[OM] Re: CD, DVD lives, July 2005

[Chuck Norcutt]

I'm using a pair of 160 GB IDE drives mounted in USB conversion cases to 
do my backup.  I have no concerns about their electronic or mechanical 
life since the only time they're ever powered on is when they're 
actually performing a backup which is, at most, once a week.  I'm too 
lazy to do it more often than that.  I also don't back them both up at 
the same time to minimze (but not eliminate) the chance of copying a 
virus or damaged file onto both backups.  One of them could certainly 
have a premature failure but not likely both at the same time.

I have no clue how fast their tiny magnetic domains are leaking their 
life blood into the void but the drives will probably be replaced with 
something newer within 3 years or so and I'm sure they'll last at least 
that long.  I also purchased an extra IDE to USB conversion case in the 
event that it's the case conversion electronics that fail.  I suspect 
these will no longer be available within a few years.

I also back up images to pedestrian CD-R's.  One of these days I intend 
to add MAM-A gold CD-R's to the mix for images only but inertia and 
lethargy have impeded any action.  With rebates, a pair of 160 GB drives 
with USB conversion cases costs about $140 or just $5 more than 100 
MAM-A gold CD-R's.  That's 320 GB total capacity vs. about 65 GB 
capacity.  That makes the MAM-A CD-R's almost 5 times as expensive as 
the HD solution.

Chuck Norcutt

Moose wrote:

> Wayne Harridge wrote:
> 
> 
>> Hard disks ?  I don't think I've heard any claims about how
>> archival they are, there are certainly many points of potential
>> failure, electronic, mechanical, magnetic.
>> 
> 
> My opinion as well, but I have noticed some folks here using them for
>  backup rather than those unreliable CDRs.



==============================================
List usage info:     http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies:        olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================