I am a Software Professional and I agree with Wayne's post. It is always
better to have multiple methods in place. I back up to multiple computers
because I can. There are some inexpensive software packages that can "sync"
files between multiple sources and I prefer that to some backup software.

I just recommended to a friend that if you don't have access to a network
that one of the most practical ideas today is a USB drive, attached to your
computer...but I believe in multiple backups.

As to the article about tape backup. I have a small business and have had
several tape backup devices over the years, none of them cheap and the
biggest problem is the hardware goes bad, and then you can't retrieve what's
on those tapes (and when I say can't I mean without big expense or
heartache). Software that operates these devices change and it takes a lot
of time and brain work to sort it all out. It's just not practical for a
small user to justify the expense or headache.

I always buy name brand media (CD's, DVD's, etc.) and I have CD's that have
lasted well beyond what that article says. Like 6 years...but I don't rely
on them as the only source of the data.

More is better,
Debbie DeHart

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