Re: What's your favorite Hard Drive Backup device??

["Paul Grammens" <grammens@svn.net>]

"John" <twohandsfree@hotmail.com> wrote
>
> The "problem" with a second HD is that you can't remove the device as
> easily as a Zip disk. It's possible, but I wouldn't consider that part
> of the solution as very elegant.
>

I have a bunch of small external hard disks. Most of them are 3.5" drives
with a case the size of a book, but I have a 1 gig SCSI laptop drive which
is about the size of a deck of cards.  It's powered by the ADB,  which is
pretty convenient.  Considering that these drives can easily back up all 300
megs, I think they are the better solution.

> Speed. It would be a little faster than a SyQuest, but not much,
> probably much faster than a zip. But, I do backups in slack time, so
> speed isn't an issue.
>
> Cost. As far as cost, well, he has a Zip drive already, so maybe the
> cost of a couple of Zip disks.
>

Zip disks are about $10 each, and you'd need 3 to back up 300 megs.  Used
SCSI drives can be had for next to nothing.  Junked Macs are an excellent
source. Plus, how ya gonna back up one zip disk with another?  Not too
convenient unless you have two drives.

> Reliability. I don't know about reliability, but with the SyQuest you
> do have to keep an eye on that aspect, OTOH how much do you trust a
> used SCSI HD on a 20 year old computer?

Zip disks are pretty reliable.  So are hard disks, so I'd say that's a wash.
-Paul