[geeks] Best media for personal long-term backup?

[Jonathan C. Patschke]

On Fri, 27 Feb 2009, nate at portents.com wrote:

> DVD-R seems like the least expensive route to go for another 10 years or
> so, but I'm still a bit wary of trusting my data to those organic dyes.

Taiyo Yuden DVD+R.

The DVD+R format has error-correction vastly superior to DVD-R, and
Taiyo Yuden have a reputation for producing the best archival-quality
DVD+R media.  Expect to pay 4x - 5x what you'd pay for your local
electronics store's discount media brand.

If money is no object, you may want to consider DVD-RAM.  Allegedly it was
designed for archival-quality from the beginning, but drives and media are
costly.

> I love the concept of magneto optical, the whole heating the substrate
> to the Curie point so you can flip the magnetic field seems just
> fabulous, combined with a real data cartridge.  Downside is I don't have
> an MO drive and don't know how easy it will be to keep/use/re-aquire in
> 10-25 years

The other downside is media capacity.  To approach DVD levels of capacity,
you'll need to chunk $2000 or so at a MO drive.

Consider also how you want to store your media.  You can extend the life
of even crappy media by storing it in an airtight fire-safe where most of
the oxygen has been purged and replaced with nitrogen.

-- 
Jonathan Patschke ( "They don't have the right to read a book out loud."
Elgin, TX         (                  --Paul Aiken
USA               (                    Executive Director, Authors Guild