Hi, Chris,
Your way is ultimately more convenient. Clearing the pages leaves about 100K, in a variety of files which AS slowly agonizes over as it backs them up. But my way, while clearing that directory completely, involves 600K worth of files that do not zip down very well, so the transfer of that package takes a while.
Plus, your way removes the hassle of unzipping, reloading, etc.
Never quite figured out why AS backups are so glacial, regardless of version. On the other hand, the backup is always correct and the restore always thorough. But still a life-waster
Jake