need to format and reinstall. If you are having problems... perhaps.
The first requirement for backups is an external drive. Assuming that you have one, the best option (IMO) is to use the built-in utility specifically designed for backups: rsync.
"rsync" is a command line application, so it is not the easiest thing to use. It is, however, the most powerful backup utility one could use, and it is completely free (and already built-in). If you are interested in its use, I would be happy to lend a hand.
Regardless of the method you use to make the backup, the important item to back up is your entire HOME folder. Assuming you use it the way it was intended to be used, meaning that you keep all of your files in it, even simply copying it in the Finder to an external drive is all that is required to effective back yourself up.
Scott

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