The average complete back-up takes hours. SCSI-based DAT drives have the dual advantages of being substantially faster and higher capacity. The greatest downside to tape-based storage is that the data is archived sequentially. This is tantamount to storing your birth certificate at the bottom of a U-Haul truck while moving. To get at the document, you have to unpack everything in front of it.
Removable cartridges present a more convenient solution for data-minded users.
Essentially, the cartridge acts like an ultra-high capacity floppy disk. But this is today, and your data still needs to be safely archived. If you want the cheapest possible way to safely back up your entire system, buy a tape drive. The chart below lists the most common tape drives currently in the consumer channel. The great advantage of a Travan-based drive is its downward compatibility with previous tape formats.