Summary of Backup Options
Technique
Software Used
Cost of hardware n media
Time involved
To same hard disk.
ex. C: to D:		 DriveImage Possibly no extra cost, if your hard drive is already divided into 2 or more partitions, and the subsequent partitions are large enough to hold a copy of your C: drive (don't forget DriveImage's compression).
If your hard drive is big enough, but isn't partitioned, get someone to do that for you, or buy Partition Magic for $50 and do it yourself.
DriveImage for about $60, so total of $110.
 11 minutes for 2.6gb on a 200mhz PC, less time for a faster PC.
To a 2nd hard disk.
Still would be something like C: to D:		 DriveImage 20gb hard drives are going now for just $100.
DriveImage for about $60, total of $160.
 11 minutes for 2.6gb on a 200mhz PC, less time for a faster PC.
To a Jaz drive.
Still would be something like C: to D:		 DriveImage Drive is $350, Cheap SCSI card is $50, Three 2gb Jaz disks is $260, total of $660.
You may have to buy a SCSI cable for about $30. And if you can't install your SCSI card, expect to pay $40 for installation. 		40 minutes for 2.6gb on a 200mhz PC, less time for a faster PC.
To a 100mb Zip drive.
Still would be something like C: to D:		 DriveImage.
DriveImage has capability to span multiple output disks, prompting you when a new one is needed, during backup.		 Internal IDE Drive is $100, Ten 100mb Zip disks are $100, total of $200.
If you can't install your IDE drive, expect to pay $40 for installation. 		2 hours for 1gb, no faster on a faster PC, because of the Zip drive's speed limitation.
To a 250mb Zip drive.
Still would be something like C: to D:		 DriveImage.
DriveImage has capability to span multiple output disks, prompting you when a new one is needed, during backup.		 Internal IDE Drive is $160, Four 250mb Zip disks are $70, total of $230.
If you can't install your IDE drive, expect to pay $40 for installation. 		2 hours for 1gb, no faster on a faster PC, because of the Zip drive's speed limitation.
To a Tape drive.
 Whatever software comes with the tape drive. Tecmar Ditto Max 7gb is $200, three 7gb tapes are $100, total of $300.
 20 hours for 2.6gb, and hope the tape doesn't despool or break. No direct access of files, like on a disk drive. Since backup is Windows software, don't expect to get good "full system backups". Useful mainly for selective backups of certain directories or files, but not those files in the Windows directories, because of contention problem.
The HP CD Writer 9510 drive is both a CDR and a CDRW drive in one. So you'll buy one drive, but probably will buy both kinds of media CDR and CDRW, depending on what it is you want to do. Remember, CDR disks can be written to just one time.
To a 650mb CDR disk.
 Adaptec CD Creator, or whatever CDR software that comes with your CDR drive.   The HP 9510 comes with Simple Backup, which looks like its Adaptec software, just re-labeled. HP CD Writer 9510 is $200, Fifty 650mb CDR disks are $20, total of $220.
If you can't install your CDRW drive, expect to pay $40 for installation. 		40 minutes for 2.6gb, using the Simple Backup software that comes with the 9510 drive.   This would consume approximately 3 blank 700mb CDR disks.
To a 650mb CDRW disk.
 Use Windows Explorer, or even the DOS XCOPY command to copy stuff over. The HP Simple Backup does not recommend CDRW for System Backups.   It may work, I've not tried it. HP CD Writer 9510 is $200, Five 650mb CDRW disks are $15, total of $215.
Note that the 650mb blank CDRW disks hold only 529mb each.
If you can't install your CDRW drive, expect to pay $40 for installation. 		1 hour for 2.6gb, but then you have to manually select your files to fill up each CDRW as much as possible.   Since the software is running under Windows, remember that you probably can't get a good copy of ALL your Windows files (the contention problem), therefore, CDRW is probably not suitable for a full-system-backup of your C: drive.