[KLUG Members] Re: New machine - Linux hardware?

[Adam Tauno Williams]

>>Also, re backup, at this point the best backup solution for most
>>consumer-level stuff is just to buy a second hard drive.  With 60 GB
>>IDE drives starting under $150, you can't lose.  Decent tape drives
>>with a fraction of the capacity still start around $300 and involve
>>swapping tape after flaky tape.  Backing up to a hard drive is fast,
>>automatic, and verification is easy.
>Agreed... But.....
>The bad problem with a second drive as a backup (especially with a
>business) is that unless you mount the drive in a drive enclosure where
>you can take the drive with you, in the event of a fire BOTH the drive and
>the backup get toasted!
>With the tape drive, pull the tape, slap it in your pocket and let
>the building burn!!!! <BG>

Agree 100%

>Of course, the consumer isn't worried about that. <G>

<RANT>This, sadly true, baffles me.  Maybe someone who has a Best-Buy PC to
piddle around with doesn't care at all about their data,  but I operate under
the assumption that anyone who wants a Linux system actually has a use for a
computer.  I've a watched a  prim-and-proper phd holder weep next to his home PC
when the drives went south due to a toasted power supply.  Suddenly acquire-ing
a tape drive becomes a top priority!  Now if humans actually are intelligent,
and capable of learning from vicarious experience, why don't any local office
supply stores even sell the tapes, let alone the drives?  </RANT>
 
>Seriously though, if you looking for a tape drive, I couldn't
>recommend anything but a DDS-? (read dat) tape drive. I've gone through 2 
>IDE Travan drives in two years and my DDS-3 dat drive keeps humming 
>along happily.

Avoid anything that mentions TR, Traven, QIC, etc....

Of course you can always string ethernet to the neighbors and backup to a hard
drive in another building... :)

Systems and Network Administrator
Morrison Industries
1825 Monroe Ave NW.
Grand Rapids, MI. 49505