Re:Backups are here to stay... (Score 4, Insightful)

They also forget to mention that you can't just disconnect a disk array, send it off site for 30 days, and expect to easily restore it when it comes back. With tapes, even if the OS it was originally backed up on is Windows, and the new OS was Linux, it will work (seemlessly if the backup software allows). The other thing that most people ignore besides the above mentioned sneaker quality is the larger cost associated with rack space, power, and cooling when using disk. I can stack a hell of a lot more TB/sq ft. with tapes than even some of the highest density hard drives, and I won't have to pay as much for power. Also disk systems produce considerably more heat than a tape library.

None of this really matters to small installations, but to enterprise installations these things are a lot more important.